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Friday, August 17, 2007
::Dreams::
Ive always been interested in dream interpretation. Since, Ive had a couple lately, so I researched what the symbolism meant in one dream I had. I believe that our dreams can tell us a whole lot about our life than what we can see in our waking hours. I also believe that the Lord can communicate with us through our dreams. It also speaks about dreams & visions in the Holy Bible.
For example--In one dream that I had the other night-- I am walking in the rain to Noah's preschool, except it isnt the preschool that he normally goes to. I go inside to see his preschool teacher and she is wearing a pink sweater. I notice that Noah isnt in the class, but I talk to her anyway about her new students. :)
I thought this was interesting, so I looked it up on dreammoods.com. From the interpretation... it looks like it was a very fruitful dream! It pretty much describes where I am in in my life too. :)
Walking-- moving through life & progress towards goals.
Rain-- signifies you will be cleansed from troubles & problems. Biblically, rain also symbolizes blessing. :)
Classroom-- learning an important life lesson.
Teacher-- Seeking guidance & knowledge. Heading down a new life path and ready to learn by example or past experience.
Pink-- love, joy, sweetness.
Sweater-- comfort, harmony, family.
For example--In one dream that I had the other night-- I am walking in the rain to Noah's preschool, except it isnt the preschool that he normally goes to. I go inside to see his preschool teacher and she is wearing a pink sweater. I notice that Noah isnt in the class, but I talk to her anyway about her new students. :)
I thought this was interesting, so I looked it up on dreammoods.com. From the interpretation... it looks like it was a very fruitful dream! It pretty much describes where I am in in my life too. :)
Walking-- moving through life & progress towards goals.
Rain-- signifies you will be cleansed from troubles & problems. Biblically, rain also symbolizes blessing. :)
Classroom-- learning an important life lesson.
Teacher-- Seeking guidance & knowledge. Heading down a new life path and ready to learn by example or past experience.
Pink-- love, joy, sweetness.
Sweater-- comfort, harmony, family.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Nigeran Email Scams
Okay, after receiving several Nigerian scam emails attempts to con me out of big bucks & suck our accounts dry; Ive decided enough is enough and forwarded the email on to abuse@yahoo.com.
I just thought that this might be a good thing to share, especially if one finds such an email in their email box. Hey-- I may be a blonde, but Im no dummy! (What's one's hair color have to do with the way the mind works anyway??? LOL)
I did some research to see what would happen if a "supposed" victim were to fall for one of these little con jobs. It is a pretty interesting, humorous, but long read. :)
'Nigerian' money scam: What happens when you reply?
Meet Mr Madu Frank in a silicon.com special...
By Will Sturgeon
Published: Tuesday 18 February 2003
Anybody who has ever received the notorious Nigerian Money Scam will probably have asked themselves the same question - what would happen if I replied?
For those of you unfamiliar with this email scam, the basic idea is simple. Somebody purporting to be a Nigerian banker contacts you, offering a chance to earn some serious money. Often his bank will be looking after the considerable fortune of a deceased millionaire - from shipping magnate to former president. He says he needs a foreign bank account through which to launder the money - and in return for sending him your bank details for this purpose, he will give you a share of the spoils.
Of course those who fall for this scam never see these promised millions. Instead their bank accounts are often cleaned out once they have handed over all their details - which include bank account numbers, copies of their passport and drivers licence and phone and fax numbers - it is a simple identity theft, dressed up with a tempting lure for the gullible.
Over the years silicon.com has received hundreds of these emails. What follows is the transcript of a conversation with one such scammer which began on 20 January 2003.
We received an email from somebody calling himself Mr Madu Frank, promising us 30 per cent of a large unclaimed fund, valued in the region of around $20m. Typically these people will send emails to multiple recipients - hoping somebody will take the bait. Often it is claimed the recipient was recommended to them by 'a friend' or taken from some kind of international directory.
Having received the initial email, silicon.com's Will Sturgeon set up a Hotmail account under an assumed identity, and replied.
Dear Madu Frank,
Thank you very much for contacting me with this wonderful offer, it sounds almost too good to be true. It's amazing, only this morning I was saying how I could do with having a bit more money - I must be a very lucky man.
Of course I would be interested in helping, but would also be very interested to hear who recommended me, as you say you have been told that I am a "reliable" and "trustworthy" person. I assure you I am, but would like to know who I have to thank for this wonderful opportunity.
Just to clarify, you say I stand to get 30 per cent of the total money transferred - this is £6.75m, right? Wow!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Overnight a reply from Mr Madu arrived.
Thank you very much for finding time to reply to my mail. We have to begin this transaction fast, so that the fund will be in your account in about 14 banking days. First of all, you have to transcribe the letter below in to your letter headed paper, or plain paper, and send it back to me so that I will submit it to the INTERNATIONAL REMITANCE DEPARTMENT of the bank...
...I will require you to also send me your private telephone and fax numbers, I will submit this also to the bank, and they will contact you directly.
When they contact you, I want you to act as the real beneficiary of the fund in question. Do not be intimidated by anybody. I will also want you to send me the front and back photocopy of your international passport or driver's licence, so that I will know who I am having a deal with.
For further enquires on what you should do, call me immediately you receive this mail on my telephone number... I will be expecting your call.
He then included the text of the letter he wanted me to transcribe, including helpful blank spaces where I could fill in my name, address and, most importantly, bank details. Of course I didn't oblige... but that didn't mean I was finished with Mr Madu (wasn't he a partially sighted cartoon character?). I still wanted him to answer my question about who recommended me.
So I replied:
Thank you for getting back to me. I am still wondering if you could tell me who recommended me to you, as I asked in my last email.
I do not have a problem with all this, but you said in your original email that you had been told I was a reliable person - I was just wondering if you could elaborate? I am interested in finding this out - as that person may want to share in my good fortune. I should be aware of who has done me this big favour.
I look forward to hearing from you.
So I've posed Mr Madu a challenge here. We know the truth, but surely he won't admit to sending out random emails to all and sundry in the hope that some poor sucker will take the bait. No, instead he comes up with one of the most improbable - yet inventive - lies ever.
