419ers

Yesterday, I received a funny-looking html-formated mail from a “Barrister Goldstein”, acting for the “Central Bank of Nigeria”. It was quite difficult to understand anyting of it, and it had a funny bang of officiality, with beaurocratic wordings, Nigerian flags, an official logo… and centered text with links to a website that looks as if it hasn’t been updated since year 2000.

Today I received the followup, which in part explains the first mail.

But first things first. Here is the first “official” mail, sent from a hotmail address (SIC!). I’ve reformated it since I don’t want to post their original html mail:

from economic Development <eocd_7@hotmail.com>
reply-to barr.goldsteel@yahoo.com
to undisclosed-recipients <>
date Sep 23, 2007 8:42 AM
subject Attention

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR
GENERAL-ADMINISTRATION
CBN/D-G/G.A/ATMSC/21/09/07/id/D.o./ihw*atmsc:m-t/Cbnatmscxxox5×9x3×06.
Web-site: www.nigeriabusinessinfo.com/cbn.htm

3RD QUARTER YEAR 2007- FINAL FOREIGN DEBT PAYMENT NOTIFICATION CIRCULAR CBN /21/ 09 - 07.

Our Ref: CBN/IRD/CBX/021/06

With reference to the new Financial Fiscal Policy of this new Goverment of
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yara’dua.

We apologise for the delay of your contract part payment and all the inconvenience this delay might have caused you.

The vision to encourage foreign investors by creating suitable and enabling environment for investment within the Shores of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has resolved to pay foreign contractors owed.

And to inform you that, we have been been able to tap into the Information Technology super highway of e-banking and e-commerce, as a result we are ready to pay you in any of these mode of debt settlement / payment:

(1) By ATM SWIFT CARD to be delivered to you directly through diplomatic courrier means.

(2) By Swift Telegraphic WireTransfer to a nominated account of yours.

(You have to indicate in your response to this notification, which optional mode of payment you may wish this Bank to use to pay you.)

Please note that from the Presidential Instruction for your outstanding contract payment, Central Bank of Nigeria, have been directed and mandated to pay to you $12.7M only as part payment with the balance payable in the first financial fiscal quarter, year 2008.

Meanwhile provide the following information to confirm and update your records as contained in the file CBN/IRD/CBX/021/06 to facilitate your payment.

Board of Governors, Central Bank of Nigeria have been informed that you are still dealing with impostors and non- officials whom claim to be members of staff of Central Bank of Nigeria and top positioned Federal Government of Nigeria’s Public Servants.

Such acts must stop, if you wish to receive your payment.

Government for Federation, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Central Bank of Nigeria will no more entertain reports of loss of hard earned money by Esteemed Foreign Beneficiaries been owed respective legitimate fund by Government Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Central Bank of Nigeria and Government for Federation, Federal Republic of Nigeria , have concluded remittance / pay plans of your unclaimed fund.

Through, this Bank’s (CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ) Over-sea’s Fiduciary Pay Agent.

By Swift Telegraphic Wire Transfer (KTT.) or through Atm Swift Card.

In accordance to directive from Office of President for Federation, Federal Republic of Nigeria , His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (GCFR), President Federal Republic of Nigeria.

To receive your fund, do contact , Claims Officer, Central Bank of Nigeria: Dr. Michael Spiff: EMAIL: atmcenter@mail.ru

Send the following information to Office of Claims Officer, Central Bank of Nigeria.

1) Confirm Your Full Name.
2) Confirm Your Current Physical Domicile Address.
3) Confirm Your Phone, Fax and Mobile phone numbers.
4) Confirm Your Profession, Age and Marital Status.
5) Confirm Your Nationality.

(These are for Administrative convience.)

You are warned, in your interest; stop any further communication with any institution or office claiming to have relevance to the payment of your unpaid fund out –side this Bank.

Note: To avoid impersonation, you are hereby issued a code of conduct reference number, which is Cbn/atmscxx0×5x9×3x06.

You must have to indicate this Central Bank of Nigeria Code of Conduct Reference Number on your letter when contacting, Claims Officer, Central Bank of Nigeria .

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Betty Ifeoma
Secretary

Office of Deputy Governor
General Administration
Central Bank of Nigeria

For:
Mr. O.S. Oduyemi
Deputy Governor (General Administration)
Central Bank of Nigeria (C.B.N.)

