Lowbridge Scambaiting The 419 Email Scammers (Rita Kone)

7/14/04 | lowbridge

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Oh my, oh my. Dear Lowbridge, the sunshine you have brought to so many....tsk, tsk. You are a sick man.

I like that.

[zeugma]

Uh, I think you keep exceeding your bandwidth usage because your post is so damned funny. You are a master.

[mlmr]

There's a book in this. Think about publishing it.

[Tribune7]

I forget if I pinged you on this or not. It involves the Lovenstein Institute of Scranton :-)

[SpinyNorman]

Yes, the Lovenstein Institute was a master stroke!!

[bondjamesbond]

I guess they are not too busy releasing IQ ratings of former Presidents, and can engage in a little international high finance...

[SaveTheChief]

Remind me to never cross you. LOL

Nice work!

[lowbridge]

question..can't Yahoo block or cancel these e-addies from Nigerian scammers.?.

Yes they can. And the scammrs just turn around and sign up for a new email account. As I understand it, some of them have a few in reserve just in case someone turns them in and their account gets deleted. In fact, its not unusual for one single scammer to change email addresses several times over during our correspondence.

[ken5050]

Thanks...BTW..a great article...you should submit it for publication..anywhere from National review online, or even the mag.. to the NY Post..it's a great story..

[lowbridge]

bump

[Dimensio]

I once had a scammer bouncing to four different email accounts. The first was the one set up with his fake bank website. When that site was killed, he set up a new site with a new email addres. That one went down within 24 hours, so he set up a mail.com address. When I had that shut down, he went to a yahoo.com address.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to continue the scam until I have electricity restored to my home, so I can't kill the latest incarnation.

[Feiny]

I never get these type of emails...until 2 days ago. You inspired me to screw with this guy:

Mr Joshua Yengeni.

ATTN:, My name is Joshua Yengeni a South African citizen,i got your contact through the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry through a web based directory.I am the brother to Mr Tony Yengeni.My brother was the former chief whip of the ruling political party ANC.Due to the Trust and Confidence he has in me,he has mandated that I search for a "Reliable and Trustworthy" foreign partner who will help receive funds which we have in cash totalling US$35m(Thirty Five Million United States Dollars)into a personal or company bank account for safe keeping for a short period of time since our family bank accounts within and outside the country have all been frozen by govt authorities.

However I have managed to push the money abroad through diplomatic coverage and it is presently in the custody of a finance company in Europe.I hope you are trustworthy and will not sit on the money when you receive it.The total sum will be shared as follows:- 20% for you, 75% for my family, and then the remaining 5% will be used for the re-imbursement of all the expenses we will incure in the process of this transaction like your flight ticket to Europe where you will take delivery of the funds,your hotel accommodation and what have you.

There is no risk involved what so ever in this transaction as the funds will be received in your favour upon proper application.If you are interested in this business please urgently contact me with this e-mail address.Please endeavor to keep this business transaction confidential.I will be most grateful if you can help us.I would refer you to these few Websites for further information while i wait for your urgent response.

About my brother.
(1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2756861.stm
(2)http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/10/03/safrica.arms/index.html
(3)http://iafrica.com/news/sa/993487.htm
(4)http://www.sabcnews.co.za/south_africa/crime1justice/0,1009,55366,00.html

Best Regards,
Mr Joshua Yengeni.

------------------------------------

I responded with this:

Hi Joshua: I have never been to South Africa, but I just love Charlize Theron. She is de-lish-ious! How did you get my info through the South African Congress? You say you have my name, but you never addressed me. That is very rude.

I have never even been to your country as I am terribly afraid of getting some weird disease like Ebola. Aids is scary too. You guys all have Aids, don't you? Thats what they tell us over here....Aids, Ebola, West Nile virus....why do you have so many creepy things over there?

I am gonna check out those websites you sent me. I hope they aren't porno sites because I am at work & have my emails monitored. Do you know Nelson Mandela?

Regards,
Marshall Tucker

---------------------------------

Joshua writes me back today. His English is very good compared to most scammers.

Dear Marshall Tucker,

How are you today? Thank you very much for your response to my letter.You are right,Charlize Theron is a good actress.Aids is every where as am sure you aware of this.

I want to believe that you understand the need for strict confidentiality in this matter.My brother is currently under strict investigation and therefore this matter must be handled in an atmosphere of trust,and belief that we strive to achieve a common goal where all parties concerned are mutually satisfied.

Now,the funds are currently deposited in a storage facility with a finance company in Europe.It was deposited there while my brother was in the centre of this matter.He was able to use his contact,a staff of the finance company to deposit the funds there without actually declaring that it was money stashed away in the containers through diplomatic coverages.He was hoping that he would have enough time in Europe to invest the funds into proper interest yielding ventures before the whole matter was exposed and he was arrested though the money is till there safely.

