by John Barry
Thu Oct 01, 2009 3:10 pm
This is a "heads up" to a twist on the classic 419 scam. The victim is told that the money they are expecting is held by HSBC Canada. They are given a phone number to ring where an automated service confirms that they have a lot of money in their account.
What tells you this is a scam??
1. The mail has three different telephone numbers in it. The analysis of the numbers shows the following
1-905-963-3693
Information on phone number range +1 905963XXXX
Number billable as geographic number
Country or destination Canada
City or exchange location Hamilton, ON
Original network provider* GT Group Telecom Services Corp.
fax 1-512-532-9345
Information on phone number range +1 512 532XXXX
Number billable as geographic number
Country or destination United States
City or exchange location Austin, TX
Original network provider* Time Warner Communications Axs Of Austin, Tx
+1-416-890-2371
Information on phone number range +1 416890XXXX
Number billable as mobile number
Country or destination Canada
City or exchange location Toronto, ON
Original network provider* Fido Solutions Inc.
So the "telephone banking" number is a Canadian mobile phone!! The other numbers are redirects/personal numbers which can be routed anywhere.
2.What about the email domain- hsbcfco.com? HSBC Canada uses hsbc.ca for all there business. If in doubt go to http://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/en/contact-us/contact-us-home
Checking out hsbcfco.com gives the following
Do a huge company like HSBC really register their domains for only a year??
3. What about the "Canadian Funds Transfer Clearing House"? Funnily enough Google has absolutely no hits for that particular organisation!
The moral of this story is simple- check every name, phone number,Organisation, in any mail like this one and any other you suspect to be fraudulent. And when you've done that, get a friend to do it again!!
From: Allen Davies.
HSBC Bank (Canada)
Tel: 1-905-963-3693. Fax: 1-512-532-9345.
Ref: HSBC/WT103/008.
Attention: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Official Notice for the Wire Transfer of $xxxxxx Million Dollars in your favor.
This is to bring to your notice that we have today received wire transfer authorization and transfer approvals in your favor for the transfer of your funds $xxx Million Dollars. In line with this directive we have therefore set up what we call a cash call transit account in your name with details stated thus. You are advised to keep this information absolutely confidential to avoid diversion of your funds to an account other than yours. Please make sure you follow the instructions below to verify and confirm your funds. Your funds confirmation or verification can be done through our bank’s automated funds transfer system with guideline stated below via telephone. Please make sure you listen carefully to the voice prompt options to avoid mistakes or misinformation with verification or confirmation of your funds. If you have any problems going through this process please call Mr. Allen Davies the funds transfer coordinator on 1-416-890-2371 for assistance and clarification. Your cash call transit account details are stated thus:
Account Number: xxxxxxxxxxx. Pin Number: xxxx
Amount credited: $32,000, 000.00 Dollars.
Account type/description: Cash call transit.
To verify and confirm of your funds, please follow the steps below:
1. Call 1-905-963-3693, this will get you into our telephone bank automated system. Carefully listen to the welcome greetings until it is completed, then when it says if you want to exit your call press 9, at this point, press 1 and not 9.
2. Continue listening to the voice prompt until you are requested to enter your account number. Enter your account number above. After this, the voice prompt will request you to enter your pin number. Enter the pin numbers.
3. Continue listening to the voice prompt, when you hear the question, if you wish to check your account balance, Press 1. Keep listening to the voice prompt, until when it says, if you wish to end the call press 9, at this point, press 1 and not 9 to hear your account balance.
Provide us with your bank details which will be keyed into our bank automated system for a direct wire transfer of your funds. The bank details should include the following: Your bank’s name your bank’s full contact address your bank’s routing numbers your bank’s swift code your account number and the name on the account. This will enable a smooth wire transfer of your funds as soon as we get the WIRE TRANSFER PASS CODE from the Canadian Funds Transfer Clearing House.
Please make sure you verify your funds via the instructions and Guideline I gave you above to confirm the funds are intact and then you get back to me with your bank account details where you want your funds transferred to so that as soon as we have the wire transfer pass-code from the Canadian Funds Transfer Clearing house, we can complete your funds transfer.
Yours truly
Allen Davies.
For: (HSBC Canada).
DL: +1-416-890-2371.
What tells you this is a scam??
1. The mail has three different telephone numbers in it. The analysis of the numbers shows the following
1-905-963-3693
Information on phone number range +1 905963XXXX
Number billable as geographic number
Country or destination Canada
City or exchange location Hamilton, ON
Original network provider* GT Group Telecom Services Corp.
fax 1-512-532-9345
Information on phone number range +1 512 532XXXX
Number billable as geographic number
Country or destination United States
City or exchange location Austin, TX
Original network provider* Time Warner Communications Axs Of Austin, Tx
+1-416-890-2371
Information on phone number range +1 416890XXXX
Number billable as mobile number
Country or destination Canada
City or exchange location Toronto, ON
Original network provider* Fido Solutions Inc.
So the "telephone banking" number is a Canadian mobile phone!! The other numbers are redirects/personal numbers which can be routed anywhere.
2.What about the email domain- hsbcfco.com? HSBC Canada uses hsbc.ca for all there business. If in doubt go to http://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/en/contact-us/contact-us-home
Checking out hsbcfco.com gives the following
Domain Name: hsbcfbo.com
Registrar: DIRECTI INTERNET SOLUTIONS PVT. LTD. D/B/A PUBLICDOMAINREGISTRY.COM
Whois Server: whois.PublicDomainRegistry.com
Referral URL: http://www.PublicDomainRegistry.com
Status: OK
Expiration Date: 2009-09-26
Creation Date: 2008-09-26
Last Update Date: 2009-08-22
Do a huge company like HSBC really register their domains for only a year??
3. What about the "Canadian Funds Transfer Clearing House"? Funnily enough Google has absolutely no hits for that particular organisation!
The moral of this story is simple- check every name, phone number,Organisation, in any mail like this one and any other you suspect to be fraudulent. And when you've done that, get a friend to do it again!!
