"A 419 scam that is out of this world!" Topic

Seriously, they did their homework, though -

Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555
Misau Street
PMB 437
Garki, Abuja, FCT NIGERIA

Dear Mr. Sir,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $ 3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.

Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number 234 (0) 9-234-XXXX only.

Yours Sincerely, Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
XXXX@nasrda.gov.ng

nasrda.gov.ng

Who actually would buy this BS!

Creative!

14 years in zero-G. His bones would shatter…

But, to answer who would buy this BS, it is self-selecting. They only want the most gullible people to answer, because they can get the most out of them. They only need one or two!

JohnG

correct me if I am wrong but aren't the return trips free via gravity?

Indeed, gravity provides a free trip home, of sorts.

It's surviving the trip that requires money, I suppose….

Let's say the space station was real. It would be in a low earth orbit. It has been 26 years since it was resupplied. And, yes, gravity will do it's thing. The only blessing I can see in this is that the guy died 25 years ago do to no food, water or air. Not sure that's a blessing though. I would hate the poor man to have suffered all these years. 😜

That has to be the best scam email I have ever seen.

I hope someone on the 411 site reels them in to do silly stuff for the thought that they might be getting the money.

Reread again, he has been getting food by supply capsule. So, sadly he will die on rentery

you should help. tell them you've set up a crowdfunding page for him and be sure they get the link.

But you can't just leave him there, can you?

This one has been rolling around for a good 12 years: link

They have done bit of homework though. Salyut 7 was launched in 1982. It was de-orbitted in 1991, so the dates would roughly coincide. Most of it was moved to MIR, which was brought down in 2001.

However Russian space flights are also numbered and Soyuz T-16 (actually TM-16, M = modified) was the sixteenth expedition to the Russian Space Station Mir.

Maybe the ISS can through him a lifeline as it passes?

If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth…

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

One wonders, why not just cut out the middle man and use this bribe on someone in the Russian Space Authority?

But, to answer who would buy this BS, it is self-selecting. They only want the most gullible people to answer, because they can get the most out of them. They only need one or two!

I'm sure there's a few hand-wringing, guilt-ridden Westerners out there gullible enough to sign on for this.

AH yes gullible and greedy folk will be snagged by this.

20% of 15,000,000