We do not however want the funds to be lying there in the finance company for any longer than it is necessary as we fear that the information may one day leak out and reach the authorities here and the funds will be discovered and seized and my brother and his immediate family will be abandoned to suffer for the rest of our lives as he may never again have any gainful employment in the country.Our common thought therefore was to willfully transfer the beneficiary status of the containers to a willing and trustworthy foreign partner who has no proximity or relationship to South Africa who can at the end of the day hold the funds on our behalf and invest it into profitable enterprise until a time when we are able to take possession of the funds/investments again.We will share the proceed in the manner spelt out in my original letter to you.

This transaction is totally safe and risk free provided you follow my instructions religiously.On no account will your personal security come under any form of danger as a result of this matter.As long as we are able to keep this transaction very secret and confidential,we are well aware that we can enjoy the benefits with total peace of mind without the fear of having anyone knock on our doors now or in the future on account of this business transaction.

Finally,to enable us commence with this matter,I will need you to send me your secure and private telephone number(plus a mobile line if available) and fax number to enable me initiate a call to you for a formal introduction and my first hand assessment of the level of your willingness to assist in this business transaction for a share.And then a copy of your international passport to enable us draw up a letter of change of beneficiary status to the finance company to enable them deal directly with you henceforth.You may also be required to travel to the location of the finance company in Europe to finalise the release formalities to your custody.

As soon as I receive the required information from you and all arrangements are concluded,we will draft the "Change of Beneficiary" letter and in turn disclose the name,location and contact information of the finance company in Europe.

What i require from you is listed below.I await your prompt response once again to enable us commence with the process of working together.

Best Regards,
Joshua Yengeni.

N.B
1)YOUR FULL NAMES & ADDRESS.
2)YOUR PHONE,CELL & FAX NUMBERS.

-----------------------------

Here is my latest response:

Joshua, I am doing well. Thanks for asking. I was extremely hung over yesterday and could barely do anything. I wish I wouldn't drink so much, but that is what alcoholics do. I won't stop because I am no quitter. ;-)

I have to admit, even stone cold sober I am confused by your email. First, you tell me that you got my contact info from the South African Chamber of Commerce, then you are asking for my name & address? That doesn't make much sense to me. Perhaps you can explain that in your next email. I live in the mountains of North Carolina near Ashville. As for confidentiality, don't worry about that. I can keep a secret. I have been keeping one from my wife for over 15 years if you know what I mean.

Your brother seems to have gotten himself into a lot of trouble. I would love to help out, but how do I know you are really his brother? Do you have any photos of you & him together? He was with the ANC so I guess he knew Winnie Mandela. If you have any photos of you with her & Neslon that would be great.

Do you go hunting? All real men hunt so I am sure you do. Have you ever shot a lion, elephant or water buffalo? My wife has a sister who is as big as a water buffalo, but I am not allowed to shoot her. Its not Fat Whore season yet.

My wife always answers the home number because I never hear it ringing & I don't have a mobile phone because the government puts tracking devices in all of them & I won't be monitored by nobody. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me. A little paranoia is good for you anyway, it keeps you on your toes. I need that boost as I like the sauce. What is your favorite drink? Me & my brother Lynyrd like to make our own moonshine. We call it hillbilly juice & it will peel the paint off a car but it gets you where you want to go quickly.

I will have to let my accountant in on this deal because he handles all the finanaces. I have never been good with money. I once fell for some "get-rich-quick" scheme and lost about $100,000. That is a lot of money & my wife is still mad at me. If I were able to get a piece of that $35 million, I am sure she would forgive me.

Since you are sending me the photos of you with your brother & possible the Mandelas, I am sending you a picture of me & my brother & a few other buddies. See if you can guess which one I am!

Later Alligator,

Marshall Tucker

_________________________

[GeronL]

I received an Iraq-related email scam today, its millions of Saddam's money! LOL

[Feiny]

Hey Lowbie, I took your advice & set up a phone number.
So, I sent Joshua another email. (Yes, I am bored).

---

Hi Joshua: I decided to have a private line installed at my office. That way we can keep everything on the down low. My wife won't know a thing....until I tell her about the money after the deal. She will be so happy. I made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, but I also spent a lot. I like to gamble, I'm a gambling man. That is why I am going to trust you & help you out. I am still waiting for those photos of you & your brother. Please send them soon. I am on the road a lot, but always check my messages. The phone number is 206-350-2535.
My secretary won't answer this line as I have instructed her not to.....but she is a bit nosy so don't leave too much private info on any messages. We may need to develop a secret code....like the Nazis used in WW2. Or maybe more like James Bond....I'd rather be a spy than a nazi, how about you? Your last name is rather infamous and may draw unneeded attention to our business. I think we should use different names so no one will know who we are (except us, my new friend). My code name will be Harry Palmer. I think you should have a strong name like Harden Long. How do you like that one? If you hate it, I can make up another one.