I have seen your mail, and understand the surprise that you are still passing through. I got your address from the Hotmail email directory for successful men and women. Please we have to leave out surprises at this point, and deal with the issue that we have at hand right now. Call me as I instructed you for more detail about what this transaction will look like.
Expecting your reply soonest.
I wasn't about to let that one go...
Mr Madu, I didn't know there was a "Hotmail email directory for successful men and women". You live and learn! How do they know I'm successful (I am - but I only set this Hotmail account up on Monday - and they didn't ask me then whether I am successful. Where can I see this directory?)
I hope you can understand my trepidation - I'd hate to blunder into some kind of scam (not that I would ever question your integrity or the genuine nature of this offer).
I suppose, as I said in my earlier email this just sounds too good to be true - are you sure it is all above board?
I am still very keen to help you out, and am really looking forward to getting the money - I just need to be sure it's the right thing to do.
All the best,
My conversational style fell on deaf ears, Mr Madu clearly wasn't keen to hang around chewing the fat...
Please send the transcribed letter, to my fax number... or send it as an attachment to my email box. I will be expecting to hear from you soon.
But, if he can lie, then what is there to stop me?
Mr Madu, OK - I have sent that fax. It should be there now. Let me know once you've got it.
I hadn't. At this point we played a little bit of email tennis. Three times I sent an email saying I'd faxed through the form - three times, on three consecutive days, he replied to tell me it hadn't arrived (that's because I'd not sent it Mr Madu) - each time urging me instead to email it to his inbox. I blamed confusion over the international codes.
My Dear Friend, I have not seen your fax yet... You do not have to add any other code. But I prefer that you send me the letter this time around, through email as an attachment, since you have tried to send it three times through fax.
I will be expecting you to send it through my email box now, so that I can submit it to the international remittance department of the bank, before the close of work today.
In the end I changed tack - suggesting it might be quicker to fax the bank directly - suggesting I might even look up the bank on the internet. I thought this might catch Mr Madu off guard, but it hardly threw him at all. He quickly replied, giving me the "direct telephone number of Dr George Ade, the Director of the international remittance department." He also gave me the department's fax number and implored me to contact them immediately.
Yet, still I resisted... Saturday, Sunday passed and still I hadn't faxed anything. Mr Madu was starting to grow impatient...
Have you faxed the letter to the international remittance department of the Eco Bank? (No) Have you called the director as I instructed you to? (No again I'm afraid Mr Madu) Please you know we have to be fast about this transaction, so I want you to act fast.
I will also require your private telephone number, so that I can communicate with you on phone. I will be expecting your mail immediately.
What's it going to take before this man gives up on me? Surely if he hasn't cottoned on to the fact that I'm winding him up, he must at least think I'm incredibly ungrateful, and more than a little disorganised.
But that's his problem, not mine... This time I replied, telling him I had gone ahead and looked up the proper numbers for the EcoBank in Lagos Nigeria on the internet - and told him that I'd sent my form straight there... Surely this will annoy him - after all, if he really believes that I fell for his scam, then surely he must believe what I've just gone and done is completely idiotic. All along he has stressed the need for secrecy and great caution. Involving the real EcoBank will surely throw a spanner in the works and annoy the long-suffering Mr Madu... and indeed it did.
He wrote:
ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I sent you numbers that you can use to reach particular people because of the confidentiality of this transaction, and you are contacting another number! Well I must inform you at this point, that since you refused to follow my instructions, you have 0 per cent chance of collecting any money from the bank. You have just shown how unconfidential you can be.
I also hope that you did not mention my name in the fax you sent to them, because I don't want to lose my job over a fund that has not been released. The best thing I have to do now is to look for someone more confidential than you are! GOOD DAY!
And so it ended... ...or did it?
Mr Madu, I can't believe I'm going to miss out on this money - but these things happen - and I can see that it was all my fault... but what a shame!!!
Your good - but slightly disappointed - friend.
In truth I expected that to be the last of my dealings with Mr Madu. But he wasn't done yet. He just wanted me to understand the foolishness of what he had done, and clearly rued flying off the handle they way he had.
This transaction is very confidential even in the bank. So all I want you to do at this point, is to contact the telephone number that I gave to you right away. It is the direct line of the Director of international remittance. He knows about this transaction. His name is Dr George Ade...
Do this without delay.
Mr Madu Frank, I thought you'd given up on me.
It is not all over! Please just follow up the instructions that I gave you, and everything will be alright. I want to receive a mail from you tomorrow morning that you have done it. BE POSITIVE!!!
He's changed his tune! He obviously believes there is still a chance I will hand over my passport, bank account detail, phone number and driver's licence.
I wonder how he'll react when I start losing my patience with him - will he spot the irony? I pretend I have made the phone call which he implored me to make...
Mr Madu, What's going on? Dr George Ade is not answering his phone... what time is it there? Why do you tell me to ring him when he's not around to answer his phone?
This is a waste of my time... I want to help you but I will soon lose patience. I do not need the money that badly - $6.75m would have been nice, but I can live without it and will do so if you do not raise your game very soon.
Are you even serious about wanting to transfer this money?
I'm getting frustrated. I expect to hear from you soon.
Me Madu wasn't impressed.
I will not be a party to any kind of funny jokes because I have a very important schedule myself.
I have called Dr George immediately I received your mail, just to find out if he had any missed call, he said no. Please I know that you are getting frustrated, but we have to keep trying. He will definitely pick up your call when you contact him.
It is too early to start giving up.
Mr Madu, You say "I will not be a party to any kind of funny jokes because I have very important schedule myself" - well excuse me, but I'm the one who gets the distinct feeling this all a bit of a botched operation.
Are you suggesting that I'm lying about ringing Dr George Ade. I do not appreciate being called a liar. I called the number you sent me - there was no answer. Why would I waste my time and yours lying about it?
I don't think I want to do business with you any more.
That told him. Within a week we've gone from him cutting me off to me cutting him off. By this stage I was confident that he would still come back for more, almost regardless of whatever I said. Sure enough, Mr Madu replied, this time - giving me the email addresses for Dr George Ade and his department within the bank. Interestingly, like Mr Madu, both used Yahoo.com webmail addresses. Not very professional for a bank, I thought. (Rest assured all addresses being used have been reported to Yahoo!).
