Woman out $400K to 'Nigerian scam' con artists (Investigator: Worst example of scam he's seen)

KATU-TV (Oregon) ^ | November 11, 2008 | Anna Song

[Stoat]

Woman out $400K to 'Nigerian scam' con artists

 

Story Updated: Nov 11, 2008 at 9:07 PM PST

By Anna Song KATU News and KATU.com Web Staff

SWEET HOME, Ore. – Janella Spears doesn’t think she’s a sucker or an easy mark.

Besides her work as a nursing administrator, Spears – no relation to the well-known pop star – also teaches CPR and is a reverend who has married many couples. She also communicates with lightning-fast sign language with her hearing-impaired husband.

So how did this otherwise lucid, intelligent woman end up sending nearly half a million dollars to a bunch of con artists running what has to be one of the best-known Internet scams in the world?

Spears fell victim to the "Nigerian scam," which is familiar to almost anyone who has ever had an e-mail account.

The e-mail pitch is familiar to most people by now: a long-lost relative or desperate government official in a war-torn country needs to shuffle some funds around, say $10 million or $20 million, and if you could just help them out for a bit, you get to keep 10 (or 20 or 30) percent for your trouble.

All you need to do is send X-amount of dollars to pay some fees and all that cash will suddenly land in your checking account, putting you on Easy Street. By the way, please send the funds though an untraceable wire service.

By this time, not many people will fall for such an outrageous pitch, and the scam is very well-known. But it persists, and for a reason: every now and then, it works.

Spears received just such an e-mail, promising her that she’d get $20.5 million if she would only help out a long-lost relative – identified in the e-mail as J.B. Spears – with a little money up front. "That's what got me to believe it," Spears said.

It turned out to be a lot of money up front, but it started with just $100.

The scammers ran Spears through the whole program. They said President Bush and FBI Director "Robert Muller" (their spelling) were in on the deal and needed her help.

They sent official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and even from the United Nations. Her payment was "guaranteed."

Then the amount she would get jumped up to $26.6 million – if she would just send $8,300. Spears sent the money.

More promises and teases of multi-millions followed, with each one dependent on her sending yet more money. Most of the missives were rife with misspellings.

When Spears began to doubt the scam, she got letters from the President of Nigeria, FBI Director Mueller, and President Bush. Terrorists could get the money if she did not help, Bush’s letter said. Spears continued to send funds. All the letters were fake, of course.

She wiped out her husband’s retirement account, mortgaged the house and took a lien out on the family car. Both were already paid for.

For more than two years, Spears sent tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Everyone she knew, including law enforcement officials, her family and bank officials, told her to stop, that it was all a scam. She persisted.

Spears said she kept sending money because the scammers kept telling her that the next payment would be the last one, that the big money was inbound. Spears said she became obsessed with getting paid.

An undercover investigator who worked on the case said greed helped blind Spears to the reality of the situation, which he called the worst example of the scam he’s ever seen.

He also said he has seen people become obsessed with the scam before. They are so desperate to recoup their losses with the big payout, they descend into a vicious cycle of sending money in hopes the false promises will turn out to be real.

Now, Spears has gone public with her story as a warning to others not to fall victim.

She hopes her story will warn others to listen to reason and avoid going down the dark tunnel of obsession that ended up costing her so much.

Spears estimates it will take two years to dig out of the debt she ran up in pursuit of the non-existent pot of Nigerian gold.

[DeLaine]

[Above My Pay Grade]

Sorry, but no sympathy at all from me. Everbody knows about these Nigerian bank scams, and even if somehow she never heard of them, they are so obviously bogus that anyone who gets scammed by them, deserves to be scammed.

I don’t think law enforcement should spend a dime of our tax dollars fighting these scams. Some money for informing the public is fine, but they should not waste our tax dollars trying to help these idiots.

[Above My Pay Grade]

“Obama voter”

Hey, she got taken for $400K by the most obvious and well known scam in history, but is there any evidence she is gullible enough to have voted for an obvious black nationalist, Marxist, sleeper named Barack Hussein Obama?

