August Insurance

Summary

Money mule scam (see sidebar for more information on "money mules"). The exact origins of the name "August Insurance" and the website they use are a little murky: it seems to be a copy of an insurance website called "Augustis" (based at augustis.net, registered on 2004-06-24), but this is currently offline and the domain itself may have been compromised. This spam seems to have replaced the Impex Consult spam from the last couple of months in the sense that Impex has stopped, and August is now arriving with the same overpowering frequency. The spam is not image-based, but plain text.

The Spam

In a marked change from most of the high-volume money mule scams seen here in the last year, the spam is a simple plain text message rather than an image. This appears to be a change in tactics on the part of the spammers, and so far it is working very well (against Gmail's filtering, at least). Previous spams have typically encoded the message in an image to prevent filtering on the message text, but have also made the image a hyperlink to the recruiter's website, and that hyperlink makes the spam a sitting duck for filtering. The August spam refrains from linking to any websites, but rather provides email contact addresses in various domains.

Representative text

No doubt we will see some variety in this text as the spammers sustain an effort to keep out of spam filters. The text given here represents one of the earliest spams received under the identity of "August Insurance", and details the "money mule" duties quite well -- aside from the fact that they lie about the legality of the work.

From: August Insurance <mailer@aug-insure.net>
Date: 07-Feb-2007 03:31
Subject: August Insurance - Good home work
To: [redacted]

Hello, how are you?

I would like to ask you a question:

Do you need some extra income?

Working part-time you can earn from 200 $ to 500$ per week (for the first, 'test' month)

New opportunities for you - today!

August Insurance Inc. invites you to cooperate.

To begin with, 4 simple questions:

1. Are you responsible and accurate?
2. Are you from 18 till 60 year old?
3. Are you Resident of UK, USA, Australia or Europe?
4. Have you free time (2-4 hours weekly)?

If you answered "YES" four times, this is your chance: no financial risk!

Testimonials:

"Superb product!!! Finally an online profit making guide that really
works. I can't believe how easy it is to make money on the Internet!
The information and easy to follow steps still amaze me. Thanks!"
-Joshua Eikenfield-

No charge for introduction! No investment required!

Contact us, your job is waiting for you!
We will be glad to send you more information,

For immediate and confidential consideration, please e-mail your resume
to apply@augustinsurance.net

Please don't forget to add the following important information about
you (field marked with asterix are not obligatory, other fields must be filled):

ATTENTION! ONLY APPLICATIONS FROM USA PLEASE! NO OTHER COUNTRIES WILL BE CONSIDERED!

1. Your full name:
2. Your country:
3. Your full address:
4. Your mobile contact phone:
5. Your fixed/home contact phone:
6. Your work contact phone or fax (*):
7. Your contact email(s):
8. Are you ready to sign a contract with our company? (must be 'Yes')
9. Are you ready to accept money transfers to your bank account or
credit card ? (must be 'Yes')

If you received this email by mistake and do not want to receive future
notice from us please send a message to this address: remove@augustinsurance.net

In case your question is not answered in the FAQ section (below),
please contact our support department at: apply@augustinsurance.net

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: What do you need me for?
A: We are glad to inform you that our way of making the transactions
using fast money transaction systems like Western Union or Money Gram
helps us to avoid any taxation of our funds managers. Simply saying, all
the taxes to your local authorities have been already paid before the
funds are available on your bank account. Also you do not need to mark
those profits in your tax bills. However, if you prefer to pay taxes by
yourself, you can do it (ask our support for additional information).
But please notice that payments marked as 'commercial' are smaller and
they take more time and effort to be processed. That's why we always
recommend to announce these transfers as personal, like to your friend or
family member.

Q2: Why is it recommended to announce these payments as 'personal'?

A: If you prefer to pay the taxes by yourself, you can do it (ask our
support for additional information). But please notice that payments
marked as 'commercial' are smaller and they take more time and efforts to
be processed. That's why we always recommend to announce these
transfers as personal, like to your friend or family member.

Q3: Why do you need me? Why don't you perform the transfers by yourself
and keep the commission?

Generally speaking about the job, we have established this scheme of
payments because it is faster than direct bank wires. Our client will
make a payment to your bank account. You will have to visit your bank and
to cash out that money. After that, within 12 hours you will have to go
to a Western Union or a Money Gram office and to give them the money in
cash for making the fast money transaction. We will give you the
receiver's information for every transaction.
Don't you think that taking money from your own bank account in cash or
using Western Union transaction are illegal things?
Such transaction scheme helps us to make payments go faster and both
you and we can make money faster too.
If we tried to perform it by ourselves, imagine how expensive it would
be - hundreds of offices (tables, chairs, computers, phones, fax
machines and other stuff). Our scheme helps us to minimize the costs and it
allows us to pay high commission to our managers.

Q4: How many transfers a day/week/month shall I process?

A: It depends on the quantity of the orders. It may be from one
transfer a week to several transfers a day. We shall notify you about the
number of the transfers beforehand, as well as about the transfers sent to
you.

Q5: What else can I do for your company?

A: Accurate work is enough.

Q6: Can I recommend you to my friends?

A: Yes, of course.

Q7: In what currency should I receive the money? In what currency
should it be sent? Is it necessary to exchange the currency?

A: You should send the money in the same currency that you have
received. You don't need to exchange the currency.

Q8: Who pays for sending the money? Isn't it too expensive to use
WesternUnion or MoneyGram? Is it subtracted from my commission?