For:
Professor Chukwuma .C. Soludo.
Chairman Central Bank of Nigeria Board of Directors &
Governor Central Bank of Nigeria.

Strange, isn’t it? Here is the followup, signed by Profesor Charles C. Soludo (strange that he changed his name since yesterday):

john ogbeka <moor.7@hotmail.com>
reply-to soludooffice003@yahoo.co.uk
to undisclosed-recipients <>
date Sep 24, 2007 12:42 PM
subject Attention: beneficiary

From the desk of:
PROF. CHARLES C. SOLUDO
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK NIGERIA
DIRECT TELEPHONE:+2348077840279
charlesc020@yahoo.co.uk

Attention: beneficiary

This is to officially inform you that we have verified your contract
/inheritance file and found out that why you have not received your
payment is because you have not fulfilled the obligations given to you in respect of your contract/inheritance payment. Right now we have arranged your payment through our swift card payment center Asia pacific, thatis the latest instruction from Mr. President, Musa Yar¡¯Adua (GCFR) federal republic of Nigeria.This card center will send you an ATM card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any part of the world, but the maximum
is Six thousand, five hundred united states dollars per day. so if you like to receive your fund in this way, please let us know by sending the following information as listed below.
1. Full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to
(p.o box not acceptable)
4. Your age and current occupation
5. Attach copy of your identification
the ATM card payment center has been mandated to issue out
$10,300,000.00 as part payment for this fiscal year 2007. Also for your information, you have to stop any further communication with any other person(s) or office(s)to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.
Note that because of impostors, we hereby issued you our code of
conduct,which is (ATM-811) so you have to indicate this code when replying by using it as your subject.
Wait for your expedite response.
YOURS SINCERELY,
PROFESSOR CHARLES C. SOLUDO
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGIA

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After a quiet period, I’m suddenly swamped with shady business propositions.

Today, there is a scammer that claims to be working att Fidelity Investment International, the world’s largest funds management company. The setup is that Mr. Kwame has found a way to transfer forgotten or lost funds into my care. The share with James Kwame should be 50-50… Ha!

The mail is sent from a Hotmail address, and since James Kwame doesn’t even know my e-mail address, but is sending to an undisclosed recipients list, it’s easy to put it off as just another scam, with clear 419 signals.

    from        James Kwame <james_k_16@hotmail.com>
to         undisclosed-recipients <>
date        Sep 14, 2007 2:42 PM
subject        Funds for Investment under your care

Attention,

You will be Surprised to hear from me. I have a Business proposal which I will like us to discuss. I am James Kwame from Ghana, one of the international Funds Manager consultant agent of Fidelity Investment International(www.fidelity.co.uk), The World Largest Funds Management Company with over $1.2Trillion Capital Investment Funds.

Nevertheless, as Fidelity Funds Manager, I handle all our Investor’s Direct Capital Funds and secretly Extract 1.2% Excess Maximum Return Capital Profit (EMRCP) per annum on each of the Investor’s Magellan Capital Funds. As an expert, I have made over $65.5m From the Investor’s EMRCP and hereby looking for someone to trust who will stand as an Investor to receive the funds as Annual Investment Proceeds from Fidelity Magellan Capital Funds. All confirmable documents to back up the claims will be made available to you prior to your acceptance.

Meanwhile, I have worked out the strategies and technicalities whereby the funds can be claimed in any of our Clearing Houses without any hitches. Our sharing ration should be 50-50.

Should incase you are interested, Please email me your direct telephone number for discussion of this transaction in further details.

Sincerely.
James Kwame

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Somebody calling himself a philanthropist, going under the name of Dr Peter David, has written me a mail with an offer of ‘compasation’ (which I guess should have been compensation).

However. Since I got it, it has probably been sent to many others as well. And since the contact phone number has a Nigerian area code, there is no doubt that this mail should be filed under the Nigerian 419 letter label.

It is yet one of these mails that have been accidentally mis-sent. Where we (the potiential victims to the scam) are supposed to be lured into a situation where we are claiming money that wheren’t ever ment for us, and won’t be able to press any charges after being just as deceitful as the scammers (by claiming money that weren’t rightfully ours).

Here’s the mail from “Dr. Peter David”:

from         peter david <peterdavid48084@yahoo.co.uk>
to         electronics@srmtl.com
date        Sep 13, 2007 2:52 PM
subject        Compasation
signed-by        yahoo.co.uk   

FROM Dr.Peter David
(Philanthropist)

Dear

Subject Matter: SINCERE COMPENSATION

You might find it so difficult to remember me. Though,
it is indeed, a very long time. On my singular, I am
much delighted and privileged to contact you again,
after couple of years now.

