You can hardly find someone these days who had not received many Nigerian scam letters. Local newspapers inform me that every now and then a greedy Brazilian businessman catches a chance to get extra several million dollars and flies directly to airport police station at Lagos. Some weeks later and a million dollars poorer he is allowed to fly home.

Quite a few people make fun of those messages, reply to them and expose the stuff in the Internet. A lot of hard work. It would be the most reasonable attitude to let it go but sometimes one gets irritated and replies. So I did once or twice but to no avail.

Bad luck.

Here is my reply that did not earn me an answer or a check.

Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 23:17:27 -0300 (BRT)
From: Andrzej Solecki 
To: hassmmoud@netscape.net
Subject: Re: andsol, friendly greetings


On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 hassmmoud@netscape.net wrote:

> I once asked members of my family to close one of my
> accounts and distribute the money which I have there
> to charity organization in India, Bosnia and Vietnam.
> but they were deceptive and kept the money to themselves.
> Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not
> to be content with what I have left for them.
 
Dear Hassan, it is a very wise attitude. Do not trust anybody.

> your sincerity and honesty is up to you to prove.

Don't count on it.

> to me this is is just a means of initial contact.whether 
> you are worthy of my trust would only be established
> through subsequent communication.

Believe me, I am not worth of your trust. As soon as you give
me money for poor children in Uganda, I will buy a lot of
gadgets for myself and will pretend that I never knew you.

> I have set aside 20% for you for your time and effort.

Oh, what a gorgeuous future I see here!

> please send a reply through this email address

You are dying but you're no fool so if you work hard enough
you will find a way to send me all your money without
bothering me by phone. As far as fax is concerned, I have
none at the moment. But as soon as I put my dirty little
hands on your money I will buy some - all of them connected
to fast go-go girls service and other lousy western inventions.

> God be with you.
  
God be with _you_, as you seem to need Him more than I do.

your grateful correspondent