Yeah! I won RM15,000 cash!

Hey don’t envy me yet! Read on and you will discover that I am the target of a fraud scheme.

This is the message I received on my mobile this morning, from this number: 017-8607623.

Congratulations Nombor SimCard Anda tlh m-nangi (HADIAH UTAMA) WANG TUNAI Rm15,000.00 dr Syrkt SHELL BHD. Call/sila dail; 012-8610222

Of course I know this is a fraud. But I am curious to find out how some people could fall victim to such a con! When you can even smell the fraud from the sms. Maybe the con people are so convincing and persuasive? Or did they put a charm through the phone?
Since the message was in BM, I asked my Malay colleague, N to call the number given. The whole conversation was conducted in BM and I have translated into English here.

(A man answered, spoke in Malay with an Indonesian accent)

N: Hello, this is about a message I received.

CM (con man): Speak Melayu, Melayu..

N: I received a message that I won RM15,000 from Shell?

CM: Yes..yes.. I am Datuk Mohd Alif… what’s your number?

N: 012-XXX XXXX

CM: (there was a pause, while our CM checked the number) Correct, you won cash from Shell company.

N: So how to collect the money?

CM: You give me your account number. I bank in now, will get in next 15 minutes. What’s your account number?

N: Where’s your office?

CM: Shell office on 10th floor of building in Jalan Semantan. What’s your account number?

N: Never mind, I call Shell first to check on this matter.

CM: Ok..ok..

My 2-sen observations:

1) Why would Shell, a multinational company hire a person who does not speak English and who obviously has no professionalism to represent them?

2) The CM did not introduce himself as a representative from Shell. Instead, he used the ‘Datuk’ title to impress. Little did he know that a ‘Datuk’ does not move Malaysians anymore!

3) He kept asking for the bank account number! That’s the only thing that he was interested in.

4) Shell’s office is located in KLCC and not Jalan Semantan. Maybe this CM is talking about a different Shell?

Given all these doubts and unanswered questions, one should not fall prey to such a con attempt. This is just too good to be true!