Quote: SlagA @ November 22 2009, 10:36 AM GMTYes but aren't any of you going to help this poor doomed man?
Michael, what's his email address?
aadilmuakkadah@yahoo.com
I suspect he may not be long for this world, so I'd get all my bank account details off to him fairly sharpish, if I were you. I'd contact him myself, only I don't need the money, as I should shortly be receiving my share of the $50,000,000 fortune of a deceased Nigerian general. Greed is not good.
I emailed him and he asked me to phone him, which I did. He told me that his sister is also very sick and the witchdoctor says that marriage to a British citizen is the only possible cure. I can sort out the sister but he has a mother with elephantitis and hookworm if anyone, here, is feeling particularly charitable with Christmas approaching.
I read a book last year written by a bloke who took on these scammers and played them at their own game - even managed to get money from them (not to mention having some of them make a trip to Glasgow Airport to meet with him to hand over some goodies). For the life of me I can't remember the name of the book but it was really funny.
Quote: IT David @ November 22 2009, 2:33 PM GMTSorry, but this is not funny. It is dishonest, immoral and what's more highly illegal.
That's what they said about incest. And who's laughing now?
The national board of incest??
I got the same email as you last week and normally just tell them to ...... This time however, I was so impressed by the rubbish he was spouting, I couldn't help but reply, telling him I was interested. Here is my response. I thought you might like to read it.
Hello Friend,
I am most grateful for your mail, and I seize this Opportunity to thank you for coming to my rescue and to also let you know that this transaction is a straight forward and legal transaction. I am somebody with a conscience. If this transaction was in any way illegal, I would tell you straight away so that you know what is involved and decide for yourself. But it is not like that at all, and you will later see and understand that. I hope you were not too embarrassed by my first email to you since you do not know me. I had no option since my immediate and extended family in and outside Iran Refused to distribute my funds because they want to keep it to themselves. I didn't know how to move the funds out and dispatched it to charity organizations so I resulted to putting fate to test and making a random contact. I got your email address from the web Email directory and decided to introduce I plight and this transaction. I am communicating with only you at this momen
t with regards to this transaction. And I would not have any cause to do otherwise, except you state your intention to withdraw your assistance. Just like I stated in my first mail to you, this fund is presently with a financial institution and holding firm in Europe. I cannot claim these funds myself as a result of,
(1) I am under going medical treatment. It has defiled all forms of medicine, and right now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts (2) I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul and so, I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth It is for this reasons I am seeking for your assistance to stand as The beneficiary to the fund and retrieve it on my behalf and dispatched it to charity organizations. All the necessary documents required to get the Funds out of the financial institution are in my possession and I will be sending them to you after we must have come to a conclusion and reached an agreement not before. I need you to give me your words that you will be very honest and straight forward with me when the money gets to you, So long as you can execute this transaction successfully and help me dispatched it to charity organizations. Thus, I would need you to get back to me on the following issues,
(1) That you are in a position to be trusted as God fearing person with such a large amount of fund and dispatched the profit you make from it to charity organization.(2) That you ready to sign a letter of guarantee with me due to my health problem, clearly stating the terms of this transaction, including dispatched the profit you make from it to charity organization, as I Will be a living witness that you fulfil your promise of dispatching my funds to charity organizations so that I am assured that the money would be safe in your hands even when am at the gate.
(3) That you are willing to contact the financial institution to discuss the terms of releasing the funds and bear what ever expenses are require by them (4) That you fully understand this transaction up to this stage and you are ready to proceed under these terms. As soon as I receive your reply that you are ready to proceed under these terms, then I will furnish you with all details including the financial institution details for you to secure the release of my fund and dispatched it the charities. But if you have any Questions up to this stage, please ask and I will be more than happy to respond to them. And I will also send you all the necessary documentations to conclude this transaction with financial institution as my life is too short. Thanks for your mail, your mail has relieved me and I pray to almighty God with his infinite mercy to reward you. I believe when God gives me a second chance to Come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it now. I want you to pray for me so that God would forgive me and be merciful to Me and accept my soul Bellow is my pictures, please mail back as soon as
you receive this email.
