Uh-oh! Urgent response required! (Spam email)

[brendon_small]

I just got this wonderful email…and it reads as follows.

Barr. Philip James.
Lamine, Philip & masala
Solicitors & Advocates of
The Supreme Court Of Nigeria.
No 16 Boulevard Close Island
Lagos Nigeria.

Dear Friend.

I AM Barrister Philip James, a solicitor at law and a personal attorney
to
Late Mr. Ferdinand K Here in after shall be referred to as my client.
My
client worked as an independent contractor to the Shell Development
Company
here in Lagos Nigeria. On the 21st of April 2000 my client, his wife
and
their only daughter were involved in a car accident along Nouvissi
express
Road and all occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.

Since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my clients
extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful have contacted you
to
assist in repatriating fund valued at Twenty Five Million United States
Dollars only ($US25, 000,000.00) left behind by my client with the Eco
Finance and Security Trust Bank Lagos Nigeria, before it gets
confiscated or
declared unserviceable by the Finance Firm where this amount was
deposited.

The Director of the Eco Finance and Security Trust Bank contacted me on
Friday 15-08-2003 and asked that I as the attorney to Mr. Ferdinand
(Late)
should present either his cousins or his next of kin so that they will
release and transfer the fund left in their custody to them.Ever since
then,
I have made several attempts to locate any of his cousins or next of
kin so
that they will come forward to put in claims to the said fund but
unfortunately, I discovered that in all his files With my chambers, he
never
motioned having neither relatives nor cousins.

After several attempts to trace any of his relative, I decided to track
his
last name over the Internet in search of his cousins hence I contacted
you.
One fact remains clear, that anybody I present to the bank as his next
of
kin, shall inherit the fund and it is based on this fact that I ask you
to
get back to me Immediately so that we both will discuss on terms of
partnership in this issue so that I will forward your name to the bank
as
his legitimate next of kin. Be advised that this transaction is 100%
risk-free as

This transaction will remain sealed for life at the conclusion, which
will
not take more than Three weeks.

I await your immediate response so that I will give you a more
comprehensive
detail as regards to this transaction.

Barrister Philip Esq.
Principal Attorney,
Lagos Nigeria

I think I shall have to hurry and respond!

Brendon

[Count_Blucher]

@brendon_small

I think I shall have to hurry and respond!

I’d recommend a ‘Minuteman III’…

[Oakminster]

The funniest response to one these scams I’ve ever seen:

Welcome to the 419 Eater

Note that while scamming the scammer is amusing, it is not legal, and therefore not recommended or endorsed by me.

[Dunderman]

@Oakminster

Note that while scamming the scammer is amusing, it is not legal

Really? What laws are broken?

[Oakminster]

@Priceguy

Really? What laws are broken?

The same ones broken by the original scammer–it’s called various things in different jurisdictions–fraud and/or theft by false pretenses in my area, and also may trigger federal interest for mail/wire fraud.

In the story I linked, the scambuster guy set up an elaborate story about a non-existant church–played the scammer like a violin, and convinced the scammer to send a small amount of money to get a larger amount–ie, exactly the same scam the scammer thought he was running, just on a smaller scale. The scambuster received $80, allegedly to cover a processing fee to withdraw $18k from the non-existant church. I know the story in that link is long, but it is highly entertaining…

[Tikki]

Heh heh, I love it when a scammee gets money out of the scammer!

[brendon_small]

I wish I could get some money out of the scammer, but it doesn’t seem worth the time for me, even though I am awful poor…

I don’t want to sink to scammer level…

Brendon

[DiggitCamara]

@brendon_small

I wish I could get some money out of the scammer, but it doesn’t seem worth the time for me, even though I am awful poor…
)snip…)

Brendon

Well, maybe the Nigerian philantropist can help you!