I am just coming back from the CONTINENTAL TRUST BANK where I transferred a sum of N2,080,000 (Naira) our local currency which is equivalent to $16,000 into MR JOHN DEBIE’S account as I agreed with him and in the next 45 minutes he will be landing for us to get ready to proceed to the security plaza for signing of the final documents. He insisted that he will not issue to me his chamber’s receipt until I complete his legal fees which remains N780,000 (Naira) our local currency which is equivalent to $6,000 though I am expecting a loan of $20,000 from a mortgage this afternoon and from which I will complete MR DEBIE’s fees and have a balance of $14,000 which I negotiated with a local mortgage bank here with my 4x4 Mercedes jeep (ML430).

Have you sent the documents to the security company as I directed you?

Have you transferred the fees to them as I directed you? Please I want urgent answers because this must be done before Mr Debie and I gets there for the signing of the documents.

Now you can see why I have been crying for us to have to be communicating by phone as often as possible.

Please let me know.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: Slow down. Slow down. Slow down.

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 11:40:09

Dear Mr Mah,

I am now completely confused. You and your lawyer seem to be rushing ahead here even though we haven’t even got the basics of this transaction in place.

Why didn’t you answer the question I put to you in my last email, Mr Mah? I will ask you again: where are we going to get our hands on the $38,000 that we need to transport this consignment to Madrid?

If you’re having to remortgage your house and put your car up for collateral just to pay your lawyer’s fees, it doesn’t sound as if you’re going to be able to come up with the money, and as I told you before, I don’t have that kind of money either. So how on earth are we going to pay to have the consignment transported over to Madrid?

I think we are in danger here of putting the dray before the horse, Mr Mah. Kindly answer my question regarding the $38,000, then we’ll take it from there.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: UNDERSTAND

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 04:05:38 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please let us talk on phone immediately.

I will have a balance of $14,000 after completing the lawyer’s fees and I am not resting after that.

This deal is my life and I am the king player and I am the person planning it.

Please the most important issue now is for us to sort ourselves out with the security company and afterwards I will work towards raising more funds and where it becomes difficult I will get back to you. But my assurance to you is that we are moving ahead to conclude this deal by this week Thursday.

I will have to make other contacts to raise more money.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: We need to get the basics sorted out

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 12:27:54

Dear Mr Mah,

I really think that we need to get the basics sorted out here. Here are the facts. I will be able to pay the $9,700 that the security company is demanding. However, we need an extra $38,000 to pay for the transportation of the consignment to Madrid. You say that you have $14,000. That leaves us $24,000 short.

I may just about be able to come up with a few thousand dollars more to help out with this amount, but it will mean raiding the brewery’s current account in order to do so, and I don’t want to do that unless there is absolutely no alternative. After all, if I do that and anything goes wrong, I won’t have the money to pay my staff their wages this month, and that would be a disaster for my business.

However, even if I manage to raise another four or five thousand dollars in this way, we will still be about $20,000 short, and if we can’t pay to have the consignment transported to Spain, we’re stuck.

We need to work something out here, Mr Mah. The way I see it, there is precious little point in me paying the security company if we can’t then afford to have the consignment moved. It only makes sense for me to pay the security company after we have made suitable arrangements for paying all of our bills.

We need answers here, Mr Mah. As I have said, I may just be able to raise an additional four or five thousand dollars by raiding my company’s current account. But even if I do that, how are we going to come up with the remaining $20,000?

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: BE POSITIVE PLEASE

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 05:05:42 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

It is raining in Abuja heavily now according to Mr Debie’s phone call but he hopes to board as soon as it is safe for them to fly.

Please note that we are not gambling at all. This is a sure business as you have seen and there is no way you should be having fears of the consignment not being delivered to Madrid.

I will be 48 years by this SATURDAY with four kids and there is no way I will use the resources that I would have used in training and feeding them and pour into a deal that is risky.

Please let us be up and doing. Assist me now, go and transfer the fees of the security company to them and let us face the issue of settling for the transportation of the consignment. Be it known to you that I have never failed in concluding whatever I started and not in this major one.

When it becomes difficult to raise the $38,000 I will let you know but I plead with you to have a positive spirit and be determined.

For me Thursday is a sure bet.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: WAITING

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 05:45:41 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please as soon as you send those requirements to the security company let me know immediately.

I am still here waiting for the arrival of Mr Debie and I hope you will be through before then.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: This is getting ridiculous

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 13:55:12

Dear Mr Mah,

This is getting ridiculous. We need to raise $38,000, for God’s sake! We’re not talking peanuts here, Mr Mah!

It’s all very well you telling me to be positive, but being positive won’t raise $38,000, Mr Mah! The money’s not suddenly going to fall out of the sky and into our laps. We need a plan, my dear chap!

If we can’t work out how to raise this money, we won’t be able to pay for the transportation of the consignment to Madrid, and then where will we be?

