Mary Kipkalya Kones--another scam

Hello My Dearest,

Kindly allow me the privilege of introducing myself to you,
My Name is Miss Mary Kipkalya Kones, 24 Years Old Female and never
married, I am writing this mail with tears and sorrow from my heart
asking for your help at this time, I got your contact while searching
for a trustworthy someone who will understand my present condition and
come to my rescue here in the Mission Refuge Camp here in Burkina
Faso.

I have passed through pains and sorrowful moments since the
death of my father. My father was the Former Minister Kenyan road. And
Assistant I Minister of Home Affairs Lorna Lobos had been on board the
Cessna 210, Which Was headed to Kericho and crashed in a remote area
Kalong’s called, in East Kenya. The plane crashed on the Tuesday 10th,
June, 2008. You can read more about the crash-through the website
below

Site: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/10/kenya.crash/index.html

After the burial of my father, my stepmother and uncle conspired and
sold my father's property to an Italian Business man and never care
for me because I refuse to give her information about the money my
father deposited with my name as the next of Kin in Eco Bank Burkina
Faso.

My father deposited the sum of $5.8 Million Dollars with my name
and I have confirmed from the (Management of Eco Bank Burkina Faso) on
my arrival here in Burkina Faso, The Group Head, Foreign Operation
Department. Dr Martin Kabore Informed me about the legal procedures
and Instructions from my father after he deposited the money.
To look for someone who will stand as my trustee also present account
where the bank will transfer the money also the person who will help
me invest the money while I complete my studies also To get married
and settle down with a man as life partner.

I don't know how and what I will do to invest this money somewhere in
abroad, so that my step mother will never see me again as you will
relocate me over to settle down while you will invest the money.

Now,I urgently need your humble assistance to move this money from the
bank here to your own bank account, that’s why I felt happy when I saw
your contact because I strongly believe that by the grace of God, you
will help me invest this money wisely. I am ready to pay 30% of the
total amount to you if you help me in this transaction and help me
look for a good university where I will complete my studies If you can
handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me in lifting
this fund, kindly reach me by reply this mail.

Please, note that this transaction is 100% risk free and I hope to commence the transaction as quick as possible because the bank has already agreed to release
the money because i have some documents which the requested from me on
my arrival, I will send you my identification card as soon as I hear
from you.

Yours sincerely
Princess ,

Blogger: I just received this e-mail half an hour ago. I have received this kind of e-mail before. It is so identical. I think they just copy from each other or from a standard letter. But there are so many people fell for it.

I just received another letter a few hours ago from another lady( enclosed with her beautiful picture). I show you her letter as follows:


Beyonce Larry Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 5:17 AM
To: KC

Dearest One

Thanks for your Immediate response, How are you doing today? hope fine and you are perfectly doing well in health. My name is miss Beyonce larry, I am from Rwanda in Central Africa. 24years old, 5ft 8inches tall, Single never married, black hair and brown eyes. I want to assure you that Color, Race, Religion, or Nationality makes no difference to me . What i see in people are their Personality and Character. I promise you all that makes up a defined and a refined LOVE and i have a special reason why i decided to contact you immediately going through your profile which i was well satisfied with. I decided to contact you because of the urgency of my situation here.

I am presently living in Senegal due to the Civil War fought in my country some years ago. My Father ( Dr Larry John was the CHAIRMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR OF LARRY & SONS INDUSTRIALS COMPANY IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF MY COUNTRY ( KIGALI ), Also the PERSONAL ADVISER to the former HEAD OF STATE, before the rebels attacked our house one early morning & kill him with my mother, together with My younger sister.

It's only me that is alive because I wasn't arround(around) when this happened, I was in the University where am schooling, i'm doing my first year in accountant, I then manage to abscond to follow west african country (SENEGAL ) where am residing now in '' REFUGEE CAMP''.

