EMAIL FRAUD: Scamming the scammers 2

By Adrian Barnes

Things are moving along nicely with my good friend, Hugo. For those of you just joining us, Hugo Collins is the name adopted by a group of Internet scammers who contacted me last week with the 'news' that they needed me as a proxy to claim an inheritance of $30M left behind by a stranger with my last name in Nigeria. After a little back and forth, I finally received my 'official' letter from the bank saying that, yes, I was going to get the $30M--a generous $10M of which I will get to keep for playing the part of the deceased's long-lost relative.

Here's the latest email, which accompanied the letter attached to this story as an image:

Sir,

The management of the Spring Bank wish to inform you that we have rounded up our meetings as regard  the approval for the transfer of your inheritance funds valued at the sum of US$32,000,000:00(Thirty Two Million,United States Dollars only) which our late customer Mr.Kenneth Barnes, left behind for you.

The funds is approved in your favour and we attached below copy of the approval document . We wish to inform all our customers that our bank  Global internet network is currently under going general maintenance as a result of this non of our customers can access our bank online banking on internet not until maintenance is completed. We aplogise for the incoveniences this may cause to all our customers and we are working to restore it as soon as possible.
 
Acknowledge to us your receipt of the attached document.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Mrs.Joy Rudie

Tragic to hear about their online services being down! And me with only 72 hours to get them almost three grand US. Don't they realize that the Canadian dollar is poised to overtake the American, and, at that very moment, their offer os $10M US starts to lose its allure? Anyway, here is my latest reply:

Dear Mrs. Rudie,

I am bereaved! About my nephew Barnes and now about 72 hour deadlines! How am I to get the required money to you in 72 hours???? 65 hours by now! I would have seen your email sooner but I was in hospital with severe abrasions from a painful iceboarding accident this morning. I only have eight dollars US in my house!

I cannot fly to Nigeria in that time and a letter will take more than 65 hours, clearly. I am an old man and could not stand the shock of losing his inheritance over a deadline like this. Please say that there is a chance this can all work out! I don't have much money, but if I cash in my savings and borrow from old Mrs. Withers next door, I should have enough. But how to get it to your bank, which I checked on the INTERNET and see is a good and honest bank. Mrs. Rudie, I know you cannot fail (me).

Respectfully and sincerely,

Adrian Barnes

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BANK_TRANSFER_RECEIPT_FOR_MR._A_BARNES.pdf	49.54 KB