FROM MR FELIX WILLIAMS.
AUDIT AND ACCOUNT DEPT.
ECO BANK BENIN COTONOU.

Dear,

This proposal is real and I want you to consider it very important and
I am assuring you that it is not a joke or anyhow letter.
I am Mr Felix Williams, of Eco Bank Benin, Audit and Account Unit,
during the course of our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an
account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 2000 nobody has operated
on this account again.

After going through some old files in the records, I discovered that
the owner of the account died with his family. Remain honest to me till
the end of this important business trusting in you and believing in God
that you will not disappoint me.

The owner of this account who was Mr Charles Balassi,from California a
foreigner and an Industrialist who died along side with his next of
kin, since November 2nd 1999 in plane crash, until now no other person
(s) knows about this account or could give any documentary evidence
concerning this account. Meanwhile the total amount involved is Ten
million United States Dollars (U.S.$10,000,000.00 only.)

I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be
approved to a local account, without valid international
foreign "Agreement", but could only be approved to any foreigner with
valid international documents: Passport or Driver’s license and
Foreign Account because this sum is in U.S. dollars and the former
owner of the account Mr Charles Balassi, is a foreigner too, thus the
money could only be approved to a foreigner.

I will like both of us to build confidence and trust to sign an
agreement that will build us together before transferring the money
to any account of your choice where the fund will be safe for safety
keeping,To prove the authenticity of the business I have the deceased
file jacket with me regarding any question that may comes up from the
bank.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given you 20% of the
total amount, 70% will be for me, while 10% will be for expenses that
might have incurred during this process this business is 100% risk
free, be rest assured that this deal is legal.

I look forward to your earliest reply.

Best regards.

Mr Felix Williams

Felix is the name of my sister's cat so I thought it might be fun to play along with this to see she is using thier computer during the day. Paws and keyboards don't mix but what they hell. Oh, and GOD gets a mention which is always a good thing in a scam.

Felix

I like the sound of this deal. How can I get involved ?

P

Thinking about it, the cat is much too lazy to bother with this sort of thing. Besides, she would want fish or something.

Thank you for your interest. Your involvement in this deal now is that you are going to be the beneficiary of this money as I will get a
lawyer based here in Cotonou to document your name as the rightful next of kin to the late account owner.

For this to be done, I will require your full name and Address as you would want it to appear on the payment documents including your telephone and fax lines for ease of communication.

Once this information is received, I will give it to the lawyer and he will go and process the documents covering the death of the deceased and proving you as the next of kin. So that this money will be transferred in your name to your designated account.

I am urgently looking forward to hear from you.

Yours sincerely

Felix Williams

Cotonou ? Can't be the cat then as she lives in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Felix

Thank you for getting in touch with me. My details are as follows:
Name: Philedelphus Parker
Address: 20-22 Cheapside, Wakefield, W Yorkshire, WF1 2TF
Telephone: 0723 291221

I would appreciate recieving the same information from yourself. I'm also keen to know a bit more about anyone I do business with. Are you a married man ? I have been married to Maureen for 25 years and have 2 children. Are you a father ? I only ask because a family man is more likely to be reliable in business dealings than a single man - not that this worries me if you haven't been blessed yet.

Start as you mean to go on with a blatant lie. If you are wondering, that isn't my address, its John Prescott (Deputy PM for non-UK readers) constituancy office. I made the phone number up.

Dear brother,

Thank you for your cooperation and interest to work with me.

I received your informataion, and I will forward same to the lawyer this week to enable him start processing the documents.

I am maried and GOD bless me with two kids (a boy and a girl) as a civil servant I can not extend that. I am very very gentle and I like
to do some thing with a gentlemen like you.

Infact you can reach me through this number +229-98-86-39 so that we can speak together.

Thanks and my best wishes to you and your family while awaiting your call today.

Felix Williams

Woah there tiger ! " I am very very gentle and I like to do some thing with a gentlemen like you." What the heck does that mean ? Trust me Felix, the only thing I want to do is laugh at your pathetic attempts to defraud me. Mind you the cat IS a bit is tart (guess where our cats came from...) so perhaps she has learned to type. Of course the reason she can't extend the family is nothing to do with being a civil servant and lots to do with a trip to the vet for a little operation.

Felix

I tried calling your number but there seemed to be a problem with the line. I'm now out and about on business for a few days so it would help me enormously if you could le t me know what the next stages are by e-mail. I'll be picking this up from the hotel and it's a lot easier than remembering to phone !

