'Saddam's son' writes WND, trolling for dollars

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, June 13, 2003

[JohnHuang2]

My newest favorite e-mail has nothing to with refinancing a home mortgage or enlarging any portion of myself.

Uday Hussein

It's a personal plea from Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, marked "URGENT."

Less than three weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that Uday was in surrender talks to U.S. forces in Iraq, it seems the son of a dictator is looking to make himself and someone else very wealthy.

Uday's letter (let's play along for the sake of fun and just assume the message is really from Uday) came to WorldNetDaily's inbox following the general format of the well-known Nigerian scam, promising a massive payoff later in exchange for some money up front.

Here's the entire text, including the less-than-perfect grammar and spelling:

Dear Sir,

I am Uday Hussein the first son of The former Iraqi leader President Saddam Hussein.I was priviledged to a lot of huge transactions during the reign of my father before the outbreak of Iraq war and collapse of my father's regime.Because of the imminent war and threat by the United States to freeze all assets and funds of the Hussein family, which is already on the way, I deposited the sum of US$45 MILLION as bond in a Security Finance Company. Right now I am looking for a reliable, trustworthy and competent businessman who will travel to Europe to lay claims to this funds on my behalf. This Funds was gotten as a result of the sales of petroleum to a French company allocated to me.

This funds was deposited in a Security Company in Europe because of the war so that It will not be frozen by American and British governments. Upon your response showing your interest in assisting me, the said country in Europe will be revealed to you. Presently, I am in Iraq in an undisclosed location for security reasons where there is no telephone and fax communication for security reasons.

I have entrusted all the documents covering the transaction and the deposit to my personal Attorney who is presently in London. He will give you further directives as regards the claims of the funds and you would be required to give to him a letter of guarantee of trust to prove that the funds will be secured under your custody.

You are to take 25% of the total sum for assitance,5% is mapped out for any contingent expenses in the course of the transaction, while 70% will be for me. If you are interested kindly contact my lawyer on the above email address and feel free to deal with him as it will not be safe for me to deal with you directly

I look forward to receiving updates from my lawyer as regards your cooperation.

May Allah Bless you!

Uday Hussein.

While many people might stop reading as they realize it's a scam, a closer look at this letter reveals a few interesting points:

• Uday has been spending considerable time in Nigeria, or at least getting lots of similar mail from there.

• By referring to Saddam as the "former Iraqi leader," Uday recognizes that big daddy is no longer the "Big Man in Baghdad."

• Uday may see himself as an Iraqi version of Donald Trump, having been around "a lot of huge transactions during the reign of my father."

• He doesn't refer to anyone as a bloodthirsty hyena or the Great Satan. Maybe the desire for money calms the insult instinct. We can only hope so, since the U.S. State Department says Uday "has tortured and jailed members of Iraq's national soccer team for losing games."

• While "there is no telephone and fax communication for security reasons," Uday is somehow able to communicate via the Internet. Maybe he's got one of those new wireless connections.

• He received the $45 million from "the sales of petroleum to a French company allocated to me." Wouldn't you know it? There had to be a French connection.

• And Uday requests that we deal with his lawyer "as it will not be safe for me to deal with you directly." I think Uday must have missed the Shakespeare memo to "kill all the lawyers." It's likely his father didn't.

When I informed a WorldNetDaily colleague that we received a letter from Saddam's son scoping for dough, his initial reaction was: "He wrote a letter to us?"

Upon further explanation about the contents of the e-mail and our potential windfall of 25 percent of $45 million (more than $11 million), I was told what any true American might say.

"Tell him I won't take any less than 50 percent."

---

[JohnHuang2]

Friday, June 13, 2003

Quote of the Day by Carry_Okie

[goldstategop]

Someone has come up with a variant of our old friend, the famous Nigerian e-mail scam! The folks in Abuja probably hate the competition in Baghdad. And there's the inevitable $64,000 question: is Baghad Bob fronting this for Uday?? <grin

[BagCamAddict]

Anyone who knows anything about Uday knows that as soon as this supposed "transaction" is completed, the facilitator would be brutally killed. But for $11 million? Well, ok, I'll do it! LOL Yeah right.

[DonQ]

.... If I should receive such an e-mail I must immediately respond to it. I will thank Uday profusely for his perceptiveness in detecting in me a person who would assist one of his country's worst enemies, the killer of scores of his fellow Americans, and as someone is obviously willing to violate the currency laws of his own country and probably a few others. Seldom have I been so flattered.