I received the following this morning in an unsolicited manner on Skype.
Seems I am to commit fraud with some Ghanaian con artist!
Hello Harvey,
I have been in search of someone with this last name "Harvey", so when I saw your name I was pushed to contact you and see how best we can
assist each other. I am Alexander Owusu, a Banker here in GHANA. I believe it is the wish of God for me to come across you on skype now. I am having
an important business discussion I wish to share with you which I believe will interest you because, it is in connection with your last name and you
are going to benefit from it.
One Late Shafi Harvey, a citizen of your country had a fixed deposit with my bank in 2004 for 36 calendar months, valued at US$12,500,000.00 (Twelve
Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars) the due date for this deposit contract was this 16 of January 2007. Sadly Shafi was among the death victims
in the May 26 2006 Earthquake disaster in Jawa, Indonesia that killed over 5,000 people. He was in Indonesia on a business trip and that was how he
met his end.
My bank management is yet to know about his death, I knew about it because he was my friend and I am his account officer. Shafi did not mention any
Next of Kin/ Heir when the account was opened, and he Shafi was not married and no children. Last week my Bank Management requested that I should give
instructions on what to do about his funds, if to renew the contract. I know this will happen and that is why I have been looking for a means to
handle the situation, because if my Bank Directors happens to know that Shafi is dead and do not have any Heir, they will take the funds for their
personal use, so I don't want such to happen. That was why when I saw your last name I was happy and I am now seeking your co-operation to
present you as Next of Kin/ Heir to the account, since you have the same last name with him and my bank head quarters will release the account to you.
There is no risk involved; the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and I from any breach of law. It is
better that we claim the money, than allowing the Bank Directors to take it, they are rich already. I am not a greedy person, so I am suggesting we
share the funds equal, 50/50% to both parties, my share will assist me to start my own company which has been my dream. Let me know your mind on this
and please do treat this information as TOP SECRET. We shall go over the details once I receive your urgent response strictly through my personal
Email address: alexander.owusu@hotmail.com We can as well discuss this on phone; let me know when you will be available to speak with me on Skype.
Have a nice day and God bless.
Anticipating your communication.
Alexander
mobile phone number +233 245217325
alexander.owusu@hotmail.com
nice
you're lucky 
i wish i had £12.5M
Not such a good deal - the last one I got offered me 60/40 split.
lol email him back, say you want 60/40 see what he says.
I don't think GOD would be very impressed with him stealing over $12m or has he become more forgiving these days??
He quite clearly says it's TOP SECRET, I can't believe you've breached his trust and put it on here!! 
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
lol email him back, say you want 60/40 see what he says.
you never know it might be for real, maybe you should email him back and...oh gotta go a flying pig just come through my window 
$6.25m - i guess thats about £5m now?? Thats more than enough for every member to have £250 each so we can all build a new car??
Next time i get an email from a Nigerian businessman offering me $25m, i'll take him up on it and we can all get our new locosts through IVA.
[Edited on 23/2/09 by Paul TigerB6]
Well...
Check this site out for some tips.
http://www.419eater.com/html/baiting.htm
If you must contact him / her, then take some precautions, and be careful.
Google "Spam Baiting" etc. Thereare some good put downs out there.
Have fun... but be safe at the same time.
You found my email, just find my address now and send me the cheque.
Some very amusing posts on this thread around what I should do!
How on earth do people fall for these! Even without all the publicity on the internet and other media around these, the alarm bells would ring on so
many levels!
To answer my question above, I guess its greed which drives it!
TBH, I am just going to leave well alone lest I get a sh*t storm of con artists contacting me!