« 419er Lacking Basic Training | Main | Malware-Laden Ecards Keep Coming »

March 09, 2009

The Enron debacle, portrayed in a book and movie titled The Smartest Guys in the Room, lives on in a preposterous 419 letter arriving today. The basic claim is that Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling deposited 37.5 million Pounds into Deutsche Bank in London back in 2001. Then the usual blah, blah, blah about no beneficiaries and other garbage to entice recipients to capture around $20 million for their trouble.

Here's the whole tale, coming from someone claiming to be the Auditor General of the bank (yah!):

Dear,

First of all, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Mr. Ray Smith,the Auditor General of Deutsche Bank London. I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you.I am the accounting officer of Mr. Ken Lay, Enron founder, who deid on July, 5th 2006, at the age of 64 and his friend and partner Mr. Jeffrey Skilling, Ex-Enron CEO who was recently convicted 24 years for his involvement on the collapse of Enron, the energy trading giant in America.It will interest to know that on Wednesday, 7th February 2001, Mr. Ken Lay deposited a total sum of 20M pounds and on Tuesday, 24th April 2001, Mr Jeffrey Skilling deposited 17.5M Pounds in our Bank. These funds were deposited into a non-existing company's account which I opened in our bank (DEUTSCHE BANK LONDON) under their instructions, to avoid raising an eyebrow but unfortunately for them and fortunately for me, the 2 men are gone.


You can read more about the sentence by visiting the below websites:


http://www.chron.com/news /specials/enron/
http://www.accountancyage.com /accountancyage/news/2171002 /enron-ceo-sentence-slashed
http://www.economist.com /business/displaystory.cfm ?story_id=8082101


So right now, we have the sum of 37.5M Pounds lying in the 2 accounts without any proof of ownership as it was opened with non-existing companies name and the bank is not aware of the real beneficiaries as the accounts did not bear any name. As their accounting officer and financial adviser in charge of these accounts, I can comfortable present you to the Bank as the real beneficiary of the funds and they have no right to deny the application.


Consequently, my proposal is that I want to seek your consent as a foreigner to stand as the owner of any of these accounts, since it has no trace or beneficiary which makes it easier and fine to transfer to your designated bank account as the beneficiary. The nature of my work as a staff of the Bank will not allow me lay claim on the funds, hence this proposal to you and be informed that as long as you are ready to cooperate and be truthful to me, I can assure you that the sky will be our limit.All documents and proves to enable you get any of the money will be carefully worked out and more so, I assure you that the business is risk free, as everything will be handled in accordance with the International Monitary Guidelines. I am offering you 40% for your cooperation in achieving this aim.Please, if you are interested in working with me, I will like you to send the below informations to enable me procure the necessary documents that will back up the transfer to your account:


1. YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS.
2. AGE AND MARITAL STATUS.
3. OCCUPATION.
4. NATIONALITY.
5. TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS FOR EASY COMMUNICATIONS.


As soon as I receive your acceptance mail by forwarding the above informations, I will prepare the paper works in your name for onward remittance of the funds into your designated account.


Lastly, I want you to understand that this transaction requires trust,honest and above all, utmost confidentiality, to avoid escalating.


Regards.
Mr.Ray Smith
The Auditor General,
Deutsche Bank London.

Gee, you'd think that the Auditor General of a major European bank in London (England, whence English) would know how to spell "monetary."

I guess this guy hopes to find one of two types of people.

The first would be someone greedy enough and lacking a conscience who wouldn't mind grabbing a bunch of money that was (had it really existed) rightfully due former stockholders and others with claims on the company's assets. Lots of innocent folks had their life savings wiped out when the company went bust. Sadly, there probably are people out there who wouldn't mind lighting cigars with Benjamins sourced this way.

The second type would be someone who really did get screwed by Enron and sees this as an opportunity to get back what they lost. That would be the saddest case—someone who lost big time due to one scam, about to lose some more from another scam using the first scam as bait.

I'll bet the original author of this 419 letter got such a buzz coming up with the idea that he was up the whole night composing it and looking for supporting news stories on the web. And here I am, breaking the confidentiality. Oh, boo hoo.