I decided to contact you, due to the problematic situation which am passing through here in this camp. We are not eligible to go out from the camp unless we took permission. It's just like one staying in the prison, but I believe by God's grace i will extricate here soon.

l don't have any relatives now whom l can go to all my relatives abscond in the middle of the war the only one l have now is Rev Paul Divine who is the pastor of the (Salvation Ministry Dakar Branch) here in the camp he has been very nice to me since i came here but i am not living with him rather i am leaving in the female's hostel becouse(because) the camp have two hostels one for women & the other for men.

Please listen to this, i have my late father's statement of account and death certificate here with me which i will send to you later, because when he was alive he deposited some amount of money in one of the leading bank which he used my name as the next of kin, the amount in question is $7.4M(Seven Million Four Hundred Thousand USDollars).

So i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account and from it you can send some money for me to get my travelling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you. I kept this secret to people in the camp here, the only person that knows about it is the Revrend because he is like a father to me.

The Pastors Tel. number is (+221-766-985-774) E-mail ( revered_pauldivine@yahoo.co.uk), If you call tell him you want to speak with me, then he will send for me in the female hostel.

As a refugee here i don't have any privilledge to anything be it money or whatever because it is against their law. I want to go back to my studies because i only attended my first year before the tragic incident that lead to my being in this situation now took place.

NOTE; As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest, I will put things into action immediately and will educate you more on the way you will assist me receive the money, in the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent response indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely.

Regarding to the above i will like you to be confidential and don't tell it to anyone for i am afraid of loosing my life and the money if people gets to know about it. Remember i am giving you all this information due to confident I confide on you. I like sincere, kind, respectful, honest and understanding people, truth and hard working. I love english language but I would like to know many others if God gives me the opportunity but i speak english very well.

However I will like you to call me because we still have alot to discuss. I want to know a bit about you and you can send your picture to me too because i have just sent mine here as an attachment.Thanks & God bless you, looking forward to your urgent and ealiest(earliest) response and have a pleasant day.
Yours In Love

Miss Beyonce

Facebook friend costs lecturer RM 30K

Wednesday February 2, 2011
Facebook friend costs lecturer RM30K

A COLLEGE lecturer lost RM30,000 after getting acquainted with a man who claimed to be a doctor on the social networking site Facebook, Kosmo! reported.

Pahang commercial crime chief Supt Zaini Jass said the victim, 49, got to know “Dr Bruce Burn” from the United States on Jan 7.

When they were communicating, the “doctor” told her that he was based in the United States and was looking for a companion to settle down with.

He further deceived her by saying that he was prepared to settle down in Malaysia after marriage and would be coming to the country to meet her.

However, Supt Zaini said a man, who claimed to be a customs officer, contacted the lecturer and told her that the “doctor” had been arrested at KLIA for carrying £25,000 (RM121,567) that was not declared.

“The victim then paid RM30,000 to free the man,” he said, adding that she lodged a report after she discovered she was conned when the doctor did not show up at her house.

Social network users now easy targets for criminals

Monday January 17, 2011
Social network users now easy targets for criminals

PETALING JAYA: Forget about bringing criminals to book, the crooks are themselves going to the book – Facebook, that is.

Many are targeting Malaysians – via their personal details posted on Facebook.

They are lifting information such as addresses, telephone numbers and even photographs for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to blackmail and sexual harassment.

Experts have criticised Malaysians for being too naive in accepting “friendship” requests from strangers.

Last year alone, some 400 crimes involving Facebook were reported to a cyber security group.

The trend is worrying because an international survey last year revealed that Malaysians had the most number of friends on social networking websites like Facebook with an average of 233 each – and spent up to nine hours each week logged on.

Related Stories:
Only add friends you know, says help centre
Beware the Facebook felons

Beware the Facebook felons

Monday January 17, 2011
Beware the Facebook felons
By P. ARUNA
aruna@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Crooks are cashing in on personal details readily revealed by some Facebook users and using them in identity frauds, blackmail or to “steal” money from users.

Over-excited online social network users who reveal personal information and accept “friendship” requests from complete strangers have made the site an increasingly popular target for cybercriminals.