So I contacted Dr George Ade. Could this be Mr Madu by another name?
Dr George, I have been in contact with an associate of yours Mr Madu Frank - I'm sure he has told you about our conversation. He has asked me to contact you to move this transaction on.
Tell me please - why does the bank have a Yahoo! email address? It doesn't sound very official - I need to be assured that this is a serious and official operation - not just people setting up Yahoo! mail addresses - which anybody could do. Please send assurances that I am dealing with honest and official people.
I hope you understand my concern.
Let's see what 'Dr George Ade' has to say for himself.
Dear Sir, I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your mail addressed personally to me, Dr George Ade, on this 3rd day of February 2003. I will start by explaining to you, that this bank does not have only one branch, therefore we do not have just one website or just a particular email address. All departments of the bank are allowed to set up contact points, which will be best to access the banking procedures.
So let's get this straight. Dr Ade is telling me that companies can only set up a specific web address when they are based in just one location. This goes against everything the web stands for. What's starting to annoy me at this point is that these people obviously think I'm an idiot. That said... I did reply to the original email, so as far as they're concerned it's probably a fair assumption.
But who would deal with an international bank that uses Yahoo! mail addresses?
At this point it really hits me how foolish the people are who have been duped by these scammers.
Thanks George, Before we go on - I really don't think you are making the most of the opportunities the internet presents you.
You say "this bank does not have only one branch therefore we do not have just one website or just a particular email address".
The internet is supposed to remove such 'location-based' thinking. You sound like a good man, and I trust you, but I really think an international bank would sound far more impressive if it wasn't using free internet mail addresses. You should look into it.
I'm more than happy with Mr Madu's arrangement - but I imagine there are people out there who would be unwilling to hand out important information, such as bank details, to a Yahoo! account.
Anyway, that's just my opinion,
All the best
I included Mr Madu on my reply. I imagine by now there is at least one very frustrated man in Nigeria. Surely after three weeks he's getting fed up of this. After all, he originally said the transaction must be completed in 14 days... we're well over that already, and sure enough Mr Madu is not happy.
Why are you making a joke of this transaction? I have the certificate of deposit of the fund in question, and the Lodgement receipt with me, and can fax it to you if you can give me a fax number. I am not joking, I mean what I am saying.
So send me your fax number, so that I can send you these documents of proof immediately.
Oh dear. I appear to have annoyed him.
I
waited a few days before sending my next email. By this stage we're well into the fourth week - Mr Madu wanted this done within 14 days. I thought it best to make my apologies and also make up an excuse for the delay.
Sorry Mr Madu, I wasn't making a joke of this transaction intentionally. Apologies also for the delay, but I have been away on business. As such I didn't want to leave a fax number before I went away as I didn't want this form arriving in my absence as I wanted to keep this transaction quiet - I'm sure you understand.
Anyway, I'm back from my travels now and if you could let me have the certificate of deposit and the Lodgement receipt that would be excellent - why not send them as attachments to this email address.
With the ball back in Mr Madu's court I'm kept waiting for a couple of days, until I next hear from him.
It's nice receiving your mail once again. It was a public holiday for the past two days here in Nigeria, so I will send you the documents through mail, tomorrow morning or on Saturday morning.
But they didn't turn up. Has Mr Madu finally given up the chase? Saturday and Sunday pass, with no forms arriving. For five days there is silence from Mr Madu, I start to suspect he's lost interest but I've one last trick up my sleeves to elicit a reaction.
Since starting this email conversation we've received dozens more of these Nigerian emails. Perhaps it's time to introduce Mr Madu to some of his peers.
Mr Madu, Have you shared my details with colleagues of yours. Just this past weekend I received two emails:
First up is Dr Godfrey Ugo who is offering me a share in the fortune of "a foreign customer who died along with his entire family in a Concord plane crash in the year 2000 in Paris".
Secondly I heard from Sunday Ikechukwu who says he works for the Foreign Remittance Department of the Zenith Bank. He is offering me a share of money held in "an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in November 1997 in a plane crash."
What's going on?
This stirred Mr Madu back into action, though he was hardly phased at all by the revelations in my email. In fact he offered this incredible response.
This is just exactly what I told you about delay in anything you do. I investigated the mails that you sent to me, and found out that the mails where sent to you by some fraudulent officials of my bank, who know about this transaction, but want to send the money through another bank.
Please, let us be fast about this transaction before somebody else will come and claim the fund.
Please do not contact any of those people, because you may end up not even getting anything at the end of the day.
So there it is - in so many words my Nigerian scammer has admitted that these emails are a fraud. The final line of his last email is probably the only truthful thing he's said all along. He has instructed me not to contact these people because he would rather he got the chance to clean out my bank account than one of his peers.
The End
(...or is it?)
I just thought that this might be a good thing to share, especially if one finds such an email in their email box. Hey-- I may be a blonde, but Im no dummy! (What's one's hair color have to do with the way the mind works anyway??? LOL)
I did some research to see what would happen if a "supposed" victim were to fall for one of these little con jobs. It is a pretty interesting, humorous, but long read. :)
'Nigerian' money scam: What happens when you reply?
Meet Mr Madu Frank in a silicon.com special...
By Will Sturgeon
Published: Tuesday 18 February 2003
Anybody who has ever received the notorious Nigerian Money Scam will probably have asked themselves the same question - what would happen if I replied?
For those of you unfamiliar with this email scam, the basic idea is simple. Somebody purporting to be a Nigerian banker contacts you, offering a chance to earn some serious money. Often his bank will be looking after the considerable fortune of a deceased millionaire - from shipping magnate to former president. He says he needs a foreign bank account through which to launder the money - and in return for sending him your bank details for this purpose, he will give you a share of the spoils.
Of course those who fall for this scam never see these promised millions. Instead their bank accounts are often cleaned out once they have handed over all their details - which include bank account numbers, copies of their passport and drivers licence and phone and fax numbers - it is a simple identity theft, dressed up with a tempting lure for the gullible.
Over the years silicon.com has received hundreds of these emails. What follows is the transcript of a conversation with one such scammer which began on 20 January 2003.
