In the bad old days of the 20th Century, African con merchants used to send out letters in the hope of coming across a crooked but gullible British businessman. In the bright, new world of the 21st Century, they use stolen email addresses to further their devious ends.    Be prepared to be shocked by what you read below - and to be heartened by the way this crook's target is fighting back!

SOURCE
Return-Path: <ikk_emoka_g@yahoo.co.uk> Received: from web20510.mail.yahoo.com (web20510.mail.yahoo.com [216.136.226.145] Message-ID: <20020304165600.7909.qmail@web20510.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [193.251.161.94] by web20510.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Mon, 04 Mar 2002 16:56:00 GMT Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2002 16:56:00 +0000 (GMT) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?ik=20emoka?= <ikk_emoka_g@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: URGENT REPLY To: Peter MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0-1480588498-1015260960=:5316" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

THE APPEAL
CONFIDENTIAL MESSAGE ROYAL FAMILY. MR IK EMOKA Subject : BUSINESS PROPOSAL AND INVESTMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY Sir, It is my pleasure to acquaint you with this proposal for investment purpose in your country/company. I am the son of late chief Dr PATRICK EMOKA, whom was a personal confidant to the arrested war-Lord( Mr Foday Sankoh) of Sierra-Leone. Before the arrest of Mr Foday Sankoh, my late father left Sierra-Leone with two IRON TRUNK boxes, which contain the total sum of $ (22.2million United States Dollars), for Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire and deposited this consignment here in Abidjan. Unfortunately he died in the heat of the crisis when Mr Foday Sankoh was about to be arrested. I am presently here in Abidjan with my younger sister seeking for a reliable and trustworthy individual or company to transfer this said amount of money to his company or private account, for safe keeping, while I and my sister process our travelling documents to enable us meet with you in your country. Based on our ignorance of the business world, we actually need your assistance hopping that you are honest and trustworthy to render your kind assistance. Your efforts in assisting us would not be underestimated, we would offer you 20% of the total sum of USD$ 22.2 m. Please as soon as you receive this message, you should endeavour to contact me immediately for more details and clarification. Note that to move this fund out of this country, this is the necessary things we need to do (I) you are required to visit Abidjan for 3 working days only, during this period of 3 working days, an account will be opened in your name here in Abidjan in any of the local banks, such as Ecobank, SGBCI bank, African development Bank (ADB) etc, this fund will be lodged in to the account opened in your name to proceed by swift to your nominated account in your country. Incase you are not fit to visit Abidjan for now, the transfer can be done through bank to bank in this case you are required to forward to me your bank account number including the telephone, fax and telex numbers of the same bank. Your private telephone and fax numbers for easy communication as soon as I receive this banking informations, one of the above mentioned banks will contact you, immediately for onward transfer and notification because right now every thing is in my position. Thanks and God bless Best regards MR IK EMOKA

THE REPLY
Thank you for your communication./ I feel so desperately sorry for your plight. I understand because I am in a similar position. You probably think your plight is due to your being a descendant of a slave. Not so. I am from noble people and I find I have been left with three containers of Russian gold that belonged to my father before his execution by the fascist regime of Mr Blair who pretends he loves africas like you butt he does not. He hates you and me and is trying to get my gold. You mist not let any of your money come tour kingdom because Mr Blair will kill our Queen to get your money. You must say you love our Queen and her great grand mama Queenie Victoria who did so much to civilise africa peoples and give you education better than the Frenchies could do. The only thing they gave you was the guillotine and a unwarranted sense of inferiority. I know you are intelligent and you want to dispose your money in a very fair way. Here is the deal. Send me a cheque for $5000 US dollars and I will send you the containers of gold that Blair wants. You keep half the gold and give me the other half when I come to your house with my friends from the IRA because they hate Blair better than I do. DO NOT TRY TO TRICK ME. IF YOUR E-MAIL PROVES TO BE AFRICA MAN'S TRICK. YOU WILL GET NASTY THINGS COMING TO YOUR HOUSE. SO BE WARNED AND BEHAVE YOURSELF AND SEND YOUR CHEQUE FORTHWITH. NO MORE NONE SENSE AND DO NOT BETRAY BY SENDING YOU PITIFUL E-MAIL TO ANY ONE ELSE IN OUR SCEPTRED ISLE. PROVE TO ME THAT YOU ARE NOT A NUTTY AFRICA MAN LET OUT OF AFRICA LOONEY BIN FOR THE DAY. YOU MUST NOT BE NAUGHTY BOY ANY MORE BECAUSE I AM BIG CHIEF WHITE WARRIOR FRIEND OF MRS THATCHER THE IRON LADY

