Here is an article on several scammers who were arrested by Russian authorities:
West African scammers arrested in Russia
The scammers will request an advance payment or fee from $30,000 to even $150,000 before any oil is delivered, since, of course no oil will ever be delivered. The fee is usually for some fake government or association allocation code, license fee, tax, contract servicing, legalization fee, authorization fee, mandate seller fee, down payment, federation fee, Russian Ministry fee, pipeline fee, Uraltransneft fee, etc. The fake advance fees are only limited by the scammer's imagination. Frequently, the scammers request the fake fees be paid to some fake government officials or oil association agents represented by yet another fake website(s). These scammers will state that such payment or fees are "customary." They are not! ANY ADVANCE FEE IS A SCAM! Here is an example of contract language containing scam advance fees:
"Seller pays for the Legalization/Registration of the “CONTRACT” directly to the Ministry of Energy"
"Buyer pays to obtain Transaction Passport Transfer Certificate (TPTC) / Export Clearance Affidavit (ECA) which defines the buyer’s intention and competence, and it is duly documented to that effect."
"Buyer will open file with the Seller Company, fee of the file opening will be calculated and be based on the volume of the signed Contract. Fee stands for operational charges and payment will be TT wire transfer."
"Upon the Verification of the above documents by the Buyer, The buyers pays via T/T Wire transfer of the total Vessel Charter Fees to re-route the course of the Vessel Tanker to the buyer's discharge port."
Note that scammers will demand that advance fees be paid via Western Union/MoneyGram or Bank to Bank transfer so that once you've been scammed, you will not be able to get your money back!. Please read: Western Union/MoneyGram Indicate Scam!!! and Don't Pay Strangers Using Bank to Bank Transfer
Here is another example from a scam contract:
"PAYMENT: Payment terms may be optional except the payment for THE ALLOCATION FILE OPENING WITH SAMARA SALES DEPARTMENT payment will be made by NON-NEGOTIABLE TT WIRE -TRANSFER..."
Here is a list of some of the known fake government ministries and oil associations with their aa419.org fake forum listings. The scammers will put more of these up so one has to be alert and question the legitimacy of any supposed government or trade association website! The only legitimate Russian Ministry site associated with the oil and gas industry is: http://www.minenergo%20.gov.ru
Russian Crude Oil & Natural Gas Producers and Exporters Association (RUCONG PEAN)
http://www.rucong-%20pean.ru (Fraudulent Website)
105037, Mikhalkovskaya ulitsa, 65, Moscow, Russia Federation
Tel: 7 495 943 8726
Fax: 7 495 943 8726
Emails : info@rucong-pean.ru
support@rucong-pean.ru
domain: RUCONG-PEAN.RU
nserver: ns1.webhost1.ru.
nserver: ns2.webhost1.ru.
state: REGISTERED, DELEGATED, UNVERIFIED
person: Private Person
registrar: REGRU-REG-RIPN
admin-contact: http://www.reg.ru/whois/admin_contact
created: 2012.02.19
paid-till: 2013.02.19
free-date: 2013.03.22
source: TCI
Russia Export Authority
http://www.russiaexportauthority%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Контакты
109202 Россия, Москва,Орехово-Зуевский проезд, 18.
Телефон: +7 495 7786417
факс: +7495 9813301
Электронная почта: rearuss@russiaexportauthority.ru
http://en.rtamfoge%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
RUSSIAN TAX ADMINISTRATION MINISTRY FOR OIL AND GAS EXPORTERS
Адрес: 105005 Russia Moscow Naberezhnaya Akademika Tupoleva 15.