We received an email from somebody calling himself Mr Madu Frank, promising us 30 per cent of a large unclaimed fund, valued in the region of around $20m. Typically these people will send emails to multiple recipients - hoping somebody will take the bait. Often it is claimed the recipient was recommended to them by 'a friend' or taken from some kind of international directory.
Having received the initial email, silicon.com's Will Sturgeon set up a Hotmail account under an assumed identity, and replied.
Dear Madu Frank,
Thank you very much for contacting me with this wonderful offer, it sounds almost too good to be true. It's amazing, only this morning I was saying how I could do with having a bit more money - I must be a very lucky man.
Of course I would be interested in helping, but would also be very interested to hear who recommended me, as you say you have been told that I am a "reliable" and "trustworthy" person. I assure you I am, but would like to know who I have to thank for this wonderful opportunity.
Just to clarify, you say I stand to get 30 per cent of the total money transferred - this is £6.75m, right? Wow!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Overnight a reply from Mr Madu arrived.
Thank you very much for finding time to reply to my mail. We have to begin this transaction fast, so that the fund will be in your account in about 14 banking days. First of all, you have to transcribe the letter below in to your letter headed paper, or plain paper, and send it back to me so that I will submit it to the INTERNATIONAL REMITANCE DEPARTMENT of the bank...
...I will require you to also send me your private telephone and fax numbers, I will submit this also to the bank, and they will contact you directly.
When they contact you, I want you to act as the real beneficiary of the fund in question. Do not be intimidated by anybody. I will also want you to send me the front and back photocopy of your international passport or driver's licence, so that I will know who I am having a deal with.
For further enquires on what you should do, call me immediately you receive this mail on my telephone number... I will be expecting your call.
He then included the text of the letter he wanted me to transcribe, including helpful blank spaces where I could fill in my name, address and, most importantly, bank details. Of course I didn't oblige... but that didn't mean I was finished with Mr Madu (wasn't he a partially sighted cartoon character?). I still wanted him to answer my question about who recommended me.
So I replied:
Thank you for getting back to me. I am still wondering if you could tell me who recommended me to you, as I asked in my last email.
I do not have a problem with all this, but you said in your original email that you had been told I was a reliable person - I was just wondering if you could elaborate? I am interested in finding this out - as that person may want to share in my good fortune. I should be aware of who has done me this big favour.
I look forward to hearing from you.
So I've posed Mr Madu a challenge here. We know the truth, but surely he won't admit to sending out random emails to all and sundry in the hope that some poor sucker will take the bait. No, instead he comes up with one of the most improbable - yet inventive - lies ever.
I have seen your mail, and understand the surprise that you are still passing through. I got your address from the Hotmail email directory for successful men and women. Please we have to leave out surprises at this point, and deal with the issue that we have at hand right now. Call me as I instructed you for more detail about what this transaction will look like.
Expecting your reply soonest.
I wasn't about to let that one go...
Mr Madu, I didn't know there was a "Hotmail email directory for successful men and women". You live and learn! How do they know I'm successful (I am - but I only set this Hotmail account up on Monday - and they didn't ask me then whether I am successful. Where can I see this directory?)
I hope you can understand my trepidation - I'd hate to blunder into some kind of scam (not that I would ever question your integrity or the genuine nature of this offer).
I suppose, as I said in my earlier email this just sounds too good to be true - are you sure it is all above board?
I am still very keen to help you out, and am really looking forward to getting the money - I just need to be sure it's the right thing to do.
All the best,
My conversational style fell on deaf ears, Mr Madu clearly wasn't keen to hang around chewing the fat...
Please send the transcribed letter, to my fax number... or send it as an attachment to my email box. I will be expecting to hear from you soon.
But, if he can lie, then what is there to stop me?
Mr Madu, OK - I have sent that fax. It should be there now. Let me know once you've got it.
I hadn't. At this point we played a little bit of email tennis. Three times I sent an email saying I'd faxed through the form - three times, on three consecutive days, he replied to tell me it hadn't arrived (that's because I'd not sent it Mr Madu) - each time urging me instead to email it to his inbox. I blamed confusion over the international codes.
My Dear Friend, I have not seen your fax yet... You do not have to add any other code. But I prefer that you send me the letter this time around, through email as an attachment, since you have tried to send it three times through fax.
I will be expecting you to send it through my email box now, so that I can submit it to the international remittance department of the bank, before the close of work today.
In the end I changed tack - suggesting it might be quicker to fax the bank directly - suggesting I might even look up the bank on the internet. I thought this might catch Mr Madu off guard, but it hardly threw him at all. He quickly replied, giving me the "direct telephone number of Dr George Ade, the Director of the international remittance department." He also gave me the department's fax number and implored me to contact them immediately.
Yet, still I resisted... Saturday, Sunday passed and still I hadn't faxed anything. Mr Madu was starting to grow impatient...
Have you faxed the letter to the international remittance department of the Eco Bank? (No) Have you called the director as I instructed you to? (No again I'm afraid Mr Madu) Please you know we have to be fast about this transaction, so I want you to act fast.
I will also require your private telephone number, so that I can communicate with you on phone. I will be expecting your mail immediately.
What's it going to take before this man gives up on me? Surely if he hasn't cottoned on to the fact that I'm winding him up, he must at least think I'm incredibly ungrateful, and more than a little disorganised.
But that's his problem, not mine... This time I replied, telling him I had gone ahead and looked up the proper numbers for the EcoBank in Lagos Nigeria on the internet - and told him that I'd sent my form straight there... Surely this will annoy him - after all, if he really believes that I fell for his scam, then surely he must believe what I've just gone and done is completely idiotic. All along he has stressed the need for secrecy and great caution. Involving the real EcoBank will surely throw a spanner in the works and annoy the long-suffering Mr Madu... and indeed it did.
He wrote:
ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? I sent you numbers that you can use to reach particular people because of the confidentiality of this transaction, and you are contacting another number! Well I must inform you at this point, that since you refused to follow my instructions, you have 0 per cent chance of collecting any money from the bank. You have just shown how unconfidential you can be.
I also hope that you did not mention my name in the fax you sent to them, because I don't want to lose my job over a fund that has not been released. The best thing I have to do now is to look for someone more confidential than you are! GOOD DAY!
