Mr. Godwin Emefiele emailed me ....

[xrunner]

Received this today. I wish it was more than $8.3 million but it ain't a bad sum.


FROM THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN)
GOV.GODWIN EMEFIELE.
E-mail: godwinemefele9@gmail.com
URGENT NOTICE,
ATTENTION: BENEFICIARY
 
I am Mr. Godwin Emefiele from Central Bank of Nigeria, I have come to make so many things right from the way the corrupt government officials has made it to be. Payment of Inheritance fund, overdue payments and compensations without causing heart break to beneficiaries is my priority. Is my pleasure to inform you that your deliveryman has arrived with your cash trunk boxes value $8.3 million dollars being your inheritance /compensation payment? He is currently in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington, on transit.
 
I want you to know that you have 24 hours to email or call him now with this line (360)-602-7134 or email: donaldosso55@gmail.com then speak with the diplomatic deliveryman for directives, his name is Mr.Donald Osso. As he has been waiting to hear from you to enable him get to your home address without missing his way.
 
Most importantly you are advised to send your full data to him, which include your Full Name, Current Residential Address, Direct Cell Number, closest airport to you and A copy of any identity card to verify that you are the right receiver to avoid mistakes.
 
Note that you must call Mr.Donald Osso as soon as you receive this email for more discussion; direct line is (360)-602-7134. Also reconfirm your full current address and valid phone number to the Delivery officer via his above email address once you receive this email to enable him deliver your cash consignment boxes to your house without any further delay.
 
You are advised not to waste his time at the airport, so that he would not be stranded in any way because he will return if he finds out that you are not doing anything to get him over to your house.
 
CONGRATULATIONS.
MR.GODWIN EMEFIELE,
EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR,
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
E-mail: godwinemefele9@gmail.com

[Ampera]

Totally legit.

[Sredni]

Transferring money is always problematic.
I prefer diamonds:

[Seekonk]

Only godwinemefele1 is the real one, don't get fooled by the other emails made to look it.

[SeanB]

Totally, he is a legit businessman, operating out of his office in a small dusty internet cafe in Lagos.

[VK3DRB]

I found this hilarious. How to get a Nigerian scammer back...

http://www.419eater.com/html/john_boko.htm

Actually, for a Nigerian scammer, he had some talent. I guess the opportunities we enjoy in modern western countries are few in crap third world countries. Maybe some of these scammers are forced into this type of work, else starve. Like the Indian scammers from the "Microsoft Help Desk", I don't think they do it because they choose that profession. Mind you, they wouldn't think twice about scamming elderly pensioners or lonely people out of their life savings.

[SeanB]

Most of the Indian scammers work in call centres where they have multiple support lines to a few common agents to follow the script. They do the scam in free time, so they appear busy and on the phone to the call centre metrics, and simply use a different set of notes to work from. Sadly often the local managers are on to the act, and hide the logs from the actual paying big companies and split the profits with the call centre staff as non taxed money.

[FrankBuss]

I found this hilarious. How to get a Nigerian scammer back...

http://www.419eater.com/html/john_boko.htm

Actually, for a Nigerian scammer, he had some talent.

The carvings look nice, especially the C64 was very detailed, even the special CBM graphics images on the front side of the keys But it was not from the scammer. On the bottom of the page you can see that the scammer made $45,000 per month if he didn't lie, and he didn't do the carvings, but ordered it from a local artist, who probably got a normal payment for it.

Prices for such wood carvings are very low. For example you can get a 20 cm detailed eagle for EUR 20:

[SeanB]

I prefer to find one of my Zimbabwean carvers, they make a personalised one, and some pretty cool tables as well. Bit more expensive though than $20. The one local shop has some lovely elephants from one of them, they are magnificent.

[GreyWoolfe]

I wish I had a dollar for every one of these I get.  It would be good part time income.

[FrankBuss]

I prefer to find one of my Zimbabwean carvers, they make a personalised one, and some pretty cool tables as well. Bit more expensive though than $20. The one local shop has some lovely elephants from one of them, they are magnificent.