Many users, especially beginners, experience culture shock when they suddenly become “popular” and receive many friendship requests, said criminologist and Malaysian Association of Certified Fraud Examiners president Datuk Akhbar Satar.

“They feel encouraged to reveal more information about themselves without realising the damage it could cause,” he said, adding that many users even posted sexy or nude pictures of themselves on the website and ended up being blackmailed by complete strangers.

Akhbar said the practice of posting personal details such as birth dates, addresses and telephone numbers on the website had proven to be the source of a lucrative business for identity fraudsters.

“The crime triangle comprises elements of desire, target and opportunity. Once there is a desire to commit the crime, the criminal identifies the target and opportunity. This is where Facebook comes in,” he said.

According to Socialbakers.com, a website dedicated to global Facebook statistics, there are currently 9,874,860 Facebook users in Malaysia alone, which is 37.75% of the entire population.

Youths between the ages of 18 and 25 formed the majority of Malaysian users – 38% – while the youngest group, aged between 13 and 15, makes up 7% of users.

The gender ratio of Malaysians on Facebook is almost equal – with 53% of them being female.

Hackers operating on social networks can easily create fake profiles and send friendship requests to unsuspecting users within their target groups.

Many users have become victims of identity frauds, harassment, blackmail and have lost money through various scams operated via the website.

There have also been reports of gangs and drug syndicates in Malaysia recruiting members through Facebook and other social networks.

The criminals’ job is made easier as the name and profile picture of the user is visible to all via the websites’ default privacy settings.

“Unlike crimes committed in the physical world, cyber crimes require little or no investment,” said Akhbar, adding that such crimes were also difficult to detect.

Businesswoman in Ponzi scheme gets 120 years in jail, RM5mil fine

Published: Monday January 10, 2011 MYT 6:41:00 PM
Updated: Monday January 10, 2011 MYT 6:55:26 PM
Businesswoman in Ponzi scheme gets 120 years in jail, RM5mil fine
By M. MAGESWARI

KUALA LUMPUR: A businesswoman was sentenced to a total of 120 years in jail and fined RM5mil for swindling 4,000 people in an illegal investment scheme.

Raja Noor Asma Raja Harun, 49, pleaded guilty Monday to offences related to the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Securities Commission, after 18 witnesses testified from Aug 5 last year.

She was alleged to have fleeced 4,000 investors and earned herself millions during the year she was running her wealth management business, without having either a fund manager's licence or a futures broker's licence.

Raja Noor Asma had pleaded guilty to receiving, using or having in possession of illegal proceeds obtained through a Ponzi scheme at various banks between 2007 and 2008.

(A Ponzi scheme is said to be a swindle in which quick returns on an initial investment, mostly with money from new investors, lures the victim into bigger risks.)

A Sessions Court here sentenced her to a total of 100 years in prison – two years' imprisonment for each of 50 counts of money laundering – under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

She will, however, serve only two years after judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah ordered her jail terms to run concurrently.

Raja Noor Asma, a director of FX Capital Consultant (M) Sdn Bhd and FX Consultant, was also fined RM5mil and jailed a total of 20 years for various charges related to the Securities Commission.

She will, however, serve just five years for these offences, as Komathy also ordered the sentences related to the commission to run concurrently.

In all Raja Noor Asma will spend seven years in prison for her offences, committed from 2007 to 2008.

"Deterrence and denunciation are the two primary considerations taken into account in crafting an appropriate sentence in this case.

"The offences committed by the accused are serious and public confidence in the court would be corroded if offenders who deceive the public are given lenient sentence," said Komathy.

Raja Noor Asma admitted to committing the offences at the company's premises in Rawang between February 2007 and May 2008.

The court has set April 1 to hear claims by investors over their investments in the scheme in an attempt to recover their money.

