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.
PAGE 10
Much to my complete surprise, I find this rather concillatory letter from the scammer in my inbox the next day! I was sure my tone would have at least caused Paul to make the lawyer "quit" and then hit me up for MORE fees, but instead...
$2,800 NOT $28,000!
Good morning sir,
Wow. Looks like I cowed him into not writing in ALL CAPS. O_o
I do apologias for all the insult, I didn’t mean to hurt you, is only that I do not mention $28,000 to you nor Paul, so I felt as if you want to try me.
Sorry for all the embarrassments. Anyway, due to Paul also, I will never slack back of helping you. Mr. James you mean you really send the money?
If so the only way we use to receive DHL send this telephone numbers to them so that immediately it reaches here they will call Cletus to come and pick it, the number is +225-0755-9102.
Oh, when this is all through, I certainly plan to send that phone number to someone who can use it, alright...
I promise to work for you, so when are you sending the
money, you see I only demanded for western union as the faster way to receive
money, if I do not use it I use my account.
I don’t have much to say as am busy, until I hear from you. Thank you
Morris.
He's certainly changed his tune with me. Looks like the gambit worked. And a few hours later, my dear nephew emails me, also sounding much happier!
AIRWAY Bill Number
Airway Bill Number? Aw, CRAP. I didn't think of
that. This looks like the end for Homestar Runner Admiral Kirk!
Uncle I think something is wrong somewhere, I received a call from the lawyer this morning, so please if you want to send anything to me, send it to cletus because I don't want to expose myself, am hiding from this bad uncles of my.
Send it to Cletus Ekene Abidjan Cote D'ivore and just give them my phone number +225-0755-9102 as soon as it arives here they will call me to come and collect it, you know our country bound carry someones gift or whatever around, because some agents use to still another persons pakage and say maybe wrong address.
So please I will like you to send me the airway bill number, because the will never give anything to me without the air way bill number he cannot be able to collect them. Please make sure you send it to me in my box today.
Dammit! I hadn't thought of one, and something told me that giving him some random 10-digit number wouldn't work; he certainly knew how DHL works.
So, I searched several scam-baiter sites to see if I could find a flat-out mention of a DHL number.... and after a few hours, no luck.
UNTIL... I stumbled across the scan of a DHL slip sent to a scam baitier as part of his attempt to con the "silly mugu". Again, the delicious irony of using a scammer's own materials against him was too good to pass up. So I give my heartfelt thanks to internet-fraud.com !
As for the gifts, I will like you to send me labtop
computer and a cell phone, for my gaurdian you knows your best. And all this
will be sent to Cletus with the address I gave to you. Finaly, uncle please send
the $2,800 to the lawyer, send with his name through western union. He told me
this morning that he have to apologias to you, please forgive and forget, I
think the lawyer got shocked that he never asked for such amount. Please I will
like you to do everything today, So that the bank can be able to start the
transfer by next week.
Finaly, uncle Jim, send me all the necessary information about the offshore
account for the transfer. I think you not still angry with the lawyer, do
forgive him for my life seek.
Remain blessed,
Nephew Paul.
I guess my "wave more money in his face" strategy is a pretty good one! So, I send back this reply, with partial scan.
Dear Nephew;
>Uncle I think something is wrong somewhere, I received
>a call from the lawyer this morning, so please if you
>want to send anything to me, send it to Cletus because
>I don't want to expose myself, am hiding from this bad
>uncles of my.
Oh, don't worry. That's why the $27,000 is going to Cletus, and not you (or the shady lawyer). I don't want a material reach in the
Gatemen's guardian shields; one direct hit to your shield, and then you could self-destruct!
>Send it to Cletus Ekene Abidjan Cote D'ivore and just
>give them my phone number +225-0755-9102 as soon as it
>arives here they will call me to come and collect it,
>you know our country bound carry someones gift or
>whatever around, because some agents use to still
>another persons pakage and say maybe wrong address.
...what?
Really?
Here in the USA, Nigeria has the reputation for being the most honest, trustworthy nation in
the world!
That's what I was told... is that... not true?
I wonder if he will risk opening up the transactions
to doubts by telling me crooks are everywhere? If so, that sows the seeds for me
to maybe fire the lawyer! Hah hah!
>So please I will like you to send me the airway bill
>number, because the will never give anything to me
>without the air way bill number he cannot be able to
>collect them.
>
>Please make sure you send it to me in my box today.
Certainly. I have attached a scan of the airway billing slip. It is my sender's copy. I fit what I could into the scanner.
It should have the full number; please tell me if I need to rescan it.
I do apologize for there being any smudges, we had a bit of rain here lately, and I was in a bit of a rush.
>As for the gifts, I will like you to send me labtop
>computer and a cell phone, for my gaurdian you knows
>your best. And all this will be sent to Cletus with
>the address I gave to you.
Certainly, I will set that in motion next week.
To help me in selecting just the right type of laptop, what will you be using the laptop for most of the time?
If he says "to scam people" or "to
view porn", I'll eat my Admiral's bars. ;) It shuld be interesting to see
what BS he will try and serve me. And speaking of BS...
Also, I saw a nice cache of gold-pressed latinum, and a tricorder device on sale the other day. Would you be interested in a new tricorder? If so, please tell me what you would be using the tricorder for the most, as there are also several models of tricorder on the market, and I don't want to get you one you won't be able to use!
>Please I will like you to do everything today, So that
>the bank can be able to start the transfer by next
>week.
As you can see, that has been done! Soon, you will here, in America, living near me, part of my family and going to school here... with plenty of money in your pockets...
..and I with so much as well.
Hey! That reminds me!
You never got back to me on those words in Nigerian! I need a word for "strong" and a word for "a person that cooks" for my Kitchen Stadium plan!
>Finaly, uncle Jim, send me all the necessary
>information about the offshore account for the
>transfer.
Yes? What other information do you need, dear Nephew Paul?
>I think you not still angry with the lawyer, do
>forgive him for my life seek.
To tell you the truth, I am still a little upset. He accused me of LEANING AFRICANS! And he also questioned my service record until I straightened him out. I've given decades of my life in service in the Fleet! It's
something that defines my being, you know!
Well, write back soon, my cromulent nephew.
End log,
Uncle Jim
And here is the scan I sent...
Coming soon...
Phase One: Adm. Kirk vs. Paul Komo, PAGE ELEVEN