I guess the cheap ones are mass produced with CNC machines. Load the model, click a button, wait a bit, done:



But I wonder how they could make a profit with it. Such a machine costs like $50,000 (which means at least 2,500 eagles) and then maintenance costs and drill bits etc.

[xrunner]

Oh shucks I got busy and forgot! My 24 hrs has expired and now I can't get the money. 

[VK3DRB]

Most of the Indian scammers work in call centres where they have multiple support lines to a few common agents to follow the script. They do the scam in free time, so they appear busy and on the phone to the call centre metrics, and simply use a different set of notes to work from. Sadly often the local managers are on to the act, and hide the logs from the actual paying big companies and split the profits with the call centre staff as non taxed money.

Once I was called by and Indian scammer from the Microsoft Help Desk who said I have a virus on my computer. The dialogue was something like this...

In a fake cockney old age pensioner's accent, I said "I don't own one of those computer things. I am too old. But my grandson has one I think. Give me you phone number and I will get him to call you."
He then asked "Do you have an iPad?"
I then said "I wore one of those when I had me cataracts done, but that was a few years ago now. These glasses from Spec Savers do the job. And I got them on special."
He asked "Do you have a mobile phone?"
I said "No. This telephone has an electric wire that plugs into the wall. No batteries needed, except for my hearing aid. I am too old for one of those fangdangled wireless phone contraptions. But why don't you call old Horry down at the bowling club? He has one. Horry is a bit younger than most of us, you know"
Then he told me to where I can stick my phone and promptly hung up.

[SeanB]

What i did with the last one, put on the confused OAP voice, the rambling around and playing totally clueless. He cut after a minute. Better to swear at them though, especially in a language they very likely have absolutely no idea of what you are saying to them.

[xrunner]

New one today -



Dear e-mail owner
 
I am sorry to encroach into your privacy in this manner; I found your name listed in the Trade Center Chambers of Commerce directory in Iraq, I find it pleasurable to offer you my partnership in business. I only pray this time that your address is still valid. I want to solicit your attention in receiving money on my behalf.
 
I am Capt. Davis Ariel, officer in the US Army; i am one of the U.S. Army deployed to Iraq in the beginning of the war in 2003, and also a West Point Graduate presently serving in the Military with the 82nd Air Borne Division Peace keeping force in Baghdad, Iraq. I am on the move to Syria from Iraq as the last batch just left, and i really need your help in assisting me with the safe keeping of two military trunk boxes which has just arrived the USA from Iraq. I hope you can be trusted? Though, I would like to hold back certain information for security reasons for now until you have found time to visit the BBC website news below to enable you have insight regarding what I intend to share with you, believing that it would be of your desired interest in one way or the other.
 
Click on this BBC news listing to confirms what I want to share with you: [link removed as precaution]
 
if you can be trusted, I will explain further when i get a response from you. Get back to me having visited the above websites to enable us discuss in a more vivid manner to the best of your understanding? I must say that I'm very uncomfortable sending this message to you without knowing truly if you would misconstrue the importance and decide to go public.
 
In this regards, I will not hold back to say that the essence of this letter is strictly for mutual benefit of you and I and nothing more. I will be more vivid and coherent in my next email in this regards. Meanwhile, could you send me a mail confirming you have visited the site and understood my intentions? Am standing by for your urgent response now that we are leaving Iraq to Syria.
 
Please get back to me via e-mail: capt.davisa@gmail.com
 
Thanks.
Best regards.
Capt. Davis Eric Ariel

[Kjelt]

The problem is getting worse because the scammers are getting better each year.
These are obvious and only the too gready will fall into the trap.
There are numerous of emails from companies with their correct logo, layout and even correct sender email adress (which is spoofed and the return address will give it away) where lots of people are falling into.
Oh well as long as someone from Microsoft calls and asks for your password and other data and people are giving it to them the world will be an unsafe place.

[bitseeker]

Wow, xrunner, that's a much more vivid and coherent one you got this time. However, I'm afraid you've blown the opportunity again. He said that he's "very uncomfortable sending this message to you without knowing truly if you would misconstrue the importance and decide to go public." He's probably gone into hiding now. Ah, well. Better luck next time.

