Chocolate and Gold Coins

Friday, July 22, 2005

My “Friend” in Abidjan

I did not know I had one until I received this letter:


Dear Friend,

Good day and Compliments,

I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the wish of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and reward you aboundantly and you would never regreat this.

I am a female student from University of Cote,D,Ivoier Abidjan. I am 25 yrs old. I'd like any person who can be caring, loving and home oriented. I will love to have a long-term relationship with you and to know more ab=out you. I would like to build up a solid foundation with you in time coming if you can be able to help me in this transaction.

Well, my father died earlier two months ago and left I and my junior brother ehind. He was a king, which our town citizens titled him over sixteen years before his death. I was a princess to him and I am the only person who can take care of his

wealth now because my junior brother is still young and my mother is not literate enough to know all my father's wealth. He left the sum of USD 7,350,000.00 dollars (seven Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars)in a security company.This money was annually paid into my late fathers account from Shell petroleum development company(spdc)and chevron oil company operating in our locality for the compensation of youth and community development in our jurisdiction.

I don't know how and what I will do to invest this money somewhere in abroad, so that my father's kindred will not take over what belongs to my father and our family, which they were planning to do without my present because I am a female as stated by our culture in the town.

Now, I urgently need your humble assistance to move this money from the security company to your bank account and I strongly believe that by the grace of God, you will help me invest this money wisely.

I am ready to pay 20% of the total amount to you if you help us in this transaction and another 10% interest of Annual After Income to you, for handling this transaction for us, 5% is for any expenciss which you will strongly have absolute control over.

If you can handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me in lifting this fund, kindly reach me.

Please, note that this transaction is 100% risk free and I hope to commence the transaction as quick as possible, I will send you my picture as soon as I hear from you.

Yours sincerely,
Princes VICTOR CAMARA and princess CHRISTANA CAMARA
[many sics]


Such nice people: they want to give $1.4 million dollars. Who says there is no money in blogging!


I think I can trust these people; after all, they are royalty and they are not from Nigeria.

7 Comments:

  • Hi Vikram
    The really sad thing is that a lot of people fall for this. Hundreds of millions of dollars go to these scammers. Anyone silly enough to send money to these con artists deserves to lose money but these scammer don't deserve to receive it.

    I think Don Boudreaux said it well when he said that if everyone from Africa that is currently running a scam instead pursued legitimate business, Africa might be a much richer continent.

    By Blogger Michael Higgins, at 10:59 PM  

  • Michael, where there in money, or even a whiff of money, there are always "friends" :))

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:30 PM  

  • as for those stupid enough to fall for this, what do they say - caveat emptor?!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:31 PM  

  • Hi Charu
    Well, the people who participate know that they are breaking the laws of some country (including probably the U.S.) but they are greedy. The scammers count on the greed and the dishonesty of the victims. So it isn't "buyer beware" but "crook beware".

    But really, who would fall for this? It is hard to believe

    By Blogger Michael Higgins, at 11:47 PM  

  • I get 3-4 of these every day, and was mulling a post on it, but you beat me to it :-((

    Anyway, if someone is getting scammed by this (due to greed or the desire to help a fellow "christian" or whatever) they deserve it......

    I'm amazed that people fall for it, and that this is the 4th biggest money spinner for nigeria (billions of dollars!)

    By Blogger Sunil, at 11:04 AM  

  • Very interesting. Reminds me of Reader's Digest telling me I have been selected in their final contest round and offering me hundreds of thousands in gold in exchange for a new subscription.

    By Blogger Aditya Bidikar, at 1:27 PM  

  • Hi Sunil and Aditya:
    Sunil: Plenty more material here. I was interested in the 419 baiters, (Vikram's link).

    Aditya: At least RD will give you a subscription to their magazine. If someone is offering tons of goodies, there's got to be a catch.

    By Blogger Michael Higgins, at 4:22 AM  

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