Zimbabwe and the 419 Scam

Many of you have received in your mail various versions of the 419 scam, an advance-fee fraud. The link below gives a fascinating insight to it all. I recommend you read it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud

Most are tediously boring in their lack of originality. With Zim going tits-up, the scammers have switched their con as being now ‘victims’ of the mess, who amazingly have millions that they can’t access without your help.

Nearly all scam letters are poorly written. As Wiki says -

‘Some victims believe that they can cheat the con artist. This idea is often encouraged by the fraudsters who write in a clumsy and uneducated style which presents them as naive and easily cheated by a sophisticated westerner.’

Ahh hah! So do the scams work? Well, according to Wiki –

‘Insa Nolte, a lecturer of University of Birmingham's African Studies Department, stated that "The availability of e-mail helped to transform a local form of fraud into one of Nigeria's most important export industries."’

BUT, this one I received recently (not), wins a prize for freshness and cleverness.

From: KuramidzaSixpence@Yahoo.com

To: lore-data@usual.com

Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 1:32 PM

Subject: Xmass Box

Dear Baas or Madam,

You do not know me, nor I no you, but now we no each other, I have a special request that will benefit both of us with Christ-mass box.

I may introduce myself. I am Zimbabwean Kuramidza Sixpence, the son of the war vetran Ticky Bichana, who passed recently, from shitting too much, away. Befour he dead he told me a family secret that the family did not no off. He had been a sell-out!

This is bad news because ZANU (PF) would kill him if they find out, but good news is that he is dead, but not buried and this is why I ask for your humble help in this matter.

In a tin trunk under his bed was money. The bed was on bricks because of the tokolotch, (a mini-me mugabe monster) that is why the tin trunk could fit. Inside is Rhodesian Dollars 4,745.25 cents in proove notes, still sealed in ok bazzar plastic bags with Rhodesia is super logo, (Zimbabwe Dollar 586048.78556358.85634.845635367, and 20 cents) This monies were paid by Ian Smith for him to spy on Robert Mugabe. He said he should have got more but independence came and Smith lost his job and Mugabe steal all his cows.

I have swim the net and see Rhodesian dollars minting on eBay for American dollars, but here is my dialemma.

‘If you put too much money for sale it loose its value.’ I never forget this word from my last Boss, Gideon Gono. I use to make his tea till Tanganda Tea estates were burnt down to make way for 3 goats and 2 chickens and 2 thousand 15 years old war vetrans.

I my-self am a big man in ZANU (PF) and that is a problem because western sanctions make it impossible for me to sell on eBay. If you sell for me, I give you 25% (twentee fove pine-scent) commissaries.

With the proceeds I will get a new komp-poot-ya and scammer and with a new printer from a farmer who lost it, I and you can stay in business till the last Rhodesian die!

Pleeze reply with your honest intention and your bank account details so I can start our transaction.

I must warn you of utmost secret see. I have a plan to push up bidding so look-out and suzzie matwetwey will be bidding but they don’t win, okay.

Many thanks

Kuramidza Sixpence (aka, Hurry-up Fivecents)