Great story in todays Times about the tables being turned on a Nigerian email scammer.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1197135,00.html

More details on http://www.419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm
A long read but worth it.

"I shall not touch the one eyed trouser snake"
"I shall honour the words of Guru Shiver Metimbers..."

Priceless stuff :)

I had a 419 mail a few weeks ago which featured my unknown brother, Michael P, who'd been a mining engineer in Sierra Leone.

How careless of me to forget I had a brother like that who'd put me down as his next of kin. I mean, it's not like I'm a soap character who forgets their family at the drop of a plot line...

It's a great site - I came across it a wee while ago.

I'm staggered that people in the UK are dumb enough to fall for these scammers, though. If soemone is promising something that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

There's also a comment in con-artist circles and poker games that states that if you can't spot the patsy it's probably you....:-)

Joe

I must block this sender about 10 times a week but i still get these emails

Dear Prospective Partner,


I am Mr. Pascal Ibe the auditor of United Bank for
Africa Plc (U.B.A).
There is an account opened in this bank in 1980 and
since 1990 nobody has operated on this account again.
After going through some old files in the records I
discovered that if I do not remit this money out
urgently it would be forfeited for nothing.

The owner of this account is Mr. Jack Hamilton a
foreigner and the
manager of Granite Minning Nig, a chemical engineer by
profession and he died since 1990. No other person
knows about this account or anything concerning it,
the account has no other beneficiary and my
investigation proves to me as well that his company
does not know anything about this account and the
amount involved is (U.S. $26,000,000.00). I want to
transfer this money into a safe foreign account abroad
but I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting
you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to any local bank here but can only be
approved to any foreign account because the money is
in U.S dollars and the former owner of the account is
Mr. Jack Hamilton and he was a foreigner too.

I will use my position and influence on other staffs
to effect the legal approvals and onward transfer of
this money to your account with appropriate clearance
from foreign payment department, With assurance that
This money will intact pending my physical arrival in
your country. At the conclusion of this business, you
will be given 30% out of the total amount, 60% will be
for me, while 10% will be for expenses, both parties
might have incurred during the process of this
transaction. I Look forward to your earliest reply
through my private e-mail address or Fax:
+234-1-7594153

Yours Truly,
Mr. Pascal Ibe.

To be honest, anyone dumb enough to believe they can get something for nothing, by basically agreeing to help someone who's admitting they want to carry out an illegal act... well the words "just desserts" spring to mind..

I mean, c'mon... :P

Actually, there's a specific section set up by the FBI to investigate the notorious Nigerian email scam....

..possibly brought about due to the large number of serving police officers who have been conned in this way

Originally posted by Squiggs
Actually, there's a specific section set up by the FBI to investigate the notorious Nigerian email scam....

..possibly brought about due to the large number of serving police officers who have been conned in this way
Or more likely due to the fact that around 21 US citizens have been lured to Nigeria and either been killed, disappeared or robbed of every penny they could lay their hands on...

Recent research shows that 1 in 4 Americans has fallen for an email which asks them to divulge some aspect of their financial details - makes you wonder..... :P

If you liked the last link here is another.....

http://www.bustedupcowgirl.com/scampage.html

Again she baits the scamers and trys to extract money from them......:)

Here is a more recent story on the begging letter scam:

http://www.419eater.com/html/okorie.htm

I've put this up before but www.quatloos.com is always worth a laugh, especially the Brad Christensen Exhibit .....

on the urban legends site, there are a lot of these "nigerian" scams, highlighted for our amusement.

here:-
http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?/ubb/forum/f/59.html

Wahay I'm flush, just got this, no one called Faith or Moses would be fiddling, surely. I'll just send her my details and then the drinks are on me.

FROM MISS FAITH ADEL
WEST AFRICA
APPEAL FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE
ATTN PRESIDENT
DEAR ONE,

Compliment of day please allow me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you , l got your name and contact from this site and l prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to its esteeming nature and the recommendation by myself for a reputable and trustworthy person l can do business with and by the recommendation l must not hesitate to confid in you for this simple and sincere business.

I am FAITH ADEL, the only daughter of late mr and mrs MOSES ADEL.my father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant lived in ABIDJAN , the economic capital of cote d lvorie , he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on business . when my mother died on the 21ST october 1984 my father took me so special because l am motherless . before the death of my father on 29th november
2000 in a private hospital here in abidjan , he secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of US$7.500.000.(SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) left in a fixed /suspense account in one of the prime bank here in abidjan , that he used my name as the only dauther for his next of kin in deposit of the fund. he also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates , that l should seek for a GOD fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice where l will transfer this money and use it for proper investment purpose , such as real estate management. Sir l am honourable seeking yourassistance in the following ways .

( 1) to provide a bank account into which this money will be transfered to.
(2) to serve as the gauardian of this fund since l am A girl of 21 years.
( 3 ) to make arrangement for me to come over to your country in order to further my university education and to secure a residential permit in your country. moreover sir l am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as compensation for your effort /input after
the successfull transfer of this fund to your account overseas. furthermore you can indicate your option towards assisting me as l believed that this project would be
concluded within fourteen ( 14 ) days you signify interest to assist me. hopeing to hear from you soonest

thanks and God
bless best regards
FAITHADEL

You would love to help, but you need £50 to open a new account.
She should send this by Western Union as soon as possible!

I think it's so unfair that you all talk in such derogatory terms about these poor, deprived third world poverty victims who are just trying to make a living.

They should be applauded for the ingenuity, determination and motivation to do something with their lives.

Why shouldn't they be encouraged to better themselves and make a little money?

I think I’ll turn over a new leaf, remortgage up to the hilt, sell my cars, bikes, gun collection and household art, and make a point of sending a few thousand to each one of these entrepreneurial gentlemen who next contacts me.

I’m sure the lefty do-gooder nitwits on the Forum would applaud me.

Dont bother selling the guns Bart, just export them directly to Nigeria. I'm sure they will find a use for them.

when my mother died on the 21ST october 1984... since l am A girl of 21 years

It's sad enough that the poor lass is an orphan but it's truly heartbreaking that her mum died more than a year before she was born :hihi:

It's sad enough that the poor lass is an orphan but it's truly heartbreaking that her mum died more than a year before she was born :hihi:
Perhaps the email has been stuck in the post for a few weeks.