Bogus Emails Sent to Customers of MoneyGram Rewarding them on 73rd Anniversary

Softpedia.com reported on 19th September, 2013 quoting a warning by security experts "scammers are sending fake MoneyGram International messages which claim that company is rewarding its customers to celebrate its 73rd anniversary."

Notably, MoneyGram International, Inc. is a US-based global money transfer company headquartered at Dallas, Texas.

The fake email entitled "Thank you for using MoneyGram" tells the recipient that Money Gram International, Inc. has been successfully connecting people for the last 73 years. It says that users at MoneyGram are sending off more than money, and every user is important to it. To observe its 73rd anniversary, it is rewarding its patrons with prizes valued at US$60,000.00.

It goes on to say that everyone aged 18 and above is welcome to the promotion from all parts of the world. The promotion begins on 7th August 2013 and ends on 31st December 2013, both dates being inclusive. The recipient is told that he has been chosen as he sent money via Internet through a mediator's location or because he received money through MoneyGram.

But, he is instructed to send his personal details via an email to claim his cash prize of US$60,000.00.

Experts analyzing the scam email comment that the bogus email claiming to be from MoneyGram has nothing to do with it. Also, the recipient hasn't won any prize money as claimed by the email. In fact, the email or message is an advance-fee-fraud designed to extort money as well as private information from victims.

Those Internauts who fall for the ruse and send their details are told to pay upfront fees supposedly to permit handing out of the prize money. The cybercriminals masterminding the scam claim that this money is necessary to cover the cost of insurance, banking, legal, and transfer fees and should be paid up front. They say that this fee cannot be remunerated from the prize money itself due to legal reasons and requests for the advance fee may continue till victims realize that they are being fooled.

Hence, experts' advice that you should be wary of such emails and should delete them in case you receive them.

» SPAMfighter News - 9/30/2013