And so it ended... ...or did it?
Mr Madu, I can't believe I'm going to miss out on this money - but these things happen - and I can see that it was all my fault... but what a shame!!!
Your good - but slightly disappointed - friend.
In truth I expected that to be the last of my dealings with Mr Madu. But he wasn't done yet. He just wanted me to understand the foolishness of what he had done, and clearly rued flying off the handle they way he had.
This transaction is very confidential even in the bank. So all I want you to do at this point, is to contact the telephone number that I gave to you right away. It is the direct line of the Director of international remittance. He knows about this transaction. His name is Dr George Ade...
Do this without delay.
Mr Madu Frank, I thought you'd given up on me.
It is not all over! Please just follow up the instructions that I gave you, and everything will be alright. I want to receive a mail from you tomorrow morning that you have done it. BE POSITIVE!!!
He's changed his tune! He obviously believes there is still a chance I will hand over my passport, bank account detail, phone number and driver's licence.
I wonder how he'll react when I start losing my patience with him - will he spot the irony? I pretend I have made the phone call which he implored me to make...
Mr Madu, What's going on? Dr George Ade is not answering his phone... what time is it there? Why do you tell me to ring him when he's not around to answer his phone?
This is a waste of my time... I want to help you but I will soon lose patience. I do not need the money that badly - $6.75m would have been nice, but I can live without it and will do so if you do not raise your game very soon.
Are you even serious about wanting to transfer this money?
I'm getting frustrated. I expect to hear from you soon.
Me Madu wasn't impressed.
I will not be a party to any kind of funny jokes because I have a very important schedule myself.
I have called Dr George immediately I received your mail, just to find out if he had any missed call, he said no. Please I know that you are getting frustrated, but we have to keep trying. He will definitely pick up your call when you contact him.
It is too early to start giving up.
Mr Madu, You say "I will not be a party to any kind of funny jokes because I have very important schedule myself" - well excuse me, but I'm the one who gets the distinct feeling this all a bit of a botched operation.
Are you suggesting that I'm lying about ringing Dr George Ade. I do not appreciate being called a liar. I called the number you sent me - there was no answer. Why would I waste my time and yours lying about it?
I don't think I want to do business with you any more.
That told him. Within a week we've gone from him cutting me off to me cutting him off. By this stage I was confident that he would still come back for more, almost regardless of whatever I said. Sure enough, Mr Madu replied, this time - giving me the email addresses for Dr George Ade and his department within the bank. Interestingly, like Mr Madu, both used Yahoo.com webmail addresses. Not very professional for a bank, I thought. (Rest assured all addresses being used have been reported to Yahoo!).
So I contacted Dr George Ade. Could this be Mr Madu by another name?
Dr George, I have been in contact with an associate of yours Mr Madu Frank - I'm sure he has told you about our conversation. He has asked me to contact you to move this transaction on.
Tell me please - why does the bank have a Yahoo! email address? It doesn't sound very official - I need to be assured that this is a serious and official operation - not just people setting up Yahoo! mail addresses - which anybody could do. Please send assurances that I am dealing with honest and official people.
I hope you understand my concern.
Let's see what 'Dr George Ade' has to say for himself.
Dear Sir, I wish to acknowledge the receipt of your mail addressed personally to me, Dr George Ade, on this 3rd day of February 2003. I will start by explaining to you, that this bank does not have only one branch, therefore we do not have just one website or just a particular email address. All departments of the bank are allowed to set up contact points, which will be best to access the banking procedures.
So let's get this straight. Dr Ade is telling me that companies can only set up a specific web address when they are based in just one location. This goes against everything the web stands for. What's starting to annoy me at this point is that these people obviously think I'm an idiot. That said... I did reply to the original email, so as far as they're concerned it's probably a fair assumption.
But who would deal with an international bank that uses Yahoo! mail addresses?
At this point it really hits me how foolish the people are who have been duped by these scammers.
Thanks George, Before we go on - I really don't think you are making the most of the opportunities the internet presents you.
You say "this bank does not have only one branch therefore we do not have just one website or just a particular email address".
The internet is supposed to remove such 'location-based' thinking. You sound like a good man, and I trust you, but I really think an international bank would sound far more impressive if it wasn't using free internet mail addresses. You should look into it.
I'm more than happy with Mr Madu's arrangement - but I imagine there are people out there who would be unwilling to hand out important information, such as bank details, to a Yahoo! account.
Anyway, that's just my opinion,
All the best
I included Mr Madu on my reply. I imagine by now there is at least one very frustrated man in Nigeria. Surely after three weeks he's getting fed up of this. After all, he originally said the transaction must be completed in 14 days... we're well over that already, and sure enough Mr Madu is not happy.
Why are you making a joke of this transaction? I have the certificate of deposit of the fund in question, and the Lodgement receipt with me, and can fax it to you if you can give me a fax number. I am not joking, I mean what I am saying.
So send me your fax number, so that I can send you these documents of proof immediately.
Oh dear. I appear to have annoyed him.
I
waited a few days before sending my next email. By this stage we're well into the fourth week - Mr Madu wanted this done within 14 days. I thought it best to make my apologies and also make up an excuse for the delay.
Sorry Mr Madu, I wasn't making a joke of this transaction intentionally. Apologies also for the delay, but I have been away on business. As such I didn't want to leave a fax number before I went away as I didn't want this form arriving in my absence as I wanted to keep this transaction quiet - I'm sure you understand.
Anyway, I'm back from my travels now and if you could let me have the certificate of deposit and the Lodgement receipt that would be excellent - why not send them as attachments to this email address.
With the ball back in Mr Madu's court I'm kept waiting for a couple of days, until I next hear from him.
It's nice receiving your mail once again. It was a public holiday for the past two days here in Nigeria, so I will send you the documents through mail, tomorrow morning or on Saturday morning.
But they didn't turn up. Has Mr Madu finally given up the chase? Saturday and Sunday pass, with no forms arriving. For five days there is silence from Mr Madu, I start to suspect he's lost interest but I've one last trick up my sleeves to elicit a reaction.
Since starting this email conversation we've received dozens more of these Nigerian emails. Perhaps it's time to introduce Mr Madu to some of his peers.