Telephone/ Fax : +7 (499) 390 0219
E-mail : rtamfoge@rtamfoge.ru , info@rtamfoge.ru , lawfirm@rtamfoge.ru
http://www.rtamfoge.ru
Russian ministry of energy and industry (Minpromenergo)
http://www.ruminei.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Address: Moscow, 109074, Kitajjgorodskijj pr., d. 7
Telephone/Fax: +7 (499) 500-9792
Email: info@ruminei.ru
Russian Ministry of Oil Natural Gas Exploration (Fake Agency)
http://www.ruminonge%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Address: 109012, Moscow, Rozjestvinka Street 17 biulding
Telephone: +7 (495) 978-0810
Fax: +7 (495) 978-9128, +7 (495) 978-9038
E-Mail: info@ruminonge.ru
administration@ruminonge.ru
registration@ruminonge.ru
legal@ruminonge.ru
The Agency of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation (Russian Ministry of Energy)
http://www.minienergo%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)[/COLOR]
107997, г. Москва, ул. Щепкина, дом 40
Information Service of the Agency
Tel: +7 (926) 002-3875
Fax: +7 (926) 002-3876
info@minienergo.ru
minienergo@minienergo.ru
Notary and Legal Department of the Agency
notary@minienergo.ru
legal@minienergo.ru
novosti@minienergo.ru
Russian Ministry of Energy and Industry (Fake Agency)
http://www.rumenergi%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
113045, Sadovnicheskaya St.10 Moscow, Russia
Telephone/Fax: +7 (499) 998-15-59
info@rumenergi.ru
support@rumenergi.ru
admin@rumenergi.ru
Russian Ministry of Energy and Industry (Fake Agency)
http://www.minenergi%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Kitaygorodskiy proezd 7, Moscow, Russian Federation 109074
Telephone/Fax: +7 (499) 713-42-34
info@minenergi.ru
support@minenergi.ru
admin@minenergi.ru
http://www.russoilgasma%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)[/COLOR]
Russian Oil & Gas Manufacturers and Exporters Association
Address:1/4 Tsvetnoy bulvar 346802 Moscow
Russia Federation.
Phone: +7 (495) 333-7214
+7(926)9019273
Fax :+7(495)789-8221
info@russoilgasma.ru , support@russoilgasma.ru
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=64519
http://www.ferganinlandrussi%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=64770
http://www.minenergi%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Ministry of Energy and Industry
Kitaygorodskiy proezd 7, Moscow, Russian Federation 109074
Telephone/Fax: +7 (499) 713-42-34
info@minenergi.ru support@minenergi.ru admin@minenergi.ru
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=64511
http://fedcomenas%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
FEDERAL COMMERCE AND ENERGY (FEDCOMENAS)
5, Kamergersky Pereulok
Moscow.
Russian Federation
Tel: +7 (495) 763 50 38, +7 (495) 764 96 73 Fax: +7 (495) 763 50 38
Email: info@fedcomenas.ru , legal@fedcomenas.ru
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=63893
http://www.rumema%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=62730
http://www.rogmmarussi-gov.ru (Fraudulent Website)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=64579
http://www.rupra%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
RUSSIAN PETROLEUM REFINERS (RUPRA)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=62771
http://druzhba-petr-chambers%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Druzhba Petr Chambers
House 23/8k1 Novozavodskaya UID Street
Office 16 Moscow, Russia 212309
Tel:+7-495-648-5233
Fax:+7-495-648-5233
E-mail : info@druzhba-petr-chambers.ru druzhba@druzhba-petr-chamber.ru service@druzhba-petr-chambers.ru
pavel@druzhba-petr-chambers.ru
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=63890
RUSSIAN ENERGY MINISTRY & EXPORT AUTHORITY TRUST (REMEA TRUST) (Russian Oil Scam)
Address: Novy Arbat Street, 11c1, 110435 Moscow, Russia
Contact name: Mr Sergey A. Olegovich (Deputy Director)
Tel/Fax: +7-(499)-390-3713
Tel : +7 964 7255 086
Emails: remea-trust@mail.ru and remea-trust@pop3.ru No real government ministry would use a free email address)
http://www.rnaoe.ru (Dead)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=63779
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (Fraudulent Website)
http://mmnr%20.ru
Address: 4/6, Bolshaya Gruzinskaya str., Moscow, Russia
Telephone: +7 (499) 713-48-22 Fax:+7 (499) 713-48-22,
e-mail: admin@mmnr.ru
http://remea-trust%20.ru (Fraudulent Website)
Russian Energy Ministry & Export Authority Trust (REMEA TRUST)
OFFICIAL ADDRESS:
Valovaya Street No 28, 110227 Moscow, Russia.
Tel/Fax : +7 (499) 390 3826 / 74993903826
Emails: info@remea-trust.ru services@remea-trust.ru legal@remea-trust.ru
http://www.fraospaa%20.ru (Dead)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=58769
http://www.arnecomrussi%20.ru (Dead)
https://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=58887
Any request for an advance fee payment, especially for the "privilege" of importing oil or a down payment is a clear sign of the scam!
