Urban Legends. Superstitions. Ghost Stories. Folklore. Creative Writing. Observations. Stuff.

Nigerian Scam: "Barely literate UK barrister" variant

Barry Williams, Supreme Universal Skeptic Of The 12th Magisterial Order [1], has sent in another interesting variant of the infamous Nigerian Scam.

As Barry mentions in his email:

Murray

I despair for the continuing deterioration of literacy among barristers admitted to the bar in the UK.

Barry

I can understand Barry’s emotional distress, since the email asks you to believe that it has been sent by a barrister located in the UK, while simultaneously being pockmarked with a truly impressive variety of misspellings and grammatical errors.

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Footnotes:
1.And owner-operator of the Barry Williams Blog.
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Nigerian Scam: “The bussness magnet” 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]

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Footnotes:
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.
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Nigerian Scam: “Thank you for your effort” variant

Friend of the ULBlog, Darren Saturday, sent in the following interesting variant of the infamous 419 / Nigerian Scam:

My Dear

This is to thank you for your effort.I understand that your hands were tied.Not to worry. I have succeeded,the money has been transfered into the account provided by a newly found friend of mine in Paraguay To compensate for your past assistance and commitments,i have dropped an International Certifie Bank Draft of $1.8million for you.

I am in Paraguay with my family presently.I do intend to establish some business concerns here,and possibly buy some properties.Now Contact my Secretary in Nigeria, Mr.Bala Adamu on his email bala_sec1@yahoo.com, phone: +234 80321 16185 Forward your mailing address to him,then ask him to send the cheque to you.

Take good care of your self

Regards, Bobby Will

(NB) Send him your full Names and Address,Tel & Fax Numbers to enable him despatch your cheque immediately

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The Sweet Smell Of Danger

The email claims that a new danger has arrived in your neighbourhood – gangs of thieves are tricking the unwary into smelling ether disguised as a sample of an expensive perfume, and are then robbing their happless victims once they have been rendered unconscious.

How worried should you be that you or your loved ones might fall prey to these fiendish purveyors of fake fine perfumes? Step into the ULBlog car park to learn a little more about The Sweet Smell Of Danger…

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Hand Holding A Perfume BottleIt really is amazing how long a good Urban Legend can survive out there in the wild!

When I first wrote about the Perfumed Bandits email hoax we were living in a different century. It was November 1999, and the same email that has gone on to cause so much concern and alarm around the world was making its way into unsuspecting email inboxes for the very first time.

And this email didn’t mess about. It went straight for the psychologic jugular and didn’t let go, delivering its payload of anxiety and alarm to a host audience that was still trying to adapt to the idea that not everything you receive in your inbox is true or real. Even if it claims otherwise in very big letters… Read the rest of this entry »


The internet chain email massacre

We’ve all received the chain emails warning us about various dangers, from the dreaded effects of aspartame, to hypodermic needles hidden in McDonalds playpits, to killers lurking in the back seats of our cars.

Join me in the ulblog inbox for a funny take on all of that good-intentioned email hysteria…

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I’ve seriously lost count, over the years, of how many things I’ve been warned about or encouraged to do by chain email.

Remember the Microsoft Money Giveaway email? The one that promised bucketloads of cash for forwarding the email to as many people as you could, because Microsoft had invented an email tracker and apparently wanted to reward people for filling the Internet with spam? Hands up anyone who knows anyone who received any money from it?

Or the one that said that aspartame, used in artificial sweeteners, was making people rot from the inside out?

Or the one that came with the soundfile that when you played it, could tell you your name, star sign and was able to answer basic questions about geometry? [1]

Amidst receiving all of those emails, did you ever wish you could send one back that described what it would be like if you followed all of that urgent advice?

If you answered, ‘Hell, yes!’, then you’re not alone…

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Footnotes:
1.It’s very possible that I made that one up.
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