I received the email below from someone I don't know who apparently works a diplomatic pouch screening detail for the UN at Gatwick Airport outside London. Of course, the whole idea of 'diplomatic pouch' transport is that the contents aren't screened. But that's not a plot-hole in this criminal enterprise because the cargo was "a 12months abandoned shipment" this officer took the personal initiative to open. Would you believe it contained money that he was offering to send me?
My reply at bottom:
From: Fred Wesson [mailto:fredwesson11@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 10:21
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: GreetingsDear Friend,
I am Fred Wesson. Chief Inspection Officer, United Nations Diplomatic Cargo Inspection Facility at Gatwick International Airport London United Kingdom . During my inspection, I discovered a 12months abandoned shipment in our Cargo facility here. Having being abandoned for so long, I decided to scan the shipment to examine its content. The scanned revealed an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box weighing approximately 180kg. I believe the consignment was abandoned because the content was not properly declared by the consignee as money rather it was declared as personal effect to avoid diversion by the Shipping Agent or any body. Further investigation I made revealed that the shipment originated from one of the corrupt President of a country. He chose to send the money out of his country this way because the money must have been looted from his country’s treasury.
On my assumption and estimation, the box contains about Four or Five million American money in One Hundred dollar bills neatly packed and sealed in the Metal Trunk Box as revealed by the high resolution scan I conducted. The details of the consignment including name and the official document from United Nation office are still tagged on the Metal Trunk Box. Neither I nor anyone can unilaterally move this luggage from here without having any person who will stand as the recipient. Since the original recipient have a similar name with you, I intend to raise a new shipment document using the particulars on the luggage to redirect the luggage to you as the original recipient.
I want us to execute this deal and share the money, since I have established the source. If you accept to work with me, I will arrange for the Box to be moved out of this Airport to your address. I intend to deploy the services of a secured shipping company to provide the security it requires to your doorstep delivery. We will share the money 60 percent to me and 40 percent to you. I made a lot of search looking for a person that has a similar name to the name tagged on the consignment before I finally got you.
Please provide your Phone number, Full address, Name of the nearest Airport around you and other details I may need for this project because I can get everything concluded within 14 days upon your acceptance and provision of your address for delivery. Below are my email and direct phone contacts. I wait to hear from you.
Fred Wesson
CHIEF INSPECTION OFFICER
United Nations Diplomatic Cargo Inspection Facility
Gatwick International Airport, London United Kingdom.
+44 703 592 6081
No good deed goes un-punished, so here-with is my reply:
Fred,
Thanks for you note. While the offer sounds exciting, I have some reservations.
I imagine to attain the job of “Chief Inspection Officer” of a diplomatic facility run by the UN, you would have to exhibit a pretty high level of integrity, ethics, and following-all-the-rules. Your proposal, however, doesn’t. I suspect that if the box contains the money you believe it does, the appropriate course of action would be to escalate the matter to your superiors and attempt to repatriate the money to the country who’s citizens it likely and rightfully belongs.
Soliciting support for your scheme from strangers via email sounds like one of those Nigerian scams I’ve seen on TV. I imagine that’s not something an officer of a UN facility such as yourself would wish to be mistaken for.
All the best in resolving this matter by-the-book, and please don’t contact me again.
AMD