Scam Money Transfers -
Fake Grants
Example - Fondazione Zegna
-
Romola Loesche [dloesche@gci.net]
Mr. Abbiati Perino, Italy
Here's a variation on the basic scam money transfer email. You received a a check in the mail from "Fondazione Zegna", possibly using a name "Mr. Abbiati Perino" or from Romola Loesche [ dloesche@gci.net ], of which you are supposed to return 10% to them (at this point you should be asking yourself, why they didn't just keep the 10%!)
Did the email say:
This email might come to you as a suprise / shock. The board of Trusteesof the Fondazione Zegna has given you the privilege to be a Beneficiary for the 2008 Cash / Grant Award.
In some cases, the alleged organizations, like "Fondazione Zegna" do exist and may be legitimate. Don't let the familiar name fool you. The scammer has nothing to do with them; the email and the grant are all nonsense. If you believe that there are organizations randomly handing out money like this, then we fear you may have been scammed already!
If you need more tangible proof, ask yourself this: why would an substantial organization with a website ask you to reply to a yahoo (or hotmail or other) generic, free email address, unrelated to the organization, which ANYONE could get?
In the specific case below (Fondazione Zegna) there are quite a number of inconsistencies that add up to "scam" to us. See the email below and a review of the available facts following it.
And if you were crazy enough to write back to them, click here to a typical response the scammers send.
Sample actual scam letter from "Fondazione Zegna":
Fondazione Zegna
Via Marconi 23,
(Biella) 13835 Italy
Dear Internet User.
This email might come to you as a suprise / shock. The board of Trusteesof the Fondazione Zegna has given you the privilege to be a Beneficiary for the 2008 Cash / Grant Award.
Fondazione Zegna was established on the initiative of Casa Zegna in the year 1982 to help individuals and companies to carry out philanthropic, cultural, environmental or scientific projects and socialactivities.
It is a private non-profit organization recognized by the government as a charity working in the public interest. Through the Foundation, we put into practice our moral commitment to improving the quality of life of individuals and communities, safeguarding the environment, promoting culture, developing people's potential and supporting medicaland scientific research. In July 2007, we inaugurated an historical archive and new cultural center - Casa Zegna - in Trivero, the heart of our family history. Casa Zegna was created under the aegis of the Foundation and is a mine of business history, environmental and social projects and a crucible in which tradition can be transformed into new ideas.
After the good work of the Fondazione Zegna, the United Nation decided to contribute, which bring the interest of European Union and the Economic Community of West Africa State.
Based on the random selection exercise of internet websites and millions of supermarket cash invoices worldwide, you were selected amongst the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of US$ 650,000.00 as charity donations/aid. (Note that all beneficiaries email addresses were selected randomly from over 100,000 internet websites or a shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from).
To file your claim, you are to produce the below information and email it to the Executive Secretary with the email as stated below.
Full Name:
Address:
Country:
Tel/Fax number:
Age:
Qualification number:FCZ-T89-ITL887
Executive Secretary: Mr. Abbiati Perino
Email: zegnamessagecenter@gmail.com
On behalf of the Board kindly, accept our warmest congratulations.
Regards
Zegna Fondazione
And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive. We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!
For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.