Beware of ‘diplomatic immunity’ scams

By Haggai Carmon

The email message below has been circulated on the Internet and is just one example of many. This one is obviously a scam, but some are more convincingly written and somewhat harder to see through. I strongly recommend that diplomatic missions advise their staff of this type of scam, which targets individuals who may not know the exact meaning and use of diplomatic immunity. The characteristics that make the claims in the email below so clearly false are: terrible English (including repeated syntax, diction and punctuation errors), an excessive use of capitals and exclamation marks, informal language to communicate about a supposedly official matter and the promise of an extremely large sum of money for nothing (well, actually, for your identity, which is fairly valuable).

The catch is once they get your identity, they’re not exactly planning to fill their end of the bargain. There’s no need to have a legal education, or any education for that matter, to understand that there’s no such thing as free money. Nonetheless, as they say, ‘there’s a new one born every day.’ You’d be surprised by how many people actually fall for these scams. Other noteworthy elements that suggest this email is a fraud, and that you may also come across in slightly more convincing cons are:

1. At the beginning of the email, the sender says he’s received your name and file, and yet proceeds never to mention your name and then further down to ask for a host of personal information. Why would the sender be asking for all this data if he already has your file to hand? Note that the sender does not ask that you confirm your identity, but rather that you give him your identity.

2. The sender is already referencing deceit in his email, saying that the diplomatic worker contracted to deliver your money will not be informed as to the nature of what he is carrying. Why the necessity for deceit if the sender’s going to the trouble of having a diplomatic worker travel with the money instead of fedexing a check?

3. Free money is enough of a red flag. Ten million an even bigger one. But then the fact that the money will be delivered to your doorstep by a personal messenger in cash? If it’s too good to be true…

4. Watch out for contradictions: The sender says he is securing a special customs clearance certificate to ensure that the courier will not have any problems at customs, but just a couple sentences above this, he says that the courier will call the recipient should he incur any charges at customs.

[Note from the site administrator: The post below is a SCAM. Do not give personal information to these kinds of emails – you will regret it.]

From: “NATIONAL ADVISER”<*********@****.net>
Reply-To: *********************>
Subject: ****SPAM**** CONFIDENTIAL DIPLOMATIC PAYMENT12
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:42:57 -0700
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Lt General Patrick Edwards National Special Adviser,I am delighted to inform you that the contract panel, which just concluded it seating in our department just released your name amongst contractors to benefit from the Diplomatic Immunity Payment. This Panel was primarily delegated to investigate manipulated contract claims,contracts and over-invoiced payment as the effect has eaten deep into the economy of our dear country here in UNITED KINGDOM UK..

However, we wish to bring to your notice that your contract profile is still reflecting in our central computer as it was instructed by the UNITED NATION unpaid contractor while auditing was going on. Your contract file was forwarded to my office by the auditors as unclaimed fund, we wish to use this medium to inform you that for the time being Federal Government have stopped further payment through bank to bank transfer due to contractors numerous petitions to United Nations against banks on wrong payment and diversion of contract funds to different account.

In this regards we are going to send your contract part payment of Ten Million United States Dollars to you via our accredited shipping company via diplomatic means and I have secured every needed documents to cover the Content of the consignment. Note: The money is coming on 2 security proof boxes. The boxes are sealed with synthetic nylon seal and padded with machine.

You don’t have to worry for anything, as the transaction is 100% risk free. The boxes are coming with a Diplomatic agent who will accompany the boxes to your house address. All you need to do now is to send to me your full house address and your identity such as, international Passport or drivers license and your mobile phone and telephone number, The Diplomatic Attachee will travel with it. He will call you immediately he arrives your country’s airport to notify you on the possible customs clearance charges. I hope you understand me.

Note: The diplomat does not know the original contents of the boxes. What we declared to them as the contents is Sensitive Photographic Film Materials for security reasons.I did not declare money to them. If they call you and ask you the contents tell them the same thing. email ([email protected]) I will let you know how far I have gone with the arrangement. I will secure the Diplomatic immunity clearance certificate, which will make it pass every custom checkpoint all over the world without hitch.

Confirm the receipt of this message and send the requirements to me immediately you receive this message. Please I need urgent reply because the boxes are schedule to live as soon as we hear from you. Call me immediately.

1)YOUR FULL NAME
2)PHONE AND FAX NUMBER
3)ADDRESS WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR CONSIGNMENT
4)YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATION
5)A COPY OF YOUR IDENTITY
6)YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

Congratulations.

Best Regards,
Lt Patrick Edwards.
National Security Adviser.
+44-****-****

Note: Make sure you reply and forward the needed information to this email address: info@*****.net