Nigerian Scam: “The bussness magnet” variant
Posted April 21st, 2008 by Murray @ ulblog
Filed under: Email Scams, False
Tags: 419 scam, email, email scam, nigerian scam, scam, variant
Okay, so maybe I’m a little odd, but for some reason I can’t help thinking it’s going to be a good day when I discover that someone has forwarded a new variant of an urban legend or superstition or scam email to me.
So, oh yes, imagine my excitement when I discovered two new variants in my inbox this morning! [1]
Both are courtesy of Barry Williams, Lord Imperial Ruler Of The Australian Skeptics [2] and writer of the excellently skeptical Barry Williams Blog.
As Barry points out in his original email about the “bussness magnet” specimen:
Yet another one, but I did like this bit:
INTRODUCTION: I am celine boba 21years old and the only daughter of my late parents Chief and Mrs. Andani boba My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a Cocoa Merchant) who operated in the capital of Ivory Coast-Cote d’Ivoire during his days.
While the full email is typically riddled with translation errors, there really is something charming about the idea of a “business magnet”, as opposed to a “business magnate”, which is the idea I suspect the writer was attempting to convey.
I love the image of a business person trying to walk down the street, struggling along because bank managers and real estate developers and investment brokers are stuck all over him or her due to the horrible effects of business magnetism! Arrggh! NoooOOoo!
The rest of the email is pretty much what you’d expect from a Nigerian Scam — sudden death, buckets of money, a need for someone ‘abroad’ [3] to help with various transactions, please send your details and so on.
And now for the complete email itself:
| 1. | I didn’t actually jump up and down and clap my hands, if that’s what you’re imagining, but I definitely did smile and also possibly did rub my hands together and say, “Aha! The game’s afoot!”, or something equally silly. |
| Return | |
| 2. | I think his official title is “Executive Officer”, but I like my version better. |
| Return | |
| 3. | That’s you, in case you’re not paying attention. |
| Return |
