Deja Vu All Over Again

So last night I’m on line and I get an instant message from Hope. She tells me she’s from Liberia and this all starts to sound familiar. That old sense of déjà vu. I hear about her dead father and mom is in the hospital. She can’t really talk because she’s going to go visit her mom, but she sends me a picture and promises to return. I open the e-mail with her picture and it’s none other than Francisca my Liberian friend that came clean last week and admitted to the extent that they will that he was a cam artist. I didn’t keep last night’s conversation because it was so short and inconsequential. They returned today and I played along for a while, but it was the same story, I mean exactly the same story as last week. Not even a hint of variation. Big demerits for lack of originality. There was no way that he’d have been so stupid as to not have remembered me so it had to be someone else with the same story. It further reinforces my theory that they work in groups, it sounds like it’s a pretty organized industry. It’s pretty sad when scamming is a growth industry.

This one was a good deal less forthcoming than last week’s and tried to initially claim they were the same person. When I actually pasted in bits of last weeks conversation they made another pitch and then ran off, completely unrepentant. I’m putting this one up not because of the originality but because of the lack of it!



hopeandgood4u: hello scott
hopeandgood4u: how are u doing today
me: I'm okay... you?
hopeandgood4u: im not feeling ok here
me: oh that's too bad
hopeandgood4u: yes
hopeandgood4u: my mum colapes again
hopeandgood4u: this morning
me: I see... bummer
hopeandgood4u: the doctor said she has kidney problem
me: ok
hopeandgood4u: and need to undergo kidney transplanting operation
hopeandgood4u: b4 it late
me: ok
hopeandgood4u: how u think that will cost overr there
me: here? oh I don't know... prbably 50-100,000
hopeandgood4u: ohh thats alot of money
me: yes medical care is very expensive here everyone has insurance
hopeandgood4u: the doctor said i should deposit $3500 b4 the operation commence
me: ohh ok
hopeandgood4u: but one of mum old friend that just arrive from mexico want to helpme to pay the deposit for the operation
me: ohh ok
hopeandgood4u: but she is helping me with condition
hopeandgood4u: and that make me feel worried here
me: I see
hopeandgood4u: cos i dont have anyone to help me
me: that's too bad
hopeandgood4u: she said she has no physical cash to help me for now that she can only help me with check drawn in us bank
hopeandgood4u: that if i only i can get someone to help me to cash the check for me over there
me: I see... have her call the us bank and arrange a transfer
hopeandgood4u: and send the money to me here so that mum operation can commence
hopeandgood4u: she came for a project here in africa
hopeandgood4u: and she is willing to help me b4 my mum gave upto ghost
me: well it's no problem if she has an account in a us bank she can arrange a transfer from there
me: still there?
hopeandgood4u: yes
me: oh ok
hopeandgood4u: but she is only direct his payment to yoyu
hopeandgood4u: to be paid,by check
me: well that's just dumb
hopeandgood4u: over there
me: you'd have to wait a month for the money
hopeandgood4u: bcos the check we not be cash here in our local bank
hopeandgood4u: wwhy
hopeandgood4u: dont u have a checking account
hopeandgood4u: to cash it
hopeandgood4u: u there
me: yes but all she has to do is call her bank... answer some security questions explain the situation and they will arrange a transfer for her
me: you can have the money in 24 hours
hopeandgood4u: it we not work here
hopeandgood4u: this is africa'
me: this has nothing to do with africa
hopeandgood4u: we are underdeveloped nation
hopeandgood4u: is all this is possible
hopeandgood4u: i we not be asking you for this help
me: as long as you have a phone that will reasvh the us
hopeandgood4u: bcos i dont wana lose my mum
me: well you'd have to wait a month at least...
me: if you send it to me
me: a week for the check to get here
me: 2 or 3 weeks for it to clear
me: and then I have to be in town to do a transfer
hopeandgood4u: no u send the money through western union money transfer
hopeandgood4u: it save and fast here
me: yeah but I can't do that until I get the check and it clears the bank
hopeandgood4u: u will pay it in ur checking account
me: my bank won'k give me the money until the check clears
hopeandgood4u: and u will withdra fast and send the money fast tome here
hopeandgood4u: it a good check
hopeandgood4u: just take it to ur bank
me: I wouldn't send money to the pope unless the check had cleared
hopeandgood4u: cos my mum is in point of death here
me: you know what?
hopeandgood4u: how long the check get to clear over there
hopeandgood4u: wht
hopeandgood4u: ?
me: 3 weeks
me: I got the same fucking story last week
hopeandgood4u: this is matter of life and death
me: so how is francisca?
hopeandgood4u: not fucking story
me: franca4u0147?
me: same picture and everything
me: frankly I'm really disappointed
me: I expect a little orignality
hopeandgood4u: am still the same pic
me: so was franca4u0147
hopeandgood4u: im the one that have the pic
me: you're a week late
hopeandgood4u: that was my mum name
me: ohh I see...
hopeandgood4u: if u want tobelieve me u can sign in there now
me: you guys really need to keep better track of who you hit on
hopeandgood4u: u will see me there
me: sign in where?
me: you see I finally got franca4u0147 to admit he was really a guy
me: with a scam
me: I mean you used the same script exactly
hopeandgood4u: to franca4u0147
hopeandgood4u: no
me: it's really disapointing
hopeandgood4u: believe me scott
me: right
me: I've got a nice bridge for sale.. too
me: it's red... very famous
hopeandgood4u: its a lady
me: I can give you a really good deal
me: so explain to me how I can get the exact same store from 2 people a week apart??
hopeandgood4u: be serious scott
me: I am serious
hopeandgood4u: am telling u all this cos u sound nice to me
hopeandgood4u: plz be of help b4 my mum die

