Yesterday’s Dr Paul post got me feeling a little bit nostalgic. I miss our late night phone calls. I decided to see if I could redeem our relationship – and pursue the conclusion of our transaction. I ate humble pie. I apologised.
Dr Paul,
I wonder if you have had a chance to reconsider this arrangement.
I would like you to consider continuing with this transaction under the terms dictated previously.
As a sign of good faith I will be transferring a portion of the payment to Emmanuel via Western Union when I receive your reply.
And he took the bait.
Dear.
Thank you very much for your mail. how are you today my friend. my friend before you make my main to feel bad but now i no that you main have come down. so my friend since that time you fund is in airport waiting for you but because of the way you make my main fee bad make me that i did not contact you again. my friend that last time i try all i can do to see that i help you but you do want to understand me. but if you have come down just go and send it money today and get back to me fast so diplomat will live first tomorrow morning.
My friend as am sending you this mail all arrangement have make to deliver this fund to you this very week. but friend just belive me that i will help you got you fund this week if you follow my word, but am happy now you main have come down because i did not like if am telling somebody truth it will hear me. so my friend please as you getting this mail now go and send this money fast. Am looking forward to hear a good new from you today.
Yours Friend
Dr Paul
Now, I’ve been doing a little bit of reading up on the whole scambaiting thing – Gilbert from scambuster419.co.uk – is the master. He has devised a number of ways to pay the scammers, without forking out any actual money. I decided to take this game to a new level… enter, the Western Union receipt.
Dear Dr Paul.
I went to the local Western Union agent to do the transfer – attached is a poorly scanned copy of the receipt. The post office I visited to conduct this transfer had very old equipment.
I will send you a better quality version when I can.
Regards,
Nathaniel
Good day sir.
Right. That’s official looking. I’ve paid my dues. It’s time for Dr Paul to come through with the goods.
Sadly, Western Union have an online facility for verifying the details of these things…
Dear.
My friend i have big problem now in western union the paper you send to me for the payment ,the MTCN number is not ok. my friend please go back to western union now fast and go am collect the information again because this one you send to me the MTCN number have mistake.
my friend please try do it fast now am in western union waiting for you. so by tomorrow diplomat will start coming to deliver you fund to you. my friend as i want to western to pick up this money the western union the find this mistake. please as i told you go now and collect the correct information please. my friend please try do very thing fast now so i will run down to airport and give them this money.Am looking forward to hear from you now.
Yours Friend
Dr paul
His request came outside of office hours – how could I possibly acquiesce – besides, the details are right. I’m sure of it…
Dr Paul,
I am sure the details are correct – I also had to give the clerk a security question – they said these are mandatory for transactions to your country.
The question – was "what’s your favourite bible verse" – the answer is Exodus 20:15.
I got into Western Union’s local agency prior to their closing for the day – that receipt is exactly what they provided me.
You may need to work this out with the clerk on your side.
This is when the phone calls started. I’m not ready to talk to him again just yet. I suspect he stole my money.
Dear.
Thank you very much for your mail once again my good friend. my friend am not lair to you am telling you the truth please. my good friend i can collect this money and told you that i did not collect. my friend the code i try it by my hand in western union web site the code is not OK. my friend am please you to go back to that western union you send this money and please them to check it for you again so the will give you correct code please.
my friend since that time am standing in western union in fact not happy will them the time the check it and tell me the code is not correct. my friend let you main come down, try go now to western union send this and tell them to give you the correct code please. my friend since morning here am run round in airport to see that diplomat will move today. my friend i can lair to you am child of God. please take it easy very thing will being ok.
my friend please take my word i will not lair to you because i take you as my good friend. my friend how can i lair to my good friend i want to help. my friend do it fast so i will take the payment to airport now.Am looking forward today
Yours Friend
Dr Paul
Indeed. Computers. Who can trust them. The Western Union system must be down… I have a few ideas of what might be causing the hold up (other than that I didn’t actually send any money of course…).
Perhaps the payment won’t clear for a day or two – I did pay by cheque. You might need to try again tomorrow or the next day. I will confirm that the details are correct – what number did you try?
They also said you’d have to go in person – not on the website – because you are in Ghana. There are special rules dictating transfers from Australia to some African nations.
That must surely be it…
Dear.
Thank you once again my friend. my good friend since am in this office i never see this before. my friend please have you contact the western union where you send this money since this problem come out?
please my friend if you did not contact them please try contact them so very thing will be clear fast. my friend by now diplomat have to live Ghana today but because of this problem is in airport waiting for me to come back and do the payment before he live Ghana will this fund. my friend this is transfer control number:8561629001 i see in that paper you send to me. my friend i will never lair to you in my life.
my friend am Man of 56year , i have three sons so for me to lair to you can not help me. so my friend take my word very thing will be nice. my friend since today am never have Rest because of you try help me as am helping you here. Am looking forward to hear from you today.
Yours Friend
Dr Paul
Hmm. He’s never seen this before. Well, it must be a Western Union problem. The scent of payment got him pretty excited. I missed 6 calls from him last night. So this morning I sent him these two emails.
Dr Paul,
Has the money arrived? I trust that this has all been sorted overnight and we can now proceed with the transaction.
Let me know what must be done in order for the diplomat’s trip to be a success.
Dr Paul,
That number is definitely correct. I have spoken to the lady at Western Union here – she said there are some computer issues that have prevented the transaction being registered with the Internet service – and said you need to go into the Western Union branch nearest to you to claim the funds.
The funds have definitely been transferred and cleared.