[xrunner]

Wow, xrunner, that's a much more vivid and coherent one you got this time. However, I'm afraid you've blown the opportunity again. He said that he's "very uncomfortable sending this message to you without knowing truly if you would misconstrue the importance and decide to go public." He's probably gone into hiding now. Ah, well. Better luck next time.

Yea prolly missed a golden opportunity. 

But, he's taking a big risk -

if you can be trusted

Everyone here knows that's not true. 

[bitseeker]

Yeah, it pays to be a forum member to know who you're dealing with.

[Dubbie]

There is a reason that these are written in a way that only the terminally gullible and stupid would fall for them.

That is exactly the demographic they are targeting. Something more slick might widen their pool of responses. Included in that pool will be those who will twig on to the fact that it is a scam and end communications. This is a waste of effort for the scammer. They need to be putting their effort into the marks that will pay.

[bitseeker]

That's an interesting way to look at it, Dubbie.

[Kjelt]

Or the scammers themselves are still highly uneducated and "stupid", still gread makes also smart people stupid as been proven over and over again.

[Brumby]

There is a reason that these are written in a way that only the terminally gullible and stupid would fall for them.

That is exactly the demographic they are targeting. Something more slick might widen their pool of responses. Included in that pool will be those who will twig on to the fact that it is a scam and end communications. This is a waste of effort for the scammer. They need to be putting their effort into the marks that will pay.

That's an interesting way to look at it, Dubbie.

I think that is exactly the way to look at it.

If I think back, I seem to recall that these scams were fairly well "dressed up" - and while this may have resulted in a lot of bites, there were going to be a fair number who would smell a rat before dishing out any money.  These are the ones the scammers won't want to deal with.  As Dubbie said, they are a waste of effort, as the scammer was never going to get anything out of it - just waste time.

Better to make it interesting enough to those who aren't going to examine things too closely.  Much better chances of a pay-out.  The ones I see come through now aren't even laughable any more.

[xrunner]

I guess the way to look at it is statistically. If you have 10,000 emails on a list, you write a goofy email asking for money to help ship or distribute a "cash box" or some other bullshit. The spammers send it out and go back to their day jobs - if they have any. There's always statistically a chance that one or two fools will bite. The more emails you have the higher the chance that you will get bites.

Sometimes I wonder why they go to all that trouble to concoct such a complicated story. Why not just write this -

"I live in Nigeria and I'm so poor that my family cannot eat or live in a house. Please help us if you can. If you can send any money we would be so grateful."

[Brumby]

Greed.

I think they don't see a hundred $10 donations as valuable as a $1,000 scam.

[mtdoc]

There is a reason that these are written in a way that only the terminally gullible and stupid would fall for them.

That is exactly the demographic they are targeting. Something more slick might widen their pool of responses. Included in that pool will be those who will twig on to the fact that it is a scam and end communications. This is a waste of effort for the scammer. They need to be putting their effort into the marks that will pay.

I think that their target is often the elderly - many of whom become fearful and easily manipulated as they become more frail and forgetful.

I like how this guy handles the phone scammer:

[GreyWoolfe]

if you can be trusted

Everyone here knows that's not true. 

X, we know you can be trusted, just not around test gear and eBay.

[bitseeker]

if you can be trusted

Everyone here knows that's not true. 

X, we know you can be trusted, just not around test gear and eBay.

 

[xrunner]

I modded the spammer's email for my own use here, any editing is appreciated.


Dear EEVBlog
 
I am sorry to encroach into your privacy in this manner; I found your name listed in the member directory, I find it pleasurable to offer you my partnership in my quest. I only pray this time that your address is still valid. I want to solicit your attention in ra desirable need on my behalf with intents to partake in a mutual deal.
 
I am Mr. Xrunner Esq., member in good standing of the EEVBlog. I really need your help in assisting me with the safe keeping and transport of two test equipment trunk boxes which has just arrived the USA from the Congo. I hope you can be trusted? With this equipment I portend to build up my collection and reach the goal of EEVBlog member with the largest amount of this type of material. I'm in certainty that you understand the forum goals of many and that I wish to make a move in the regard of amounting numerous and more test equipment for impressive and intentive posts.
 