[Daffynition]

You need to see an attorney and get a power of attorney in writing. It takes 5 minutes and costs very little. Do it today. Sounds like your mom still has her buttons, so also make sure they have up to date wills on file.

At this point a good attorney will save you a lot of headaches later on. I’m surprised no one has apprised you of this.

[Oztrich Boy]

Sorry darlin'....we're already up to speed. It appears that you are the last person on the entire planet to have gotten the memo. Your interest in going public

I don't know why anyone is sucked in by Nigerian scams. There are better offers available. Currently Frank Ben (Assistant Managing Director Turkish Bank (UK) Ltd London with 30% of 25 million Pounds Sterling) and Glen Bruce (AUDITOR GENERAL First National Bank Johannesburg with 38,559,000 Euro) have opened negotiations with me.

Stay away from Nigerian deals, it's not worth the risk

[FES0844]

Exactly, GREED. Sorry, no sympathy from me.

[Doc Savage]

Duh!

[Doc Savage]

Hope to Hell she voted for Obama,...because he’ll save her and make everything just like it was, he’s the MESSIAH of the WORLD!

[Presbyterian Reporter]

This story is so unbelievable that I am wondering if she is scamming us with a fake story.

[Darksheare]

“So how did this otherwise lucid, intelligent woman..”

LOL, comedy writers?

[IncPen]

ping

[reformedliberal]

My ex-husband had an aunt who believed every email that told her she had won an Irish or European lottery that she had never entered. I heard that she finally passed away at 90+ in a government-supported assistance living facility, damning her children for blocking her access to the millions she had *won*. It may have helped that she really liked booze.

[Condor51]

[reagan_fanatic]

[rftech01]

Here is my latest conversation via e-mail with these scammers. I like to have a little conversation with them....you know it makes them burn up the pages of their Nigerian to Englissh translation books.

E-mail from Elinor George:

From : Mrs. Elinor George
Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire

Dearest Calvary Greetings,
With Due Respect And Humanity, I was compelled to write to you under a humanitarian ground.My name is Joy Elinor George. I was born in
Baltimore, Maryland,I am married to Mr. George Jacob director J.C Industries Cote d’Ivoire. We were married for 36 years without a child.

He died after a Cardiac Arteries Operation. And Recently, My Doctor
told me that I would not last for the next six months due to my cancer problem (cancer of the liver and stroke).Before my husband died last year thereis this sum $4.8 Million Dollars that he deposited in a Bank here In Ivory Coast.

Presently this money is still in the Bank custody. Having known my
condition I decided to donate this fund to any good God fearing brother
or sister that will utilize this fund the way I am going to instruct
herein.I want somebody that will use this fund according to the desire of my late.husband to help Less privilaged people, orphanages, widows andpropagating the word of God.

I took this decision because I don’t have any child that will inherit
this fund, And I don’t want in a way where this money will be used in an unGodly way.This is why I am taking this decision to hand you over this
Fund. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going.
I want you to always remember me in your daily prayers because of my up coming Cancer Surgery.

Write back as soon as possible any delay in your reply will give me
room in sourcing another person for this same purpose,Hoping to read from you asap.
God bless you as you listing to the voice of Reasoning,
Yours sister,
Mrs. Elinor George

---

My Response:

Joy,

Oh my God, you are in a terrible position! Have you considered another Doctor who could maybe give you better news? I did and it helped me a great deal.

When I suffered rectal/cranial inversion a few years ago in a farm machinery accident, my first doctor told me there wasn’t anything that could be done and I believed him. Life was extremely difficult because I had buttocks where my head should be. After a long period of humilation (people laughed and made fun of me when I ate chili and eating crackers was hard too) I met Dr Robert Bunsenburner at a Halloween Party and with one two-part operation, I was cured!

What Calvary are you in? I was in the Second Armoured Calvary before it merged with MSNBC. We never got to be First because of the Dewey Decimal System, used in all public libraries, which demands no duplications of Cardinal numbers. We have no more Cardinal numbers here in New Jersey because it is too cold now but I did spot a Blue Jay, which is a close relative.