It takes fate, courage and God’s fearing to remember
old friends and at the same time, to show
gratification to them, despite circumstances that made
things, not worked out as we projected then.

I take this liberty to inform you that, the
transaction we were pursing together, finally worked
out by God’s infinite mercy and I decided to contact
you, just to let you know. I have conscience as a
human being, due to your tremendous effort and
contribution to make things work out in retrospect.
Meanwhile, I must inform you that, I am presently in
Luxemburg for numerous business negotiations and
establishment.

I just arrived yesterday night and checked inn, in a
hotel and decided to go down to the hotel business
centre to mail you. Now, with my sincere heart, I have
raised and signed an International Cashier’s Bank
Draft, to the tune of USD$1.2M (ONE MILLION AND TWO
HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) only in your
name as COMPENSATION to your dedication,humanity and
contribution, as it were.

You are to contact my Secretary Mr.Godwin iwu on his
email godwin_iwu@yahoo.com Phone Number +2348033823959
to forward to him, the following:

1. YOUR FULL NAME & ADDRESS
2. YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER

He will advise you further about the shipment of the
ICBD to your Residence Address or Office Address you.
Most importantly, the ICBD has only validity period of
14 banking days. So, your early response to that
effect, shall be admired. You have to mind the days on
route shipment.

Sincerely Yours,

Dr.Peter David.
(Philanthropist)

If you also received one of these. Just trash it and forget about it.

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 This is such an inbelievable 419 scam that I don’t quite know where to begin. I consists of a wrongly addressed mail, where we (the potential victims of the scam), are supposed to believe that we have the opportunity to claim money from a fund in Nigeria. Nigeria being one of the most poverty stricken countries in the world.

It’s rather difficult to even understand the background of this mail, but whatever you do. Don’t contact professor Ola Williams…

from         Prof Ola Williams <officeofthe_president@iol.pt>
reply-to         cbnfpd002@yahoo.com     
to         undisclosed-recipients <>     
date        Sep 12, 2007 2:00 PM     
subject        your Contract /inheritance fund !!!

THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY
REAVAIL YOURSELF THIS OPPORTUNITY AND STOP SPENDING YOUR MONEY.
# 112 Gariki Way Phase 1 Aso-Rock Abuja
Nigeria

From The Office
Babagana Kingibe.

ATTN

I am ALHAJI BABAGANA KINGIBE; secretary federal government of Nigeria
of Office of the Presidency. I have being directed by His Excellency,
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA, to
bring to your notice that this Government understands your Plight, the
disappointment you have suffered in the past to get your Contract
/inheritance fund paid to you.

Due to what we described as selective Payment and incessant demand of
excessive fee by some unscrupulous and corrupt erstwhile officials in
charge of Foreign Contract/inheritance payment in the past. we are sorry
for what you have gone through in the hands of fake Government
officials that have been cheating you fraudulently, do not worry your problems
now is solved, so treat with urgency.

YOU SHOULD CONTACT Pro.Ola Williams  Director Foreign Payment
Department CBN: cbnfpd002@yahoo.com ,telefax no.+23417903451  In view of the
determination and commitment of this Government to Ensure that every
outstanding contract/inheritance debts are settled, But to our greatest
dismay, despite all the effort made last year to ensure that most
beneficiary receive their payment, record still show that a lot of
Contractors/inheritance beneficiaries did not receive their payment due To their
inability to settle some outstanding up-front obligation to the Federal
Government. Based on this, the President, UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA has
approved the sum of US$1.8Billion Dollars in this year’s budget for the
settlement of These outstanding debts and also announced the Introduction
of Deduction Application Form and made it mandatory that any
contractor/inheritance Beneficiary that is unable to settle up-front Charges,
Taxes, fee or Levies arising from his or her contract/inheritance payment receive Their payments.

YOU SHOULD CONTACT Pro.Ola Williams AT: cbnfpd002@yahoo.comYou are
advised to contact Pro.Ola Williams director foraign payment department (Central Bank of Nigeria)
CBN, for the immediate release of your Overdue Contract/inheritance
payment. However, we wish to inform you that you have been short-listed
among The TEN contractors/beneficiaries that will benefit from the US$1.8
Billion Dollars Approved by the president, all you need to do is to
contact the Director Foreign Payment Department CBN to inform you how you
will receive your fund Immediately.

