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Another version of the Unclaimed package phishing email

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Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 12:56 pm

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I came across another phishing scam email recently. This is another version of the unclaimed package email. Basically the email is sent from an official looking office asking you to claim an random package. Many packages are stated to be of high value or that you will be give a certain amount of money for your help.

All the info listed in this post may have been spoofed from another source. That being said they may have used someone’s actual name and real address of the airport listed.

a video I shared in 2019 with a similar scam message

The Email sender

The email is stated to be sent from an

Arnold Barnes muyiwabakare7@gmail.com who claims to work for the

Interim Assistance General Manager.
Operations, Maintenance, Transportation
Norfolk International Airport
2200 Norview Ave, Norfolk, VA 23518
Virginia, United States of America

The email was sent to my old Yahoo email address. It also has a reply to address of
arnoldb348@gmail.com

Email text

Interim Assistance General Manager.
Operations, Maintenance, Transportation
Norfolk International Airport
2200 Norview Ave, Norfolk, VA 23518
Virginia, United States of America
Tel:571-281-7526

Hello Good Friend

Your Abandoned Package For Delivery

I have very vital information to give to you, but first I must have
Your trust before I review it to you because it may cost me my job, So
I need somebody that I can trust for me to be able to review the
Secret to you.

During my recent withheld Package routine check at the Airport Storage
Vault, Idiscovered an Abandoned shipment from a Diplomat from London and when
scanned it Revealed an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box
weighing Approximately 110kg. The consignment was abandoned because
the Contents of the consignment was not properly declared by the consignee
As “MONEY” rather it was declared as personal effect to avoid
Interrogation and also the inability of the diplomat to pay for the
United States FBI CLEARANCE/Non Inspection Charges which is $3,700USD.
On my Assumption the consignment is still left in our Storage House
here at the Norfolk International Airport 2200 Norview Ave, Norfolk, VA 23518
Virginia, United States of America till date.

The Details of the consignment including your name, your email address
and the official documents from the United Nations office in Geneva
are Tagged on the Trunk box. However, to enable me confirm if you are
the actual recipient of this Consignment as the assistant director of
the Inspection Unit, I will Advice you provide your current Phone
Number and Full Address, to Enable me cross check if it corresponds with the
address on the Official documents including the name of nearest
Airport around your city. Please note that this consignment is
supposed to have been returned to the United States Treasury
Department as unclaimed Delivery due to the delays in concluding the
clearance processes so as A result of this, I will not be able to receive
your details on my Official email account. So in order words to enable
me cross
check
Your details, I will advise you send the required details to my
Private email address for quick processing and response.

Once I Confirm you as the actual recipient of the trunk box, I can get
Everything concluded within 48hours upon your acceptance and proceeds
To your address for delivery.

Lastly, be informed that the reason I have taken it upon myself to
Contact you personally about this abandoned consignment is because I
Want us to transact this business and share the money 7025 for you and
3025 for me since the consignment has not yet been returned to the
United States Treasury Department after being abandoned by the
Diplomat so
immediately the confirmation is made, I will go ahead and Pay for the
United States FBI CLEARANCE/ Non Inspection Fee of $3,700 dollars and
Arrange for the box to be delivered to your doorstep or I can bring it
by myself to avoid any more trouble but you have to assure me of my
3025
share.

I wait to hear from you urgently if you are still alive and I will
Appreciate if we can keep this deal confidential. Please get back to
Me via my private Email for further
Directives

Thank you.

Arnold Barnes
Interim Assistance General Manager,
Operations,Maintenance,Transportation
Norfolk International Airport
2200 Norview Ave, Norfolk, VA 23518
Virginia, United States of America
God Bless America
Tel:571-281-7526

Email in screenshots. It was a bit long so I had to cut it into three screenshots.

What’s correct in the email

The only thing I found that was correct in the email was the Norfolk airport address. The phone number is a Virginia based number but isn’t the general airport number.

Here’s what’s wrong

This is a very random email like most of these phishing scams are. As far as i know, the FBI doesn’t investigate packages. The TSA (Transportation Security Agency) can investigate packages.

The confidence of the email’s tone is interesting as well. Who is just going to reply back with their full info just for a cut of around $2,500 USD according to my calculations. It’s odd that the fee is stated multiple times through out the email.

I did catch this as well first the sender states they will share the $3,700 with you in a cut of 70/25 but changes it to the percent of 30/25 towards the end of the email. So which is it? the higher amount for me or the lower one.

I also noticed that they have added that the package was from London and had the United Nations information on it. Now that just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why would a package from the UN (United Nations) end up at an airport in Virginia?

The last red flag is why would the sender ask you to email back using a personal email address especially a Gmail account. You’d think if this was legitimate they would use a branded email address. The email should be sender @ brand or airport email address.

Here’s what you can do

You can delete this email if it ends up in your inbox. You can also report it as phishing if it’s in your spam folder or before deleting it. Don’t send any information to the sender because you don’t know what they will ask of you. As I stated earlier they listed the $3,700 USD fee multiple times in the email so I would assume that is what they will ask for if you reply back to the address.

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