We need to work out how we are going to raise this money, and then – and only then – we can move forward. To do anything else would be sheer lunacy.

I repeat, Mr Mah, how are we going to raise $38,000?

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: I HAVE PLANS

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 07:42:17 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

It is now past three and it is the scheduled time that I will meet with the people for the loan so I am off to the bank to secure the loan at least to have it ready because they are already in possession of the Jeep.

Mr Debie is yet to arrive though he confirmed to me that the rain has stopped but about the cloudy weather he knew nothing about but my mind is telling me that since offices close between 4-5pm that we had better reschedule for tomorrow to conclude with the security company.

I am 100% sure that I will have in my account this afternoon $20,000 equivalent and that between this evening and tomorrow morning that I will raise another $10,000 comfortably so if you can pay in the $9,700 to the security company.

In fact be assured that with your promise of helping me with remaining everything will be sorted out tomorrow.

I will give you reports when I come back from the bank.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I have had an idea

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 15:48:22

Dear Mr Mah,

Thank you for your email. It is good to hear that you are confident of being able to raise the rest of the money that we will need to pay for the shipment of the consignment. That makes me feel a lot easier in my mind about the whole thing: I was worried that we were going to get halfway through this transaction, but fall at the last hurdle thanks to a lack of cash.

I must say, I find it remarkable that you seem to be able to raise such a large amount of money so quickly. Well done, Mr Mah. If only I had your obvious talent for raising money, I would have been able to expand my business a long time ago.

Anyway, I have had an idea. Just to make sure that we have all the money we need, why don’t I ask my lawyer, Welsby, if he can loan me a bit of money for a few days? I know for a fact that Welsby isn’t short of a bob or two, and given the huge amount of money that’s going to be coming our way in the next few days, I’ll be able to pay him back by the end of the week at a healthy rate of interest.

This may be just the solution we need to move forward. What do you think, Mr Mah? Shall I pop round to Welsby’s chambers and see if he’s willing to help us out?

Get back to me as soon as you can and let me know what you think.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

PS. I was surprised to hear that Mr Debie’s flight is being delayed by a bit of rain and some clouds. How is he flying? By microlight?

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: MY REPORT SO FAR

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 10:06:44 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Thanks for your compliments.

I have now in my account the loan and my brother in law, JOE who trades in CAMEROUN (a neighbouring country) who accepted yesterday to send me $10,000 has called me back and informed me that before tomorrow morning he will give me the details of the Western Union so that I will pick it up by tomorrow morning.

So in all I have $30,000 and the balance will be $8,000 and $6,000 to complete for Mr Debie’s fees totalling $14,000.

Regarding WELSBY as you suggested, I do not know him and I do not know the relationship between the two of you but for me I do not ask for money from people anyhow.

Most of the times you find out that people do not feel happy when someone is about growing rich but I have not known Lincolnshire and the people there but still I do not want Welsby to get to know about this deal yet until the funds are in your company account and until when we will be drawing agreements for investments.

Please hear me out, do not involve Welsby now, search yourself or any other source but most importantly do not disclose this deal to anybody for now even your Welsby whom you trust so much.

Regarding Mr Debie’s flight, last year we experienced up to five air mishaps which claimed hundreds of lives including important persons in the country and you know that most of the aircraft that fly here are outdated and rarely maintained so be aware that flying our local flights here is always a risk and even the airports are not functional like the ones you see in developed countries like Europe and America.

Please do your best to raise the needed $14,000 so that tomorrow will not pass us by.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: GOOD

Sent: Tue, 02 May 2023 19:19:16 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Luck is on my side, Joe (my brother in law) has given me the details of the Western Union transfer of $10,000. He sent them on two installments of $5,000 each.

Also I got a confirmation call from Mr Debie that he is likely to arrive before 12 midday.

How far did you go on your side? Please let me know.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: Good morning

Sent: Wed, 03 May 2023 01:32:29 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

I am worried that you have not written me this morning.

I am set to the Western Union office to pick the $10,000 that Joe sent.

Please let me hear from you.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I am confused

Sent: Wed, 03 May 2023 09:41:10

Dear Mr Mah,

I have just read the two emails you sent to me at the end of the day yesterday, and I have to admit that all this talk of loans from the bank and remortgages and giving up your car and loans from your brother in law and payments to the lawyer and Western Union transfers has left me frightfully confused. I would be grateful if you could clarify the situation for me.

As I understand it, we need a total of $47,700: $9,700 to pay the security company’s fees and $38,000 to pay for the delivery of the consignment to Madrid. Is this correct?

Now we have agreed that I am going to pay the $9,700 to the security company. But how much of the $38,000 have you managed to raise? Have you managed to raise the total amount, or are we still short? If we are still short, how much do we have left to find?

Please get back to me as quickly as you can with clarification.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

PS. I am pleased to hear that Mr Debie is not endangering his safety by flying in from Abuja by microlight. I will be praying that he has a safe flight to Enugu and that the wings don’t fall off his aeroplane or anything like that.