Mr Madu, Have you shared my details with colleagues of yours. Just this past weekend I received two emails:
First up is Dr Godfrey Ugo who is offering me a share in the fortune of "a foreign customer who died along with his entire family in a Concord plane crash in the year 2000 in Paris".
Secondly I heard from Sunday Ikechukwu who says he works for the Foreign Remittance Department of the Zenith Bank. He is offering me a share of money held in "an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in November 1997 in a plane crash."
What's going on?
This stirred Mr Madu back into action, though he was hardly phased at all by the revelations in my email. In fact he offered this incredible response.
This is just exactly what I told you about delay in anything you do. I investigated the mails that you sent to me, and found out that the mails where sent to you by some fraudulent officials of my bank, who know about this transaction, but want to send the money through another bank.
Please, let us be fast about this transaction before somebody else will come and claim the fund.
Please do not contact any of those people, because you may end up not even getting anything at the end of the day.
So there it is - in so many words my Nigerian scammer has admitted that these emails are a fraud. The final line of his last email is probably the only truthful thing he's said all along. He has instructed me not to contact these people because he would rather he got the chance to clean out my bank account than one of his peers.
The End
(...or is it?)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Scientist find a reason for contagious yawning
I found this article to be interesting. Our 5 year old son has what you would call the " Higher Functioning" end of the Autism Spectrum scale,--yet he lacks social skills with kids his age, but he is very empathic. So much that when someone cries; that he will cry. This makes it hard in public places or even watching a tv program -- if someone is crying, then Noah's response is the same in return--crying until the other person stops.
Scientists find reason for contagious yawning
People who feel more empathy are more prone to it, study finds
LONDON - Showing empathy can make for a lot of yawning.
A study of autistic children has bolstered evidence that people who identify better with others are more prone to contagious yawning, Japanese researchers say.
Scientists have long known that one yawn often leads others to follow suit but what triggers the phenomenon is not as clear, said Atsushi Senju, a researcher at the University of London who worked on the study.
Some believe it is simply a reflex. Others suggest the same mechanisms in the brain that make people feel empathy also cause them to yawn when they see others doing the same, he said.
In the study the team tested the reaction of autistic children and normal children when watching video clips of people yawning and then simply moving their mouths.
The researchers found the children with autism, a developmental condition that severely affects social interaction and communication including empathy, yawned less than other children during clips of people yawning.
Both groups of children yawned the same amount when watching the video of people only moving their mouths, showing that empathy was the key, Senju told Reuters.
“It supports the claim that contagious yawning is based on the capacity for empathy,” the researchers wrote.
Contagious yawning is seen in only a few other primates and studies have suggested the behavior has played an evolutionary role in helping groups avoid danger by keeping animals awake and alert.
The researchers said the findings offer a jumping-off point to investigate the nature of social and communication impairment in those with autism.
“Further studies are required to investigate the relation between contagious yawning and other symptoms of (autism) such as empathy, imitation and/or face fixation,” the researchers wrote.
The study is published in the Royal Society’s Biology Letters on Wednesday.
Soaring Like Eagles
I've been meditating on Isaiah 40:31 for a week now & even catch myself singing "Waiting on the Lord" throughout the day. I wanted to do some research on this verse & I happen to come across this article on the web regarding the symbolism of the Eagle. This little article has taught me a lot. I hope it blesses you as much as it did me. :) :)http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~tangw/eagle.html
Be VERY patient in reading this wonderful story. Something for you to ponder about. Familiar with Isaiah 40:31?
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."(Isaiah 40:31)
Have you ever wondered why Isaiah 40:31 is written the way it is?
Question: Why is the Eagle mentioned specifically?
Question: What is so special about Eagles that they have a place in the bible?
Question: What is the linkage between waiting upon the Lord and renewal of strength? Question: Why is it that when you mount up with wings like eagles, you do not get tired?
Read on and you will find the answer. The eagle is a creation of God. It is the most majestic of all birds and is mentioned many times in the bible. In fact, the eagle is mentioned 38 times, much more than the dove or other birds. An eagle is around 90 cm tall and reaches over 2 m between the wings. She builds her nest on the cliff or in a high tree. The nest is so large that a human can sleep in it. It can weigh 700 kg and is also comfortable.
With the basis of God's word, we shall see what the king of birds can show us concerning truths about God, and also about Christians. May the practical lessons contained in here be of encouragement to you. God Bless.
Lesson 1: All Baby Eagles Must Learn To Fly
High in the mountains, a baby eagle is born. Like all other babies, there are two things that baby eagles, known as eaglets, love to do:eat and sleep. The baby eagle would spend its initial life in the comfort of the nest. Everyday, mama eagle would find food and drop it directly into the open mouths of the hungry eaglet. With a satisfied stomach, the eaglet then goes to sleep and the cycle continues when it becomes hungry again.
This goes on for a few weeks, until one day, mama eagle would just hover over the nest. This time, there is no food. After hovering a few rounds, mama eagle would make a dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. She then takes one of her babies in her mouth and starts rounds, mama eagle would make a dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. She then takes one of her babies in her mouth and starts soaring into the skies. The baby eaglet begins to tremble, "Mama is mad! Mama is mad!" Suddenly, she drops the baby eaglet who starts to struggle.
Just before the eaglet smashes against the rocks, mama eagle would sweep down and pick it up. This goes on for about five to eight times. The eaglet starts to wonder why mama is doing this. Everytime it is being dropped from the sky, the eaglet would struggle by flapping its wings. "Mama can fly. I want to fly like her too!", the eaglet says to itself. What beautiful picture! Mama is teaching her young to fly. At about the fourteenth to fifteenth try, the eaglet begins to fly.
Relevance
Christians are like baby eagles, comfortable in the nest. They come to church once a week for food. They would wait for pastor to drop "spiritual" food into their mouths. When service is over, they would go home, "sleep" for a few days and the cycle continues, until one day, something happens and they struggle. The nest gets shaken and they don't know what to do. "It's the devil! It's the devil!" they exclaim. No, it's not! It's just our loving Father who allows our nest to be shaken because He wants us to grow into maturity, so that we can fly. It's no point being an eagle that cannot fly.
