My new friend Mark
Okay. I’m not going to continue clogging BMOWP with 419 scammers. It’s a field already expertly tackled by 419 Eaters, though I do feel that, with my short career at the local Relay center, I’m already trained in the subtle nuances of Nigerian (and, of course, Ghanaian) scammers. After all – we saw quite a few of them come through.
But I’ve been getting e-mails from Mark Green Apke. He’s my new friend – a Nigerian scammer that wants to get me involved in a beneficiary account, or something. I’ve posted one of these e-mails (my very first scammer, actually) on BMOWP a few weeks ago. But this guy is persistent. And I’m going to play along.
Here is the first e-mail.
From: Mr Mark Green Akpe,
Manager International commercial Bank
Kaneshie-First light Branch,
Accra- Ghana.Attention :Corey,
My name is Mark Green Akpe, I am the regional manager of the International Commercial Bank of Ghana First light kaneshie Branch Accra Ghana. I got your information during my search through the Internet. I am 44years of age and married with 3 lovely kids. It may interest you to hear that I am a man of PEACE and don’t want problem, I only hope we can assist each other.
I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us, as the regional manager of the International Commercial Bank; it is my duty to send in a financial report to my head office in the capital city Accra at the end of each year. On the course of the last year 2006 end of year report, I discovered that my branch in which I am the manager made Four million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars [$4,750.000.00] which my head office are not aware of and will never be aware of. I have since place this fund on what we call SUSPENSE ACCOUNT without any beneficiary.
As an officer of the bank I can not be directly connected to this money, so this informed my contacting you for us to work so that you can assist receive this money into your bank account for us to SHARE. While you will have 30% of the total fund.
Note there are practically no risk involved, it will be bank to bank transfer, all I need from you is to stand claim as the original depositor of this fund who made the deposit with our branch so that my Head office can order the transfer to your designated bank account. If you accept this offer to work with me, I will appreciate it very much. As soon as I receive your response I will details you on how we can achieve it successfully.
Best regards,
Mr. Mark Green Akpe
So this guy wants me to help him steal money from a bank. This is different. I’m used one of the following:
-Orphaned children need money! For shoes/soccer balls/medicine!
-We’ve found a large inheritance with no beneficiary! It can be yours for a small fee!
-I would like to buy 300 copies of Bill Clinton’s My Life! Run my credit card now!
So this is even more peculiar. Either this is a very new scheme, or this guy is very inexperienced. He’s narrowing his target to people that would willingly take stolen money – not tugging at heartstrings, but poking at vices.
I sent a response, looking for details.
Prove it.
CWV
To which I received the following – an e-mail, complete with an awesome facsimile of his “bank ID.”
Dear Corey,
Thanks for yor email response to me, i am most grateful that you took your time to pick an interest to assist me,before i give to you the full details of the transaction,i will like you to sleep over this proposal as i am very sure of the immediate consumation and successful conclusion of this business deal.
I will also assure you that this transaction is 100% risk free but requuires absolute confidentiality and trust.
How ever attached is my working ID card.
Thanks,
Mark Green Akpe
Of course, I didn’t respond for a while. Why should I? After all, I was “sleep over” the proposal. I needed to soak it all in. My very own scammer! And I could play along and screw with his mind! It’s as if I’m a member of 419 Eater!
Waiting for a reply, “Mark” sent me this:
Dear Corey,
I have sent to you an email yesterday and have not heard from you, please acknowledge my email and ascertain your stand in assisting me towards accomplishing the project.
Immediately I hear from you, I will inform you of all necessary details and procedure as I have outlined an already made plan for a successful conclusion.
I am still waiting.
Peace.Mark
Oh no! It’s slipping away.
I need to know the hook. How will this hair brained scheme work? He’s already admitted to, in essence, stealing 4.5 million dollars. So how will he manage to get any money out of me?
For now, I’m playing dumb. My response:
Hmm. Sounds interesting.
I’m concerned about the legality of this. You’ve stolen this money, haven’t you? What if the police find you? Won’t I be locked up forever?
I think I should have an equal stake in this. Give me 50%.
But first, let me know how we do it.
CWV
So now, I wait for a response. And, so shall you. I know that these scammers work quickly – they try to convince the stupidest and most naive of us to act before we figure out what’s really going on. This is a new one, though – a bank officer admitting to fraud, asking me to be associated with fraud, instead of a dying beneficiary or orphaned children.
In the meantime, check out 419 Eater, and revel in the scamming of scammers.