Silly thread (or not?)

[Guest]

I have been getting one of these for a few months now, about every few weeks. I delete them, but if anyone wants to reply, I'll give you his full e-addy . I X'd out my real name and some other specific info just in case it hit a real nerve with anyone.

Perdita
---------------------

From: E_william550edeh@xxxxx
To: Perdita
Subject: Let's talk on Messenger!
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 10:25:01 -0800

From: Mr.William Edeh Foreign Remittance Department Banque Internationale De L'Afrique, Lome-Togo.

PLEASE YOUR ASSISTANCE IS HIGLY NEEDED

Attn: Mrs. XXX, Please permit me to use this medium to propose to you a transaction that will benefit both of us at the end.I know you will be surprised to receive this unexpected mail but I strongly believe that this reason will not weigh you down in accepting my offer.I got your email contact from the internet website as I know that it is the easiest means of getting in contact with people all over the world.

I am Mr.William Edeh with Banque Internationale Pour La Afrique Du'Togo. We had a foreign client by name (XXX XXXXX)a citizen of United States of America and a former Manager of(Cimtogo) a cement manufacturing company here in Togo who deposited the sum of US$15.5 million(Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with our bank. Unfortunately,this client was among the victims of XXXXX FLIGHT NO. XXX that crashed on the XX-XX-XXX in U.S.A. Confirmable from the below website www.cnn.com/XXXX.html but, since then we have not had anybody to come for the claims as the next of kin. A sitaution I have monitored closely with my position in the bank for the past three years now.

Now,having monitored this deposit as no relation has showed up for the claim over the years after his death as the next of kin, I have removed the file to my private vault". I now solicit for your assistance to present you as the next of kin as every other, arrangement has being concluded by me and I am only contacting you as for a foreigner to enable me move the funds to your account for safe keeping pending my physical arrival to your country after my resignation. You will claim the next of kin to the deceased by either standing in as one of his extended relatives or his business partner. This fund cannot be released to a local person here in my country because the late account owner was a foreigner and only a foreigner will stand as his next of kin.

I have all the valuable information about the deceased and the account as I have seen them in our bank blue-print record and I will forward all the information to you immediately I understand that you are willing to be in partnership with me. Most importantly,you have to promise me that you will be honest with me and that you will not sit on this fund when it is transfered to your account.

I will resign from my job immediately the fund in confirmed in your account and will travel to your country as soon as possible for the sharing of the fund.I therefore request you to confirm your interest by a return message and I will furnish you with the full details and what to do concerning this transaction. What you stand to gain would be discussed and it is negotiable before the commencement of the transaction. Please while replying this mail try to include your personal telephone number as to enable me reach you when necesarry. I will bewaiting for your earliest response.

Best Regards Mr.William Edeh

 

[Octavian]

A scam!

Perdita
This is a well known scam which has been going for some years. Surprisingly it still takes people in.
Once you give a letterhead with your bank details your account is plundered.
Many people have responded and been ripped off.

Octavian

 

[Guest]

It's a scam

 

[Guest]

Octavian, thanks for the post. I presume it's a scam, just thought it such a preposterous idea it might amuse (and I would not really give the addy to anyone).

Nice to 'see' you. Heard any new voices lately? Me - Anna Netrebko!

Perdita


p.s. Thanks too, Lime.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I usually get the wife/daughter/son of an ex Niarobian or Kenyan ambassador.

-Colly

 

[gauchecritic]

I usually get the wife/daughter/son of an ex Niarobian or Kenyan ambassador.

-Colly

and what do you do with them?

Gauche

 

[mtnman2003]

Many Versions.......

Being in business, and searching for financing for large real estate development projects, I get more than my share of this type of scam and many others.

Got another one today. Sent an email, questioning their parentage, tell them where to go, and ignore it.

They believe that stealing from others that have earned it is fair. And act like it is their right to do so. Most known frauds of this type originate from Nigeria, but their are many others as well.

Internet has made it even easier to contact people, and spread their lies worldwide instantly.

 

[oggbashan]

This scam is so old it is known as the "Spanish prisoner" ploy.

It was first started in the 16th century. The "prisoner" had details of a hidden treasure and just needed some money to bribe the guards so that he could escape and lead the investor to the treasure.

Or the map of "buried treasure" - sign here and I'll give you the map. The signature was used to forge money transfers.

It is nearly as old as me. Even the Egyptians had it - the map to an unrifled tomb.

Og

 

[Liar]

Re: Many Versions.......

They believe that stealing from others that have earned it is fair. And act like it is their right to do so. Most known frauds of this type originate from Nigeria, but their are many others as well.

Internet has made it even easier to contact people, and spread their lies worldwide instantly.

The internet scams known as "Nigeria letters" did in fact in most cases not originate in Nigeria. The first, and still the most common ones impersonates some rich exiled prince or ex-dictator from Nigeria. But the brains behind many of them were actually found out to be organised crime gangs in eastern Europe.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Scam, shmam! This looks like the chance of a lifetime!

So long pornsters! Togo, here I come!

---dr.M.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Re: Many Versions.......

They believe that stealing from others that have earned it is fair. And act like it is their right to do so. Most known frauds of this type originate from Nigeria, but their are many others as well.

Internet has made it even easier to contact people, and spread their lies worldwide instantly.

Actually, this scam is an attempt to steal from somebody who is trying to make some dishonest money, although what the scammers steal is probably honestly earned. That is what makes this kind of scam work sometimes; the victims can't complain too much because they will be showing thenselves to be crooks also.

 

[minsue]

I usually get the wife/daughter/son of an ex Niarobian or Kenyan ambassador.

-Colly

Yup! I get that one about once a month.

- Mindy

ps to Gauche: I lick them clean & send them packing

 

[shereads]

He scammed me. I got $500,000 period. Nothing approaching the promised amount.

 

[shereads]

You should see the really funny one these people sent to the White House two years ago. It was all about how they were going to sell "yellow cake" to Saddam Hussein.

A child would have known it was a scam.

But once in a while, they get lucky.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Many Versions.......

Actually, this scam is an attempt to steal from somebody who is trying to make some dishonest money, although what the scammers steal is probably honestly earned. That is what makes this kind of scam work sometimes; the victims can't complain too much because they will be showing thenselves to be crooks also.

Box, you reminded me of an article in the paper recently. This guy had won a large sum of money at an internet gambling site. Surprisingly rolleyes: ), the company had ignored all requests to fork over the money. He finally went to the papers because he had spent months reporting it to the state and writing the state nasty letters about the fact that they won't step in and get his money back. Internet gambling is illegal in Arizona.

Moron...

- Mindy, uncharitably

 

[Liar]

Ok, I was wrong. It ain't them Easterners. It's them Dutchies!

http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,62124,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5

 

[zschachwitz]

scam? of course it is

just google "scam baiting" and read how people reply. All in the interest of wasting the scammers' time. Great fun, and I'm "running" a couple myself.

 

[Guest]

I usually get the wife/daughter/son of an ex Niarobian or Kenyan ambassador.

-Colly

and what do you do with them?

Gauche

(I think I'd like to know the answer to that, too!)