The Word of God says in Exodus 19:4 that God bare the children of Israel on eagles' wings. Here we see the eagle symbolise God. The way mama eagle treats her young shows us how God treats His children. Just when it seems like we're going under ... SWISH ... mama eagle, God, comes and picks us up. In the world, they push people upward when they are going up. But God lets us fall down to get us up.
Hard times come, but after a couple of times I start to pray a little bit more. I start to read God's word a little bit more. And suddenly I realise that the answers to my prayers are coming. Hard times always come but I find I'm not helpless, no, I see that I can stand on God's word.
What has happened? I've learned to spread my wings! I've learned to fly.
God carries us supernaturally through all our trials, even if we don't feel it. Yea, who can see the wind. While mama eagle teaches her young to use their own wings, God teaches us to Believe
His word and use our Faith.
Lesson 2: Eagles Are Made For The High Places
Unlike other birds that fly in the lowlands, eagles are made to fly in the high places, out of sight of the naked human eye and out of range of the hunter's rifle. -
Relevance
God made us to fly in the high places, free from the world's control. A tourist to the Jurong Bird Park once commented that the eagles there looked very clean. In reply, the bird-keeper said: "When eagles are in freedom, they are the cleanest birds. But when they are in captivity, they are the dirtiest."
Relevance
God made us pure and holy to conform to the image of His Son. If Christians are in captivity, that is subjected to the ways of the world, we can be the "dirtiest" of all creatures. Unless we "fly" in the high places, out of the world's control, and according to how God has made us, we'll remain the dirtiest of creatures.
Lesson 3: Eagles Do Not Fly, They Soar
Eagles do not fly like other birds, flapping their wings profusely and using their own strength. Instead, eagles SOAR majestically, making use of the wind currents to gain height. What makes the eagle so special is that she sits on the rock and reads the wind and when the time is perfect she takes off and soars upward with her great wings.
There is a special up going wind where the eagle rides the wind and circle higher and higher toward the sky, without effort. She just spreads her wings.
Relevance
The wind is referred many times in the bible as the Holy Spirit. We can learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and let Him lift us closer to Jesus. The eagle in this case is the Christian who is being lifted by the Holy Spirit up and closer to Jesus.
Like eagles, we should learn to ride on the current of the Holy Spirit, instead of relying on our own strength. Only then can we "gain height" to "fly" in the high places. Isaiah 40:31 talks about growing in Christ, that happens when we have fellowship with Him in the Spirit.
Lesson 4: Eagles Go Through Specific Periods Of Renewal
When they are about 60 years old, eagles go through a period of renewal. An eagle would find a secret place up in the mountains. It would start to claw at its face and tear out the feathers that have been damaged over the years. As a result, it would bleed badly. The eagle would then wait patiently for the rays of the sun to heal it. Through this, the eagle renews its strength by getting rid of the unnecessary things otherwise it would not be able to live till 120 years that it normally does.
Relevance
Like eagles, Christians need to go through a renewal period sometime in our lives, to rid ourselves of unnecessary things and to wait upon the Lord. Renewal is a divine principle where God cuts off the unfruitful things in us so as to bring out the fruitful.
Lesson 5: Eagles Get Sick, Just Like Humans
When an eagle gets sick, it does not go to the doctor. It simply finds a favourite spot in the mountains and await the rays of the sun to heal it. The sun plays a major role in the life of an eagle and as such, is a major source of healing too.
Relevance
When we get sick, besides going to the doctor, do we also look to the Lord who plays a major role in our lives as our source of healing?
Lesson 6: Every Eagle Has To Die
When an eagle is about to die, it will fly to its favourite spot in the mountains, wraps its wings round itself, looks at the sun's rays and dies.
Relevance
Ideally, all Christians should die looking towards Jesus as our source of hope and comfort.
"A person's true character is revealed by what he does when no one is watching
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Quit Complaining-- It may make you feel worse
I love anything that deals with Psychology & happen to run across this article today as I was enjoying my coffee this morning. It reminds me that if I feel like having a pity party, vent.. then let it go. Besides, who wants to listen to a whiner anyway, when we can be focusing on the blessings in our lives.
Like they say, there is always someone less fortunate than us. So... with that said... I'm going to make a list of every positive thing in my life (and forget those little nigglies) LOL
Quit complaining — it may make you feel worse
Venting to friends about problems is unhelpful and unhealthy, experts say
By Melissa Dahl
Health writer
MSNBC
Updated: 5:46 a.m. PT Aug 13, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20185446/
When confronted with a problem, Ashley Merydith has a routine for dealing with it: She talks about it. Incessantly. To anyone who will listen.
“‘So he did this, and then I said this, and then he texted me this,’” says Merydith, 23, describing the intricacies of a venting session. “It’s basically rehashing every conversation.”
Her goal is to get it off her chest and feel better about the issue. But often, Merydith finds that venting about her problems has the exact opposite effect. “It makes you more amped up about the problem,” says Merydith, of Charlotte, N.C.
Voicing your frustrations is a natural way of dealing with them — but watch out for when a conversation dissolves into a bitch session. Talking your problems to death can make you feel even worse.
A recent study found that teenage girls who vented to each other about their problems, from boy trouble to social slights, were more likely to develop depression and anxiety — and the same is likely true for adult women, says Amanda Rose, the author of the study.
“There’s a definite belief in our culture that talking about our problems makes you feel better,” says Rose, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, whose research was published in the July issue of Developmental Psychology. “That’s true in moderation. ... It only becomes risky when it becomes excessive.”
Be more like a boy
Rose also studied the venting habits of young men, but found that guys don’t tend to analyze their problems as deeply as women. That might be because relationship issues tend to spark the most obsessive discussions, and that’s a subject women are more likely to dwell on.
Sometimes a kvetching session can spiral out of control, admits 21-year-old Amanda Beattie.
Instead of making her feel better about the problem, it reinforces the small fears she already had — or even introduces new ones.
“It goes from statements about how I’m feeling to, ‘OK, so-and-so must hate me,’ to ‘I bet they never liked me in their life,’” says Beattie, who lives in Kansas City, Mo. “The more you talk, it hypes up your emotions.”
