By Don McKee
Columnist
How lucky can I get?
In just the past few days, I have received no less than three e-mails from total strangers informing me that I have won one million euro or about $1.5 million from a lottery, a chance to get 20 percent of $5.5 million, and $15 million inheritance from another total stranger.
"Dear Lucky Winner" is how I'm addressed by the "Co-Ordinator" of the "DELOTTOBV International Program held on 16th June 2008." I was selected from a database of 300,000 e-mails "through a computer ballot system." And I was "approved to claim a total sum of …One Million Euro, only in cash," one of "five lucky winners."
The message warned: "Be advice to keep your winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you." But here I've gone and let the cat out of the bag.
Having missed out on the euros, I could make up for it by accepting a proposal from one "Ahmed Moustapha the first son of col. Abubakar Moustapha, former national security adviser to the ousted Sierra Leone military head of state."
It seems Ahmed is interested in real estate in this country, as instructed by his father who died an untimely death in government detention. Ahmed says before his father died, he "reviewed to me of a deposit of one diplomatic box which he concealed with one of the private security company here in Dakar containing US$5.5M." That's $5.5 million greenbacks.
"Actually," Ahmed conceded, "I have never met you before, it was a friend of my fathers who happened to be present at his burial that advised me to consider your country for my investments. After due consideration, I started searching the web side where I got your email address."
To make a long story short, Ahmed decided to seek my assistance in transferring that little fortune to me for investment purposes. I get 20 percent plus five percent for the inconveniences and "for expenses that we may in cure during the process."
The third giveaway message sounded a little impatient with me for not replying to an earlier e-mail.
"On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late Engr. Derrich Krügger. I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter was returned undelivered. I wish to notify you that late Engr. Jürge Krügger made you a beneficiary to his WILL. He left the sum Fifteen Million, One Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD$15,100.000.00) to you in the Codicil and last testament to his WILL.
"I hope to hear from you in no distant time. Note: You are advise to contact me with my personal e-mail address."
Seriously, friends, it's hard to believe anyone is gullible enough to fall for such stuff, but it keeps coming - even scams touting tax rebates and warning of bank account problems and much more. And sadly, some people get scammed.
Note: When you get one of these, "you are advise" to hit DELETE.
dmckee9613@aol.com
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Posted Comments
gee thanks for the techno wizardry advice Don.
If all you received were 3, consider yourself "lucky." I started saving the scam emails on 12-1-07 to see how many I would receive in a years time. As of 7-2-08, I have received 499 scam emails. I'm averaging 2.3 per day with no end in sight.
DEAR SIR, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ALOT OF HEADACHES FROM THESE RING OF NUT CASES!!! IT ALL STARTED OFF OF CRIAGSLIST, I WAS SELLING MY TRIKE OFF OF THAT AND A 13,000 CHECK WAS SENT TO MY HOUSE. I WAS ONLY ASKING 9500 FOR MY TRIKE. I KNEW THAT THIS CHECK WAS NO GOOD. ALWAYS LISTEN TO THAT GUT, CAUSE IT WAS A REALLY BAD CHECK, IF I HAD CASHED THAT I WOULD BE WELL YOU KNOW FROM MY BANK. THE COPS CANT DO A THING ABOUT IT. SO WATCH OUT IF IT SOUNDS TO GOOD IT IS!!!
Gosh Don...I must be luckier than you. I get 3-5 of these poorly disguised scam attempts everyday. Happily my spamblocker grabs them before they pollute my real email. If I had a dollar for every one of these I've recevied in the last 3 years, I'd be pretty rich.
I guess I'm not as lucky - my paypal account has been having issues lately, as they have tried to inform me numerous times.
craigslist is getting to be the worse one of them all. i put a car on there and now i get calls from a company that wants to sell it for me. and most of the good deals on there are the poor old widow who must sell her car and it is held at ebay and you just send a check and we will send you....well nothing. to bad nothing ever happens to these people. i would be happy if they just got hit by a truck...
What an helpful story. These things are fake?! No way! I have been talking to several of these people for weeks now and I thought it was on the up and up. I have only given two of them my checking information so they can monitor the transactions. The others just needed my social for tax purposes. This is going to be a good year if it all works out!