At This point I pasted in some of last weeks conversation

me: franca4u0147: mum have a kidney problem
franca4u0147: this make me worried
me: I see...
franca4u0147: can u do me a favoure?
me: what's that?
franca4u0147: one of mum old freind just arrive from mexico saw mum condition she feel so bad 4 her
me: I see
franca4u0147: but promise to help me whit some cash
me: I see
franca4u0147: but she said 4 now she has no cash at hand
me: oh I see
franca4u0147: but promise to issue me a check drawn in U.S A BANK
franca4u0147: but on one condition
me: hat's that?
franca4u0147: she said if only i have trusted friend over there that can help me to cash the money and send back for mom opration to commense queicly
franca4u0147: pls can u help me to cash the check?

hopeandgood4u: plz
me: sound familiar?
hopeandgood4u: am still the same the lady that spoke to u
hopeandgood4u: plz be of help
me: right...
hopeandgood4u: im worried here
me: you know that's not ther case
hopeandgood4u: if cos of my dad death to war
me: right
hopeandgood4u: all this will not be aproblem for me
hopeandgood4u: help me to save my mum
hopeandgood4u: scott u stand as my last hope for now
hopeandgood4u: plz
hopeandgood4u: im worried
me: so I guess you do'nt remember this part of our conversation

I then pasted in the part of the conversation where he admitted be a guy last week


me: me: nice meeting you too..
me: my guess is you're not even a woman right?
franca4u0147: can we be a business partner
me: no don't think so...
me: I have a conscience
franca4u0147: do u think im a woman b4
franca4u0147: so u are 100% fool
me: oh I was never sure
franca4u0147: why all american man like to talk to woman than man
me: well black Africans have gotten such a bad rap there is no hope for them
me: too many really ridiculous scams
franca4u0147: my hope
franca4u0147: mr hope
franca4u0147: how many house av u build over there

me: rule 1.... make your own scam
me: don't use someone else's
me: rule 2 if you're working as a team make sure everyone knows who the fuck you're hitting on
me: it's a sure way to put yourself out of business
me: stupid
me: stupid
me: stupid
hopeandgood4u: k
hopeandgood4u: bye
me: give my best to Godwin
hopeandgood4u: who is that
me: isn't that who Francisca is really?
hopeandgood4u: no
me: ohh sorry what is his name?
hopeandgood4u: may some one is using my id to chat with u
hopeandgood4u: k
hopeandgood4u: i dont know all wht u are saying
me: right and just happend to have the exact same story you did
hopeandgood4u: am from liberia right
me: or do you just buy these stories from someone and free lance?
me: yup so was last weeks
me: it's the exact same story
me: but waay less efeective the 2nd time around
hopeandgood4u: i know nothing about wht u r saying
hopeandgood4u: if u wish to help me
hopeandgood4u: tell me
me: no you're a scam artist
hopeandgood4u: i dont know wht u are saying about
me: a thief and a fraud
me: come on i'm on to you
hopeandgood4u: why u have to say that to me
me: there is no mom
me: no hospital
me: no check
me: no mexican
me: I'm not an idiot
me: what I can't believe is you would be so stupid as to use the exact same story as someone else
me: and then try to tell me it was your mother
me: one thing about you you've got nerve