The Nigerian
Entry posted by Kopaka's Ice Engineering
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One of the things about being a reporter, that I've caught on very quickly, is that I'm bound to get a lot more email. In fact, byron@bzpower.com is a whole new email account I set up exclusively for BIONICLE News.
Unfortunately, news travels quickly...
Before I go off on the miscapitalizations and the butchering of "Israeli", I'd like to comment that his is the first time that a copy of the "Nigerian" scam (Also called a 419 scheme, after the related Nigerian penal code under which this type of scam falls.) has ever made it to one of my quickly-becoming-a-dozen-for-the-first-time-since-college email inboxes.From: Mr. Mark Richmond Mahmood.Dear Brothers/Sisters in Christ.
Beloved,
Compliment of the season, I am the above named person from Liberia, presently staying in England.
I am Mr. Mark Richmond Mahmood. an Isreali National and a crude oil Merchant before I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer which has defied all medical solutions and according to medical experts I only have a few more months to live. As you read this you do not have to feel sorry for me as it is a universal truth that we all must die someday, the only problem with mine though being that I have particularly not lived my life well in spite of my wealth and possessions as I never really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business. Though I was very rich I was never generous, I was never caring about people but only dedicated my time and resources on my business as that was the only thing I cared about.
But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just accumulating all the wealth in the world as I lay helplessly on my sick bed. If I was given a second chance to live again I sure would live my life a different way from how I have lived it owing to what has befallen me now. As my last days alive are drawing closer and closer I have already willed out most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends.
I also want my soul to be at peace with God and for him to be merciful on me and accept my soul and to this regard I have resolved to give my remaining funds to charity organizations as I want this to stand as one of the last deeds I indulge in on earth before I die.
Though I have already distributed money to some charity organizations, Now that my health has deteriorated so badly I can no longer continue with this myself and also I do not trust my immediate family members or close friends on this as I have once asked them to close one of my accounts and distribute the funds therein to charity organizations in Bulgaria, Sri-Lanka India and Pakistan they greedily kept the money to themselves. Hence I am contacting you with this as I have lost confidence in them because it is obvious they are not contended with what I have left for them.
The last of my funds which no one knows of is a cash deposit of Eighteen million U.S Dollars (US$18,000,000,00) stashed in 2 trunk boxes and declared as Personal effects of high security value which I have with a finance/Security Company in Europe.
All I am asking of you is to assist me in making the collection of this deposit and dispatching the funds to any charity of your choice after keeping 20% of the funds for yourself and your family.10% of these funds should be to cover any expenses that might be incurred in the process of making this claims.
Please contact me as soon as you get this email if you are capable and sincere to handle this transaction on my behalf so I can forward you with all relevant documents necessary for the claims and the name of the security firm where the funds are deposited. God bless you as I await words from you. Please inform as soon as possible if you are not interested so I can proceed to seek for someone else to carry out this on my behalf.
Please respond to me on this E-mail markrich_mahmood@... Email address removed -KIE if you are willing to assist me.
Mr. Mark Richmond Mahmood.
The way it works is that someone off-shore (very important, as crossing international boundaries makes legal prosecution all-but impossible) emails the victim, stating that he has, or is charged with, a rather large sum of money, and has determined that the victim would be a good final steward of this money. A conversation is struck up, and while the promises endure, at some point it becomes necessary to "lubricate" the transaction by posting a fee to them. This charade keeps going, and the money never does make it to the victims' hands. It works, because the money is promised at the start, and the victim keeps looking back to it, coupled with the mental obligation that "if I'm this far along, I can just go ahead and see it through to the end."
Suffice it to say, if you ever get an email that reads like the one above, just delete it. The money doesn't exist, and the charade will only end once you end it.
I'm not dissing Nigeria per se. A former bunk mate of my dad offshore, ExxonMobil had him working out of Nigeria for about 4 years in the mid 90's. (He's in western Russia now.) It's just, well, sometimes you get a reputation and it's not your fault.
(By the way, the domain on the sender's address was from Spain.)
Sadly, this confidence scheme is not the worst I have to say regarding Nigeria this week.
