DON’T GET SUCKED INTO ANY FREE MONEY BUSINESS DEAL –
March 11, 2006
EDWARD HARRIS AT LARGE!!!
DON’T GET SUCKED INTO ANY FREE MONEY BUSINESS DEAL –
IF IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEN IT IS.
We are living in very difficult times when most people seem to thrive on dishonesty and due to the financial pressures of the moment, many are sucked into shady deals especially those that offer a share in multi million dollar inheritances stashed away in foreign banks, with most of the grandiose deals originating from African countries.
I took the decision to bring to your attention a persistent trend whereby I receive generous offers to share in other people’s ill-gotten fortunes and inheritances if I would be a facilitator. It is my feeling than many other persons receive this type of invitation. The frequency also suggests to me that they are getting through to many people. In our midst there are some sad stories and it is very clear that the perpetrators of this type of fraud thrive on desperation when someone is approaching the edge and there is no financial solution in sight. They are persistent with variations to their offers and they are definitely operating on a system that delivers. They are very persistence which makes the offers appear to be real and as a result innocent, trusting persons end up getting involved. Persistence pays.
Unfortunately, it only makes a bad thing worse. There are few questions that persons should attempt to answer for themselves before jumping into the free money schemes, example:
1. How did this person get my contact information? 2. How can they want to do business with me and not their family, friends or business associates? 3. Why is the money not in their control, since the person is the natural heir? How can the person trust me when he or she doesn’t know me? You can go on and on coming up with other questions that are sure to make you skeptical about the proposal.
The Scammers/swindlers are finding creative ways to perpetuate their schemes and I feel compelled to share these two recent ones I received with you.
YOUR KIND ATTENTION PLEASE,
I AM MRS …………..FROM BO FREETOWN SIERRA LEONE. WE ARE WRITTING TO SEEK YOUR HIGHLY ESTEMMED HELP/ CONSENT IN A LASTING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL BENEFIT INVOLVING ($21 MILLION USD) TWEENTY ONE MILLION USD FOR INVESTMENT IN YOUR COMPANY/COUNTRY UNDER A JOINT VENTURE PARTNERSHIP.
CONTACT MY SON IMMEDIATELY FOR DETAILS OF THE TRANSACTION AND SOURCE OF FUND FOR MY HEALTH IS NOT GOOD FOR NOW.
WAITING FOR YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE.
MRS …………….
Here is another one which was sent to me through sourcing my contact from a West Indian Friendship Club.
HELLO MY DEAREST,
THANKS YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE I AM REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU AND ALSO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ME. ACTUALLY I NEVER KNOW HOW YOU WILL FEEL IF THIS IS TOO EARLY TO TELL YOU BUT JUST BECAUSE I AM NOT SETTLED WHERE I AM DUE TO THE PROBLEM I AM FACING SO I HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ASSISTANCE TO ME. HERE IS LITTLE OF ME.
I AM ……………. FROM SIERRA LEONE 23 YRS OLD WITH TEARS AND SORROW I EXPLAIN MY SELF IN A HUMBLE MANNER AFTER THE DEATH OF MY FATHER MR …………..WHO WAS BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS IN MY COUNTRY WHICH TAKE A LOT OF LIVES AND RENDER MANY HOME HOMELESS BECAUSE LIFE IS MORE PRECCIOUS THAN GOLD NOTHING WE USE TO REPAIR LIFE IF IS LOST SO WE DICIDED TO RUN FROM MY COUNTRY WITH MY MOTHER, TWO BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL A SUDDEN MY TWO BROTHERS AND SISTER WERE KIILLD BY REBELS AND MY MOTHER LATER DIED BECAUSE OF THE PAINS OF HER CHILDREN. AFTER THE DEATH OF MY MOTHER MY FATHERS UNCLE STARTED TO PERSECUTE ME ABOUT MY FATHERS PROPERTIES WHICH HE LATER SNATCHED FROM ME UNDER TREATH BY THE HELP OF A RELATIVE FATHER I CAME TO DAKAR SENEGAL UNDER REFUGEE, INPART THE MORE I EXPLAIN MY SELF AND SITUATION I SHED TEARS WHEN I REMEMBER PAST, I AM ONLY ONE REMAIN IN OUR FAMILY. NOW I AM IN A CRITICAL SITUATION THINGS ARE VERY BAD WITH ME BUT I CAN’T JOIN PROSTUTITION, OVER MY DEAD BODY BECAUSE OF THE WAY I WAS BROUGHT UP BY MY LATE PARENTS I AM POURING ALL MY HEART TO YOU IN HOPE THAT GOD WILL USE YOU TO SAVE ME.
NOW I DECIDED TO GET MARRIED BY MY AGE WHEN I SUPPOSE TO BE IN SCHOOL BY NOW BUT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO, INFACT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I AM LOOKING FOR IN MY LIFE WHICH I KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT DISAPOINT ME.I AM SEEING HELL HERE BUT THE ONLY THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY AT TIMES IS THAT MY FATHER LEFT THE SOME OF 5.5 000.000 US DOLLARS IN A FORIGN BANK WHICH I AM THE ONLY PERSON HE TOLD ABOUT IT BEFORE HIS DEATH AND EVERY THINGS IS WITH ME HERE ,THE NEXT OF KIN AND THE DOCUMENT AND THE WHOLE CONTACT IS WITH ME BECAUSE MY FATHER LOVES ME VERY MUCH THAT WAS THE REASON
WHY HE GAVE ME THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE MONEY,NOW I HAVE CALLED THE COMPANY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT UNLESS I HAVE SOME BODY WHO WILL REPRESENT ME WITH THE DOCUMENTS THAT IS REQIRED THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RELIASE THE MONEY,SO THIS IS WHY I AM LOOKING FOR YOU TO GO FOR IT WHO IS MY BODY AND MY FLESH SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ME FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. HOPING FOR YOUR REPLY SOONEST.
YOURS ……………………
The foregoing letter was badly written to give the impression that the person is desperate and confused to render a state of urgency. Please do not reply to any of these letters as it is a trap to lure you into the web and rob you of your hard earned money. Don’t be like the dog and the bone. Neither become a prey because of being sorry for someone. There is no free money. Be warned.
I am very pleased to note that the Membership Committee of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, will be hosting the first Business Mixer for the year, where Chamber members are invited to meet over cocktails to mingle, network and get to know each other better. The Business Mixer is scheduled to take place on Tuesday March 14, 2006 at Auberge Seraphine from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 pm. I do hope that that it will get to the stage when projects will be presented.
On Monday evening, 6/3/06, I made a plea on the IPI programme on Radio St. Lucia for the station to introduce a call in Business programme that will expose businesspersons to new ideas and seek to bring them together in an effort to respond to the challenges that will confront them under the Caricom Single Market (CSM).
The private sector associations will have to do more and this journalist will stay on course to ensure that businesspersons are informed and kept up to date on developments that will affect them either positively or negatively. It is time for a Private Sector Council in St. Lucia.
You are invited to be a part of the St. Lucia Journal Web Blog at
www.blog.thestlucian.com and celebrate the launch of a new website that will keep St. Lucia in the global domain. Be sure to visit and contribute.
Keep the faith, it is good to know that God is in charge!
Edward A. Harris
Email: eaharrisdestiny@gmail.com