This post is completely off-topic, but I thought I’d post it anyway, because I think this string of e-mails is completely ridiculous … and all of us can use a smile.
As most of you must know, there are “scams” galore being run by various groups, where people are told something “too good to be true,” but, nonetheless, they fall for it, get sucked in, and end up paying out thousands (sometimes, hundreds of thousands) of dollars. I don’t know how people manage to fall for scams like this. If someone walked up to you on the street and offered to sell you a map for “only $10,000” that would lead you (“guaranteed to lead you”) to a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, would you go ahead and give that person 10 grand? I don’t think so, but, apparently, there are people who would fall for that.
Perhaps some of you saw the show on “60 Minutes” or “Dateline” (can’t remember which network that show was on, but it was about five or six weeks ago), where a “scam” was documented. A lady, who fell for the scam initially, purportedly paid several hundred thousand dollars to the scammers, but, at some point, figured out she was being scammed, and, then, called the network, who stepped in at that point … and, later, confronted the scammer (who actually ended up getting some jail time.)
Okay, with that background, I received an e-mail in my inbox, several days ago, and immediately recognized that the e-mail was from one of these scammers – who offers something way too good to be true. I’m in the process of playing with that scammer. I’ll probably lose interest, soon, but wanted to share with you the e-mail string, so far. Smile, this is real! The scammer’s e-mails appear in black type; my responses (I’m “John”) appear in red type:
-----Original Message-----
From: kennedy1010105 <kennedy1010105@me.com>
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Sent: Sat, Aug 6, 2011 9:56 am
Subject: THANK YOU
An account with my bank has been left with a balance of $14.5M since the account holder passed away in 2007. We have a real chance of having the fund released to you if the bank receives application in that regard since no application has been made. Further details will be provided upon your response.
Kennedy.
Wow, I would love to get my hands on the $14.5 million in that account.
Details?
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Kennedy Lebola <kennedylebola@gmail.com>
To: John
Sent: Sat, Aug 6, 2011 11:13 pm
Subject: FURTHER DETAILS
Dear John,
I am writing to give you more insight on how we can execute this transaction perfectly without hitches. I want to thank you for your response to my email and to use this opportunity to assure you that this transaction is 100% safe and legitimate because it will be executed in line with the bank foreign remittance procedures which support inheritance claim in totality so it does not breach any international or local banking laws, therefore you have nothing to worry about.
Because I work in the account department of a major bank here in South Africa as accounts supervisor, I was able to discover these abandoned finds(US$14.5M) in an account belonging to one of our foreign client Mr. Graham Williams, a mining magnet and one of the founders of Harmony Gold Mining company who was a victim of the worst mining accidents in South Africa in recent years. None of the deceased relatives know these funds because they were deposited in the bank for investment purposes and so nobody will ever file for the claims. If we do not remit this funds out of South Africa, they will be confiscated into the government treasury. I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the beneficiary of the funds to my bank, hence I contacted you because in the bank database the deceased did not specify anybody as beneficiary.
The strategy is to use my influence as a staff of the bank to ensure that you are made the beneficiary and the funds are approved to you since there is no beneficiary. If you are willing to be of assistance, you will be entitled to 40% of the fund($14.5M) and 60% for me. I wish to inform you that I will also need your advise on lucrative areas of investment and your assistance in purchase of properties when the fund arrive your country because the whole fund will be transferred to your account pending on my coming over to receive my share. I hope that you will not betray the trust I have reposed on you to receive the funds for our mutual benefit.
In order to proceed with this transaction without delays, I will request you confirm your information to me properly as stated below so that the necessary changes can be made in the bank database;
1 Your full names
2 Your direct telephone and fax numbers
3 Your age
4 Contact address
5 Occupation
Upon the receipt of the above mentioned information, I will fill in your names and your information as the beneficiary of the fund in the bank database, then I will provide you the relevant documents and prove of the source of the fund that you will use to put in application to my bank as beneficiary of the fund in question. The bank will crosscheck your details that I will fill in the database with the details in the claim documents that you will send to them and when they realize that the details are the same, they will respond to you positively in view of how the funds can be remitted to any account of your choice.
I want to reaffirm that this transaction is risk free, all that is required is for us to maintain absolutely confidentiality in all matters concerning this transaction not to jeopardize it. You can call me at +27 78 001 1880 for any clarification on this matter.
I look forward to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Kennedy Lebola
On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 3:53 PM, John wrote:
Dear Kennedy,
Why have you used two different e-mails to contact me? That kind of worries me, and I'd like to know why you did that.
Also, for me to be involved in this transaction with you, I want 50% of the proceeds, not 50% of the proceeds. I think an even split would be more fair. Are you will to do that?
Regards,
John
-----Original Message-----
From: Kennedy Lebola <kennedylebola@gmail.com>
To: John
Dear John,
Yes, I know that I contacted you with two different emails and the reason is because my wife has the password to my first email address which I contacted you with initially. I do not want her to know anything about this transaction until the funds are finally transferred to your account because I do not want her to say anything to anyone about this transaction. Secondly, I do not really have any problems about sharing the funds with you 50/50 so long as you will ensure that my share will be safe with you pending on my coming over to receive it. If we are in agreement on this issue, I expect you to provide the requested information so that I can make the necessary changes and I will furnish you with the application documents to enable contact the bank legitimately for the funds release with the details I will also send you with the documents.
Regards,
Kennedy Lebola
Kennedy,
Sorry, but my wife thinks that a 50/50 split is not fair ... to me. So, will you do a 70/30 split, 70% to me, 30% to you?
John
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