Faxed: Please pose as next of kin
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:00 pm
This came through on our business fax today. These scammers are stoopeed. This one confused the town I'm in with one in the UK (and not even the same town, but a similarly spelled one). I've redacted it for privacy reasons.
I suppose the 5% held aside for contingencies will be used to hire the hitman to get rid of me.Frank Dom
[redacted]-UK
Tel: 011 44 786 811 5984
Fax: 011 44 207 657 3393
Email: frankdom2008@yahoo.com
November 21, 2008
Dear friend,
I am Frank Dom, Corporate Finance Manager in my local branch of Standard Bank of South Africa. I am currently on an official assignment here in [redacted]. I am contacting you concerning a deceased customer and an investment he placed under our bank's management seven years ago. I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the information you come by as a result of this letter.
On the 14th of December, 2001 a client of ours, an American National, and a consultant with a leading conglomerate, made a Deposit valued at 9.4 million dollars for twelve calendar months in my Bank's Branch. Upon Maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply, after a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers that our client died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, it was discovered that he died without making a Will and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless.
More investigations revealed that our late client did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paper work at the Bank. His total sum 9.4 million dollars is still with my bank. My bank has spent great amounts of resources trying to track this man's family; we have investigated for several years and have found no family. All this while I was the Head of the Investigating Team. Now, the investigation has come to an end. No one will ever come forward to claim the funds. In accordance with the South African banking Laws at the expiration of 7 (Seven) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Government if nobody applies as the next of Kin to claim the funds.
My proposal; you share the same LASTNAME with our late client; I am prepared to place you in a position to have the deposit released to you as the closest surviving relation.
Consequently, I shall present you as a foreign partner to stand in as the next of kin to our late client so that you and I can benefit from it. Upon acceptance of this proposal, I shall send to you a copy of the Next of Kin Payment Application Form as well as detailed information on how this deal would be transacted.
We shall employ the services of solicitor to obtain all relevant papers in your name for the necessary documentation for payment approval in my bank headquarters in your favour. The money will be shared in the ratio of sixty percent for me, thirty five percent for you and five percent for any arising contingencies during the course of this business.
Since you share the same very last name as the original depositor, you would easily pass as the beneficiary with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you within a few days. After I hear from you I will simply inform the bank of the final closing of the file relating to the deceased.
I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law as I will use my position in the Bank to secure approvals and guarantee the successful execution of this transaction. It will take between 7-10 working days to conclude this business.
Please be informed that your utmost confidentiality is required. You may respond through the above stated telephone and fax numbers or email. When replying by fax, please include your private phone number for voice contact and fax number so I can provide you with more details and relevant documents that will help you understand the transaction.
An early response will be appreciated.
Thanks.
Yours faithfully,
[signature]
Frank Dom]