Every so often, you hear a local news story about someone having fallen for this kind of scam. Usually someone new to email is convinced that, because the story is so sad, because the alleged sender says she prayed over it, because the text refers to Jesus Christ so respectfully and because her husband’s alleged death was “politically motivated,” it’s OK to send all the requested bank information in reply. The victims are then shocked when their bank accounts are emptied.
No one at UD is going to fall for this phish, right? No legitimate organization will ever ask you to email them information about banking accounts. But if your parents or grandparents or great grandparents just got an email account, tell them to just delete it.
From: Limana Benson
Subject: My beloved.
Date: October 21, 2011 9:21:17 AM EDT
Reply-To: linda225benson1@yahoo.co.jp
My beloved.
Greetings in the name of our lord Jesus Christ. i am Mrs Limana Benson from
Bahrain, a widow to late Jeff Benson i am 51 years old, i am now a new
Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the breast, from all
indication my condition is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that
i won’t live more than 2 months, according to my doctors, this is because
the cancer stage has gotten to a very worst stage.
My late husband and my only child died last five years, his death was
politically motivated. My late husband was a very rich and wealthy business
man who was running his cocoa business in Cote d’Ivoire and after his death;
i inherited all his business and wealth. my doctors has advised me that i
may not live for more than 2 months, so i now decided to divide the part
of this wealth, to contribute to the development of the church in Africa,
America, Asia, and Europe. i collected your email address during my desperate
search on the internet and i prayed over it.
i decided to donate the sum of $3,500,000.00 usd( Theree million five hundred
thousand united states dollars) to the less privileged because i cannot take
this money to the grave. Please i want you to note that this fund is lodged
in a bank in Ivory Coast in West Africa .
Once i hear from you, i will forward to you all the information’s you will
use to get this fund released from the bank and to be transferred to you.
i honestly pray that this money when transferred to you, will be sure
for the said purpose, because i have come to find out that wealth
acquisition without Christ is vanity. may the grace of our lord Jesus the
love of god and the fellowship of god be with you and your family.
Please contact me in this my private e-mail id so that i will give you
all the details
Your beloved sister in Christ.
Mrs Limana Benson