A: The costs for the money transfers are paid by our company.
Absolutely nothing is subtracted from your commission; you get exactly the
agreed sum .

Q09: I want to get your company's contract with a seal and CEO's
signature.

A: Sure, our support is ready to send it to you after your first
request.

Q10: Is it legal?

A: Yes, our business is absolutely legal. It is already our second year
in the market.

Q11: I don't have higher education in the financial sphere, is it
important?

A: No, you needn't have higher education.

Q12: Do you work only in the USA?

A: No, we also work with Australia, UK, Europe .

Q13: Please give me an example of the job process
A:
1. A Customer from your country finds a Company in London, UK (for
example) and wants to buy smth.
2. The Company asks us for a manager in your country and we find you.
3. We give the Customer your bank details to send you the payment.
4. The Customer sends the payment to you and notifies us.
5. We inform the Company that the payment is made.
6. The Company gives us the name and surname of its representative who
must receive the money. For example: Name Surname in London, GB.
7. We send you an email like this: A money transfer has been sent to
you. Its amount is XXXX USD. You should send it to Name Surname in
London, UK.
8. You cash out the money and send it to Name Surname in London, UK.
9. You send the transfer receipt to us.
10. We give the receipt to the Company and they receive the money.

Q14: Do you have any certificate or license?
A: Yes, we have all required documents and we are ready to provide it
to you
when you fill the first form.



With best regards,
August Insurance Inc 

Sender names encountered

Capitalisation and punctuation may vary, but these names make good targets for filtering if the spam is annoying you. The sender addresses can also be used, since the spammers seem to be using their own domain names in the sender address for a change, but bear in mind that new domains are likely to be registered on an on-going basis.

• August Insurance
• August Insure
• Aug Insure
• Augusts Insurance

Domain names involved

The following domain names have been used in reply-to addresses in this scam, and are believed to have been registered specifically for the purposes of this scam.

1. aug-insure.net
2. augustinsurance.net
3. aug-inc.biz
4. aug-inc.net
5. eu-insure.com

The above is not necessarily an exhaustive list of involved domains -- merely the ones we know about. The list is updated as new domains come to our attention. Please post comments below if you are aware of other domains involved in this scam.

Website

Here is a snapshot of the website at www.augustinsurance.net taken on 2007-02-08. Since the scammers are primarily soliciting responses via email, the site serves primarily to make it look like there is an actual business behind the name, although the "Augustis" branding should cause the sceptical to raise an eyebrow.

Domain Information (for experts)

Limited WHOIS information is provided here, primarily for the purposes of trend analysis. Registrant details are included only to the extent that I believe they are relevant and not misleading fabrications.

aug-insure.net

   Domain Name: AUG-INSURE.NET
   Registrar: COMPUTER SERVICES LANGENBACH GMBH DBA JOKER.COM
   Whois Server: whois.joker.com
   Referral URL: http://www.joker.com
   Name Server: NS1.NEW-ACC.COM
   Name Server: NS2.NEW-ACC.COM
   Updated Date: 05-feb-2007
   Creation Date: 29-jan-2007
   Expiration Date: 29-jan-2008

augustinsurance.net

   Domain Name: AUGUSTINSURANCE.NET
   Registrar: COMPUTER SERVICES LANGENBACH GMBH DBA JOKER.COM
   Whois Server: whois.joker.com
   Referral URL: http://www.joker.com
   Name Server: NS1.NEW-ACC.COM
   Name Server: NS2.NEW-ACC.COM
   Updated Date: 05-feb-2007
   Creation Date: 29-jan-2007
   Expiration Date: 29-jan-2008

aug-inc.biz

Query at around 2007-02-08 03:22 UTC

Domain Name:                                 AUG-INC.BIZ
Domain ID:                                   D16303391-BIZ
Sponsoring Registrar:                        CSL COMPUTER SERVICE (D.B.A. JOKER.COM)
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID:                113
Name Server:                                 NS1.NEW-ACC.COM
Name Server:                                 NS2.NEW-ACC.COM
Created by Registrar:                        CSL COMPUTER SERVICE (D.B.A. JOKER.COM)
Last Updated by Registrar:                   CSL COMPUTER SERVICE (D.B.A. JOKER.COM)
Domain Registration Date:                    Mon Feb 05 10:53:30 GMT 2007
Domain Expiration Date:                      Mon Feb 04 23:59:59 GMT 2008
Domain Last Updated Date:                    Mon Feb 05 11:00:15 GMT 2007

aug-inc.net

Query at around 2007-02-08 03:23 UTC

   Domain Name: AUG-INC.NET
   Registrar: COMPUTER SERVICES LANGENBACH GMBH DBA JOKER.COM
   Whois Server: whois.joker.com
   Referral URL: http://www.joker.com
   Name Server: NS1.NEW-ACC.COM
   Name Server: NS2.NEW-ACC.COM
   Updated Date: 05-feb-2007
   Creation Date: 05-feb-2007
   Expiration Date: 05-feb-2008

eu-insure.com

Query at around 2007-02-24 06:58 UTC

   Domain Name: EU-INSURE.COM
   Registrar: COMPUTER SERVICES LANGENBACH GMBH DBA JOKER.COM
   Whois Server: whois.joker.com
   Referral URL: http://www.joker.com
   Name Server: NS1.SAUDIA-DNS.ORG
   Name Server: NS2.SAUDIA-DNS.ORG
   Updated Date: 19-feb-2007
   Creation Date: 19-feb-2007
   Expiration Date: 19-feb-2008