Did you ever get one of these??

An email chain letter??

The about an Applebee's coupon?
The one about Ms. Field's Cookie Recipe?
The one about Bill Gates wanting to give you $5?
The one about some starving orphan in an underdeveloped country who needs you to simply forward an email about his tragic situation or else he won't recover?

We have - We've gotten them all. In fact, some of them we've received multiple times. These are a waste. They are all fake - No one no where will get anything. Ms. Field's cookie recipe is probably just like most of the rest of them - some eggs, some sugar, some flour, some chocolate chips, bake @ 400, you know the deal.

What about the emails that try to make you feel like you aren't a "good" Christian/friend/parent/etc. if you don't forward something. Or others that tell you to "send this on to at least 5 people and something wonderful will happen to you" ?

Do you send those on? I'd have to speculate that some of you do - mainly because we are the recipient...

That "something wonderful" never does happen, does it? Didn't think so.

Just when we thought we'd seen them all, we received this one:

From: "Benjamin Lemo"
Reply-To: benjaminlemo@yahoo.fr
Subject: Attn: Cushing....Next of Kin
Date: Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:48:07 +0000
Dear Cushing,

I am very sorry to interrupt your peace since you are not expecting
to receive any mail from me. However, I was obliged to do so due to
the need and urgency of the message.

I sincerely write to seek your co-operation and trust to enable me
carries out an urgent business opportunity in my department.

I am Mr. Benjamin Lemo, an accountant and account manager to Mr. J.
Cushing, who here-in after shall be referred to as my client, on the January 27th, 2002 my client and his family were among those involved in an Ikeja bomb blast unfortunately they lost their lives in the process of the bomb blast.

For confirmation, please refer to the links below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2718295.stm

Since then I have made several inquiries to his Country embassy to
locate any of my client's extended Relatives, this has proved
unsuccessful.

My client was an oil contractor with the Federal Government of my
Country; He left in his domiciliary account a 40% of private individual
deposit with our Bank, which I have with me the Investment Deposit
Certificate an important document worth Twenty Six Million United
Stats Dollars (US$26,000,000.00). Until date I still manage this
Deposit.

I will like to know you personally and then state in Court through a
reputable attorney here declaring you as the next of kin to my late
client.

I am contacting you to assist in repatriating the money left behind
by my late client. While, you and I will benefit in the fund. The
Bank will pay this money to you as an inheritance.

After the sudden death of my client, and for the reason that there
as has not been a next of kin to my late client, the bank has
decided to forfeit the money and declare it as an abandoned property
as there is no next of kin who should inherit his funds.

The board of directors of this bank adopted a resolution and I was
mandated to provide his next of kin for the payment of this money
within 28 working days starting from the 9th January 2006, or forfeit the money to the bank as an abandoned property. The bankers had planned to invoke the abandoned
property decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after the expiration
of the period given to me.

I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally
proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client, so
that you can be paid the funds left in his bank account.
I therefore seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin to
the Deceased client since your have the same last name and also from
same national, so that the proceeds of this Bank account valued at
Twenty Six Million United Stats Dollars (US$26,000,000.00) can be
paid to you.

The need for a foreigner as next of kin in this project is
occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a
Nigerian will not perfectly fit in as his next of kin or heir.
I have agreed that a reasonable percentage of the Fund would be
given to you as foreign partner, thereafter I will meet you in your
country for disbursement.

Please understand that my approach to you is based only on my
positive reasoning and on the belief that you will not disappoint or
betray me at last. The amount is fairly huge and we have agreed that
on completion of the deal, you will be highly compensated for your
assistance.

An attorney will be contracted to help us revalidated and notarize
all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this
claim you may make as soon as I hear from you with your full consent
to present you to the Bank as the next of kin to my late client,
after we reach an agreement.

All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this
deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a
legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the
law.
Please consider my official positions, reputation and integrity,
especially, the opportunities in the business itself, it is very
necessary that all due care be taken so that we do not miss the
opportunity due to carelessness.

You are therefore expected and advised to display high degree of
maturity, responsibility and understanding in handling this
information.

I will give you all the details in my next mail when you have
indicated your interest and commitment to work with me. Always
remember that this is the highest confidence and trust any person
can repose on the other, especially when it is considered that we
did not know ourselves before. I hope you will honor me too.

I will come over to join you in your Country for disbursement when
the funds hit your account.

More so for an effective and easy communication I will advice that
you furnish me with your telephone and fax number as well as your complete home address for trust sake.

I await your response.

Best Regards,

Mr. Benjamin Lemo.


Yes, pretty impressive little email, don't you think?? We'll it's all baloney!
If you look closely, you'll see some mispellings, and then after possibly a little more research a RED FLAG => The Nationality of the sender [or deceased, whichever] is listed as Nigerian. Nigeria is a apparently a cesspool of email scams.


Check out this website to see/read about more...
http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/


Go Here to see a listing of the "TOP 10 Email Hoaxes"
http://feeds.sophos.com/en/rss2_0-sophos-hoaxes.xml


And how about this one - all about those little worthless chain letters that somehow, someway continue to end up in our inboxes ---
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html


Do yourself a favor and DON'T send them on!
Do US a favor, and please don't send them to us!

Or IF you happen to think - nope, I'm gonna send them anyways, doggone it! Could you at least get rid of the 500+ people that it's already been sent to? That's also annoying, and possibly a topic for a future post....

Now, I have to go - I have "new" mail!! sheeeeeeesh!