Do whatever you are told to do to enable you receive your money; we are
Sorry for the delay you might experience. CONTACT Pro.Ola Williams
Director Foreign Payment Department CBN: cbnfpd002@yahoo.com telefax
no.+23417903451

Sincerely Yours,

ALHAJI BABAGANA KINGIBE.
Secreatry to the
Republic of Nigeria

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I just love it when I get shady 419 propositions from new markets, such as Hong Kong. This one, which is a combined bank scam and 419 scam, just arrived in my mail, and it seems to be from some Johnny-come-lately beginners at iscamming. They don’t even mention how many million dollars they want my help in moving…

from “Mr.Michael Zao Sung.” <MichaellZaoSung@aol.com>
reply-to michaelzaosung@aol.com
to drinkalizer@lindqvist.com
date Sep 3, 2007 9:50 PM
subject From: Bank of China

Hello,

I am Mr. Micheal Zao Sung, and have a sensitive and confidential brief from Hong Kong.

I am asking for your partnership in re-profiling funds and will give the details, but in summary, the funds are coming via Bank of China.

This is a legitimate transaction and you will be paid 20% for your “Management Fees”. If this interests you, kindly write and provide me with your Confidential telephone number and I will provide further details with proper guidelines

I require absolute confidentiality due to possible political problems.

Finally, note that this must be concluded within two weeks.

Kindly write back, I look forward to hear from you.

Regards,

Mr.Michael Zao Sung.

In case you also received one of these. Just delete it and forget about it.

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It’s been quite some time since one of these lost relative scams ended up in my inbox (see below). Probably only thanks my double spam protection. But this mail, sent from a yahoo.fr account, is a classic example of how scammers try to find victims. I have no relative with the initials J. C and I have no relative who have ever worked for any petroleum company in West Africa, but if I wasn’t aware of what was going on, and if I was the greedy kind, I might try to act as if I had.

In fact, that is what the scammers want in these cases. In fact, there probably never even existed anyone with the surname Lindqvist, and the initials J.C working for the Ascon Petroleum Develepment Company in Togo. But if they can make a somebody think that they have even the smallest chance of laying their hands on 7.2 US$, the victim might also be prepared to pay a few bribes, a few fees, taxes and commissions to be able to get this tidy sum. And when, in the end, the victim realises that it was all a scam… How could they prosecute, when they actually where about to claim an inheritance they where never supposed to have?

That is what the lost relative 419 scams is all about. And I think more people fall for these than for the other 419 scams. Only, the ones who do, won’t tell anyone.

Here is the most recent example:

from: Ahmed Kaddia <ahmed_kaddia@yahoo.fr>
to: ahmed_kaddia@yahoo.fr
date: Jul 24, 2007 3:25 PM
subject: Private and very urgent message to you / Attn : J. C. Lindqvist’s relative

From :
Barrister Ahmed Kaddia
Akanchawa Chambers,
Rue Pisimoula   52 ,
Lome-Togo West Africa.
TEL/ 00228.999.1007

Private Message

Kindest Attention,

I am Barrister Ahmed Kaddia , a solicitor at law and personal attorney to  late Engr.  J. C. Lindqvist   a relative of yours , who used to work with ASCON PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY  here  in Republic of Togo .  Here in after shall be referred to as my client.

On the 30th of April 2004  my client , his wife and their only daughter were involved in auto crash along Casablanca road Lomé capital of Togo .  All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to  locate any of my late client’s extended relatives but this has  proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts , I decided to trace your contct over the urgent need to claim his asset with a bank here .

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at US$7.2million left behind by my client before it gets confisicated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge amount was deposited. The  bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his account confisicated within the next twenty one official working days .

I seek the consent to present you as the Next of Kin to the deceased , so that the fund can be paid to you .

Therefore , on receipt of your positive response ,  we shall then discuss my compensation ratio and modalities for transfer . I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for the claim . All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through .

I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law . Please get in touch with me  for more details.

