Conversing with a Scammer

What could possibly go wrong?

It all started on Linked in, I was “friended” and by the time I could think of a good reason why I accepted their request I received hey sent me a simple but innocent message,

“Hey I have a Proposal for you” — This could mean anything!

I replied back with the following,

“Good Afternoon, Hope you’re doing well. Lets’s hear your proposal.”

Now Queue the long winded read:

Hello ,

First, thanks for responding to my message on linkedin. Please endeavor to
read every details about this deal carefully. It’s important that you know
this before we proceed, hence, I have taken my time to explain more.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal for both of us. I know we are unfamiliar
with each other but it takes a day for people to know. I would like to
propose a legitimate business to you and please take this serious.I am
proposing a deal that will make us richer.

I am Jason Richmond, a Senior Accountant with HSBC Bank Worldwide,
but presently in the UK branch doing some account balancing.
I’m the personal accountant to Engineer.(Christiano Farah) who dead while
on sabbatical summer with his family,may their soul rest in peace.
He died without leaving a Will.Several efforts were made to find his extended
family through his without success. I received a notice last week to provide
the next of kin of Engr.(Christiano Farah) been his accountant or the account
risk been transferred to the government (es-cheat) in 14 days time.

I am contacting you to assist me in repatriating the funds left behind by
my late client. This claim will be executed without breaching any UK laws
and success is guaranteed if we cooperate on this. The bank will release
the account to you because of my recommendation of you as the next of kin.
I am a very religious man and I cannot lie; I expect the same from you.The
amount involved is 9,649,400 Pounds(Nine Million Six Hundred And Forty Nine
Thousand Four Hundred British Pound Sterling);I propose we share the
proceeds 50:50, I think this is fair. I will give you all the necessary
information about this deal when I get your response on this email.I
anticipate your cooperation. Treat this proposal with utmost confidentially
and urgency for a 100% success.

Do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you,
Thanks for your understanding.
Regards,
Jason Richmond

Wow, right?

I replied back with:

“Okay, text itself is meaningless show me contracts and further legal proof.”

And so He sent me the following:

Hello ,

Thanks for your response.Attach to this email is the death Certificate
of my late client.About the Es cheat I would want you to play the
role as the next of kin of Engr. Christiano Farah. There won’t be any
problem regarding your name or nationality because am the one presenting
you to the bank as the next of kin.

I want to stress again that this transaction is very legitimate and there
is no risk involved as I am the personal accountant to Late Engr.
Christiano Farah so anything I say concerning this will be followed by
the bank Executives. However, before we can proceed further, I want you to
assure me that you will be honest during the transaction and as soon as the
funds is transferred to you we can meet in person and share money
peacefully. You should understand that this transaction can be successful
if we work together and as soon as I give you all legal procedure you will
receive the funds from my bank,so I really need your assurance before we
can proceed.I am totally very serious about this arrangement process as
such I would want you to take this serious too. My personal instinct
directed me to contact you and I just hope it was not a wrong thing to do.

First, you are required to send a scanned copy of your Driver’s License,
Work ID or your International Passport through email. It is this copy of
your Driver’s License or International Passport or Work ID that will be
used by the Attorney to have all the necessary documentations perfected.

I shall direct you on the process of the claim; we shall start by sending a
formal application to this effect. I will send you the text for the claims
and transfer application to this effect. Thereafter,the bank will request
of you the relevant back up documents to your claim and application
according to the demand of our probate law for transfer of funds.

Once you have provided the Bank with their demands,they would now be under
legal obligation to transfer the funds to your bank account. As part of the
procedure of the claims, the documents that will be required from you will
have to be acquired through legal procedures as the application of claim
will be complimented with a legal award we shall have to seek from our law
Court here in UK. Be assured that the procedures to be adopted in effecting
the transfer in your favor will be official and legal which will protect us
from any breach of the law.

Note: High confidentiality is required at all times. Do not tell anyone
about this Transaction because it might be unsafe for me and you. I’m sorry
but I can’t provide to you any mode of identification of my late client
Engr. Christiano Farah because its very confidential and the bank alone
can release that to you in due time,also It would be safer for us to
communicate by email for now because my cell line and all other Staffs in
my bank are tapped and monitored.I hope you see reason with my decision on
us talking by mail for now. As soon as the money has been transferred to
your account, I will then travel to a country of our choice where we can
see in person and subsequently share the funds in the ratio as discussed
earlier.

Above all, I personally count on God to facilitate our plan
and understanding, to produce not just success but also peaceful sharing of
the funds at the end of the day and a wealthy family business relationship
between us. I also pray for establishment of cordial relationship between
us. As soon as I hear from you and receive your assurance, I will send you
details for you to contact my bank for there lease of the funds in the
account of Engr. Christiano Farah to your account as his next of Kin (
Engr. Christiano Farah). I would advice that you follow all the steps and
procedures which I will give so that we can get to the end of this
transaction quickly.

I await your response.
Best regards.

And attached was this:

I did some research,

yeah… a millionaire would not live in a unit:

I replied back with:

I could’ve gotten that template online and edited it to suit my needs & fool anyone.

Show me legal proof:

From the lawyer, place of death and how he and his family died. Surely a person with that amount of $ would’ve been in the news? Show me articles.

So now we wait for his/ her’s response.

I plan to send him fake details like licence..etc, this is going to be interesting! — Do unto others right?

I will keep updating this post as the messages AKA Bullshit continue to come through.