Please go ahead and send me the money but, be sure to keep a little for the next six months or so.

Thank you,

---

elinor george to me:

Dearest Keith,
Greetings to you through our Lord !
I received and read your mail with gratitude to God and I have decided with my full heart to WILL this fund under your control, I was satisfied and convience with the glory of God that you will take proper care of the fund . I have contacted you in this matter with a sincere mind and in good faith believing that you are not going to disappoint me.
I have contacted you to use this money for the work of God and you are going to help so many souls through this money.

I am persuaded to fulfil this desire of my late husband and that is why I will be trusting and believing your sincerity to appropriate this accordingly. This fund is desiginated for humanitarian and Charity services with special emphasis. This must be disbursed with every appropriation, accountability and prudence to the glory of God.

I will want you to urgently handle this to the glory of God. All what you will do is to contact the bank where the fund is deposited and introduce yourself to them as my late husband [ Mr. George Jacobs ] foreign business associate and the beneficiary of the deposited US$ 4,800,000.00 million with their bank, you will instruct the bank here on how they will transfer the money into your care, you will tell the bank that this money is for ophanage services which your late partner Mr. George Jacobs deposited on your behalf before his death, so that the bank here will transfer the money to you. I will not be capable to handle this, because I have been placed on daily check up periodically. But I will contact the bank today after sending you this mail and introduce you to them as my late husband foreign business associate and the beneficiary of the money with their bank , so that it will be easier for you to claim the fund.

Please always remember me in your daily prayers for my health condition is not getting better that I am still alive today is by the special Grace of God, and may the Good Lord add more anointing upon you , and give you more wisdom to handle this project to his own Glory. You have to try and call my family Doctor because I have informed him about you , since I will be going for surgery operation by next coming week and you should introduce yourself officially to him as the foriegn business partner to my late husband MR. GEORGE JACOBS and care taker of the deposited fund in the bank, he will direct you and guide you on what to do in order to claim the fund if I am not capable to communicate with you because of my health situation.

Below is the contact of my family Doctor.
Name: Dr Moses Hoose.
Email: saintnicolas_hospitals@live.fr
Private phone: +22509705408.

Please understand my fiscal health condition, like I told you before I have been prescribed to undergo a major cancer operation which is scheduled to be hold by next week, so I will want us to conclude this transaction before my surgery, as we may not say the outcome of the surgery. I am going to forward you the contact of the bank and account information of the fund deposit so that you will send it across to the bank when contacting them as your proof.

Thanks and may God bless you. As i await to hear from
you soon,

Your sister,
Mrs. Joy Elinor George

Today I sent the following...

Joy,

Did you die yet? I never got the money

[rftech01]

Here is my latest conversation via e-mail with these scammers. I like to have a little conversation with them....you know it makes them burn up the pages of their Nigerian to Englissh translation books.

E-mail from Elinor George:

From : Mrs. Elinor George
Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire

Dearest Calvary Greetings,
With Due Respect And Humanity, I was compelled to write to you under a humanitarian ground.My name is Joy Elinor George. I was born in
Baltimore, Maryland,I am married to Mr. George Jacob director J.C Industries Cote d’Ivoire. We were married for 36 years without a child.

He died after a Cardiac Arteries Operation. And Recently, My Doctor
told me that I would not last for the next six months due to my cancer problem (cancer of the liver and stroke).Before my husband died last year thereis this sum $4.8 Million Dollars that he deposited in a Bank here In Ivory Coast.

Presently this money is still in the Bank custody. Having known my
condition I decided to donate this fund to any good God fearing brother
or sister that will utilize this fund the way I am going to instruct
herein.I want somebody that will use this fund according to the desire of my late.husband to help Less privilaged people, orphanages, widows andpropagating the word of God.

I took this decision because I don’t have any child that will inherit
this fund, And I don’t want in a way where this money will be used in an unGodly way.This is why I am taking this decision to hand you over this
Fund. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going.
I want you to always remember me in your daily prayers because of my up coming Cancer Surgery.

