Captain's Log: Encounter with Paul Komo
Having received a 419 scam offer from a man claiming to be Paul Komo in my
normal email, I created a Hotmail account and replied to him with an offer of
interest. I wanted to see if he'd pick up on the fact that this was an email
address he hadn't mailed anything to before.
A simple IP check traced him to a small ISP in... Lagos, Nigeria. Fancy that.
For ease of reading, his letters are in green, my
responses are in black, and any editorial comments I
have are in blue italics.
URGENT
Dear uncle James, thank you for your mail, may GOD bless you as you are willing
to help me. You see this money is still in the suspense account where it was
deposited by my late father, and my father was killed because of his wealth by
his brothers.
I was advised by a lawyer that before we can proceed on this the documents will be changed to another person's name(like you) to avoid this people to trace and kill me too. Ever since my father died the refuses(my uncles) to give me anything from the company rather the told me that if I do not take time I will die like my father.
So please if you can help me, both financialy and everything, I will like you to send your full address fax and phone numbers and the bank account details for the change of ownership.
After this change of ownership the bank will contact you as the befineficiary for the transfer. Await for your favorable responce by calling me with this number +225-0755-9102 for verifications.
Regards, Paul.
So I reply...
I Will Make It So.
>Dear uncle James, thank you for your mail, may GOD bless >you as you are willing to help me.
Ah. The standard "term of endearment" ploy.
Uncle? I must say, I'm just a little confused. I didn't know I had a relative in Africa... while I have bedded a bevy of buxom beauties, from a charming schoolteacher in Iowa to a curvy young thing from Orion, and I'm sure my Captain's Little Black Book is overflowing with exotic locales I've had shore leave at, to find out I have a relative where you are is quite a surprise.
>You see this money is still in the suspense account where it >was deposited by my late father, and my father was killed >because of his wealth by his brothers.
Such treachery! I'll admit that I've stepped on a few toes and rankled a few noses in my days in the Fleet, but I'd never stoop to actually killing someone to get ahead.
And now, as the CEO of my own shipyard, I am AT the top.
Brother... against... brother. O, the! Humanity.
>I was advised by a lawyer that before we can proceed on >this the documents will be changed to another person's >name(like you) to avoid this people to trace and kill me too. >Ever since my father died the refuses(my uncles) to give me >anything from the company rather the told me that if I do >not take time I will die like my father.
Blackmail and coercion is such an ugly, brutish thing. I would have thought
humanity would have evolved beyond such things.
But wait! I just realized something. If they are threatening to kill you, and
then my name will be put on the documents, then won't they try and come kill ME?
Well, just let them try! My drop kick and double axe handle smash in universally feared! In my days as a captain, I've participated in gladiator duels and fought off Klingonese with nothing but my own two fists! So don't worry, I'm not afraid of them!
>So please if you can help me, both financialy and >everything, I will like you to send your full address fax and >phone numbers and the bank account details for the change >of ownership.
Hmmm. I need to stall him for a bit until I can find a free fax service or something.
Paul, for the moment, I think it would be safer to use email for the time being. Right now, my business fax is in a highly visible area, and as you said in your first letter, I want to keep things as secret as possible, for your protection, of course.My email account is 100 percent secure. Only I know the password codes, and I also know the entire self-destruct sequence as well.Please scan any documents I need to sign, send them via email. I will then sign them, scan them and send them back.
Speaking of documents, enclosed is the letterhead to my company. Please print this out and show it to the lawyer; it will show him exactly the kind of business man I am
Kirk out,
Adm. James T. Kirk (Ret.)