William Jefferson, 9-term representative, and senior Democrat in the Louisiana Congressional delegation, got caught with both hands in the cookie jar.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly two years after federal agents reported finding $90,000 in a freezer in his Washington home, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson has been charged with a global campaign to solicit bribes, obstruct justice and engage in racketeering, Justice Department officials said Monday.
The veteran Louisiana Democrat faces 16 criminal counts, said Alice Fisher, assistant U.S. attorney general in the criminal division.
"This case is about greed, power and arrogance," said Joe Persichini, director of the FBI's Washington field office, which led the investigation.
In addition to the racketeering and solicitation charges, Jefferson has been charged with money laundering, wire fraud, conspiracy and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. (Map: Locations and details of Jefferson's charges)
"Congressman Jefferson is innocent. He plans to fight this indictment and clear his name," said Jefferson's attorney, Robert Trout. He said the "creative" indictment does not say Jefferson promised anyone legislative favors.
Jefferson is the first U.S. official ever charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, which prohibits corporate bribery.
The charges are based on 11 schemes in which Jefferson allegedly solicited bribes for himself and his family from government and business officials in the United States, Nigeria, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome e Principe, U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said at an afternoon news conference. (Watch prosecutors describe the alleged schemes )
"Mr. Jefferson corruptly traded on his good office and on the Congress where he served ... to enrich himself and his family through a pervasive pattern of fraud, bribery, and corruption that spanned many years and two continents," Rosenberg said.
Jefferson sought millions of dollars in cash and company stock and received "somewhat less than $400,000," Rosenberg said.
Jefferson has denied wrongdoing, and won a ninth congressional term in a December runoff despite the allegations. But the probe already has led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former aide to the congressman.
Jefferson's homes in Washington and New Orleans were raided in August 2005. The following May, investigators raided his Capitol Hill office, sparking a furor among congressional leaders who argued the search violated the Constitution's separation of powers.
Rosenberg said some documents seized in that search support the case. Fisher called the search "necessary, appropriate and constitutional."
In court papers defending the 2006 search, investigators disclosed that they had found $90,000 in cash in the freezer of Jefferson's Washington home -- part of a $100,000 payment delivered by an informant in the bribery probe, according to federal agents.
Jefferson will be arraigned and have the opportunity to enter a plea in federal court in Washington at 9 a.m. Friday, Rosenberg said. Conviction on all charges could bring a total of 235 years in prison.
"There will be no plea bargain," Trout said.
Fisher and Rosenberg denied that Monday's announcement was in any way affected by recent controversy surrounding the Justice Department and the firings of federal prosecutors.
"Frankly, we don't give a ###### about politics," Rosenberg said. "... We believe he broke the law. That's why we brought the charges. Period."
The allegations against Jefferson emerged in the heat of the 2006 congressional election season, when Democrats were castigating House Republicans for tolerating what they called a "culture of corruption." After the raid on Jefferson's office, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi pushed Jefferson out of his seat on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.
But in February, Pelosi -- now speaker of the House -- agreed to place Jefferson on the Homeland Security Committee. The move drew criticism from Republicans, who accused Pelosi of backing away from promises to clean up Congress.
Pelosi said the assignment was appropriate, given the committee's jurisdiction over matters related to Hurricane Katrina. The 2005 storm devastated Jefferson's district.
CNN's Kevin Bohn and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
Since none of the links work because I just copied and pasted, here's the Story on CNN
I like Rosenberg's line about politics. Goes back to what I said a month ago: no one is above the law, not even lawmakers.
Besides that, I'm ashamed to be from Louisiana right now. Not because Jefferson represents me (because he doesn't: I live in Bobby Jindal's district), but because, gosh darnit, I share a state with so many people who would RE-elect an obvious-to-everyone-but-his-kin felon. How in the world do my congressmen ask for more hurricane relief funding, when it will go to people who choose someone that corrupt to speak for them?
It's not about the lesser of two evils: he shouldn't have been in that runoff in the first place.
Sorry, I need to go stew for the rest of the evening.
-KIE
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