Look forward to doing business with Harden Long.

Respectfully,

Harry Palmer

[Feiny]

I thought I had gone too far with my code names, but Joshua...I mean Harden Long.....just responded. It looks serious now, he has switched to ALL CAPS! Also notice that he used my code name, but his real one.

---

DEAR PALMER,

I HAVE BEEN TRYING YOUR PHONE BUT I KEEP MEETING YOUR VOICE MAIL.PLS CAN YOU TELL ME THE EXACT TIME I CAN CALL YOU SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS.I AM VERY ANXIOUS TO GET THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION MOVING.THIS PROJECT WILL INTAIL YOU TRAVELING TO LONDON WHERE THE SECURITY COMPANY IS LOCATED FOR YOU TO
CLAIM THE CONSIGNMENT PACKAGES.

THE FIRST STEP IS FOR YOU TO BE MADE THE BENEFICAIRY OF THE CONSIGNMENT LODGED WITH THE SECURITY COMPANY.THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DID NOT GIVE ME YOUR DETAILED CONTACT.I ONLY GOT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE I DID NOT TELL THEM MY INTENTIONS OF CONTACTING YOU AND I DID NOT GO THERE MY SELF I USED
A PROXY THAT WORKS WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND SHE ONLY GAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.PLEASE KINDLY SEND YOUR DETAILED INFORMATIONS AS YOU WILL LIKE TO BE DOCUMENTED SO THAT THE SECURITY COMPANY CAN EFFECT THE CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP TO YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS.

VERY IMPORTANTLY BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS PROJECT IS VERY GENIUNE.YOU WILL SEE FOR YOUR SELF ONCE YOU GET TO LONDON.I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.

BEST REGARDS,
JOSHUA YENGENI.

[Feiny]

And so it goes on....this is too much fun.

---

Hi Harden,
I am terribly sorry about the voice mail, but I had to go on a last minute trip. The hooliagans renting my beach house in Key West went crazy & did all sorts of damage. These people were insane. They did vile & disgusting things. I won't burden you with the details, but lets just say that due some strange fecal fetish, I may need to tear down my home & rebuild. Damndest thing I ever saw or smelled. I plan on hunting them down and doing something just as nasty to to them. You live in a primitive country, what is the most terrible torture over there? I am so distraught over this I am not thinking clearly.

I never received a message, did you leave one? Maybe this new phone line is installed wrong. Damn illegal immigrants can't do anything right....except sneak across the border. Please call back and if I don't answer, leave me a message. If you don't want to leave any details, just say something in code like "the moose has bitten my sister".

Here is my office address: 400 South Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28285
(This is really the FBI offices)

Also, you have not sent a photo or responded to the one I sent you. That upsets me and makes me a bit mistrustful. Are you series about this? I would love to visit London. I have not been there in over 10 years. The last time I went, my grandmother was worried because she didn't think I spoke the language. hahahaha She is not very smart, but she makes up for it by being mean. She hates anything not American. She won't even eat French toast or Chinese food. That makes her impossible to travel with or bring out to dinner. So, she won't be coming to London with me. I am very excited by all this information & it shows if you know what I mean. I await your response & your photo. If you don't have one with Mandela & your brother then just snap a photo of yourself with a sign that says our code phrase above: "A Moose Bit my Sister"
Did you figure out which guy I am in that photo? I'll give you a hint, I am the handsome one!

Your friend forever,

Harry Palmer

[lowbridge]

just snap a photo of yourself with a sign that says our code phrase above: "A Moose Bit my Sister"

Here he will probably refuse to give you the photo you requested. When he does, you will have to put your foot down and insist on it. Remember: You're the one with the money (so he thinks), so he should be following your instructions.

PS: Great work :-)

[Feiny]

Funny thing is I thought I had lost him by going over the top. Greed will be his downfall. I have to devise a clever way to get him to send me money.

I will get that photo. That is my trophy.
I have not planned out anything to write yet....it seems to just come naturally & I giggle while I type.

[lowbridge]

Funny thing is I thought I had lost him by going over the top. Greed will be his downfall. I have to devise a clever way to get him to send me money.

US Pony Express, sealed in a bottle and thrown into the sea, pigeon carrier ("good news! The pigeon has been spotted flying over uganda!"). But he will insist on Western Union or moneygram.

I will get that photo. That is my trophy. I have not planned out anything to write yet....it seems to just come naturally & I giggle while I type.

Thats what I sometimes do. Make it up as I go along.

[Feiny]

Mad, mad world was pure genius.

I know he will insist on Western Union, but I will insist on Pay Pal. I think my new goal is to get him to send me cash first.