Email Fraud Alert received from: Johan
I recently received an email with this subject line: Blue Financial Services Loan Offer and I am concerned that it could be an attempt at defrauding me. Let me know in the comments section what you think, please.
The full contents of the suspected fraudulent (phishing / scamming) e-mail appear below:
Good Day,
Congratulations, you are entitled to receive a personal cash loan of up to R150,000. Business loan of up to R25 million, approval is almost immediately, 100% online approval with no credit check.
Limited Time Offer- New offers for 2017
Yours Sincerely
Mrs. Victoria G. Norman
Loan Consultant
BLUE FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD
Phone:+27 (0) 875 508 011
Fax: +27 (0) 865 498 272
Email: apply@bluefinancialservices.co.za
Reg: 1996/006595/06
VAT: 4120235207
NCR Reg: NCRCP133
DISCLAIMER
Blue Financial Services (Pty) Ltd and its directors, officers and employees shall not be responsible and disclaims all liability for any loss, damage (whether direct, indirect, special or consequential) and/or expense of any nature whatsoever, which may be suffered as a result of or which may be attributable, directly or indirectly, to the use of, or reliance upon any information.
The above email was sent by “BFS Loan” from this email address: 12qaw@servicereservex.com
I, Johan, have the following thoughts/comments on this suspected fraudulent email message from “BFS Loan”:
Lets pick this apart as the ‘offer’ could catch a lot of people:
- The reply to email domain, servicereservex.com is a parked domain (1st Warning sign)
- There is NO web site for bluefinancialservices.co.za, only a holding page (2nd Warning Sign)
- For a company registered in 1996 one would expect them to at least have a working web site (3rd Warning Sign)
- Looking at the domain registration record for bluefinancialservices.co.za, we see that it was registered by a Registrar named Gandi to this registrant: ANGELA MARTINS with this ‘supposed’ address 163 Main Rd, Green Point 8051, Cape Town, South Africa,Green Point, 8051, ZA and this phone number: +27.634783282 and email: papapolodistributors@graphic-designer.com on 2017/01/21 at 23:19:22 (4th, 5th, 6th , 7th and 8th Warning Sign – Gandi is a foreign registrar, this search “angela martins” cape town graphic design on Google provides no results, the address format is not how a South African would write it, we never tested the phone number, the registrant email domain is ‘not found’ and the registration date is 21 Janury 2017)
- The actual Blue Financial Services was SUSPENDED from the JSE and had it’s Insurance License suspended – this after a crippling loss of R1bn for the year to February 2010 saw Blue Financial Services practically hit the wall. Just two years before that in 2008 the market value hit R3.5bn based on the microlender’s rapid growth across the African continent. Its listing was suspended in 2010 after failing to get those results out on time.
- The blue.co.za domain is now owned by a domain trader and does not have a functional web site.
- The phone number for Blue Financial Services LIMITED used to be 012 990 5600 (9th Warning sign as it is different to the number on the scammers letterhead)
On the accompanying attachment letterhead ‘BLUE FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD’ display their address as 107 Haymeadow Cres, Pretoria, 0043. with these contact details: +27 (0) 875 508 011, Fax: +27 (0) 865 498 272, apply@bluefinancialservices.co.za. Reg: 1996/006595/06, VAT: 4120235207, NCR Reg: NCRCP133
The Google street map shows this for 163 Main Rd, Green Point: https://goo.gl/maps/JFDogeuJPAF2
Now this is where it gets tricky – the National Credit Regulator (NCR) has an existing record for Blue Financial Services LIMITED here: http://www.ncr.org.za/register_of_registrants/registered_cp.php?page=21 with EXACTLY the same details as the ‘company’ offering the loan – Blue Financial Services PROPIETARY Limted. See what these guys did there? A LIMTED company is entirely different to a PROPIETARY Limited company.
In the NCR’s listing the address is given as – 34 Bouvardia Avenue Lynwood Ridge Pretoria which you can see by follwing this link: https://goo.gl/maps/HLhJyR4P1pD2
It would appear though that the 107 Haymeadow Crescent, Pretoria (as in scammer’s letterhead) address is the original address of the Blue Group that has fallen off of the radar. See here: https://goo.gl/maps/9wiBBGsBvKn
CONCLUSION: It looks like any dealing with ‘BLUE Financial Services Pty Ltd.’ will leave you feeling a little bit more BLUE than usual.
THE ACCOMPANYING ATTACHMENT SAID:
Welcome To Blue Financial Services
The biggest challenge facing individual and enterprises in South Africa today, unable to access the funding they need to help them capitalize on the growth opportunities that present themselves.
Blue Financial Services, we offers business loan, home loan, personal loans and debt consolidation products that encourage the responsible use of credit as part of a structured financial plan at 5% interest rate. Too many South Africans fall prey to debt traps as a result of ill-informed financial decisions. Products such as multiple and payday loans can very quickly lead to crippling debt.
Loans taken from unscrupulous lenders aren’t usually designed around a customer’s unique financial situation and have high repayments and high interest rate; we assist contractors/farmers to acquire their own machineries.
We offer personal loan up to R150, 000.00, Business loan up to R25million.
Foreigners, Blacklisted individuals with bad credit records are also welcome to apply.
Our Benefits
There are many benefits to Blue Financial Services, they include: The transaction is easy and private. You apply from the comfort and privacy of your home and offices.
The process is conducted securely online. Loans deliver as fast as the next business day.
Applying for a loan is quick and easy!
Businesses or Individuals interested in applying for a blue financial services loans or who simply require more information. TO APPLY, simply send Email to (apply@bluefinancialservices.co.za) and apply for any loan of your choice. Approval is almost immediately once your application is received.
Regards,
Mrs. Victoria G. Norman
Loan Consultant
BLUE FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD