Crime is wrong. I know that. And so is spam, even the non-criminal variety (unless it’s me, shamelessly promoting my next book, like Freezer Burn, which comes out June 3, 2008 from Penguin Books). But every now and then, a piece of scam-spam comes along that is so wrong, it just feels right. In this case, I am talking about an e-mail I received with the subject heading:
SCAM VICTIMS REIMBURSEMENTS PROGRAMME
which was sent, faithfully, from
GEORGE OLUMIDE,
Processing/Transfer Officer,
The missive runs 545 words and is one of the finest examples of free-form Nigerian bank scam prose I have so far encountered, but more important is the scam itself: a solicitation to previous victims of Nigerian bank scams, offering to reimburse them for their losses. All victims need do is hand over the same information they handed over when they got taken the first time. And they will be sent $150,000.
They are self-selecting a for people whose gullibility has already been demonstrated. It’s downright elegant.
Could anybody really fall for it twice? I think it’s a legitimate question, and apparently, so does “George Olumide.” Looking around at the state of the world, I have to think the answer is probably yes.
And frankly, if “Mr. Olumide” manages to get any money from this particular scam, I say let him keep it.
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