Contrary to a report that's circulating around the Thieves' Kitchens chain of underworld hang-outs, I haven't been killed by a super-villain, I'm just busy on my vacation with Scruff and Emily. So here's a little something from my inbox.
>Dear Friend,
>
> My name is Mr. Ming Yang, I work with the Hang Seng Bank of Hong Kong. I have a Business Proposal of Twenty-four million, five hundred thousand US dollars for you to handle with me from my bank i work with. Should you be interested, please send me your full names,private phone/fax number to email address (myhk_671@yahoo.com.hk) and finally after that I shall provide you
>with more details of this operation.
>
>Kind Regards,
>
>Mr. Ming Yang.
I replied:
Dear 'Mr. Ming Yang' (which name, combining as it does the names of two Chinese imperial dynasties is highly unlikely to be your real name)
Unfortunately for you, I was not born yesterday. You are a dirty crook attempting to rob me by suggesting that I participate in a slightly shady, if totally fictitious, deal that will be to my advantage. Should I take you up on this offer (which I will not, owing to my age being more than you anticipated), I would in fact find that the only money changing hands will be in the direction of me to you, under the rubric of 'bank charges'.
However, your scheme is doomed to failure, at least in my case, because:
1. I was not born yesterday (as detailed above)
2. I am well read in detective fiction, including the writings of Edgar Wallace and Leslie Charteris, both of whom used scams such as yours as plots for short stories.
3. I am aware that real bank officials do not send out e-mails to people of whom they have never heard requesting help in moving large amounts of money between continents.
4. Your name is an obvious phoney.
5. Your e-mail address is not a bank address at all.
6. The e-mail closely resembles some nine trillion and five that I have already recieved and dealt wsith in surprising ways.
7. I am in fact a costumed crime-fighter whose kid sidekick is a computer whizz and will be able to trace your e-mail back to you. Expect a visit from me very soon.
Yours Sincerely
The Girl in Grey
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1 comment:
The Green Man's e-mail accounts never get anything even remotely as interesting!
I say, unfair!
But then I think most crooks are aware of what accounts those are. The worst I ever heard of was a school in Malaysia who reported to me that a scam was being played by a 'finance temporary worker' who claimed to work for the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
Investigation revealed that it was all above board - the guy actually did work for them and was doing an audit!
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