Thanks very much. Please pass my good wishes on to your family. It sounds like you are looking to extend it, perhaps once we have concluded this deal you will be able to afford to. I bet you are already palnning what to do with the money, I know I am.

P

I don't care if the number works as cats can't answer telephones.

Dear Brother,

Thanks for your information and I pray that GOD will grant you journey mercy in your trip.

Anyway I have submited your information to the lawyer and as soon he obtain the documents then I will send it to you. Mean while you should keep on geting in touch with me through email as said.

Thanks and GOD bless you and your family.

Yours Sincerely Brother,

Felix Williams.

Oh, knock it off ! What is it with these people, do they really think that beseaching GOD all the time in their e-mails I'm going to trust them ?

Dear Brother,

Further to my mail this morning, the lawyer obtained today the AFFIDAVIT OF CLAIM "NEXT OF KIN" in your name and I am forwarding it to via email.

This is first step we have to take for now while awaiting to obtain other documents later.

Please brother, at this stage we are now, please I want you keep every thing within you and nobody else should know about this as I am still a staff to the bank.

Thanks.

Still "a staff to the bank" ? I know Felix is a bit of a plank but does the whole bank really need propping up with a walking stick ? Anyway, what a rubbish document. You are looking at my filled in copy, but first I had a little trouble,

Felix

Thanks for the form. I see it needs a thumb print to validate it. I've never been asked for one of these before but there is no problem. One of the joys of working in a new environment I suppose.

However since I need to send a thumbprint I assue you want me to post the form back to you. What address to I send it to ? I hope airmail will be sufficiently quick for this purpose.

All the best to you and the family.

P

Presumably the thumbprint is some viatal feature to stop fraud. Won't be needing it here then.

Dear Brother,

Thanks for your prmpt response.

Brother, what you surpose to do is to print out the form, fill in the form, sign your signature and send it back to me via email and not post. It doesn't need your thumb print.

Please understand this very well.

Thanks once again while awaiting to receive back the form via email as soon as possible.

My best wishes to you and family.

Felix Willaims

Silly me, of course the thubprint doesn't matter. Anyway, I went on holiday for a few days.

Dear Brother,

How is your trip? I hope you are fine.

I expect you to sign the document and return it to me, please do this faster as time is against us. Remember to send it via email and not by post.

I called your line today but the line is connecting at all though we have a very heavy downpour today.

Please I need your urgent response today.

Thanks.

Felix Williams

Poor Felix is getting wet. Ahhhhhhhh.

Felix

My trip was lovely thank you. It is always good to get away from it all and clear the mind. I was able to do a little sailing, a pleasure I hope to be able indulge more once our deal is done. Traversing the water with the wind in your hair powered only by the forces of nature brings one closer to your God and yet the harnessing of those very forces makes a man feal ALIVE.

I had some trouble filling your form in. It is not in the easiest of formats and I had to enlist the help of my son Geraldine to sort this out. He is a bit of a whizz with computers and soon had me sorted out. I have attached the results to this form - I hope they will be OK.

Geraldine will of course benefit from this transaction as well. As my heir he will be in line for assistance in his education. I would assume you have similar plans for your family. Education is one of the greatest investments we can make in the young and I am sure you see your heirs going on to greater things in whatever field thay choose to enter.

All the best.

P

Yes, Geraldine IS a girls name. Don't suppose Felix will notice though.

Dear brother,

I thanks GOD for your sucessful journey and wish you welcome back home.

I noted your returned form is ok, now I will submit it to the payment department, please they may contact you at anytime so be at alert and if there is any thing you dont understand from them please let me know. I have finished my own underground works down here it left for you over there to play your part very perfect so thta we can acheive our objectives as a gentlemen.

Thanks and wishing you happy resurrection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Yours Sincerely,

Felix Williams

Felix is doing some "underground works" ? Is he building a cellar or something ? Quite nice touch to get the resurrection in though as were conversing over Easter. These guys are getting sophisticated.

Dear Brother,

How are today with your family? I hope the good LORD is with you people.

I carefully checked your form and I found out that you did not sign it and you left the upper part of the form unfilled, though I amended it before submiting it to the payment department. They will call you at anytime so be at alert whenever you receive any signal from them please inform me. Meanwhile I tried several times to call you on phone but it always be difficult.

Please I will be glad if you can call me today so that I can hear your voice and give you some guide lines.

Thanks and my best wishes to you and your family.

Yours Sincerely,

Felix Williams

Good to see Felix is acting in my best interests. Not sure how I would sign a form el;ectronically without printing it out and scanning the result back in. I assume scanners are much more common in Nigeria than they are here. Perhaps the LORD provideth them ?