Still, there’s an upside to all that complaining. Rose points out that in her findings, the girls who vented to each other also reported feeling closer to their friends. It can establish an instant bond because the listeners know the complainer trusts them enough to spill their emotions — and the complainer’s just grateful that someone is willing to listen.
For 24-year-old Elizabeth Spencer-Green, a good griping session has often been a way to connect with other women. When she first moved to Seattle as a teenager, she hated her new school — and she bonded with a group of girls who felt the same way.
“I guess I used that as a way to fit in,” says Spencer-Green, who now lives in New York City.
But she noticed that as she complained with her friends about how much she hated the school, she started to hate it even more.
Confirming worst fears
That’s the danger of talking to friends who let you wallow in your sorrows. It can confirm your worst fears: Maybe you weren’t overreacting. He really did wrong you. She really was flirting with him.
And now you’re convinced: This is so a big deal.
“If I tell you my problem, and the way you listen to me is sort of agreeing with me, then it escalates the feeling, without having a practical solution for it,” says Matthew Anderson, a psychologist based in Boca Raton, Fla. Instead of spilling your problems to those friends who encourage your rants, turn to someone who’ll point you toward a solution.
In Beattie’s case, that was her mom. Beattie was stressed about the tension between herself and her co-workers at her new internship, and she called her mom to talk about it.
“She’d let me run out of steam, and then she’d remind me of what I needed to do to remedy the situation,” says Beattie.
Psychologists also warn against ranting over and over to the same audience. You don’t want to become known as the complainer of the group. That can take a toll on friendships; it’s draining to be around someone who’s always moaning about their troubles.
When faced with someone who’s intent on wallowing in their problems, give them some time to talk it out — maybe 15 minutes, suggests Annette Annechild, a marriage and family counselor in Del Ray Beach, Fla. After that, move away from complaining and on to problem solving.
Merydith, the conversation rehasher, says she’s trying to redirect her venting habit into healthier territory by seeking solutions instead of just complaining. “If you talk about it forever and ever, at some point, you have to be like, ‘OK, let’s move on.’”
Like they say, there is always someone less fortunate than us. So... with that said... I'm going to make a list of every positive thing in my life (and forget those little nigglies) LOL
Quit complaining — it may make you feel worse
Venting to friends about problems is unhelpful and unhealthy, experts say
By Melissa Dahl
Health writer
MSNBC
Updated: 5:46 a.m. PT Aug 13, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20185446/
When confronted with a problem, Ashley Merydith has a routine for dealing with it: She talks about it. Incessantly. To anyone who will listen.
“‘So he did this, and then I said this, and then he texted me this,’” says Merydith, 23, describing the intricacies of a venting session. “It’s basically rehashing every conversation.”
Her goal is to get it off her chest and feel better about the issue. But often, Merydith finds that venting about her problems has the exact opposite effect. “It makes you more amped up about the problem,” says Merydith, of Charlotte, N.C.
Voicing your frustrations is a natural way of dealing with them — but watch out for when a conversation dissolves into a bitch session. Talking your problems to death can make you feel even worse.
A recent study found that teenage girls who vented to each other about their problems, from boy trouble to social slights, were more likely to develop depression and anxiety — and the same is likely true for adult women, says Amanda Rose, the author of the study.
“There’s a definite belief in our culture that talking about our problems makes you feel better,” says Rose, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, whose research was published in the July issue of Developmental Psychology. “That’s true in moderation. ... It only becomes risky when it becomes excessive.”
Be more like a boy
Rose also studied the venting habits of young men, but found that guys don’t tend to analyze their problems as deeply as women. That might be because relationship issues tend to spark the most obsessive discussions, and that’s a subject women are more likely to dwell on.
Sometimes a kvetching session can spiral out of control, admits 21-year-old Amanda Beattie.
Instead of making her feel better about the problem, it reinforces the small fears she already had — or even introduces new ones.
“It goes from statements about how I’m feeling to, ‘OK, so-and-so must hate me,’ to ‘I bet they never liked me in their life,’” says Beattie, who lives in Kansas City, Mo. “The more you talk, it hypes up your emotions.”
Still, there’s an upside to all that complaining. Rose points out that in her findings, the girls who vented to each other also reported feeling closer to their friends. It can establish an instant bond because the listeners know the complainer trusts them enough to spill their emotions — and the complainer’s just grateful that someone is willing to listen.
For 24-year-old Elizabeth Spencer-Green, a good griping session has often been a way to connect with other women. When she first moved to Seattle as a teenager, she hated her new school — and she bonded with a group of girls who felt the same way.
“I guess I used that as a way to fit in,” says Spencer-Green, who now lives in New York City.
But she noticed that as she complained with her friends about how much she hated the school, she started to hate it even more.
Confirming worst fears
That’s the danger of talking to friends who let you wallow in your sorrows. It can confirm your worst fears: Maybe you weren’t overreacting. He really did wrong you. She really was flirting with him.
And now you’re convinced: This is so a big deal.
“If I tell you my problem, and the way you listen to me is sort of agreeing with me, then it escalates the feeling, without having a practical solution for it,” says Matthew Anderson, a psychologist based in Boca Raton, Fla. Instead of spilling your problems to those friends who encourage your rants, turn to someone who’ll point you toward a solution.
In Beattie’s case, that was her mom. Beattie was stressed about the tension between herself and her co-workers at her new internship, and she called her mom to talk about it.
“She’d let me run out of steam, and then she’d remind me of what I needed to do to remedy the situation,” says Beattie.
Psychologists also warn against ranting over and over to the same audience. You don’t want to become known as the complainer of the group. That can take a toll on friendships; it’s draining to be around someone who’s always moaning about their troubles.
When faced with someone who’s intent on wallowing in their problems, give them some time to talk it out — maybe 15 minutes, suggests Annette Annechild, a marriage and family counselor in Del Ray Beach, Fla. After that, move away from complaining and on to problem solving.
Merydith, the conversation rehasher, says she’s trying to redirect her venting habit into healthier territory by seeking solutions instead of just complaining. “If you talk about it forever and ever, at some point, you have to be like, ‘OK, let’s move on.’”
Monday, August 13, 2007
Precious Diamond
The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond…...... is the amount of pressure it endured. (Hebrews 6:15)
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