For several years I’ve been collecting the more interesting of the dozens and dozens of 419 scam-ish letters that wash up in my Hotmail Inbox. I don’t mess with the people that send them, I just collect them. There seem to be waves of popularity for certain story lines: first it was the classic “help me get $14.5 million out of Nigeria”, then the same but from supposed US citizens (but in clearly non-US syntax), then message from the “FBI” saying they had money for me, then cryptic letters from total strangers saying they’ve arranged an ATM card for me, even though they seem to have idea what my name is.
Thje latest wave seems to have gone back to the classic 419 storyline, except now they inevitably refer to Burkina Faso somewhere in the message:
[QUOTE=Mary Lorna Laboso]
Good day my beloved one, I am writing you these massage to you with tears and sorrow from my heart. I am by name Mary Lorna Laboso a 23 years old girl from Kenya, My Mother was Late Miss Lorna Laboso the former Kenyan Assistant Minister of Home and affairs who was among the plan that crash in a remote area of Kalong’s western Kenya…
One faithful morning, I opened my mother’s briefcase and found out a document that my mother deposited a huge amount of money in Coris bank Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin. (4/1/150
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[QUOTE=Dr. Abdullah Hamza]
Now contact my secretary in Burkinafaso her name is Ms.Hajar Ibrahim on her e-mail address below ( ms.hajaribrr@yahoo.fr ) Ask her to send you the total of $200.000.00 which i kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. (3/28/15)
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[QUOTE=Mawusi Kofi]
I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment which I am receiving from my wicked uncle who have planned to take away all my late father’s treasury and properties from me and since the unexpected death of my beloved parents, I was very lucky that my uncle did not discover where I kept my father’s File which contained some important documents. Now I am presently staying in the Mission refugee camp here in Burkina Faso. I am seeking for long term relationship and investment assistance. My father of blessed memory deposited the sum of $18.3 Million in Bank Of Africa here in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin.(3/14/15)
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[QUOTE=Wendy Kipkalya]
I am constrained to contact you because of the abuse I am receiving from my wicked stepmother and uncle. They planned to take away all my late father’s treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father. Meanwhile I wanted to escape to the USA but they hide away my international passport and other valuable traveling documents. Luckily they did not discover where I kept my fathers File which contains important documents. So I decided to run to the refugee camp where I am presently seeking asylum under the United Nations High Commission for the Refugee here in Ouagadougou, Republic of Burkina Faso. (3/13/15)
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[QUOTE=Geroge Nikiama]
I am the Deputy Director of finance, foreign payment approval dept. of West African Monetary Control Board (WAMCB). North-West Regional office Burkina Faso. My offices oversee all developmental projects financed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Within this zone (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Guinea). With reference to an introduction and recommendation of you by a friend who works in the Burkina Faso Chambers of Commerce and Industry, I do hereby; Wish to commence talk with you on a highly confidential level. (7/07/14)
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Weird. I still get few purportedly from elsewhere, but the majority these days reference BF. Maybe they’re all from the same gang, who knows? I’ve got to admit, however, it’s kinda fun to say “Burkina Faso” over and over.
Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso, Bukina Faso, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Hypnotic.