Dear Brother,

Today the payment department called on me saying that you did not sign the form and that is holding the transfer now.
So brother, please kindly sign the form and return it today so that the lawyer will help you fill the upper form, but the most important thing is your signature so that the transfer will be made immediately.

Thanks.

Felix Williams

Oh dear, what am I to do ? I don't want to waste ink printing this rubbish out and scanning it in again. Besides, this process is very unreliable and can result in huge files that don't e-mail properly. Perhaps I should ask my Brother Felix for assistance. Is there a Helpdesk for Nigerian Web Scam vicitms to help us get ripped off ?

Dear Sir,

This is to inform you that your claim for your late cousin's fund has been approved for payment.

You are requested to submit to us the Death Certificate of your late cousin before this payment can be released to your designated account. Meanwhile, you did not specify your bank detail information. Please give us your bank detail address to avoid mispayment.

Attached is your approved claim form for your records.

We wait to hear from you shortly.

Congratulations.

Yours faithfully,

Richard Mensah

Thats OK then, the bank have approved everything anyway. I'm impressed with the effort made to print my form and cover it with rubber stamp marks. You would almost think it real - if you were a stupid person. Better tell Felix.

Felix

I've just had confirmation from the bank that they have approved the transfer. All that they require is the death certificate. Where am I to get this form from ? I assume you have already arranged a copy suitable for the job.

P

How prepared is he ? I wonder if there is a fake death certificate wating in the wings ?

Richard

My back details as requested:
Account number: IOM3356732-335
Address: Banko de Mann, Jurby, Isle Of Mann
Sort code 20-12-45-32

I hope these are sufficient. Let me know if you need anything else.

The death certificate will be forwarded to you by my solicitor.

P

Better talk to the bank as well. Yes I know Isle of Man is spelt wrong. I've also given the account number slightly incorrectly to see if they are paying attention. Bet they have spent too long sniffing the ink on their rubber stamps to notice.

Attention: Mr. Parker,

We are in receipt of your mail and the bank details. Your payment voucher has been prepared with the following information as provided by your goodself:

Beneficiary: Philedelphus Parker

Receiving Bank: Banko de Mann, Jurby, Isle of Mann

Account number: IOM3356732-335

Sort Code: 20-12-45-32

Well they sound happy. Obviously exhastive checks have been carried out then...

Dear Sir,

DEATH CERTIFICATE OF
MR. CHARLES BALASSI

I have just been called by the Bank Management requesting me to produce the death certificate of your late cousin Mr. Charles Balassi whom they have approved his deposit for your claim as the next of kin.

This certificate will cost you US$3,500.00 (Three Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars Only) before it can be issued to me by the Ministry of Health.

I am urgently waiting to receive the money to enable me proceed immediately to obtain the certificate as it is very urgent. I am giving 48 hours to produce it to the bank management.

Yours faithfully,

Benjamin Butuleze

Oh, a new person ! This one wants money as well. What a bill just for a piece of paper ! Two suggestions for scammers reading this - 1) Don't get too greedy. 2) Tell me how you want to get paid. If you are going to rip me off, make it easy or I'll start thinking.

Dear Brother,

I received your mail today confirming the receipt of the approval and demands of death certificate.

Brother, I must tell you that the attorney Mr. Benjamin Butuleze has been of great assistant to us in this transaction. I explained to him to assist in processing the claim of one of our late customers money to his cousin being his next of kin and he agreed to work and to be paid for his services after the money is transferred to your account. But please take note he is not aware that this is business because is absolutely legal claim transfer, this is the money at my disposal as an account officer in the bank.

Please I will like you to call Mr. Benjamin on his number +229-28-72-19 immediately you receive this mail because he has complained not getting through to your telephone number. He has been trying to reach you on phone since yesterday when this approval was made. You need to urgently urge him to go and obtain the Death Cerfificate required from the appropriate ministry. Please is important because every such payment is usually allowed 48 hours to produce the document.

I look forward to hear from you after you have spoken with the attorney to enable me know the outcome of your discussion with him.

Thanks and remain Blessed with your family.

Yours Sincerely Brother,

Felix Willams

Good to see Felix is on the case. I'd really love to try phoning one of these people but apart from being too stingy to pay the bill, e-mail is sooo much easier to post to this page. Anyway he does seem keen for me to work with this gentleman. Perhaps they know each other ?

Benjamin

$3500 sounds like an awful lot of money for a single piece of paper. I'm not sure I am willing to pay this inflated price. Perhaps you would be willing to negotiate over the figure. I'm sure we could come to some arrangement.

