The Hitman Scam – the most audacious Internet scam?

ByCraig Haley

Scammers are known for a wide ranging number of Internet scams, some more farfetched than others.

But perhaps one of the most audacious scams is the one known as the “hitman scam” and it’s been active since at least 2006.

And it’s not a particularly complex con, either. Certainly nothing you’d see in an episode of “The Hustle“. In fact the entire scam amounts to nothing more than extortion, but in one of the most audacious ways possible.

It starts, like so many online scams do, via an email. In this email, the recipient is told that their life is in danger because some unknown entity has paid a hitman to kill them. The sender of the email (the scammer) claims to be the person hired to carry out the killing. However, after watching the recipient for some time, the scammer claims that they are willing to allow them to pay a higher price in order to save themselves.

Basically, the victim is tricked into believing that they have to cough up a large sum of money in order to save their life. The emails assert that going to the police will result in the “contract” being carried out.


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An example can be seen below –

SOMEONE YOU CALL YOUR FRIEND, WANTS YOU DEAD.

I felt very sorry and bad for you, that your life is going to end like this if you don’t comply, i was paid to eliminate you and I have to do it within 10 days.

Someone you call your friend wants you dead by all means, and the person have spent a lot of money on this, the person also came to us and told us that he wants you dead and he provided us your names, photograph and other necessary information we needed about you. If you are in doubt with this I will send you your name and where you are residing in my next mail.

Meanwhile, I have sent my boys to track you down and they have carried out the necessary investigation needed for the operation, but I ordered them to stop for a while and not to strike immediately because I just felt something good and sympathetic about you. I decided to contact you first and know why somebody will want you dead by all means. Right now my men are monitoring you, their eyes are on you, and even the place you think is safer for you to hide might not be.

Now do you want to LIVE OR DIE? It is up to you. Get back to me now if you are ready to enter deal with me, I mean life trade, who knows, and I might just spear your life, $8,000 is all you need to spend. You will first of all pay $3,000 then I will send the tape of the person that want you dead to you and when the tape gets to you, you will pay the remaining $5,000. If you are not ready for my help, then I will have no choice but to carry on the assignment after all I have already being paid before now.

Warning: do not think of contacting the police or even tell anyone because I will extend it to any member of your family since you are aware that somebody want you dead, and the person knows some members of your family as well.

For your own good I will advise you not to go out once is 7pm until I make out time to see you and give you the tape of my discussion with the person who want you dead then you can use it to take any legal action. Good luck as I await your reply to this e-mail contact: b.patbulle2240@gmail.com

Whilst we can only assume that these emails are rarely successful, and thus less popular than other scams, the FBI have stated that people have fell for them in the past.

These emails, like many Internet scams, originate from overseas from places like Russia and Africa, and the reality is that the scammers behind the emails actually know nothing about the recipient at all, much less have been hired to kill them.

It is important not to panic if you get such an email in your inbox. Carefully examine the email and check if any of your personal information – such as your name, location or job – has been included. The chances are high that the email contains no such personal information, and thus can be discarded as a scam.

If you do get such an email and it does contain personal information then it is important to contact the police as soon as possible.

Have you received such as a scam before? Let us know below.

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