THE RESPONSE FROM EMOKA
ATTN. PETER I got your mail with its content duly noted, i am happy for you interested and willing to assist me transfer this fund into your bank account overseas. I will like you to call me on my telephone number 00225 07 82 48 98 or you give me your telephone number so i can call immediately for more details on how this money $22.2 million only should be transfered into your account in your country. Thanks and hope to hear from you MR IK EMOKA

ASSAULT FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
Return-Path: <mariamabza@yahoo.com>> Message-ID: <20020504031653.16252.qmail@web20808.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [217.146.15.78] by web20808.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Fri, 03 May 2002 20:16:53 PDT Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 20:16:53 -0700 (PDT) From: mariam abacha <mariamabza@yahoo.com> Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE To: mariamabza@yahoo.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Dear Sir, It is with hope that I write to seek your help in thecontext below.    I am Hajia Mariam Abacha, wife of Nigeria’s former head of state; Late General Sani Abacha, whose sudden death occurred on the 8th of June 1998. Since my husband died, I have been thrown into a state of utter confusion, frustration and hopelessness by the present civilian administration. The security agents in the country have subjected me to physical and psychological torture.    My son (Mohammed Abacha) is still under detention arraigned before the federal high court of Nigeria for an offence he did not commit. As a widow that is so traumatized, I am hopeless with my present faith. You must have heard over the media reports on the recovery of various sums of money deposited by my late husband with various security firms. Some companies willingly gave up their secret and disclosed our money confidently lodged there, or many, outright blackmail.    Infact the total sum discovered by the government so far is in the tune of $700 Million USD and they are not relenting to make me poor for life. I came in contact with your name and address in a website and would want to have good confidence in you as I view you to be a responsiblepersonality.    I have no doubt about your capacity and goodwill to assist me in receiving into your custody( for safety) the sum of $40.3 Million USD willed and deposited safely in my favour by my late husband. This money is currently kept in Safe Deposit Box (SDB) at a security firm within Europe. As it is legally required, the administration of my late husband’s property is under the authority of the family’s Lawyer (Attorney)Barrister Frederick Alade William (SAN).    The investigative teams set up by my government have submitted their report after freezing almost all our account. Fortunately, our family lawyer had secretly protected the personal will of my husband from the notice of the investigators and have strictly advised that the $40.3m USD be urgently moved to an overseas account of any trust worthy but ANNONYMOUS foreign family friend without delay, for security reasons. All our traveling papers have been seized by the government thereby preventing us from traveling and all the local and international outfit of our business empire seized. This sum of money is our only hope tostay alive.    I have therefore agreed to compensate your goodself with 20% of the total deposit when you finally the deposit box from the security firm and lodged in your account. They have equally guaranteed 100% risk-free and smooth transfer. If you are interested in assisting me,you can write me through my e-mail, please reply direct to this emailaddress;mariamabza@yahoo.com for obvious securityreasons, it is imperative that you keep all our communication very secret. Donot mention my family,s name or disclose the transaction to anybody. If you are not interested in assisting me, still get in touch so that I can make alternative arrangement as time is of theessence.Please do not expose me. Best Regards, Hajia mariam Abacha __________________________________________________