It would also help if you told me how you wish the money to be paid.

P

Lets see if Benjamin will negotiate on the price. He's not getting $3500 out of me. Mind you if he doesn't say where the cheque is to go to, he's not getting anything anyway !

Felix

I have recieved communication from Mr Butuleze. He has requested $3500 for the certificate. I think he is trying to rip us off as this is an exhorbitant figure. I beleive he is going to steal this money. While it is sometimes necessary to grease a few palms, we need to be careful not to associate with criminals in this way otherwise if he is caught, we will be implicated.

P

Dear Felix, I think your mate is a crook.

Dear Mr. Paker,

Approved Claim of US$10,000,000.00

Please be informed that we are yet to receive the Death Certificate of your late cousin from your attorney.

Could you as a matter of urgency request him to forward it to us to enable us release your claim to your designated account as provided.

We wait to hear from you.

Yours faithfully,

Shut up !!!!!!!!!!

Dear Brother,

Please I want to use this upportunity to inform you of my new email address: (felx@coolgoose.com)
Again I want to know your discussions with lawyer. Please try to be fast in reply as delay is too
dangerious.

Thanks and wishing good luck.

Yours Sincerely,

Felix Williams

A new e-mail address Felix ? I wonder why ? Has your ISP stopped your account ? Please don't send Felix lots of abusive e-mails, he is such a nice gentleman.

Dear Brother,

Please kindly use this my new email in any further communication to me.

Yours

Felix

Yes Felix, I get the message

Please brother I want you to note this my new email please.

Felix Willams

Look, how stupid do you think I am ? Stupid enough to send $3500 for a fake death certificate ? If you send me another mail about your new account I'm going to loose my temper !

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your mail. Please I will not like you to say this to the hearing of Barrister Benjamin Butuleze, he is a highly respectable lawyer in the society and a human activist, he even fight for the less privilage ones.

Concerning the amount for the Death Certificate, may be he did not tell you the Death Certificate must be backed up with two other documents: one from the ministry of justice and two others from the ministry of health.

You also made mentioned of him stealing this money. Sir it is not possible because I am here in the bank and I am the officer in charge of crediting your provided account. The moment he comes up with this document, I will immediately process the credit advise to your account without taken the document to the ministry for confirmation. Normally, we would have taken it back to confirm before payment.

Please be assured that I am an experience banker with over 15 years of working experience before I decided to invite you into this business, I am sure of what I'm doing and whom am dealing with. So be rest assured that we are on the right side.

Please inquire from him on how to send him the money, the amount is reasonable enough considering the amount involved in the claim because they look at the figure before charging.

I have been trying to reach you on phone but the telephone number you provided is not going through same thing the lawyer Mr. Benjamin complained. Please provide me with a working telephone number so that I can be reaching you when urgent and necessary.

Yours sincerely

Felix Williams

So he's not a crook then. Glad we cleared this up. If you are so sure that you know who you are dealing with, how come you are still talking to me ?

Felix

Thank you fopr putting my mind at rest. You read many terrible things in the newspapers about people being conned out of money. The amounts requested seemed to me to be very high but if as you say they are correct then I shall have to make payment. However he has as yet provided me with no details about HOW I am to make payment. I assume a cheque sent to his address will surfice but he has not provided an address to send it to !

All the best to you and your family.

You read really terrible things you know. There are people out there who trick you out of your money by offereing you the chance to take part in illegal deals that never come off. I wonder who they are ?

Death Certificate & Attestation

I received a call few minutes ago from your friend in the bank in person of Mr. Felix Williams requesting me to advise you on the best method you can make the payment for the required documents:

Please make the payment via Wester Union Money Transfer for faster collection and processing of the documents:

Receiver: MEHOU A. MACAIRE

Destination: COTONOU - REPUBLIC OF BENIN WEST AFRICA

Do that and send me the control number of the payment slip for collection here. I wait to hear from you shortly.

Just go to any of the banks where they have Western Union Money Transfer and request to send money to the above name and destination, you will be directed. That is the best means you can make the payment.

Yours faithfully,

Benjamin Butuleze

Good old Felix. Gets on the 'phone to sort things out. He's really working for his money isn't he ? I wonder why I have to wire the money to MEHOU A. MACAIRE. Why don't I wire it to the Government office cnocerned, not to an individual. I think I might be COTONou 'ing on to what is going on here !

Benjamin

Thanks for the details. I can arrnage to wire the money first thing in the morning. Felix is helping me with this con and he and I will be sharing the proceeds of the fraud that is being perpetrated here. However, because you have been so good so far, I feel the I should offer you the chance to join us.