Write back as soon as possible any delay in your reply will give me
room in sourcing another person for this same purpose,Hoping to read from you asap.
God bless you as you listing to the voice of Reasoning,
Yours sister,
Mrs. Elinor George

---

My Response:

Joy,

Oh my God, you are in a terrible position! Have you considered another Doctor who could maybe give you better news? I did and it helped me a great deal.

When I suffered rectal/cranial inversion a few years ago in a farm machinery accident, my first doctor told me there wasn’t anything that could be done and I believed him. Life was extremely difficult because I had buttocks where my head should be. After a long period of humilation (people laughed and made fun of me when I ate chili and eating crackers was hard too) I met Dr Robert Bunsenburner at a Halloween Party and with one two-part operation, I was cured!

What Calvary are you in? I was in the Second Armoured Calvary before it merged with MSNBC. We never got to be First because of the Dewey Decimal System, used in all public libraries, which demands no duplications of Cardinal numbers. We have no more Cardinal numbers here in New Jersey because it is too cold now but I did spot a Blue Jay, which is a close relative.

Please go ahead and send me the money but, be sure to keep a little for the next six months or so.

Thank you,

---

elinor george to me:

Dearest Keith,
Greetings to you through our Lord !
I received and read your mail with gratitude to God and I have decided with my full heart to WILL this fund under your control, I was satisfied and convience with the glory of God that you will take proper care of the fund . I have contacted you in this matter with a sincere mind and in good faith believing that you are not going to disappoint me.
I have contacted you to use this money for the work of God and you are going to help so many souls through this money.

I am persuaded to fulfil this desire of my late husband and that is why I will be trusting and believing your sincerity to appropriate this accordingly. This fund is desiginated for humanitarian and Charity services with special emphasis. This must be disbursed with every appropriation, accountability and prudence to the glory of God.

I will want you to urgently handle this to the glory of God. All what you will do is to contact the bank where the fund is deposited and introduce yourself to them as my late husband [ Mr. George Jacobs ] foreign business associate and the beneficiary of the deposited US$ 4,800,000.00 million with their bank, you will instruct the bank here on how they will transfer the money into your care, you will tell the bank that this money is for ophanage services which your late partner Mr. George Jacobs deposited on your behalf before his death, so that the bank here will transfer the money to you. I will not be capable to handle this, because I have been placed on daily check up periodically. But I will contact the bank today after sending you this mail and introduce you to them as my late husband foreign business associate and the beneficiary of the money with their bank , so that it will be easier for you to claim the fund.

Please always remember me in your daily prayers for my health condition is not getting better that I am still alive today is by the special Grace of God, and may the Good Lord add more anointing upon you , and give you more wisdom to handle this project to his own Glory. You have to try and call my family Doctor because I have informed him about you , since I will be going for surgery operation by next coming week and you should introduce yourself officially to him as the foriegn business partner to my late husband MR. GEORGE JACOBS and care taker of the deposited fund in the bank, he will direct you and guide you on what to do in order to claim the fund if I am not capable to communicate with you because of my health situation.

Below is the contact of my family Doctor.
Name: Dr Moses Hoose.
Email: saintnicolas_hospitals@live.fr
Private phone: +22509705408.

Please understand my fiscal health condition, like I told you before I have been prescribed to undergo a major cancer operation which is scheduled to be hold by next week, so I will want us to conclude this transaction before my surgery, as we may not say the outcome of the surgery. I am going to forward you the contact of the bank and account information of the fund deposit so that you will send it across to the bank when contacting them as your proof.

Thanks and may God bless you. As i await to hear from
you soon,

Your sister,
Mrs. Joy Elinor George

Today I sent the following...

Joy,

Did you die yet? I never got the money

[Barb4Bush]

Too funny. I could not stop laughing.

[martin_fierro]

No amateurs, please. Send FReepmail if you want on/off ISHP list
The List of Ping Lists

[misterrob]

Being married to a deaf person looks appealing. Being deaf while married even better!!!!

[Tunehead54]

I can't believe I'm the first!:

"When Spears began to doubt the scam, she got letters from the President of Nigeria, FBI Director Mueller, and President Bush."

---

Bush's fault! ;-)