Barrister Ahmed Kaddia
Principal partner
Akanchawa Chambers

Also// linkage_botanical@yahoo.fr

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The register has all the relevant articles on the large arrest of 111 suspected west African scam artists in June. Quite an interresting read, just as the comments from Akin, who also has a gret interpretation to the lyrics of the well known Nigerian top-hit I Go Chop Your Dollar:

• The Register: Dutch police arrest 111 West Africans in 419 clampdown
• The Register: I Go Chop Your Dollar star arrested
•  Akín: Police recklesness in Amsterdam
• Akín: I Go Chop Your Dollars - 419 Song Expose

I have been waiting for a slowdown of lottery scams, but can actually not see any signs that the Dutch police activity has been able to cap the 419 activities.

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04/11 2006 - Wow! It was so long since a 419 mail slipped through my double spam protection, that I’m almost excited to hav received one. And such a gem it is. Complete with all-caps, a dead father, a surviving son and daughter with the exotic name Kady Bakassa… and a deposit of 7 million Euros, that the two syblings wants me to take care of and help them invest.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Last Friday, a Nigerian 419-scammer was sentenced to jail for 376 years by a Lagos court. Harrison Odiawa was convicted for “stealing, forgery, impersonation and conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences” contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud Act, the Nigerian Daily Independent reports.

Harrison Odiawa, 38, alias Abu Belgori, managed to extract $1,939,710 from US national George Robert Blake on the promise of a percentage of a bogus 20.45 millian dollars Ministry of Health contract. The classic advance fee scam, which you will find numerous examples of here, saw a duped Blake transfer the “advance payments” after seeing forged documents - including a certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Ministry and the aforementioned forged Ministry contract - which convinced him he was indeed about to get rich.

Blake raised the cash from his company, Quest Exploration and Development, and his own personal assets.

Related reading:
home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/news2006.htm
www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/14/419er_jailed/

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Did you know there is a Nigerian top hit named I Go Chop Your Dollar? It’s hugely popular in Lagos, and hit the Lagos radio stations a few months ago as a CD penned by an artist called Osofia (his real name might or might not be Nkem Owoh.

It’s as catchy as Nigerian music can be, and since it carries a message that thousands of young Nigerians seem to be able to relate to, it has become a huge hit in Lagos.

Here are the complete lyrics: Read the rest of this entry »

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I just cannot understand why the type of scammers sending out these 419 type of email scams make all the small mistakes like in the below. They haven’t even managed to get the name right. In the from field, it’s spelled Luggard, but in the text and the reply-to address it’s Lugard.

And why did the deceased contractor always work for Shell Petroleum? Can’t they bring up any other large company names? Why is it never Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Sun or even IKEA? Read the rest of this entry »

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How bad would it have to get before you would ask a complete stranger in a far away country for help in lifting 12.5 million Dollars from the bank?

I know that life is really bad for most people on Zimbabwe. I actually grew up there, and my parents are still in contact with friends who have far from good lives.

Still. The below empail is clearly nothing but a scammer’s attempt to make money on the fact that most people in the world are actually good, and would go out of the way to help a total stranger. Specially if there is a buck to be made… Technically, the mail below is just another angle of a 419 letter. I have actually edited it a bit for readability, since it arrived with hideous line breaks.

The mail does however contain a few good links as to understand the situation in Zimbabwe. Read the rest of this entry »

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Another do-gooder spam scam. This time allegedly from an aging Brittish citizen, hospitalized in Dubay.

It’s another one of those wellfare scams where a formerly greedy businessman wants our help to give away their life savings to good causes.

I think the idea is to wake the plan to grab the money for myself, and in the process loose a couple of thousand dollars in fees and bribes, necessary to lift the funds from the bank.

Go figure for yourself: Read the rest of this entry »

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Reverse scamming, or scam baiting is a dangerous pass time, but can be rather fun, at leas at 419eater.com.

The scambaiters over at 419eater.com are doing a great job at scamming any 419 scammer they can get their hands on. I have followed them with interest, even though I’m not one of those with enough time on my hands, nor the nerve to try to rip 419 scam artists off the way these guys do.

This how 419eater.com present their activities:

So what is scambaiting? Well, put simply, you enter into a dialogue with scammers, simply to waste their precious time and resources. Maybe if you are VERY lucky you’ll scam them out of some cash! Although this site concentrates mainly on the “419″ type scam, we are happy to bait other types of scammers if and when the opportunity arises.