I am in the position of being able to offer you a share in the proceeds in this scheme, if you are willing to show willing and expedite the certificate. Total funds available are $10,000,000 I have access to the foreign accounts needed to move the money. Felix has the contacts to give us access to the bank. I am going to suggest that all three of us form a syndicate to avail ourselves of the funds.

In order to maintain confidentiality, I will offer no more details. However if you are interested in becoming very wealthy by the end of the week, the issue the certificate and I give you my personal guarantee that you will be able to share many times the $3500. e-mail me urgently to confirm your interest in retiring a wealthy man. I guarnatee that you will recive at leat 2% of the funds, over 2 million dollars !

P

Benjy seems like a nice guy. He's a human rights lawyer according to Felix so lets see if he wants to be rich. Surely all lawyers are greedy enough to want a bit of this. Perhaps I can get him to send me some money...

Final Reminder

We wish to give you our final reminder on the production of your late cousin's death certificate by your attorney or your goodself.

If by Thursday this week, the certificate is not produced, we will be left with no alternative than to use your approved foreign exchange for other creditors on line.

Please be guided accordingly.

Yours faithfully,

Richard Mensah

Look, will you guys shut up with the deadlines. There isn't any point in trying to make me panic as I'm not going to give you any money. I'm probably wraked with grief about the demise of my "cousin". How can I be involved with getting certificates at a time like this ?

What is happening? I received an emberasting phone call from the lawyer this morning. Please can you explain carefully to me the problem you had with him.

You promised to send the $3500 dollar first thing in the morning according to your last mail to me, please have send the money to him?

Felix Williams

Embarasting as in "You said this guy had been suckered and now he's trying to scam me !" perhaps ? Good to see these guys talk to each other. I wonder if they really do have to telephone each other or is Benjamin sitting next to Felix at the cyber-cafe.

Felix

Sorry about the embarrasment but I took the decision that we should get Benjamin on board with this deal. I mearly offereed him a small cut of the money. This saves messing around with wiring money all over the place and keeps him on our side should there be any future legal complications. This is a standard practice and I'm slightly suprised that you hadn't look at making this a three man job earlier.

Anyway, the good news is that Benjamin is in. He is going to supply the certificate direct to the bank and we will be able to proceed with the deal. Benjamin will get 2% of the total fee which I am happy to pay out of my share. He has asked for absolute confidentaility and I have assured him we will not divulge his part in this.

Sorry for not informing you of the slight change of plan but your number seems to have been disconnected. I'm sure you will be pleased at the progress that is now being made.

P

Felix you really need to get your act together. Why not get the lawyer on board so we can do this more easily ? The three of us could make some REAL money with this scam if only you wern't so useless. The more observant of you will have noticed that Benjamin hasn't e-mailed me to say he wants in on our syndicate. What I am doing is lying to Felix. This is because he is a stupid thief and deserves no respect. I hope he starts arguing with "Benjamin", gets thrown out of the scam gang and has to live off dog food for the rest of his life. But then I am as uncaring as only someone who has spent significant time is a customer support position can be.

I am very disappointed over your attitude. I thought you said that you are gentle man.

Now I am afraid, and thank GOD that the money did not get into your account, because you have plan to confiscate the money. I am very very surprised of your attitude, I hope I am dealing with a gentle man. You wrote to me that you will pay the lawyer first thing tommorrow according to your mail of 27th April now you went and wrote another thing to the lawyer.

Please if you are interested and capable to do business with me kindly pay the money to the lawyer.

Felix

I am disappointed that you can't get your head around the word "gentleman" and insist on putting a space in the middle of it. Also, please do not bring GOD into it. This is the sign of a complete amateur in the e-mail scam stakes. There are people who are much better at the religious thing than you. Finally I can't be held to my word about the 27th. It's not a contract. This a scam, you know it so don't get all huffy just 'cos I won't send you money to steal. Get a proper job like the rest of us.

Felix

Don't worry. I am sure that as we speak Benjamin is arranging the certificate. Sorry about the change of mind between e-mails. I suddenly thought of the idea and decided to persue it as quickly as possible. In business speed is of the essence.

Don't worry, the money is safe. Since it cannot be transfered until the death certificate is released, I can hardly run off with the money until the deal is done. I also resent the implication that I would attempt to defraud you.

P

Of course if you were paying attention to the scam you had set up you would know that I can't get the money without the certificate and therefore unless I had wired my money, I don't get paid. It is a pity I have to explain this to you...