This is a scam letter I received last week while I was on vacation.
I was checking my emails this evening, since I just got home yesterday from vacation, and saw this "Part time job!" sitting in my scam/spam catcher account. I was pretty surprised when I started reading it, because to be honest, I've never seen a scam format quite like this before.
It seems like a check scam--they'd send a large sum of money via mail supposedly for partaking in research related to autism. Here is the letter:
I analyzed the headers already, and the originating IP is 196.3.61.4, which places the scammer in Nigeria.
It is a reasonably well-written scam letter, and I've not yet seen any reference to it anywhere else on the web (I've done a Google check on both phrases from the email and the email address itself with zero results). I just wanted to help get the word on this out because of the increased awareness and exposure that autism is getting these days, and that the scammers apparently have started to exploit this.
I was checking my emails this evening, since I just got home yesterday from vacation, and saw this "Part time job!" sitting in my scam/spam catcher account. I was pretty surprised when I started reading it, because to be honest, I've never seen a scam format quite like this before.
It seems like a check scam--they'd send a large sum of money via mail supposedly for partaking in research related to autism. Here is the letter:
A PART-TIME JOB FOR YOU !!
Hi,
I am Dr. Liliya Olga, the project leader on the Baby Lab project studies on Austism at Uppsala University north of Stockholm in making a breakthrough in the understanding of AUTISM.
To be successful, me and my team make use of probes. We attach probes to the scalp of the victimised to monitor electromagnetic brain activity. Over half a million people in the UK suffer from autism and this automatically leaves them struggling to communicate effectively.
Initially,probes were too heavy for kids,but we created a lightweight net of foam-covered sensors which makes the experience much more palatable.Sessions last for less than half an hour and parents are always by the baby's side.The difficult thing with kids is that we have to arrange the treatment as a kind of playtime to keep them happy.
So we play with objects, for example a toy train, and monitor their gaze as we move it around. The brain more than doubles its volume over the first year of life and changes substantially as the brain develops.
The British government in support with Shell have through our health agency supported the acquisition of equipments suitable for the studies of this ailment which are being conducted on children between four and twelve months old. More interestingy, funds have been pumped out to enable people at different locations in the world have their kids treated at strategic healthcare centers for free.
We intend providing people with a second job by enrolling private participants to help us fight this early development. A sum of US$560,000.00 shall be sent to you to help us in your area.
We anticipate your timely reply
Thank you!
Charityfunds!
I analyzed the headers already, and the originating IP is 196.3.61.4, which places the scammer in Nigeria.
It is a reasonably well-written scam letter, and I've not yet seen any reference to it anywhere else on the web (I've done a Google check on both phrases from the email and the email address itself with zero results). I just wanted to help get the word on this out because of the increased awareness and exposure that autism is getting these days, and that the scammers apparently have started to exploit this.