I got this strange email from Nigeria... do you think it's a scam?

[Truth2Tell]

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Tuesday, September 23, 2008 5:11 AM
From: XXXXXXX <Add sender to Contacts>
To: XXXX

Dear XXXXX

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion USD. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who (God willing) will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a former U.S. congressional leader and the architect of the PALIN / McCain Financial Doctrine, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. As such, you can be assured that this transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to [e-mail] so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,

Minister of Treasury Paulson

Credit to http://allspinzone.com/wp/2008/09/22/your-urgent-assitance-required/">All Spin Zone.

[JDPriestly]

1. I wish I could recommend this 10 times. This is hilarious.

[Fly by night]

87. This letter was read tonight on NPR's "Marketplace Report". Far farkin' out!!

I sent the letter out to friends all across the country this morning and heard this news back from a Colorado friend this evening (I was out weeding the blueberries so I didn't hear it.) That's the best thing that NPR has done in a long, long time.

[readmoreoften]

2. And that's a rec.

[Kitty Herder]

3. Too funny.

And waaaay too accurate.

[amdezurik]

86. Hum, I thought Ecuardor was

their next hide-out?

[endthewar]

4. LOL!

:rofl:

[Indenturedebtor]

5. That is forkin brilliant

:rofl: :rofl:

[Extend a Hand]

6. rofl

k&r

[Shardik]

7. Wonderful!

Well done.

[zeos3]

8. Awesome

[Raine]

9. Two BIG thumbs up!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[dipsydoodle]

10. K & R

:rofl:

[20score]

11. That's great. A kick and a rec. Wish I had thought of it.

[Jeanette in FL]

12. Everyone should sent this to their congresscritters

This is brilliant.

I hope you don't mind but I am sending this to my congress people. Everyone should, so that they can see that we know that we are being taken for a ride.

Excellent.

[Bobbieo]

13. You forgot 'Compliments of the day' in the greeting!

[Stingo]

36. Aw darn

So the message isn't perfect.

[TooRaLoo]

14. LMAO! Rec'd

[RedLetterRev]

15. K, R, and emailed to evvvvvvvvvverybody in my addybook n/t

[Greyhound]

16. K & R.

[chimpymustgo]

17. Brilliant!!! Thanks for the laughs.

[B Calm]

18. Keep this kicked. I e-mailed it to all my contacts!

[islandmkl]

19. great!!...thanks...copied and edited for my rw buddies...off to the email to all....

YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
{Nigerian email scam, or U.S. Treasury request?}

I got this suspicious email today. I have received many of these before, usually from Nigeria or some other African nation. I was always advised that they were scams. I wonder if this could actually be legitimate?

Dear islandmkl:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion USD. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who (God willing) will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a former U.S. congressional leader and the architect of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. He is well thought of in our country, so much so that Senator John McCain utilizes Mr. Gramm as his personal confidant and advisor in economic matters. As such, you can be assured that this transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to [e-mail] so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully,

Minister of Treasury Henry Paulson

This sounds like a pretty legitimate plea. If you feel so moved as to help out the Minister (and what could possibly go wrong?) please join me in replying with requested information.

Thanks, islandmkl

PS - I think that Mr. Paulson's title changing from 'Secretary' to 'Minister' of the Treasury is a reassuring sign that this project is in the hands of a higher power. It is nice to see that faith has expanded beyond the churches, and is now established in our nation's economy.

-i

[Fly by night]

20. Thanks kindly for this -- it's now in all my friends' email inboxes

This should be sent to the late night talk shows -- they'd have a field day with it.

[BraneMatter]

21. Man, that ain't no scam...

that is the secret Paulson plan to raise the trillion dollars just in case the taxpayers rebel or the Chinese won't lend us the money...

[sufrommich]

22. Hilarious,sending it on. nt

[earth mom]

23. And they think we are all stupid enough to fall for their scam.

:eyes:

[old mark]

24. "You can be assured that this transaction is 100% safe".

Proof that it's legit, right there. (joke)

I got a similar letter last year that cane in a really cheap envelope, with a real stamp - not a postage meter stamp - that was applied crooked. It did not resemble any business letter Z had ever seen, and I had to laugh when I read it. I showed it to my Credit Union manager, and she laughed, too, but the post office didn't laugh when I gave them a copy - they want to prosecute these guys real bad.
Give a copy to your local postmaster.
These guys are scamming a lot of people whe think this is a real offer.
mark

[Kalyke]

25. LOL!! I just sent that out to friends.

:thumbsup:

[louis-t]

62. Hey, I had to steal your sign. Thanks.

It will be in any response to my knuckleheaded friends or family who forward right-wing mass e-mails to me.

[timber84]

26. lol just c&p'd it to everyone in my mailbox!

:yourock:

[myrna minx]

27. K&R n/t

[pansypoo53219]

28. i am SO blogging this.

not that many will see it.

[1776Forever]

29. You should submit this to SNL * Have you thought of comedy writing?

Thanks - Too bad it is based on the truth!

:headbang: :yourock: :headbang:

[Stingo]

30. Yes, this needs tons of recommending

No need to ask why. It is funny as anything on here, and also true.

[Gadzooks1]

31. a transfer of funds of great magnitude

I'm gonna send this guy ALL my money!

[Blackhatjack]

32. Scam? What tipped You Off? Sounds like official Bush speak to me...

... the only place you erred is you should have asked the recipient to send in a $2066.00 "processing fee" to secure the eventual transfer of public funds, and your eventual happiness over this momentus event!