If you can be trusted, I will explain further and formost when i get a response from you. Get back to me ASAP to enable us discuss in a more vivid manner to the best of your understanding. I must say that I'm very uncomfortable sending this message to you without knowing truly if you would misconstrue the importance and decide to go public or tell Dave that I am trying to use his forum for such pleasurable dealings.
 
In this regards, I will not hold back to say that the essence of this letter is strictly for mutual benefit of you and I and nothing more. I will be more vivid, coherent, interesting, informative, direct, sincere, patient, honest, and forgiving in my next PM in this regards. Meanwhile, could you send me a mail confirming you may allow yourself to send $11,000 USD (PayPal is preferred if you can entertain) to provide for immediate shipment of this test equpment box to the address I will provide you? When this box is delivered it would be my certain duty to share interesting items of the box, at your pleasure.
 
Please get back to me via PM on this esteemed forum.
 
Thanks.
Best regards.
Mr. Xrunner Esq. of the EEVBlog

[bitseeker]

Dear Mr. Xrunner, Esq.:

Thank you very much for your very interesting email, however I am afraid that I will be unable to help you at this time. These next three months are by far the busiest and most profitable period for my electronics business and I cannot give any time to anything other than finding new PCB designs for electronics modules and DIY kits.

You may already know of me since it was you that contacted me via the EEVblog. My name is Bitseeker and I am the chief electronics officer of Bitseeker's Bits & Kits. We are dealers in fine electronics modules and kits from all over the world. We run multiple stores and crowdfunding campaigns here in the US. We also offer development grants to aid up and coming new electronics enthusiasts who may otherwise not have the financial means to be able to produce, market, and sell modules and kits to the general public. Our grants payments range from between $25,000 and $150,000 depending on the potential of the engineer.

I am sorry but I am unable to enter into your business proposition at this time, however if you have any contacts in your part of the world who may be engineering students or electronics enthusiasts that you think may benefit from our financial help then I would be very interested to be put in touch with them. We are especially very keen on promoting new electronics designers with experience in microcontrollers and PCB design and will be happy to offer a very generous $25,000 to $150,000 package to young or old engineers with good potential who may benefit from our help.

If you know of a circuit designer who could benefit from our distribution, production, or financial help and who would be prepared to produce work for us to sell or promote then please do let me know.

Again I am sorry that I am unable to help with your proposition at this time but I wish you luck in finding somebody to help you.

Sincerely,

Bitseeker
Chief Electronics Officer
Bitseeker's Bits & Kits

[Brumby]

I can just see this escalating into an eventual avalanche of equipment acquisition.

Recriminations from other members of the household will be deflected by citing these communications and the participants will claim they are the victim of a scam.




(Keep going and let us know how it pans out....    )

[mtdoc]

To:  Mr. Xrunner Esq. of the EEVBlog
   
       Bitseeker, Chief Electronics Office,  Bitseeker's Bits & Kits

From:  Mtdoc,  Chief Medical Officer, Middling Electronics Hobbyists Association (MEHA)


Dear Honorable Sirs,

I hold your positions in the upmost esteem. It is with great interest that I have read your recent correspondence regrading the acquisition of electronics test equipment and funding there of.   As Chief Medical Officer of the MEHA, I humbly approach you in a matter of upmost importance.  Several of our members have been afflicted with a serious condition known as Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS).  Treatment of this condition requires a constant infusion of electronic test equipment.  It is apparent to me that you are people of means and experts in regard to the location, acquisition and distribution of electronics test equipment. Because of your positions, I am certain that you will be willing to donate to my serious and unrelenting endeavor to provide care for members of MEHA.  If successful I will undertake a mission of foremost importance:  to approach and intervene in a group called Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) whose members suffer from a more serious form of GAS.  It is only through the contributions of esteemed persons such as yourselves that I will be able to carry out my mission to address this terrible condition.  Time is of the essence!   Please submit in the form of cashier's check or bitcoin the sum of $50,000 each to the account that I will transmit to you upon your agreement.  High quality, new, used, working or not test equipment and/or iTunes gift cards can also be contributed.  I have great confidence that with the generous contributions of gentlemen such as yourselves we can save those afflicted with this terrible condition. Time is running out!

