"Ivory Coast via Cuba?" Topic

New angle on an old scam:

alberto wrote:
> PLEASE EXCISE PATIENT TO GO THROUGH MY MESSAGE
> AND IN YOUR RETURN MAIL, REPLY TO:
> deafalbertogeorge23@yahoo.co.jp
>
> My name is Alberto George, and I am writing you
> from my home in Santa Clara, about 165 miles
> east of Havana, the Capital City of Cuba. Santa
> Clara is known for two landmarks; The famous
> Revolutionary, Che Guevera is buried here; and
> it is home to one of Cuba's largest
> universities, La Universidad Central "
> Martha Abreu" de Las Villas.
>
> This is a compelling story, and I beg you to be
> patient and read through to the end?I was
> adopted in1962, at age 14 months by Mr.
> Giovanni George, the Sugar, cocoa and tobacco
> millionaire; some say he also made his fortune
> from the lucrative illicit drugs trade.
>
> My adoption brought so much controversy
> (probably because I am black and a deaf), that
> Mr. George was forced by his family to put me
> into a foster home at age 5 ,where I stayed
> until maturity; Like most Cuban youths,I dreamt
> of freedom, which every one here knows is
> called America; like most youths, in time, I
> joined an Anti-Castro group and that merited
> automatic 24 hours round the clock surveillance
> by the Secret Police, but this is also normal in
> Cuba!
>
> Mr. George, my father nevertheless funded my
> education through the above mentioned
> university, where I graduated in Automobile
> Engineering. I am now a mechanic, making just
> enough to take care of my wife Maria, and 3
> boys, Junior, Jose, and Giovanni. Sadly, My
> father died Few months ago; left only his wife
> and family (he died childless), and I was not
> invited to his funeral by his family, but we
> mourned him deeply; I had no memory of my real
> father; but I loved him for his kindness to me;
> he frequently defied his family to visit me?When
> I got married, he gave my wife a ring present
> which we later found out was a diamond ring! His
> Last Will and testament was read and probated.
> No mention was made of me and my family.
> Understandably, I carried on with my life.
>
> But before his death; he then invited me and my
> family , there he told me that he made the
> deposit of (FOURTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE
> DOLLARS) in a private security deposit firm in
> Abidjan city of Ivory coast, that he wanted to
> use this fund to invest in his cocoa and tobacco
> business in Ivory Coast…He then handed all the
> deposit documents of the consignment to me and
> ask me to keep it confidential, that even the
> Security Deposit Firm does not know that the
> Consignment kept in their custody contains
> money; According to him, he deposited it as a
> family valuables in my name; He then explained
> to me that he has instructed the Ivory Coast
> Security Deposit Firm to contact me as the Right
> beneficiary to the consignment; therefore
> arrange and ship the consignment to me.
>
> He again warned me to maintain the highest
> level of confidentiality of the consignment,
> especially to his family members as they will
> deny me the possesion of the money if they find
> out that such money has been deposited in my
> name as the beneficiary! I therefore kept the
> documents confidentially as instructed by my
> late father waiting for the right time to
> transfer the consignment to safety abroad and
> arrange to travel out of Cuba with my family!
>
> Some weeks ago, I received a letter from the
> private Security deposit firm in Ivory Coast,
> and the contents of that letter put me into
> shock! The manager of the Firm asked me to
> contact them immediately for the arrangement of
> transfering my inheritance to me as they are now
> facing political crisis/war which may start
> anytime from now and they never know when it
> will come to an end! I kept the letter for a
> week without mentioning it to my wife.
> Eventually I revealed everything to
> her?apparently My late father, Mr. George had
> provided for us after all!
>
> The letter from the Manager explained that the
> political crisis may bring about the losing of
> the consignments in their custody; that they
> have alerted all their clients to come forward
> and claim their consignments….He also
> explained to me that according to the terms and
> agreement reached with my late father, the
> consignment deposited as a family valuables were
> to be delivered to me (The Beneficiary) as
> instructed by my late father; The manager of
> this firm in his letter therefore invited me to
> come forward to Ivory Coast, to claim my
> Inheritance! Or arrange with the them to ship
> the consignment to me.
>
> But this simple invitation to travel to Ivory
> Coast or arrange with them to transfer the
> consignment to Cuba here is fraught with
> problems! I have no International Passport! It
> is impossible to travel out of Cuba,unless with
> special permission which will of course take
> months of paperwork to procure?As an Anti-Castro
> sympathizer , I have absolutely no hope of
> leaving Cuba legally?The only option is to leave
> by illegal ferry to the American Coast of Miami,
> which is extremely dangerous?Every one knows
> that success rate is about 20%, the unlucky get
> captured and repatriated back, to prison! But
> the rich and the connected have a better chance
> by using low flying aircraft ( which will beat
> the Cuban Radar) to smuggle them selves out! And
> there is no way I can transfer the consignment
> to Cuba here as Cuban government as well as my
> family members may seize the money!
>
> I therefore desperately need your help! I need
> you to contact the Ivory Coast Company on my
> behalf and arrange with them to ship the
> consignment to you as the "Consignee";
> secure the fund from the Company, Once the
> money is secured, I will make the usual
> underground deal to be smuggled out of Cuba by
> aircraft, to freedom!
>
> I really need your help urgently! And there is
> absolutely NO RISK to you in this transaction;
> The consignment will arrive your end through
> aircargo fully insured with its necessary
> documents; I and my family are the ones at risk
> as we cannot travel out of Cuba easily to meet
> with you…
>
> If you are willing to help me recover this my
> inheritance, please so indicate in your return
> reply mail and I will follow up with more
> details of the Ivory coast Company contact
> address and also more details of this
> transaction. You will then contact the Ivory
> Coast Security Deposit Company as the "
> Consignee" and thereafter arrange with them
> to ship the consignment to you to close the deal
> on my behalf and put the (FOURTY FIVE MILLION
> DOLLARS) safely into the Banking system?
>
> In consideration of your expenses during the
> course of this transaction, I freely offer you
> 30% of the total fund…..
>
> Looking forward to your urgent reply,
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Alberto George

I like it. Appeals to right wing anti-Castro peckerheads. As with all such schemes they work the percentages and I suspect that there are potentially rich pickings in this particular niche. :-)