Another wrinkle on the Nigerian e-mail scam.

[mcscajun]

I've got 'em before, I'll get 'em again. So have you, so will you.

If you haven't gotten this one before, it'll be an eye-opener. Obviously, one of my far-flung friends' e-mail account has been hacked, as it appeared to come directly from her (full name/e-mail address), and the opening would appear that she's in trouble and needs my help. (From the addressing, it clearly came to me as a BCC, so it's not all THAT personal. This joker/thief has sent this to everyone in my friend's hacked address book, the bastard.)

How are you doing ? I hope you are fine,well am writing you all the way from Africa(Nigeria),i came here for a project which was brought to me by an associate there back at home,i have been to three different countries here in Africa and the are all great places to be at,i have visited South Africa you need to see the way they related to me,these people are so wonderful i went to a place called SUN CITY there in South Africa you need to see the various kinds of animals they have here,i just can't wait to be back to show you the photos i have from my journey.The Project was about Racism and Human Interaction,i was also in Ghana and i visited AKWAABA TOURS there in Ghana.
Recently i came here to Nigeria i started enjoying my stay,i got to eat all kind of foods and some kind of Africa SALAD which they call it,i lodged in an hotel and was paying through travellers check which i cashed at the Nigeria Airport and all was going smoothly,i planned to live this place last week but unfortunately i was not able to do so because am having problem with my credit card which i planned to start using after i run out of cash, but it doesnt work here,i owing the hotel $900 which is now hanging around i can not pay it, because my card is not working,i need to get a ticket which is $550 for to come back home,all this problems have gotten me worried that is why i decided to let you know,because i know you are someone i can share my problems with and i know at least i will get them solved.A waiter(George) here has been helping out he was the person that brought me to the City Library where am sending this message,so i want you to lend me $1450,immediately i get back home i will pay up instantly,please you will have to help me send the money,through Western Union,and you will have to send it through the Waiters name because i can not collect money because non-citizen cannot receive money,i would have love to call you but they can not recieve and call international destination,it is a remote area,so please here is the information sending me the money:

Name:ANTHONY PETER
Address:Ekko Hotel and Suites Room 6
State: Lagos
Country: Nigeria
Zip Code: 23401

After you have send the money,Send the details such as
sender's Name:
sender's Address:
MTCN 10 Digits#:
Test Question:GOD ?
Answer:PROOVIDE FOR YOU
Amount sent:

Thanks and l hope to hear from you very soon.
Regards
***my friend's first name***

[Pierre.Suave]

1. Wow

they still need to work on their English skills if they hope to fool anyone.

Plus, a simple phone call to your friend would verify this in an instant.

I can't believe anyone falls for these e-mail scams.

[mcscajun]

3. I tried calling her at the last number I had for her. Disconnected.

She'll find out her account's been hacked when she can't get into it.

And people do fall for them; at all levels of education and professionalism. Lots of wild stories out there of people who've lost money, who've even stolen money (and some large sums, too) to send to these thieves.

[SacredCow]

2. They're endlessly inventive....

a good friend of mine worked in Lagos for the US State Department for a few years... Apparently, the email scams are one of their biggest industries.

[mcscajun]

4. They must be...they just keep coming and coming. All they need

is the smallest percentage of victims to send money for this to be profitable. And it is, oh man is it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. The alternative: the Private Eye "Eye Need" ads

"Private Eye" is a part satirical, part investigative magazine in the UK, and the small adsd in its back have long been famous (eg the lonely hearts ad placed by Spike Milligan: "Wanted: rich single woman. Intention: marriage and murder" - he got replies).

One section is "Eye Need" - which developed, over the years, from people placing ads asking for money to help because of disabilities, health, unsurmountable debt, and so on. At first, they'd give a method of contact (eg a box number), and presumably people would get in touch, and correspond, until they were happy it was a genuine situation, and then send some money.

But then people started just giving bank account numbers - enough to be able to wire money to them, but not to take over the account. With no contact details, any donor would just have to take the word of the ad about what the need as for. Who would give money so blindly, I don't know - but many of the ads have been like that for years, so presumably someone is getting money this way, or others wouldn't try. But it's now at the situation where someone places an add like this:

"PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE help. I own three houses and earn a six-figure sum but need more money just for the sake of having more money - enough is never enough. Minimum donation £1,000. All donations gratefully spent. <bank account numbers>"

:shrug: An 'honest crook'? Someone trying to point out how absurd the ads are (the current issue has 9 other ads with no way of getting in touch with the advertiser, just the account numbers)? Either way, they'd have to pay for the ad.

Who would send their money into a black hole - with no idea of where it's really going?

[GoneOffShore]

6. Send it along to 419Eater

Someone over there will probably have some ideas on scam baiting the sender.

[RebelOne]

7. Also, post it at http://thescambaiter.com

[LibertyLover]

8. There are so many things wrong with the message

that it is to laugh, as the saying goes. But the one that really made me laugh was the use of the zip code in the address. Uh, sorry, I've looked at a bunch of Nigerian addresses in connection with my job and none of them had zip codes.

[CreekDog]

9. I guess they are using smilies now

:shrug:

and he's got more problems than he realizes, he's actually in Keller, VA 23401!