Visit them at www.419eater.com, and read the BBC News article about them at news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3887493.stm

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10/15 2005 - FROM MR wood frank,
This scammer seems to have gotten hold of a form mail with markers like {insert name here} and {insert title here}. The guy sending out this particularly spammy and badly written scam spam has made som many mistakes that I just cannot believe that anybody can fall for it. Amazing… Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s always a bit strange when `good friends´ need your name and address. It’s even stranger when lawyers want to do business worth 20 million dollars with a total stranger. If Barrister Martins indeed exists, I’m sure he would use very different techniques for laundring money though… As always with this kind of scam mails, there is a lot of confusion about first and surnames. Who is this Martins Abbey or Abbey Martins? Read the rest of this entry »

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Mrs. Marie Wambekh is probably, passionate or not, the originator of this 419 scam email from Benin. But lets pretend she is, and that she is. The mail pretends to be a reply to a mail that I should have sent her in response for an original mail. Now let’s get this clear. I never answer email scammers. Not unless they contact me personally, and not via a undisclosed-recipients address.

However, her mail is better phrased than most of this kind, and I’ll happily help her spread her plea. Even though it is nothing but an attempt to scam you, me and whoever for a few bucks.

From: mariewambek229@netscape.net
Subject: Re: URGENT PLEASE
Date: March 22, 2005 23.57.22 MET
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

From: Mrs. Marie Wambekh
Cotonou,
Benin Republic.
PRIVATE EMAI: mrswambekh2@netscape.com

My Dear,

I make this distress call with heart full of tears to seek your urgent help. I am Mrs. Marie Wambekh , the wife of late major general Roberto Wambekh,former minister of defence and chief of the army staff of the republic of guinea Bissau in the defunct government of Mr. Joao Bernado Viera. My husband died during the recent coup d’etat, which deposed the former head of state.

In the wake of the incidence, I fled together with my family to Cotonou Benin Republic and took refuge to avoid further oppression from the incumbent government who have seized all my family’s properties and seized all accounts belonging to the allies of the deposed president. Due to this unfortunate situation, I am desperately searching for reliable and honest partner to assist me in receiving as quickly as possible, the sum of fifteen million united states dollars (US$15,000,000.00) which is the only money that is still safe and intact deposited by my husband in a security company.

I am therefore passionately requesting your kind help to move this money out for safety to your country under your care. I have solidified every arrangement to prepare legal papers making you the trustee and beneficiary of this fund for a hitch free withdrawal, if I will get your positive response to this urgent plea.

As we meet in due course, we shall be discussing further on other important issues regarding mutual business relationship and possibility of securing a resident-permit for me and my children in your country.Personally, I am not comfortable and do not feel safe staying here in Cotonou due to security reasons as my life is at risk. I must confess that I repose much hope and
trust in your helping me out of this ugly crises.

I am equally willing to compensate your kind efforts and co-operation with four million united state dollars (US$4,000,000.00) only. Please be informed that I am contacting your based on trust. Please do not disappoint me, your security is highly guaranteed; absolute confidentiality should also be adhered to. Please! Please! I pray your urgent assistance.

Contact me immediately through my private email address, also send to me your full name and address, private phone and fax number so that we can proceed immediately with the change of documents.

Waiting to hear from you.

Best regards,

Mrs. Marie Wambekh

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Here is a Japanese variation of the “lost relative” scam, sent to two different email addresses. None of them displaying the To recipient, but both publicly available on the www.

It’s a very strange setup, and I doubt it will actually work out very well. Also, didn’t these scammers stop even for a second to think about appearance? Why would a Japanese broker be using a free South African email address?  Read the rest of this entry »

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How many times can you say urgent and confidential in one single scam mail without breaking your cover? Well it looks as if Mr. Sani Bakoyo didn’t know the limit. This is a true Nigerian 419 mail if I ever saw one, an it has it all. He is asking me to participate in illegal activities, he is re-using an old scam to build a new one, and he doesn’t even try to hide the fact that the mail is coming out of Nigeria. I thought these scammers had learned something…

Come on! The deceised Shell employee scam is older than the Internet by now. Are there still anyone around who haven’t received at least on of these emails before? Read the rest of this entry »

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The story about an elderly person regretting their former life and lifestyle is spreading in the scam mails. I received a similar mail last week (from Mrs. Rama Idris), and this one is supposed to be sent by Kelvin Spence, an elderly, British, hospitalised gentleman in Dubai. Kelvin Spence has a wish to mend his ways, and has this strong desire to assist helpless families. He now wants my assistance in doing this. The fact that he is now mute, will probably come in handy for the scammers who probably aren’t all that fluent in speaking English. Read the rest of this entry »

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