Many of these fake oil companies advertise extensively on B2B networks such as Alibaba, ec21.com, Tradekey, Gmdu.net, EcPlaza, Tradeboss, to name a few. Please note that NO LEGITIMATE RUSSIAN PETROLEUM COMPANY will ever advertise or search for buyers on B2B sites or advertise elsewhere on the internet as they already have regular buyers and traders. If you receive an unsolicited offer from a "Russian oil company, it is most likely a scam. If you see an advertisement from a "Russian oil company" on a B2B network or elsewhere, its most likely a scam.
No real oil company, or any company for that matter, uses free email addresses, especially free email address chosen to match their supposed company names. Google every thing about any prospective company. The name of the company, the domain name, the email address, the telephone number, the name of the officials. We list many of these fraudulent companies on various anti-fraud forums and its very frustrating when potential victims do not take the time or energy to simply Google. Just because you don't find anything that indicates a company is not a scam, doesn't mean it isn't. It could be a new scam site.
A great way to tell whether a company is a scam is to look at the date the website's domain was registered. if the domain registration date is within a year, its most likely a scam. Thoroughly read Identifying Obvious Scam Websites If they don't have a website, they are most likely scammers.
A thread which lists scam sites and shows posts from potential victims can be found here:
Here are some of the West African scammers setting up these fake Russian oil web sites:
Scammers #1 and #2 are from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=32&catid=searchresults&searchid=12
Scammer #3 is also from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=95&catid=searchresults&searchid=12
Scammer #4 and #5 are from Ghana and Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=94&catid=searchresults&searchid=12
Scammer #6 is another one from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=99&catid=6
Scammer #7 is from Cameroon
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=143&catid=3
Scammer #8 from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=179
Scammer #9 from Cameroon *Etienne Mbega is currently under arrest in Russia*
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=214&catid=3
Scammer #10 from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=225
Scammer #11 from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=247&catid=6
Scammer #12 from Nigeria
http://www.419scammersexposed.com/database/showentry.php?e=246&catid=6
Here are more links to articles on scams. Take the time to read this entire article including the links and the posts below. The time expended is well worth the knowledge gained and will make you better equipped to recognize a scam.
http://www.rosneft.com/Investors/beware/
http://eng.transneft.ru/attention/
http://www.gazprom.com/about/subsidiaries/list-items/ (List of Authorized Subsidiaries )
http://www.gulfoiltrading.com/Fake%20companies.htm
I have reprinted an article from Alibaba below.
To all buyers of Russian Oil Products.
Do not pay any upfront Transneft fee to Russian Sellers under no circumstances.
There is a well organized Russian crime network made of many so-called Russian independent sellers or seller's mandates,all of them advertising on Alibaba.com but their leader is posing as the Presient of Transneft, the Russian State Pipeline monopoly, issuing fake Transneft documents including Invoice with Transneft bank accounts (which really belong to the scammers), Affidavit and contracts. He uses the following email addresses: simonbainshtock@mail.ru and bainshtocksm@mail.ru. All deceptive email addresses from a Russian free mail server using the name of a legitimate Russian official to fool foreigners who think that they are dealing with the head of Transneft. We learned that he also uses the alias: Sergey Dmitriev.
Buyers from many countries have been victimized by these scammers and they are still in business.
These people are not selling oil. Their business is to scam foreign oil buyers for upfront Transneft fees.
DO NOT SEND THEM MONEY, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE OIL AND WILL LOSE ANY MONEY THAT YOU SEND THEM.
We have paid Transneft fees for over 8 contracts and have lost all that money
Their contracts usually include Cell phone as seller's phone, fake ****, fake SWIFT code, fake email addresses, fake bank officer who is usually an individual who is part of a scam.
All phone and email messages that the buyer sends to the seller's bank go to people working for the scam not to the bank.
Some of these companies are fictitious and do not even legally exist.
When they provide Transneft invoice and other documents, if you ask for verification, they will put you in contact with fake Transneft officials including someone who claimed that he is the President of Transneft and a close friend of President Putin. All of These people are also part of the scam and no really who they claim to be.
They used to provide an invoice for payment to be wired to Alfa Bank or Russian Standard Bank in behalf of Transneft pipeline or Transneft Trustees; Not True. They have people inside Alfa Bank, Russian Standard bank and other Russian banks to divert the money to them.
Nowadays, they use Russian Standard Bank and other banks with the money going to an individual who supposes to be a Transneft Trustee but is part of the gang. Their fee went from $28,000.00 last year to $30,000.00 now per 500k contract.
