Official "419 Scam-Mail" Thread

[Spherical Cow]

Today's scam e-mail is much more efficient and direct than most; no long-winded sob-story about the huge amount of cash that needs to be sent somewhere. Just a simplified, direct statement of facts and a simple request for a few key bits of information...oh, and a scan of my passport, too. I like this approach; so much more business-like.

Norm

Dear Friend,

I need your services in a confidential matter regarding money out of a family beneficiary deposit for investment in your country as such i
decided to establish contact with you for assistance.

This requires a private arrangement. You will receive these funds under legal claims; all legal documents will be carefully worked out to ensure a risky free transfer. I am willing to pay a generous management fee as well as appreciation as soon as this transaction is completed.I have all the details.

All correspondences will be via email, for now. The funds in question
are quite large. I will expect a straight answer from you. Yes or no. If yes, Kindly furnish me with your personal information which must includ your full information,

1) Your full name.
2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
3) and address.
4) Profession, age and maritalstatus.
5) A scanned copy of your int'l p/port/Driver license for identification.

Please Send me an e-mail as soon as you receive this letter for further
discussion and more clarification.

Thanks and God bless you.

Dr Mark Roy.

[davieddy]

OK I've tried this thread.
The the theme is depressing to say the least.
Keep in in the f****** USA
David

[BlisteringSheep]

Originally Posted by Spherical Cow

Oh yes, I prefer all of my business affairs to be risky; they don't even have to be free if they're risky enough.

[ewmayer]

I got one last week with a fun twist - the scammer posing as a 20-year-old female African refugee whose late, beloved daddy had stashed away a huge sum in the usual interesting nontraditional banking arrangement requiring the intervention of a random foreigner to access the funds.

The twist was that in addition to the usual generous cut of the proceeds, Miss "My Côte d'Ivoirian Friends Consider Me Attractive" offered herself to me in the role of daughter or wife in exchange for my help. I haven't yet decided on whether to accept her magnanimous, selfless offer -- I feel like I might be taking unfair advantage of her obviously desperate plight -- but in the meantime, her flattering attention is helping distract me from my recent broken-off-engagament fiasco (see above) involving Miss Ikgeiwingganmddefjdouguousrehetre Tanja, lovely daughter of DR.BELLO TANJA, the former AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING MANAGER of the BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A), located in the heart of OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO (BANK WEBSITE:www.bkofafrica.net), who is now on "permanent administrative leave."

Life is just filled with difficult moral choices sometimes.

[ewmayer]

Ha, just got my first 419 in German: that makes me feel sehr besonders, or something:

Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:29:19 +0200
Message-Id: <158189010@web.de>
MIME-Version: 1.0
From: Martins Weber Dito <fake e-mail address here>
Subject: Lieber Freund

Lieber Freund

Ich vermute das diese E-Mail eine Überraschung für Sie sein wird, aber es ist wahr.Ich bin bei einer routinen Überprüfung in meiner Bank (Standard Bank von Süd Afrika) wo ich arbeite, auf einem Konto gestoßen, was nicht in anspruch genommen worden ist, wo derzeit $12,500,000 (zwölfmillionenfünfhundert US Dollar) gutgeschrieben sind.

Dieses Konto gehörte Herrn Manfred Becker, der ein Kunde in unsere Bank war, der leider verstorben ist. Herr Becker war ein gebürtiger Deutscher. Damit es mir möglich ist dieses Geld $12,500,000 inanspruch zunehmen, benötige ich die zusammenarbeit eines Ausländischen Partners wie Sie,den ich als Verwandter und Erbe des verstorbenen Herrn Becker vorstellen kann,damit wir das Geld inanspruch nehmen können.

Für diese Unterstützung erhalten Sie 30% der Erbschaftsumme und die restlichen 70% teile ich mir mit meinen zwei Arbeitskollegen, die mich bei dieser Transaktion ebenfalls unterstützen.Wenn Sie interessiert sind, können Sie mir bitte eine E-Mail schicken, damit ich Ihnen mehr Details zukommen lassen kann.

Schicken Sie bitte Ihre Antwort auf diese E-Mail Adresse: ( martinsdito@aim.com )

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

MARTINS Weber DITO

[Spherical Cow]

This morning's e-mail brought an unusual twist- my future business partner needs my help...

because if we left the fund with the government it will be fortified for nothing and will be used to suppress the poor masses in the society.

How can I not help? Think of all the suppression that $25 million would buy! We MUST keep this money out of the government's hands!

Norm

[ewmayer]

Norm, did it say how many essential vitamins and minerals the money would be fortifying the government in question with?

[Spherical Cow]

Good Question- I'll check with my future business partner. The government that would be fortified is the UK...and I would assume that besides your essential vitamins and minerals, fortification might also include proper exercise equipment, or perhaps health club memberships for the officials that will be doing the suppressing?

Norm

[mfgoode]

I think the last 30 posts are making a mountain out of a mole hill. You all know that these are lies but why should you propagate it to others? In doing so you inturn become liars and join the happy gang in Nigeria or wherever!

I get many of these myself and I delete them.

Lets have more action and less rhetoric.

Mally

[Brian-E]

Originally Posted by mfgoode

I think the last 30 posts are making a mountain out of a mole hill. You all know that these are lies but why should you propagate it to others? In doing so you inturn become liars and join the happy gang in Nigeria or wherever!

I get many of these myself and I delete them.

Lets have more action and less rhetoric.

Mally

Well, I have found this thread very funny so far and a good laugh is just what I need sometimes.
And more seriously, I think the thread cannot possibly do any harm but may just serve to highlight the criminal activities in case anyone reading this has not yet received such a mail and might respond naively when they get their first one.
Brian.

[Spherical Cow]

I think the last 30 posts are making a mountain out of a mole hill. You all know that these are lies but why should you propagate it to others? In doing so you inturn become liars and join the happy gang in Nigeria or wherever!

I get many of these myself and I delete them.

Lets have more action and less rhetoric.

Mally

There is no mountain under construction here, nor even a mole hill to start with- we’re simply pointing out some humorous aspects of a bizarre activity. How can that possibly “propagate” it? I’ve seen humorous descriptions of incompetent bank robbers in newspapers, magazines, and books: is that “propagating” bank robbery?

If the thread topic bothers you, don’t read it; it is clearly labeled in the title, and should be easy to avoid. Personally, I enjoy the insight and humor offered by some of the contributors, and have even learned new things. With or without your permission, I will continue to do so.

Norm