鄭梅嬌‧刮刮樂利用少年行騙

鄭梅嬌‧刮刮樂利用少年行騙
2010-12-28 19:23

三四年前，刮刮樂特工隊成立，我們以為刮刮樂已快消失，何況目前在刮刮樂重鎮――新山，也只剩下兩家刮刮樂公司。然而，公司是減少了，但警方的投報卻多了，甚至多了一倍；刮刮樂特工隊在全國走動時，才知道事態嚴重，因為它在市面上已有20年的歷史，受害者更包括了法官、議員等專業人士，保守估計涉及款項達300億令吉。

或許民眾醒覺這是一種騙案而不是正派經營的事業，受害者再也不啞巴吃黃蓮，勇於投報。今年大馬消費人仲裁庭數據顯示，5千宗索償案中最多是刮刮樂，佔了434宗；顯然，嚴打刮刮樂的這些年，刮刮樂活動曾沉寂，但沒有減少。

何以大家明明知道刮刮樂的真面目，它卻永遠有做不完的生意？是人性的貪婪沒有止境，教人不能自持的上當呢？是刮刮樂後台夠硬？還是執法疏失，造成無法全面打擊刮刮樂？

新加坡遊客每天經過長堤，進入連接關卡的行人天橋，卻像羊曝露在狼群，一再被刮刮樂集團盯上；柔州貿消部接獲新加坡遊客頻頻投訴，顯示問題嚴重。貿消部副部長陳蓮花今年10月，更到當地貼海報發傳單，避免刮刮樂再向新加坡遊客伸出魔掌。就在斗大的海報下，上當者依然陸續“中獎”。

刮刮樂有甚麼能耐？原因之一，刮刮樂小兵都是年紀尚輕的孩子，易讓人放下戒心，他們會裝可憐，見縫插針，只要他們說服你開門給一杯水喝，就有刮走你錢財的機會；他們會把身份證給你，藉此爭取你的信任。他們會你一言我一句，打亂你的正常思維，這都是訓練有素的伎倆。

令人關注的是，這些投入刮刮樂騙案的年輕人，很多才十六七歲，這些本該在求知、心智正在成長、人格正在發育的年輕人，卻進入了刮刮樂“訓練班”，在刮刮樂集團有系統的調教下，學習專業的蒙人技巧；其中涉及的兩個層面是：社會道德標是否出了問題，以及青少年心靈的戕害，社會是否須自我反省。

很多時候，我們的社會強調的價值觀無非是名牌文化、快速致富、高檔的物質要求。整個社會似乎忘記高尚品格與一分耕耘、踏實工作的可貴特質。不要怪這些刮刮樂青少年，先看看我們給了他們怎麼樣的世界。甚麼樣的思維就有製造甚麼樣的產物，一個觀念不正常的社會，要怎樣讓我們的青少年正常起來？

嚴打刮刮樂四五年，我們沒有勝利，還需要努力。至今，大家唯一依靠的，僅是媒體的伸張正義、仲裁庭的索償追討，展開漫長的追訴旅程。然而，我們要的只是錢的救贖嗎？我們要的僅是如此而已嗎？
星洲日報／言路‧作者：鄭梅嬌‧2010.12.28

金融遊戲是騙局？

金融遊戲是騙局？：第二篇
中國數學天才一條公式
把全球銀行業推向懸崖

次貸風暴爆發前，美國華爾街運作上億美元交易的銀行家，無不對李祥林這位中國數學天才稱譽，甚至認為他某日會得到諾貝爾獎的眷顧。

因為他發明的一個數學公式，讓2001年規模只達9200萬美元（約2億9000萬令吉）的全球金融洐生品市場，6年內增長67萬倍到2007年的62兆美元（約195兆令吉）。

但金融市場出乎意料之外改變，曾繁榮無比的金融衍生品市場崩潰，把全球銀行推向懸崖邊緣，全球更陷入自二戰以來最大的經濟衰退。

李祥林也被同樣一群銀行家視為眾矢之的，孰不知成敗皆因這一條公式。


早自1980年代中期開始，美國華爾街就依賴金融工程精英創造各種新的獲利途徑。

但儘管金融市場蓬勃發展，數以兆計的資金一直不敢貿然進入投資市場，最重要原因在于金融業一直無法精確簡單預測投資對象的風險。

李祥林的公式，卻以一種近乎簡單的方式解決這個問題。

追溯至2000年，37歲的摩根大通僱員李祥林著迷于一種叫做“破碎的心”（Brokenheart）統計學現象，意即當一對伴侶其中一人去世，未來幾年另位伴侶去世的可能性就會大增。

