A new advance fee fraud email is circulating and attempting to create trust by using a University of Texas at Austin sender address. The message comes from Peggy Chan <peg00025@cs.utexas.edu> and claims to involve a supposed business opportunity worth $27.6 million. Anyone who replies becomes a target for financial theft and personal data harvesting.
The Scam Email
From: Peggy Chan <peg00025@cs.utexas.edu>
Body:
“Hello,
I trust you are doing well? I have a business of $27.6 million, I need your help to succeed in this business.
My proposal includes a detailed outline of the business idea, 50 percent each mutual benefit. I am certain that this partnership will be lucrative and successful.
I would appreciate the opportunity to tell you more about this proposal further at your earliest respond.
Best regards,
Peggy.”
What Kind of Scam Is This
This message is a classic advance fee scam. The scammer promises a huge payout to lure victims into a long conversation that eventually leads to requests for money. These requests may be described as legal fees, transfer charges, notary costs, or taxes. The fees never end and the promised funds never exist.
Why a UT Austin Email Address Was Used
The email originates from a University of Texas at Austin domain. This does not mean it is legitimate. Scammers frequently use .edu accounts for two reasons:
- Compromised university accounts. Students and staff are often targeted with phishing campaigns that steal login credentials. Once a scammer controls the account, they send fraud emails from the trusted inbox.
- Spoofed sender fields. Some scammers forge the sender address to make it appear as if the message came from a university. The real origin is usually a foreign mail server unrelated to UT Austin.
Emails from .edu domains often bypass normal spam filters, which makes them attractive tools for fraud operations.
How the Scam Usually Continues
- The scammer explains a dramatic story about why they cannot move the money directly.
- The scammer asks for your personal information to set up the supposed partnership.
- The scammer creates a reason why you must pay a fee before the funds can be released.
- New fees appear every time you pay one.
- The scammer disappears once you stop paying.
No business deal exists. All claims are fabricated to extract money.
Red Flags in This Email
- Unsolicited message from a stranger
- Unrealistic offer involving tens of millions of dollars
- Poor grammar and awkward writing
- No explanation of why you were chosen
- Fifty percent payout for doing nothing
- Sent from an academic domain unrelated to business or finance
- Vague promises of a profitable partnership
What You Should Do
- Do not reply to the sender
- Do not provide personal or financial information
- Delete the email
- Block the sender
- If you are part of UT Austin and recognize the email address, inform your IT department about a possible account compromise
This is one of many ongoing scam attempts that target random recipients with fake offers involving large sums of money. For additional guidance on similar fraud attempts, visit the BotCrawl Scams section.
