If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
That's the motto of Nigerian scammers, who often use current events to lure in unsuspecting email ingenues. The latest, however, which piggybacks on the as-yet-unconfirmed cause of Michael Jackson's death, probably takes the cake.
The following was sent to one of our editors, from the gmail address, "Lisajackson.4life@gmail.com," posing as Lisa Marie Presley. The magnificent grammatical errors are in the original -- we've reprinted it exactly as received.
"I believe," the alleged Lisa Marie writes, "that same people how killed Michael are also trying to kill me because they most have known that I have the evidence of Michael death."
Michael Jackson the king of pop music born 29 August 1958, died 25 June
2009, I Lisa Marie Presley got married to Michael on 18 May 1994 the
marriage lasted till 18 January 1966, despite we got divorce indeed.
Sincerely we still love each other. Two days before Michael died he
provides me with $15,000,000:00 to construct a charity home in Nigeria.ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON DEATH AND EVIDENCE
Presently in Nigeria after some days Michael housekeeper left a message on
my answering machine “Hello Lisa, Michael is died he was drug with
overdose of Diprevan, a powerful painkiller Michael death was plan by his
relatives, I have no one else to trust I have sent you the evidence I
recorded in a tap, my life is in danger” suddenly I heard gunshot
without doubt the housekeeper was the victim. I could not believe what my
ears where hearing immediately I browse through the internet with my
iphone it was boldly written on CNN website that Michael Jackson has
been confirmed dead. I wait patiently enough to receive the evidence, when
I played the tap I saw that Michael was injected with overdose of
Diprevan, a powerful painkiller which leads to is death, Michael death was
plan by his relative and our lawyer. According to the news the autopsy is
correct about Michael death.For security reason; the evidence tap and the money Michael give to me
regarding the construction company building the charity home in Nigeria, I
deposited it with a security company in Nigeria. Both baggages contain the
evidence tap and $15,000,000 cash.I’m writing you from ULTH hospital I have been in coma for some few past
days; I was shot twice in my stomach on my way going to the airport, I
believe that same people how killed Michael are also trying to kill me
because they most have known that I have the evidence of Michael death.I need your assistance desperately not just for the moment but to make
history by letting the world know the truth of Michael Jackson death, or
we can just sit back to enjoying CNN broadcasting false news about Michael
death. Due to my ill status I want the security company to deliver my
baggages to you, where you will find the evidence tap and $15,000,000:00
cash. Get back to me with the below information to know how confident you
are; Name….; Address……; Country…….; phone #......;Lisa Marie Presley
Lisajackson.4life@gmail.com
Apparently, cleverness is a necessarily prerequisite for Nigerian scammers these days -- on Friday, the Washington Post penned a piece titled, "Worldwide Slump Makes Nigeria's Online Scammers Work That Much Harder."
"U.S. authorities say Americans -- the easiest prey, according to Nigerian scammers -- lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year to cybercrimes, including a scheme known as the Nigerian 419 fraud, named for a section of the Nigerian criminal code," the Post's Karin Brulliard writes. "Now financially squeezed, Americans succumb even more easily to offers of riches, experts say."
-John Byrne
What I love about Nigerian scammers is that they always let you know that they're from Nigeria.
"I Lisa Marie Presley got married to Michael on "18 May 1994" the
marriage lasted till "18 January 1966"...!!
How is that..??
Nigerian scammers are almost as funny as the Cameroon scammers on the Craiglist pet section. They try to get you to send money to adopt a little dog or a monkey. The scammers say that they took the pet with them from the US to Cameroon to keep them "worm" - they are hilarious.
These people count on a combination of gullibility, greed and ignorance to find suckers who will play their game. If we edit the scam letter to eliminate all the falsehoods and misrepresentations, it reads as follows in its entirety:
"Michael Jackson ... died. ..."
All the rest is nonsense.
Oh, how delightfully amusing! He deserves a dollar just for brightening my day...
Micheal Jackson is dead? When did this happen?
I don't know who I despise more, the scammers or the fools who send them money
Gbenga,
I just want you to understand that God create this world with Good and Bad,so don't think all Nigeria are scammer and some of this scammer are using Nigeria name to do their evil acts.and beside all fingers are same
truth i smost people find it easy to just say they are from nigeria. it could be a scammer from england and next thing u know, he drops d nigerian word. athief is a thief is a thief from africa to europe to asia.