他關注的是一個金融難題，如幾家看起來毫不相關的企業，若其中一家倒閉，剩下的公司業績會否受影響？倒閉的可能性又有多大？

從投資角度來看，能否確定這點至關重要，因為這能非常準確預測不同投資對象的投資效應，從而精確知道對某家企業是否值得投資、和投資多少錢。

量化投資對象互影響

情況就像你很容易知道果農今天摘下多少斤蘋果，卻很難預測未來一週會有多少斤蘋果因為賣不出去而爛掉。

李祥林2000年在著名金融雜誌《固定收益》發表一篇名為《論違約相關性：相依函數方法》論文，用極簡單數學方法，量化不同投資對象之間的相互影響，及每位投資對象或存在不同風險。

他用一個叫“信用違約掉期”（CDS）的參數，推導每位投資對象可能潛在的風險。

這種參數在市場是公開的，就是投資者為了保證自己能按期取得投資回酬而買的保險，這也是金融衍生品最主要的部分。

美國國際集團（AIG）、房利美（Fannie Mae）和房地美（Freddie Mac），一直是這個市場最大的保險提供商。

這些保險的購買者包括雷曼兄弟、美林、高盛集團、摩根士丹利等金融投資機構。

李祥林的公式讓金融機構能大膽出售各種新型證券和金融衍生品，將金融市場擴張至幾乎不可思議的水平；正因如此，當風暴來襲時殺傷力更大！

學術背景進軍華爾街

這個充滿爭議的數學公式創始人李祥林，1960年代在中國江蘇連雲港出生，成績優異，考獲南開大學的經濟學碩士學位后到美國留學，獲得魁北克拉瓦爾大學的MBA學位。

此后他繼續深造，先后獲得加拿大滑鐵盧大學的精算學碩士學位和統計學博士學位。

1997年他在加拿大帝國商業銀行開始金融職業生涯，后來就職于巴克萊資本，並在2004年負責重建數量分析小組。

李祥林的學術背景，在華爾街的精英中顯得非常典型。

由于從事學術研究的收入遠不如華爾街投資銀行和對沖基金給出的薪水高，所以1980年代開始，大量數理背景的高級人才進入華爾街，從事金融衍生工具的創造、定價和套利。

如今李祥林已回到中國，並是中金的總風險長。

借李祥林公式
大家齊撈金

當債券投資者、華爾街的銀行、評級機構到監管機構，幾乎每一個人都在使用李祥林的公式，並幫人們賺到大錢時，任何對此公式的局限警告都被忽視。

幾率極小危機重大

2005年秋天，李祥林曾在《華爾街日報》指出，很少人真正理解這一條公式的核心。

最危險的部分是，人們相信模型推算出的所有數據。

他非常清楚公式的致命處，因為公式需要使用某個特定投資對象的保險價作為最主要參數，重要的是為保障投資收益設立保險的做法，只有10幾年曆史。

在這10幾年里，全球特別是美國經濟一直處于上漲趨勢，換言之，李祥林公式無法預見發生幾率很低，但破壞力驚人的重大危機，如房地產價格集體大幅下滑。

不幸的是，2007年下半年首先在美國出現的次貸危機正是這類幾率極小的重大危機。

但在現實金融世界中，太多金融分析人士只看到眼前毫無生命的數字，忘卻這些數字代表的有形和真實的現實，沒有思考這些數據究竟是否有實際意義。

財金術語

破碎的心

“破碎的心”（Brokenheart）換為統計術語，便是“聯結”和“相關”的關係。

精算師將這種關係帶入數學模型，準確計算人壽保險和夫妻聯合人壽年金（Joint Annuities）的保費。

在破碎的心統計學現象中，當一對伴侶其中一人去世，未來幾年另位伴侶去世的可能性就會大增。