They will make you believe that you are getting a god deal because you suppose to pay both the internal and external fees upfront but because of their special relationship with the President of Transneft, they will arrrange an exemption for you to only pay the Internal fee. All scam talk. The following companies are part of the scam: Alduke Holdings-Sibneftprom, Soyuz Corporation, Igion Oil, Icon oil & Gas, Rusneftprom, Golden Oil, Zorin Energy Resources.
If you pay them once, they will ask you to submit more contract before they can perform on your first contract because they must meet internal Transneft quota before they can deliver any PB or POP to you. If you insist, they will put you in touch with the fake President of Transneft who claims to be Mr. Boishtoc himself, to tell you that the Russian seller is in good standing with Transneft but you must deliver more contract to them so that they can meet their Transneft quota.
Avoid individuals like Nikolai Gubin from Alduke Holdings, Andrei Shaika from Soyuz Corp and Rusneftprom. In the case of Alduke, after you pay, they will then tell you that they have back tax problems with the government and cannot perform until this problem is resolved and will try to have the tax problem confirmed by the fake Transneft President who is really the ring master. This Master Scammer will not only confirm that Alduke or any of scammers is a good seller but will ask you to advance Million dollars in cash (to be wired to a bank that they will provide) to him so that he can get Russian officials to help Alduke so that you can get your oil. Right but not in this lifetime !!!! Just tell this guy to send you a certified copy of his passport as Mr. Boishtoc, the head of Transneft, so that you can verify it with the Russian Embassy before you send him the Million in cash that he is asking for. He will tell you that he is very offended by that request and will hang up the phone quickly.
These scammers will object to you visiting Moscow to personally make payment to Transneft Bank then move to LC in exchange for PB/POP documents there.
No matter what you do, do not pay them upfront fees and do not accept any procedure where you have to pay large upfront sum to get the deal started. Once you pay and pay, there is no way to get your money back and recover the lost time. The fake Mr. Boishtoc from Transneft will tell you that Transneft has met their obligations and that you are now liable for the additional external fee of $150,000.00 per contract and that you should address your concerns with the Russian seller.
Things to do to avoid these scams:
1.- Always contact your country's embassy in Moscow for help on screening Russian sellers.
2.- Ask your embassy to recommend a local lawyer to screen and verify any document that you receive from Moscow.
3.- Get your lawyer to invite you to Moscow to verify all documents issued by your seller and to visit your seller.
4.- Get the seller to move first by issuing PB from reputable Russian Bank with a major Foreign corresponding bank and Vessel Charter Party Agreement verifiable through your lawyer in Moscow.
There is no scam without a Bank. Check the seller's bank listed on the contract. Bank uses their own mail server so if given bank email address shows a different mail server then be concerned. Call the bank. Bank officer should use a land line for their phone number not cell phone
Serious and sucessful sellers should not have any need to collect Transneft fees upfront from you once you show then preliminary proof of fund via BCL or soft probe. Only scammers want to see your money first, because their business is to collect these fees,not to sell oil. Furthermore, once you send them one payment, they tell you that they have a quota and that you need to send them more deals before they can accept your Pre-advice LC or issue PB.
Even if you ask them to sign a promisory note to return the money in case of non-performance, they will do it because you have no way of collecting that money back from them.
Do not accept any document from these people unless you have a way of verifying it independently. They are master forgeurs for all sort of refinery and government documents.
They use a lot of Seller's mandate all of over the world to bring them business. The Russian mandates are part of the scam but foreign mandates are usually innocent victims who think that they are representing a legitimate Russian seller.
Happy Trading !!!
Please don't be afraid to share your scam stories !!! Scammers use the same scheme over and over because their victims do not speak out
Your story will help weeding out scammers from the business. It is not just about the money, it is about detecting these scams soon enough to avoid wasting time.
NOTE: Since this article was initially posted here, there have been some new company listings on Alibaba.com (Lukhoilsandgas, Golden Oil,....)presenting themselves as mandates for Russian companies like RUSNEFTPROM.
My personal recommendation is not to do business with any mandate or company that lists relationship with Alduke Holdings-Sibneftprom, RUSNEFPROM or any of the companies listed above in this article.
The real test is for you to get a copy of their procedure, they all require upfront fee from the buyer for Transneft fee before they issue PB, POP, or show any oil or SGS report or proof of previous deals where that have actually ship any oil to anybody.
http://resources.alibaba.com/topic/41062/RUSSIAN_OIL_SCAMS_Transneft_fee_scam_from_fake_Russian_Oil_Sellers.htm