[Arugula Latte]

33. This sounds legit to me.

What could possibly go wrong?




:applause:

[L0oniX]

34. Transfer K-ick and R-ecommended fund

[codjh9]

35. ha ha! Whatever you do, DO NOT contact them!!! :^)

[Stingo]

46. Yes, they are Republican Nigerians

Be careful in public restrooms, as well.

[dixiegrrrrl]

37. Let's send it to our Congress Critters ....

[old mark]

50. Maybe the Nigerians can help with the bailout! nt

[volstork]

38. Hilarious!

:rofl:

[WCGreen]

39. I just sent it to my republican brother....

on his Birthday....

Proud to be 100th rec...

[valerief]

40. BIG Kick!

:kick:

[biermeister]

41. thank you!!

[Maestro]

42. Hilarious

I hope this email goes viral!

[debbierlus]

43. Holding for now as Post of the Week!

[holybarcode]

44. If it was "funds of EXTRAORDINARY magnitude", I might give it a shot!

:D :rofl:

[Pete2069]

45. Very Good ... Now send it to Bush and Cheney...

[katty]

47. been sent this email many times-just hit delete

[cui bono]

64. Did you look at the content? You may have missed the joke.

[boomerbust]

48. It sounds like

a fine deal to me. You would be a fool not not to take him up on his offer.

[kristopher]

49. Sending it to my complete email list. nt

[ElboRuum]

51. PPPPPFFFFFfffffttttttt!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Booted and Endorsed.

[SweetieD]

52. lol omg! too funny

[wowimthere]

53. That is funny!

[berni_mccoy]

54. LOL!

[rateyes]

55. Nigeria, my ass.

You got that from Washington D.C. :rofl:

[mckara]

56. I Sent Your Message to All My Friends...

By the way, I think it's scam!

[CalJen]

57. That's the funniest thing I read in a while...

...until it made me sad.

[Sabriel]

58. I only WISH it were Nigeria.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to find my account numbers....

[vanderBeth]

59. This is so full of win.

[cui bono]

60. That's great!!! And sad at the same time.

[cui bono]

61. Sending to Pelosi and Reid now.

Also sent to Boxer, Rep. Becerra and that lamo Feinstein who for some reason has a site that won't process the email form using Firefox. To contact that DINO I have to open another browser. She's useless.

[mlevans]

63. Nope, not a scam.

It's completely on the up-and-up...or at least dead-on accurate. Nice work.

[moggie]

65. This rocks

Next week, I expect to hear how Paulson can add three inches to my penis.

[Duncan]

66. I sent this to a bunch of folks this morning and

several people already told me it was indeed a scam and that they had seen similar scams before (without getting it) - I told them I wasn't so sure it was like previous scams, and that they should read it more carefully.

[Piewhacket]

67. "we're jus trying ta pertect the 'mericun poeple against a nuc-u-lar holocast meltdown!"

Republicans give fresh meaning to the phrase 'HELL BOUND'.

[Wetzelbill]

68. That's the greatest thing ever!!!

[cascadiance]

69. How soon before we get one from the Caymans from Ken Lay?...

All of the sheisters probably are looking to play their cards now, before the getting isn't good any more...

[MindPilot]

70. I KNOW that's a fake

No irregular capitalization and the phrase "Most Esteemed Barrister" doesn't appear anywhere.

Don't give them *any* of your personal information!

[BrklynLiberal]

71. and we have some geniuises right here on DU. TroubleMan posted a funny original a few days ago.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4051459

[pinto]

72. That's a great one. K&R.

[The Backlash Cometh]

73. Oh, Gosh.

Ka-huk

[Joanne98]

74. Bwhahahaha!

[geckosfeet]

75. Hilarious - just sent out to my friends - will send to my congressman tomorrow!

[The Wielding Truth]

76. This is great!

[hoosier_lefty]

77. thanks!

that made my day!

[WillyT]

78. Absolutely Perfect !!! - K & R !!!

:rofl::applause::rofl:

:evilgrin:

[scytherius]

79. AWESOME!

hysterical. Sent it to everyone in the world, submitted it to Stumble, etc.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

80. Have you sent this to Keith and Rachel yet? n/t

[Gman]

81. This thing's gone viral!

My wife got it before I sent it to her.

[BrotherBuzz]

82. I posted it over at 419 Eater; they were not amused

They yanked it and slapped my hand:

I just deleted your post that contained a political joke, in the form of a parody of a scam email, as we don't allow politics on this forum. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[pleah]

83. K&R

:thumbsup: :kick:

[chill_wind]

84. Bwah! Too good. K & R ;-)

[Mandate My Ass]

85. OMG! This is right up there with Tina Fey's "Palin" impersonation

Maybe better!11!! This is hugh1!! :rofl: :thumbsup:

[felinetta]

88. Nothing new

Our company always got these types of letters from Nigeria. Just a stupid scam!

[paparush]

89. DU HALL OF FAME!!!!!!!!!!

[catlady]

90. LOL!!!! Fantastic! And true! lol nt

[trthnd4jstc]

91. Not a scam. Let us bleed ourselves dry, and give all of our money to the rich. n/t

[Miss Chybil]

92. I don't think it's a scam.

The grammar is too good. You should go ahead and send the money now, then drop me a card at my new address in Canada.

[OakCliffDem]

93. Can't be a SCAM, it is too funny

[ziptied]

94. How's this for a little ditty?

LET THEM FAIL, SEND THEM TO JAIL!

[jeanmarc]

95. hahahahahahahaha! (nt)