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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.
Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.
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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:
Fraud email example:
From: Thomas Masters <thomas.masters@bblfinancial.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:21:59 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Kessler Bronstein
Lew,
I am Thomas Masters, an associate to Mrs. Cathy Jennings who contacted you earlier concerning Mr.Kessler Bronstein and an investment placed under our banks management 2 years ago. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.
In 2004, Kessler came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of 8.35 million Pounds, which he wished to have us turn over (invest) on his behalf. I was the officer assigned to his case, I made numerous suggestions in line with my duties as the de-facto chief operations officer of the private banking sector, especially given the volume of funds he wished to put into our bank. We met on numerous occasions prior to any investments being placed.
I encouraged him to consider various growth funds with prime ratings. The favored route in my advise to customers is to start by assessing data on 6000 traditional stocks and bond managers and 2000 managers of alternative investments. Based on my advice, We spun the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood at this point at over 10 million Pounds, this margin was not the full potential of the fund but he desired low risk guaranteed returns on investments.
In mid 2005, he asked that the money be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Antwerp. He directed that I liquidate the funds and had it deposited with a firm here in the U.K. I informed him that Berkeley would have to make special arrangements to have this done and in order not to circumvent due process, the bank would have to make a 9.5 % deduction from the funds to cater for banking and statutory charges. He complained about the charges but later came around when I explained to him the complexities of the task he was asking of us.
A cash movement across boarders has become especially strict since the incidents of 9/11. I contacted my affiliate and had the funds available in main land Europe. I undertook all the processes and made sure I followed his precise instructions to the letter and had the funds deposited at a security consultancy firm, Leadenhall Financial.
Leadenhall Financial is an especially private firm that accepts deposits from high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations that handle valuable products or undertake transactions that need immediate access to cash. This small and highly private organization is familiar especially to the highly placed and well-connected organizations. In Line with instructions, the money was deposited with Leadenhall Financial. Kessler told me he wanted the money there in anticipation of his arrival from Norway later that year. This week was the last communication we had, this transpired around 25th February 2005.
In January this year, we got a call from Leadenhall Financial informing us that the inactivity of that particular portfolio. This was an astounding position as far as I was concerned, given the fact that I managed the private banking sector I was the only one who knew about the deposit at Leadenhall Financial, and I could not understand why Kessler had not come forward to claim his deposit.
I then made futile efforts to locate Kessler. I immediately passed the task of locating him to the internal investigations department of Berkeley. Four days later, information started to trickle in, apparently Kessler was dead. A person who suited his description was declared dead of a heart attack in Cane, South of France. We were soon enough able to identify the body and cause of death was confirmed.
The bank immediately launched an investigation into possible surviving next of kin to alert about the situation and also to come forward to claim his estate. If you are familiar with private banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity, but also some levels of detachment from conventional processes. In his bio-data form, he listed no next of kin. In the field of private banking, opening an account with us means no one will know of its existence, accounts are rarely held under a name; depositors use numbers and codes to make the accounts anonymous. This bank even gives the choice to depositors of having their mail sent to them or held at the bank itself, ensuring that there are no traces of the account and as I said, rarely do they nominate next of kin.
Private banking clients apart from not nominating next of kin also usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Kessler died in testate. In line with our internal processes for account holders who have passed away, we instituted our own investigations in good faith to determine who should have right to claim the estate. This investigation has for the past months been unfruitful. We have scanned every continent and used our private investigation affiliate companies to get to the root of the problem.
It is this investigation that resulted in my being furnished with your details as a possible relative of the deceased. My official capacity dictates that I am the only party to supervise the investigation and the only party to receive the results of the investigation. You have unfortunately declared that you are in no way affiliated with this individual. What this means, you being the last batch of names we have considered, is that our dear late fellow died with no known or identifiable family member. This leaves me as the only person with the full picture of what the prevailing situation is in relation to the deposit and the late beneficiary of the deposit.
According to practice, Leadenhall Financial will by the end of this year broadcast a request for statements of claim to Berkeley, failing to receive viable claims they will most probably revert the deposit back to Berkeley. This will result in the money entering the Berkeley accounting system and the portfolio will be out of my hands and out of the private banking division.
This will not happen if I have my way. What I wish to relate to you will smack of unethical practice but I want you to understand something. It is only an outsider to the banking world who finds the internal politics of the banking world aberrational. The world of private banking especially is fraught with huge rewards for those who sit upon certain chairs and oversee certain portfolios. You should have begun by now to put together the general direction of what I propose.
