New version of the old SCAM?

[Grady Clay]

Guys,

This just showed in my junk box in spite of a Porsche subject line.


"i am luttge bernd from germany,(i know you be surprsed on how me get your email i get it on carl thompson guestbook) i met one guy on internet by name abdulaih camara,who claimed his late father deposited some money with a security and finance company,after much exchange of mails, i decided to help him transfer the money to my account,from there i was asked to pay some certain amount of money for preparation of certain documents for the transfer,they keep demanding money from me for one reason or the other.finally i was invited to come down to senegal so that fake diplomat will wash the money in my presence for me to carry it,i came to senegal and i was lodged in a hotel,i did not know i was dealing with fraudsters,before i know what was happening thaey came inside my hotel room pointed gun on me and stole all the money i ncame with and other valuables.
now am left with no money and i have stayed 2months now in this hotel without payment.
as i write to you now am stranded because the hotel management have decided to seize my travelling documents and refusing releasing them to me until i pay my hotel bill

i want you to assist me to pay the bill. because without paying the bill they will not release my travel document.if u can help me in this **** i will very grateful.
the hotel bill has accumulated to $1500,including my returning ticket fee because returning date has passed and i have to pay for a new ticket.
i promise to pay you $3000 immediately i get back to germany.i will also scan my passport which i will send to you immediately i get your reply for you to know me.
your urgent reply will highly be apprecited.
yours sincerely,
luttge bernd"

What do you think?
Should I lead him on and get the feds involved?

Best,
Grady

[rrsrsr]

yea- ask for the scan of his passport & post it for us.

[Carrera Kid]

Ask him what hotel it is that only cost $1500 for a 2 months stay; I'd like to book my next vacation there.

Rick

[jluetjen]

Judging by the grammer, you could really throw him for a loop and respond in German! I'm sure that he'll be speechless.

BTW - How can he immediately scan his passport when his "travel documents" are being held by the hotel? Also what hotel would keep in there for lack of payment? Why would a hotel keep him there and keep running up the bill when he already isn't paying. That's a room that could be used by a paying customer!

[Mr9146]

I'd respond with two words:

HA! HA!

[randywebb]

go ahead and report it - they will accumulate a certain number of complaints and then issue an advisor; and/or attempt to trace the sender.

but don't let that stop you from leading him on...

ask for the name and phone no. of the hotel - tell him your sister knows all the hoteliers there thru her work as a... travel agent booker maybe or make up something similar.

tell him you can get him released by talking to the hotel mgmt.

[David E. Clark]

Originally posted by randywebb
go ahead and report it - they will accumulate a certain number of complaints and then issue an advisor; and/or attempt to trace the sender.

The National Fraud Information Center has an Online Incident Report Form which you can use to report frauds like this. Don't expect much however, this type of crime is so widespread that there is not much that can be done, especially since you didn't really get scammed.

Leading the scammer on might be fun if you've got some time on your hands -- what am I saying, you're on this message board right. If you get a response to your request asking for more specifics, you might consider signing your next response with something like:

Sgt Clay
State police

I doubt you'll hear back from the scammer!

[SC Schrauber]

Scam.
Luttge is not a German name, Lutger/Luttger is.
Whenever there is a mention of "my late father deposted money" etc. - delete the email and scan your machine.
also check hoax sites found here:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=internet+hoax&rs=2&fr2=rs-bottom&sm=Yahoo%21+Search&toggle=1&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t

[kycarguy 935]

carl thompson guestbook? Does Carl really have a guestbook?

[PatrickB]

I usually just respond with give me a call at home office or by cell.

Of course, the numbers I leave are for the local office of the FBI, CIA, and LAPD!

[dtw]

The scammers are getting craftier.

The other day, I got a phishing email purporting to be from Citibank, asking me to click-through and (insert clever reason to make me divulge my personals here). The kicker was, they used my name and address in the email, so it looked pretty darn legit. The giveaways:

-As usual, the link was obviously bogus (how to read a URL should be question one on the Internet Driver's License test)

-I do not hold, and have never held, any accounts with Citi

-The address used was a previous address, where I have not lived in 6 or 7 years.

[emcdan]

Man that guy has got some big problems....stuck in a hotel! Grady help em out.

[Emission]

I got an e-mail yesterday from a "U.S. Soldier" who needed help getting $8 million of Sadam's money out of Iraq. Of course, he said I could take a bit for myself if I didn't tell anyone...

[defcon65]

I love broken English, especially when I get it from wannabe Russian brides: "I too, search for the ideal, love that is whole and respecting man for purpose of family. Please back to me respond, Olga."
I usually ask them if they can smuggle me some beluga caviar, a submariner's watch and a few kilos of anything fissionable they might have lying around.