Chingford Area Social Masonic Group

Financial Scams

An email scam claiming to be from a Masonic Group offering a share in charity money has been going round the web. Depending on whether the email is from Germany or Brazil it purports to be from the Freemasons of Winchester or Bournemouth, announcing that they are about to distribute their annual charity grants totalling “US$2.5 million”. Needlessly to say that the recipient of the email has been selected to receive a grant. Neither group exists nor do any of the persons named in the email, including the firm of London Solicitors. The email is simply a scam to gain access to bank accounts.

More serious is the case of a Lodge whose Secretary was contacted by the Lodge’s bank. The bank had received an order, which appeared to be signed by the Secretary and Treasurer, to transfer £6.500 to the bank account of a design group. The bank was querying the order because there were insufficient funds in the Lodge’s account to cover it. The Secretary was able to demonstrate that the signatures were rather bad forgeries. The matter is now in the hands of the Police.

The signatures appear to have been copied from actual signatures of the Secretary and Treasurer concerned. That suggests, that we should warn brethren that extra care should be taken in destroying correspondence etc., carrying the signatures of those who are authorised signatories on Lodge and Chapter bank accounts, rather than just dumping
them in the dustbin.

Reproduced from an email from the Province of Essex sent to W Bro Allan de Luca, the Editor of the Newsletter

Phone Scams

Landlines

You will receive a recorded message congratulating you on winning an all expenses paid exotic holiday, you will be asked to press 9 if you press 9 you will be charged £20.00 per minute, even if you disconnect immediately you will be charged for 5 minutes Total cost £100.00p

Mobiles

You will receive a missed call from a number 0709 020 3840 (the last four digits may vary) but the 0709 020 will be the same. You will be charged £50.00p per minute, just delete don’t answer!