There is 8,370,000.00 Pounds deposited at Leadenhall financial, I alone have the deposit details and they will release the deposit to no one unless I instruct them to do so. I alone know of the existence of this deposit for as far as Berkeley is concerned, the transaction with Kessler concluded when I sent the funds to Leadenhall Financial, all outstanding interactions in relation to the file are just customer services and due process. Leadenhall Financial has not a single idea of what’s the history or nature of the deposit. They are simply awaiting instructions to release the deposit to any party that I may direct. This is the situation.
This bank has spent great amounts of money trying to track this man’s family; they have investigated for months and have found no family. The investigation has come to an end. My proposal; you share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared to instruct Leadenhall Financial to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you in half. That is: I will simply nominate you as the next of kin and have them release the deposit to you. We share the proceeds 50/50.
I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement with claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with the same very name as the original depositor would easily pass as the beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within a few days. I will simply inform the bank of the final closing of the file relating to Kessler I will then officially communicate with Leadenhall Financial and instruct them to release the deposit to you. With these two things: all is done. The alternative would be for us to have Leadenhall Financial direct the funds to another bank with you as account holder. This way there will be no need for you to think of receiving the money from Leadenhall Financials. It is not a conventional financial institution; they accept deposits from only organizations thus; what you hand over to them is what you get back. They do not have the means to
process the money. We can fine-tune this based on our interactions. I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever contacted you. Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my proposal.
You may not know this but people like myself who have made a tidy sum out of comparable situations run the whole private banking sector. I am not a criminal and what I do, I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictates that I make this move. Such opportunities only come ones way once in a lifetime. I cannot let this chance pass me by, for once I find myself in total control of my destiny. These chances won’t pass me by. I ask that you do not destroy my chance, if you will not work with me let me know and let me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities. There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking. I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you refusing to work with me and alerting my bank. I am the only one who knows of this situation, good fortune has blessed you with a
name that has planted you into the centre of relevance in my life. Let’s share the blessing. If you find yourself able to work with me, contact me through this same email account.
If you give me positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a conclusion. I wish to inform you that should you contact me via official channels; I will deny knowing you and about this project. I repeat, I do not want you contacting me through my official phone lines. For now contact me only through this email address.
I do not want any direct link between you and me. My official lines are not secure lines as they are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our Total Quality Management Policy. Please observe this instruction religiously. Please, again, note I am a family man, I have wife and children. I send you this mail not without a measure of fear as to what the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray my confidence. I await your response.
Thomas Masters
Catherine Jennings <catherinejennings@bblfinancial.com> wrote: Ref No: LDN/client_011/0960
09-02-06
Greetings,
Thanks for your reply to our enquiry about our client Kessler Bronstein who passed away and possible search by the bank for any relatives. We must apologies for the time it took in getting back to you. It has been very difficult trying to locate any one who is directly related to our client. He employed our services for so many years but was always very private about his family.
We were able to trace a son who unfortunately died in Zurich in 1978 during a school trip. However at this stage in accordance with the banking regulation covering inheritance we believe we have exhausted all possible avenues and will have to put the matter to rest. We hope this has not caused any inconvenience to your person. We thank you once again for your assistance.
Regards.
Miss. Cathy Jennings
Tel:+44 (0)7005-931-084
Fax:+44 (0) 7005-921-639
For: Mr.Thomas Masters: Officer International
Berkeley Private Banking
VICTIMNAME <lew.bronstein@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Catherine,
we have some extended family in Europe, including Belgium I believe,
but I'm not sure about any investments they may have made with you.
Can you tell me more about this possible relative of mine.
VICTIMNAME
----- Original Message -----
From: "Catherine Jennings"
To:
Sent: Friday, 03 February, 2006 9:41
Subject: Client Enquiry ref: [BKL011/01960-8]
02-02-06
Sincere Greetings,
My name is Catherine Jennings I work with the Private Banking Division
At Berkeley Bank Limited, London. We are conducting a standard
process investigation in relation to matters involving a client who
shares the same name as yours (Bronstein) and also the circumstances
surrounding investments made by this client at our bank.
Our Berkeley Banking client died intestate and nominated no next of
kin to inherit the title over the investments made with our bank.
The essence of this communication with you is to request you provide us
information on three issues:
1-Are you aware of any relative/relation who shares your same name
whose last known contact address was in Brussels ?
2-Are you aware of any investment of considerable value made by such a
person at the Private Banking Division of Berkeley Bank?
3-Can you establish beyond reasonable doubt your eligibility to assume
status of next of kin to the deceased?
It is pertinent that you inform us ASAP whether or not you are familiar
With this individual that we may put an end to this communication with
you and our inquiries surrounding this person.
You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with
More detailed information at this point. Please respond to this mail as
soon as possible to afford us the opportunity to close this
investigation.
Thank you for accommodating our enquiry.
Cathy Jennings
For: Thomas Masters:
Director Berkeley Private Clients.
Anti-fraud resources: