A new, unsettling turn on an old con

A new, unsettling turn on an old con

Posted on March 22nd, 2010 by Jeff McDonald

Dear Friend … I am writing to you as a reliable and trustworthy person who has received many, MANY pleas to secure million-of-dollars in found money, at the e-mail request of someone in a foreign land, and unusual circumstances.

I know I have, and I figured I’d heard just about every story in the book. But this latest has added a whole new page to that book. Normally, they’re easily ignored and sent straight to the virtual trash can. THIS ONE, caught my attention, though … due, perhaps, to my father being a career US Marine.

“I am Ossy David of the US Marine Force on Monitoring and Peace –keeping mission in Baghdad-Iraq,” this latest e-mail begins. “I am from Gretna , I got your contact from the US chamber of commerce online and I am contacting you after heart feelings of believe that you will not betray me.”

Yeah, sure …

“On the 26th day of May 2009, we were alerted on the sudden presence of some Terrorists camping in a suburb not too far from Kabala here in Iraq . After Immediate intervention, we captured three (3) of the Terrorists, twenty-six (26) were killed leaving seven (7) injured.”

Then, the e-mail from ‘Ossy’ takes an unsettling turn.

“In the process of torture they confessed being rebels for the late Aymanal Zawahiri and took us to a cave in Kabala which served as their camp. At their camp we recovered several guns, bombs and other Ammunition’s including some boxes, one filled with hard drugs and the other one to my amazement one of box contained cash of US$2Million which I concealed immediately.”
(emphasis added)

Finally, we get around to the money, and how I can help my good, virtual friend, Ossy.

“I am in keen need of a ‘Reliable and Trustworthy’ person who would secure and protect this box containing the US Dollars for me up Until my assignment elapses here in Iraq.”

“I assure and promise to give you 10% of this fund, however feel free to negotiate what you wish to have as your percentage in this business. Please assure me of your keeping this top most secret to protect my job with the US Marines.”

“I await your reply in great anticipation.”

Dear Ossy, thank you for your letter, and for all that you had to say about my country, its armed forces, and your views regarding what you consider the widely accepted norm for their conduct over the years while serving in the Iraq War. I would welcome an opportunity to meet with you sometime. And though I realize such an actual meeting is impossible, I still like to imagine how it might turn out. I regret that my father could not be there, to offer up a rebuttal to your e-mail, coming as it does from a ‘fellow Marine.’ And though I am but a small fraction of my old man, I would nonetheless step up and do what I can, in his memory and in memory of many, many old Marines in whose company I grew up.

Semper Fi

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Jeff McDonald

There's a saying around here, something like, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!" That's me. I'm a 'dang Yankee from back-east' who settled in the Lone Star State after some extended stays in the eastern U.S., and New Mexico. I worked as an archaeologist for a few years before dusting off my second major in English, and embarking on a 25-year career in journalism. Since then, I've embraced the dark side of the force, and now work in PR for a community college in Midland, Texas.