Mr. Aadil Muakkadah
Quote: Michael O'Connor @ November 21 2009, 11:04 PM GMTI found this message in my inbox today and thought it was too good to just delete. Anybody who aspires to writing comedy should read it and learn. I haven't changed a word of the original message. It's already comedic perfection.
Forgot to quote you Michael
So what is it they actually want? Are they laundering or something or do they just want your bank details? But surely you can't just help yourself to someone's cash if you have their bank details??
Quote: Moonstone @ November 27 2009, 11:43 PM GMTSo what is it they actually want? Are they laundering or something or do they just want your bank details? But surely you can't just help yourself to someone's cash if you have their bank details??
Apparently they ask for the bank details to see that they've gained your trust. Then the story usually develops that in order to release the funds into your account you'll need to appease corrupt local officials by sending them gifts. The scammers are usually quite specific and ask for stuff from iPods to laptops, designer suits, etc. This apparently what they get out of it.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 28 2009, 7:11 AM GMTApparently they ask for the bank details to see that they've gained your trust. Then the story usually develops that in order to release the funds into your account you'll need to appease corrupt local officials by sending them gifts. The scammers are usually quite specific and ask for stuff from iPods to laptops, designer suits, etc. This apparently what they get out of it.
Blimey! I can't actually believe anyone would fall for that! But I suppose they must do if there're so many of these scams about. 
Quote: keewik @ November 23 2009, 12:12 AM GMTI read a book last year written by a bloke who took on these scammers and played them at their own game - even managed to get money from them (not to mention having some of them make a trip to Glasgow Airport to meet with him to hand over some goodies). For the life of me I can't remember the name of the book but it was really funny.
There's a website somewhere about playing up to these 419 scammers.
Put [419 scam] in Google and you will find lots of them.
Here's one: http://www.419eater.com/
And another http://www.scambuster419.co.uk/gp.htm
I like the second site best (I think). Here is a small sample from that site
<quote>
From: Eve Alina
To: Gilbert Murray
Subject: DEAR IN CHRIST, PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH THIS EMAIL BOX
Sent: Fri, 07 May 2004 08:55:19 +0100 (BST)
DEAR IN CHRIST Gilbert Murray,
Peace of the lord be with you. Amen.
I did not send this mail to you by mistake. I sent it because I want you to help the less privileged ones because God directed me to use you.
The fund was deposited in a fixed escrow account and only my late father's foreign partner has the access to claim the fund, as written in the documents that were issued to him during the time of deposit.
This transaction is risk free as the money is safe in a bank. I have all the documents in my possession backing it up as my late husband gave them to me before his death, which I will send to you as soon as I finish my verifications.
Please answer these questions below:
1. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
2. ARE YOU MARRIED?
3. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE?
Can you be able to take care of this fund the way I want you to use it? Please notify me all this and send to me your picture and your full residential address. I will also do the same to you before I will give to you directives on how to get the fund transferred into your account and you will use it for the good works of the lord.
Remain blessed and please endeavour to reply to me fast because my days are numbered on earth.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Mrs Eve T Alina
NB. PLEASE CALL ME ON 0022507623467 BUT DO NOT TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION. WE WILL HAVE A CODE. IF YOU CALL, ASK ME WHAT IS MY CODE. I WILL SAY BLUE, SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE TALKING TO ME FOR SECURITY REASONS AS I HAVE EXPLAINED TO YOU IN MY FIRST MAIL.
From: Gilbert Murray
To: Eve Alina
Subject: The information you requested
Sent: Fri, 07 May 2004 16:41:08
Dear Mrs Alina,
Thank you for responding to me so promptly. I can fully understand that you want to satisfy yourself that you are dealing with a decent Christian gentleman who will use your money in a good Christian manner once you are dead. I hope that this email will reassure you that I am precisely that type of person.
You raised a number of questions in your email. I will do my best to answer them to your satisfaction.
I am an undertaker by profession. I inherited my company, Murray's Morticians, from my late father, Gilbert Snr, who I had the honour of laying out and burying myself. Murray's Morticians is a small, family-run business, based in the remote hamlet of Gypping in the Marsh, Lincolnshire. My wife, Elizabeth, looks after the accounts, while I manage the practical side of the business, aided by my two faithful assistants, Burke and Hare. My late father established Murray's Morticians many decades ago, and we have an excellent reputation for carrying out our work with care, compassion and humility.
