Anyone else seen this scam?
24 July 2002, 10:31 AM
#1
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As the title says, it's gotta be a scam, I just can't figure out how....????
Got this unsolicited mail this morning from "mary/abdul sankoh" <sankohh_mary2@mail.com> :
************************************************** ***************
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Friend
First i must solicit for your srictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you will be given genuine approval considering the fact that we have not know each other before.
I wish to use this opportunity to introduce myself to you, I am Mrs Mary Iddo Sankoh,the wife of the former minister of Diamond Mining Corporation in my country,My husband had a bullet shot by the rebels on his way travelling to Lusia a city after Freetown the capital along with my daughter, My daughter died on the spot while the U N peace keeping force rescued my Husband, he was taken to hospital for medical treatment which he later died about three months now.
Fortunately, my Husband has Ten million, Five hundred thousand United States Dollars(US$10.5million)cash which he intended to use for investment purposes overseas. This money was sent out of the country via diplomatic means to avoid traces and deposited with a security company in Europe . It is only my son and myself that know where the money is kept and has the documents for it.
Due to the current situation in the country concerning government’s vendettas towards my family, we seek your assistance to transfer the ownership of this fund to you so that you can asisst us to claim it and used for the purpose of investment as intended by my husband.
My family is currently being probed by this present government for alleged involvement in misappropriation of public funds during his regime.Towards this effect, an embargo restricting my family members from traveling or carrying out financial transactions without their express permission is in force. This has made put us in a very serious financial problem as we can hardly eat and take care of our family now.this is the purpose of this urgent contact for coperation.
However, I have an arrangement on how you can help us to recieve this money after receiving some assurances from you.The money personally belongs to my husband and he intended that it still be used for investment. No record ever existed concerning this money, neither is the money traceable by the government because there is no documentation concerning the funds in the Federal Treasury. The security company will only require you to provide the certificate of deposite with which this was deposted and a power of attorney from the family to you for the claim, we have all these documents ready pending your confirmation.
Bearing in mind that your assistance is needed to transfer this fund, we have agreed for a commission of 20%(twenty Percent) of the total sum to you for the expected services and assistance. While 5% is mapped out for miscellaneous expenses.On your positive consent, I shall expect you to contact my son urgently who just managed to travel to South Africa via ship to enable you discuss about this.
Your urgent response is highly needed.He just arrived South Africa and has sought political assylum, all the relevant documents to this are with him in south africa now where he intends to stay untill this transaction is completed, I must use this opportunity to implore you to exercise utmost indulgence to keep this matter extraordinarily confidential, I shall upon the reciept of your response forward to you the contact number and details of my son(Abdul Williams Sankoh) in south africa so that you can open immediate correspondence with him as it is not very safe for me to cordinate and speak regarding this transaction from this country.
I await your urgent response.
Regards
Mary Iddo Sankoh.
pls.reply tothis box
sankohh_mary@amuro.net
************************************************** *************
Both email addresses are obviously just web based email services...
Matt
Got this unsolicited mail this morning from "mary/abdul sankoh" <sankohh_mary2@mail.com> :
************************************************** ***************
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Friend
First i must solicit for your srictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you will be given genuine approval considering the fact that we have not know each other before.
I wish to use this opportunity to introduce myself to you, I am Mrs Mary Iddo Sankoh,the wife of the former minister of Diamond Mining Corporation in my country,My husband had a bullet shot by the rebels on his way travelling to Lusia a city after Freetown the capital along with my daughter, My daughter died on the spot while the U N peace keeping force rescued my Husband, he was taken to hospital for medical treatment which he later died about three months now.
Fortunately, my Husband has Ten million, Five hundred thousand United States Dollars(US$10.5million)cash which he intended to use for investment purposes overseas. This money was sent out of the country via diplomatic means to avoid traces and deposited with a security company in Europe . It is only my son and myself that know where the money is kept and has the documents for it.
Due to the current situation in the country concerning government’s vendettas towards my family, we seek your assistance to transfer the ownership of this fund to you so that you can asisst us to claim it and used for the purpose of investment as intended by my husband.
My family is currently being probed by this present government for alleged involvement in misappropriation of public funds during his regime.Towards this effect, an embargo restricting my family members from traveling or carrying out financial transactions without their express permission is in force. This has made put us in a very serious financial problem as we can hardly eat and take care of our family now.this is the purpose of this urgent contact for coperation.
However, I have an arrangement on how you can help us to recieve this money after receiving some assurances from you.The money personally belongs to my husband and he intended that it still be used for investment. No record ever existed concerning this money, neither is the money traceable by the government because there is no documentation concerning the funds in the Federal Treasury. The security company will only require you to provide the certificate of deposite with which this was deposted and a power of attorney from the family to you for the claim, we have all these documents ready pending your confirmation.
Bearing in mind that your assistance is needed to transfer this fund, we have agreed for a commission of 20%(twenty Percent) of the total sum to you for the expected services and assistance. While 5% is mapped out for miscellaneous expenses.On your positive consent, I shall expect you to contact my son urgently who just managed to travel to South Africa via ship to enable you discuss about this.
Your urgent response is highly needed.He just arrived South Africa and has sought political assylum, all the relevant documents to this are with him in south africa now where he intends to stay untill this transaction is completed, I must use this opportunity to implore you to exercise utmost indulgence to keep this matter extraordinarily confidential, I shall upon the reciept of your response forward to you the contact number and details of my son(Abdul Williams Sankoh) in south africa so that you can open immediate correspondence with him as it is not very safe for me to cordinate and speak regarding this transaction from this country.
I await your urgent response.
Regards
Mary Iddo Sankoh.
pls.reply tothis box
sankohh_mary@amuro.net
************************************************** *************
Both email addresses are obviously just web based email services...
Matt
24 July 2002, 10:37 AM
#3
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this is a well known scam usually run by nigerians. i think what happens is they at the last minute get you to give THEM some money on some spurious pretext then dissappear. It plays on innate greed as they are promising so much, you get duped into "lending" them a couple of thousand....something like that anyway.
24 July 2002, 10:44 AM
#4
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Yep, saw this on the telly not too long ago. Loads of people have been duped out of s**t loads of dosh. Try replying to it telling them to f*8k off......probably wont work, but makes me feel better when I get crappy spam mails.
:-)
:-)
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24 July 2002, 12:02 PM
#8
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my boss (large investment company) recived a similar letter last year, bearing in mind where we work we had the ability to do what was being asked...but didnt as we have half a brain cell between us...just!
T
T
24 July 2002, 01:13 PM
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24 July 2002, 02:06 PM
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24 July 2002, 10:50 PM
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Mattstant that was pure quality! 
Personally if anyone is stupid/greedy enough to actually loose money on this then I'd be the first one to have a good chuckle at their expense!
Personally if anyone is stupid/greedy enough to actually loose money on this then I'd be the first one to have a good chuckle at their expense!
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