Beware of China Registry Domain Scam

We got the hoax email in the below screengrab today and almost fell for it. However, we soon realised it was a spoof. The clue is in the name, source, domain name and masked actual email address. A quick check of the domain name on the internet confirmed our suspicion. Based on the content we decided to call it Chinese 419 scam. 

The email was sent simultaneously to two of our published email addresses which we found out were extracted from our conference webpage, now updated. Its an easy mistake to make especially on static web pages.

If you receive a similar email, do not act on it. If you reply, you would've opened the floodgates to more scam emails orchestrated by a gang of criminals with the ultimate aim of extorting money from you by offering bogus services you don't need. Its all A BIG FRAUD!

The lesson here is NEVER publish absolute email addresses on the internet if you don't want to attract hoaxers, spammers, hackers and other nefarious minded good-for-nothing jobless hooligans. Take this as an opportunity to review yours and do the needful.

The 419 scam is popular around the world and most people falsely think it originated from Nigeria. This misguided assumption which cannot be further from the truth is based on a grotesque portrayal cum ubiquitous betrayal of uberrimae fidei and abject fantastical corruption of reality.

The false worldwide thinking has been perpetrated by some foolish-stupid- idiots looking for cheap attention and who think they can quickly achieve that by putting others down. So without doing their homework, they jump on a bandwagon of fools and fellow sycophants who make it easy for them to do that; and other facilitators, actors and proponents of such idiotic behaviors. Or grandstanders and showboaters often devoid of morality, who are so psychotically philosophically inclined. Such moronic deranged behaviour is also a FRAUD.

An example of such poorly researched caricature devoid of standards of balance and objectivity is Investopedia's once-upon-a-time definition of Nigerian Scam per below screenshot

HetoGrow's CEO challenged Investopedia about this back in September 2006. 

Investopedia agreed they were wrong and offered an apology

The Truth About 419

Advance fee fraud AKA 419, refers to a section of Nigeria's criminal code dealing with fraud, the charges and penalties for offenders. Chapter 38 is entitled "Obtaining Property by false pretences; Cheating". Paragraph 419 reads "Any person who by any false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtains from any other person anything capable of being stolen, or induces any other person to deliver to any person anything capable of being stolen, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years."

According to the MET police London, UK, this type of scam is also known as the Spanish Prisoner Letter and has been in existence since the 16th century. It has certainly evolved over the centuries and has been known by many other local names in different countries. It would be interesting to know what those other names are.

In Nigeria, any fraudulent behaviour or person (seeming, implied or expressed) is generally referred to as a 419. If you are caught in the street, you'll most certainly get "jungle justice". Like a common thief you'll be thoroughly beaten and lynched with tyres hung over your head, petrol poured on you and set ablaze; before the police arrive. The bad thing about jungle justice is that innocent people can become victims just by being at the wrong place. In most cases, the punishment is unfair treatment for the crime committed or allegedly committed. 

International 419 scams are generally cleverly perpetrated by exceptionally talented groups of crooks who rather than apply their talents to improve the cause of humanity, opt for clandestine careers to make so-called fast money. However, they do make mistakes and some of them are glaringly obvious in their letters/emails. They play on greed and only a “fool” and a “greedy bastard” will fall for such rubbish letters promising you a percentage of some phantom money from a bank account they've told you isn't theirs. Or other reward or request for assistance under bogus circumstances. 

First of all, their grammar is typically wrong in too many places. That’s the first clue.

Clue 2, who would use @yahoo or other internet email address for high value transactions? Well… lemme tell ya….. only crooks and stupid-idiots.

Clue 3, Their letter/email tend to look dodgy and the potential reward is unrealistic. And is never going to happen. If you are not greedy, you wont fall for most of it.

Clue 4, If its playing on your emotion, is time sensitive and requiring urgent treatment or soliciting sympathy, then it is almost certainly a scam. Get a second/expert opinion (best from the police, your bank or other known specialist) before acting on it. If confirmed, block the sender and delete the email. You’re not a charity. Or are you?

Clue 5, If it sounds too real to be true, then it probably AIN’T. Hellllooooo, wake up!!

Need I say more? There’s no free lunch anywhere in the world. If it goes against normal convention, its a red flag. Be smart, be wise, be safe. Most of all, don’t be a fool!

As is evident, there are various forms of fraud or 419. It is not a Nigerian thing. All countries of the world have good and bad citizens. So does Nigeria and China.

In our line of business we are confronted daily with the impact of fake power banks most of which are produced in China.

There surely has to be a provision in the equivalent Chinese criminal law for such rampant criminal behaviour. One wonders what the Chinese Authorities are doing about this.

Dave Ebi is a Most Viewed Power Bank Writer on Quora. Join HetoGrow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram G+ or LinkedIn 

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