You asked whether I had any children. Elizabeth and I have just the one, a young boy who, in the family tradition, is also named Gilbert. I am hoping that Gilbert Jnr will take over the family business after me, and will have the honour of laying me out and arranging my funeral when the time comes.
You asked for my home address. It is Hemlock Cottage, Cold Harbour Lane, Gypping in the Marsh, Lincolnshire, UK. You also asked for my photograph. I have attached one to this email. I would be grateful if you could send me a photograph of yourself in return.
You may be wondering what I plan to do with the money that you are so kindly offering me. With such a large amount, I am sure that I will be able to do a great deal of good.
The vicar of Saint Bodkin's, our local parish church, is currently appealing for money to restore his magnificent organ, which is the largest in the county. With your money, the vicar could afford to get his enormous organ back to full working order.
I also hear that the local orphanage, Saint Bunty's, is running short of funds, following the sad demise of their former benefactor. The orphanage went through a bit of a bad patch at the end of last year. I'm not quite sure exactly what went on, but I gather there was quite a bit of trouble there. There were even a number of deaths (which happily boosted our trade considerably: every cloud has a silver lining). The orphanage went through three different directors in a matter of weeks, one of whom, Madame Cholet, I am currently preparing for burial: although the poor woman died in December, the police did not release her body until they had completed their investigations last week. I am happy to say that the new director seems to have introduced some stability back into the place, but they are still very short of cash. With your money, I plan to set up a trust fund to finance the orphanage in perpetuity, thus helping over 100 little orphan boys and girls.
If you have no objections, I would also like to spend some of the money on a new hearse for my own business. Our old hearse is getting on a bit, and I was most embarrassed when it broke down on the way to a funeral last month. I am sure you will agree, dear lady, that purchasing a new hearse is a good Christian way of spending the money.
I must go. I am halfway through embalming the unfortunate Madame Cholet. As the body spent some considerable time in a ditch before being discovered, the cadaver is quite seriously decomposed and is requiring major reconstructive work, as the poor lady's relatives are insisting on having an open coffin at the wake next week.
You mentioned that you would send me a number of documents relating to your late husband's fund. I look forward to receiving those, as well as your picture, by return.
Best regards,
Gilbert Murray
</quote>
This one is also very funny as he gets the scammers to take silly photos of themselves.
There do tend to be quite a lot of scammers who get email addresses from this site. I had a refugee girl from Seira Leone (who from her photo was an absoulte belter)say she'd read my profile on this forum and thought that we shared the same interests in comedy and would like to get to know me. I thought it was my co-writer taking the piss but now I realise I am pretty sure that it was a genuine scammer.
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ November 29 2009, 11:52 AM GMTI thought it was my co-writer taking the piss but now I realise it was a genuine scammer.
In the comedy biz, aren't they one and the same?
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ November 29 2009, 11:52 AM GMTThere do tend to be quite a lot of scammers who get email addresses from this site. I had a refugee girl from Seira Leone (who from her photo was an absoulte belter)say she'd read my profile on this forum and thought that we shared the same interests in comedy and would like to get to know me. I thought it was my co-writer taking the piss but now I realise I am pretty sure that it was a genuine scammer.
That's SPAM rather than SCAM, though I mustard mitt, I've no idea what is the purpose behind all these intro spam emails from apparently un-attached Russian or east European girls with pretty photos.
The response is generally to an email address so they are not trying to send you to a dodgy web-site to install a trojan.
Possibly they are just trying to validate real email addresses; if you respond then you confirm that your email address exists.
Quote: billwill @ November 29 2009, 11:50 PM GMTThat's SPAM rather than SCAM, though I mustard mitt, I've no idea what is the purpose behind all these intro spam emails from apparently un-attached Russian or east European girls with pretty photos.
The response is generally to an email address so they are not trying to send you to a dodgy web-site to install a trojan.
Possibly they are just trying to validate real email addresses; if you respond then you confirm that your email address exists.
I had a mate who had one of those and 'she' told him she loved him and wanted to move to England to be with him but he had to send her the plane fare. He nearly did as well the dumb f**k!