Nigerian Scam: “The bussness magnet” variant

Murray @ ulblog — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:30:25 +0000

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:

From: celine boba celine_bob9@yahoo.ca Date: 16 April 2008 2:50:28 PM To: celine_bob9@yahoo.ca Subject: Dear Faithful,
Reply-To: celine.bobba@yahoo.fr

Dear Faithful,

Good a thing to write you. I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will. I know this proposal will come to you as a surprise because we have not met before either physically or through correspondence. I believe is the wish of God.

It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad on the 12th. Febuary 2002. Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled along with him at that time.

But God knows the truth! My mother died when I was just 4years old, and since then my father took me so special. Before his death 12/2/ 2002 he called the secretary who accompanied him to the hospital and told her that he has a private letter for me in my wardrope and his about his deposit, but he never told the lady about the money, instead he said family asset and it was when i got the note i discovered it was all about his money at the sum of Sixteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand United State Dollars.(USD$16.700,000.00) which he deposited as a family asset with a security trust company.

He further told the pastor of the church where he use to worship that he had deposited a family valuables with a security trust company and it is in my name as his only hair apparant in a written note and also to the security company as well. Though, he never disclose to anybody about the content as money; but make this clear in a private note and kept it in my possession that the content is money so that I can be careful and wise in handling the claim, so he said.

I am just 21years old and a university undergraduate and really don’t know what to do. Now I can not lay my hands on the fund because he left an instruction with the Security Company that the Consignment will only be moved abroad upon my provision of foreign partner. Who will take delivery of the Consignment (1 Trunk Box) on my behalf. This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast.

The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life. My Dear, I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded. Now permit me to ask these few questions:-

Can you honestly help me?
Can I completely trust you?
What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the money is in your account?

I want to use this opportunity to assure you of your security on this transaction now and in future. The transaction is 100% risk free. Provided you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that my share will be secured. Please remember to treat this matter as very confidential.

Please, Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.

May the almighty God bless you,

Yours faithfully. celine boba

What a brilliant variant! Many thanks to Barry for sending it through. I’ll post his other specimen a little later in the week.

Until then, much warmth!

Murray By Moonlight

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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2.	I think his official title is “Executive Officer”, but I like my version better.
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3.	That’s you, in case you’re not paying attention.
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See Also:

Nigerian Scam: “Thank you for your effort” variant

Murray @ ulblog — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:23:32 +0000

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

What a fascinating variant! By now, I assume most people are aware of the 419 / Nigerian Scam [1], and yet years after alerts about this scam began appearing on the Internet, it’s still being run in many different forms around the world, and new victims fall prey to it every year.

This particular variant is interesting because of the way in which it begins:

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.

Yes, yes, yes! Aside from all of the misery this little bastard scam might have caused, I love the way this variant starts out by implying that a relationship already exists between the sender and recipient. Even the second sentence attempts to cement this idea — you couldn’t help [2] because your hands were tied. You obviously wanted to help, you just couldn’t!

It’s hard to imagine that anyone would fall for such an obvious ploy, but I guess it’s possible that someone might think they had received the email in error and might also believe they have a chance to cash in on a healthy dose of misplaced generosity.

Of course, this email is as much a scam as the many other variants floating around on the Internet.

Don’t forget to take a peek at the main article for this scam: The Nigerian / 419 Scam.

Oh, and don’t forget that I’m always interested in seeing new variants of this scam that you might encounter — you can send them in via the Submit an Urban Legend link.

Footnotes:

1.	Also sometimes known as the “Advanced Fees Fraud Scam”.
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2.	Entirely glossing over the fact that you never attempted to help!
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See Also:

ulblog.org » variant

Nigerian Scam: “The bussness magnet” variant

Nigerian Scam: “Thank you for your effort” variant