# Uh-oh! Urgent response required! (Spam email) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 22, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774 "2006-09-22T20:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/1 "2006-09-22T20:51:11Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/2 "2006-09-22T20:57:47Z")
[QUOTE=brendon\_small] I think I shall have to hurry and respond! [/QUOTE] I’d recommend a ‘Minuteman III’… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/3 "2006-09-22T21:00:30Z")
The funniest response to one these scams I’ve ever seen: > **[Welcome to the 419 Eater](https://www.419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm)** > > 419 Eater. Anti Scammer letters pages, forum, anti-scammer hints and tips. Note that while scamming the scammer is amusing, it is not legal, and therefore not recommended or endorsed by me. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/4 "2006-09-22T21:02:16Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] Note that while scamming the scammer is amusing, it is not legal [/QUOTE] Really? What laws are broken? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/5 "2006-09-23T05:32:32Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Really? What laws are broken? [/QUOTE] 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… ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/6 "2006-09-23T16:42:30Z")
Heh heh, I love it when a scammee gets money out of the scammer! ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/7 "2006-09-23T18:04:18Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-oh-urgent-response-required-spam-email/373774/8 "2006-09-23T21:12:47Z")
[QUOTE=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 [/QUOTE] Well, maybe the [Nigerian philantropist](http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/09/nigerian_millions.html) can help you!