Sincerely Yours,

Mtdoc,
Chief Medical Officer
Middling Electonics Hobbyist Association.

[xrunner]

Dear Sir Bitseeker, Chief Electronics Officer & Esteemed Mtdoc, Chief Medical Officer,

This is Mr. Xrunner Esq. replying if you will entertain a counter offer. I have some sense now that you are both reliable partners for a certain endeavor, which I will portend to you now. Your offers are in my interest and I have several partners also, who would assist here. In these dealings we are very experienced.

I must then tell you of my situation in certainty that you will keep between us. My accounts here are locked out due to the government bribes that I must deal with each time. I could very well and happily send you the monies required but I must get to my accounts. My partners and associates are in the same situation. My family was sent to Chad and so are not able to help me.

May I suggest to you a transfer of $8,500 to me to unlock my funds quickly? Then it would be in our best interest to send as much of our funds as you need. We have $235,000 in available funds as quickly as you can send the government bribery monies. I wish this were not so but the results for us all would be a viable business dealing.

I would advise you personally and in the closest sense that you need to send the monies today before midnight since the fees will only get higher.

Your servant and awaiting your email,

Mr. Xrunner Esq, member in good standing, EEVBlog

[bitseeker]

Dear Mr. Xrunner, Esq.:

Thank you for your follow up communication. I see and understand that you are in a difficult and time-sensitive situation. Alas, as I indicated in my prior message, these next three months are by far the busiest and most profitable period for my electronics business and I cannot give any time to anything other than finding new PCB designs for electronics modules and DIY kits.

However, I also see that there may still be a way that together we would be able to solve with haste this seemingly unfortunate situation to our mutual benefit. Confidentially, I would like to inform you that I have a customer in Nigeria who eagerly seeks an exciting new electronics product that he can introduce to the South African market. At this time, he wishes to remain anonymous, but I assure you he is well-versed in the field and an accomplished sales veteran. I will be most pleased to tell you more about him once we are further along in our business relationship.

Given your extensive experience in the industry, would you be able to provide prototypes and design files for a product that he can introduce right away? There would be no cost to you beyond shipping prototypes of a product that you recommend in your sole discretion. The design files, of course, can be sent for free via email, Dropbox, etc. Upon review and approval by our customer, we would be able to provide you with a pre-payment of $10,000 to $25,000 against future license fees for use of your design, depending upon the uniqueness and marketability of the product. That would more than take care of the costs you would currently incur to unlock your frozen funds for future transactions. Said funds would then also be available to acquire available test equipment for the benefit of Mr. Mtdoc of MEHA, with whom I understand you are already familiar.

Again, it is vibrantly clear to me that by working together in this manner, we would be able to achieve a significant, mutually beneficial outcome with no upfront cost.

Very truly yours,

Bitseeker
Chief Electronics Officer
Bitseeker's Bits & Kits

cc:
Mr. Mtdoc
Chief Medical Officer
Middling Electronics Hobbyist Association

[xrunner]

Dear Mr. Bitseeker, CEO and partner,

This is Mr Xrunner Esq. member in good will of EEVBlog. Your message has been well received and read here. I did not receive the monies I needed to get to all my funds, now the price they ask is higher. I could well suggest you could borrow the money and you would be rewarded with my available $235,000. Be aware the bribery cost is now $9000. Please consider sending this as expedited transfer so we may proceed? I trust you in this.

My turmoil is extended to all my design files. As precautionary person (this is now a reason to trust me even the more) my hard drive that has all my designs is well locked in a bank safety box. I do not leave such valuables in my home as surely they wold be stolen. This too has a bribe associated with allowing me access to it. This is the painful truth of my existence here as you may know, we are under constant hurting.

My designs could well bring in for us many thousands of cash once I can access them. I might pleasurably implore you that you could ask many EEVBlog citizens that they contribute to the $9000? In this we may proceed and share in the wealth with your compatriots there.

Please consider this offer today and in deep consideration you may be able to send via PayPal before midnight here.

Yours,

Mr. Xrunner, ESQ, member in good stead with EEVblog

cc:
Mr. Mtdoc
Chief Medical Officer
Middling Electronics Hobbyist Association