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: BREAKDOWN

Sent: Wed, 03 May 2023 03:28:00 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please see the breakdown:

$9,700 for security company
$38,000 for the transportation
$6,000 for the completion of Mr Debie’s fees
Total = $53,700

Right now I have $30,000.

If you pay $9,700 to the security company then you send to me $14,000, from that I will use it to pay $6,000 to complete Debie’s fees and use $8,000 to complete the $30,000 to make it $38,000 to pay for the transportation.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I don’t have that much money

Sent: Wed, 03 May 2023 12:01:22

Dear Mr Mah,

Thank you for sending me the breakdown of the figures involved in this transaction. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, my dear fellow, but I’m afraid to say that it is just as I thought: your sums don’t add up.

From what you have written in your email, you are expecting me to send $9,700 to the security company and $14,000 to you. But I simply don’t have that much money, Mr Mah. I never told you that I did have.

To reiterate what I have already told you, I can afford to send $9,700 to the security company, plus an additional $5,000 (borrowed on a strictly short-term basis out of my company’s current account) to you to help out with the transportation costs. But that still leaves us $9,000 short of the money we need. Mathematics obviously isn’t your strong point, my friend.

So, we still don’t have enough money to pay for everything. Where are we going to find the remaining $9,000?

Are you absolutely adamant that I shouldn’t go to Welsby to see if I can borrow the money from him? I really can’t see any other way of getting hold of the $9,000 at my end. Unless there’s some way you think you’ll be able to raise an additional $9,000 at short notice... I don’t suppose you have another car that you could put in hock to the bank?

I really am concerned about this, my dear chap. If we can’t work out a way to raise this final $9,000, this whole business is in danger of going to hell in a handcart.

What do you reckon, Mr Mah? Shall I go to Welsby? The way I see it, he may be our only hope.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: IT IS OK

Sent: Wed, 03 May 2023 04:09:06 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please send the $9,700 to the security company now.

Please send to me the $5,000 by Western Union as follows:

NAME: WILLIAMS MBAH
ADDRESS: ENUGU, NIGERIA
TEST QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT NUMBER?
ANSWER: A2636050

Let me fight to complete the $9,000 today.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: GOOD OF YOU

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 00:12:08 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

THANKS A LOT.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 09:04:38

Dear Mr Mah,

I’m terribly sorry that I haven’t managed to get back to you until now, but all hell has broken loose here in the village. Apparently the churchwarden was clearing away the remains of the May Day wicker bunny from the churchyard yesterday, and to his horror he found what looked like human remains in the charred wreckage of the burned bunny! No wonder the postman thought that the screams of the burning farm animals sounded almost human on Monday night: they actually were!

Apparently the churchwarden called the police as soon as he found the bones, and as a result the village was swarming with police officers all yesterday. As my Head Brewer was the one who handed the burning brand to the 18th Earl of Gypping to set fire to the wicker bunny on Monday night (he was elected Grand Wazoo by the local druids earlier this year so the honour fell on his shoulders), the brewery itself was full of police until late last night. They were questioning everyone – even me, even though I wasn’t even in the village at the time.

What a terrible thing to have happened! It makes me sick, to think of some poor soul being burned alive inside a huge wicker effigy of a bunny rabbit.

I wonder how such a thing could have happened. I suppose the most likely explanation is that the poor soul was a passing vagrant who, being unaware of our local customs, thought that the inside of the wicker bunny would be a warm and dry place to sleep.

However, I have heard darker mutterings around the village. Some people are wondering whether the poor fellow – whoever he was – was placed into the wicker bunny on purpose. As you probably know, the May Day rite of the wicker bunny dates back to pagan times, and originally the druids would have placed a human sacrifice inside the bunny, alongside the farm animals. But that kind of thing hasn’t happened for years... well, at least not since 1983. It’s horrendous to think that someone may have started up the practice again deliberately.

I’m very sorry, Mr Mah, but this terrible happening has shaken me – and many other villagers – to the core. I do hope that if you had a wicker animal burning in your own village this May Day, it passed off without incident. Anyway, for the sake of our transaction, I will do my best now to keep my mind focussed on the matter in hand.

So, as I understand it, I need to transfer $9,700 to the security company and $5,000 to you. Well first things first: I will get straight onto Mrs Okoye and ask her to confirm the details of how to transfer the money to her.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: Please confirm payment details

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 09:06:19

Dear Mrs Okoye,

Regarding the transfer of my late second cousin twice removed (on my mother’s side)’s funds, I am aware that I need to pay you a processing and registration fee of $9,700.

Could you please confirm the best way for me to get this money to you?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: IT’S A PITY

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 03:42:55 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Until you confirm to me that you have transferred to the security company the fees and given me the details of the Western Union of $5,000 then I will know what step to take next.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I’m waiting for Mrs Okoye to get back to me to confirm the payment details

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 11:58:21

Dear Mr Mah,

Thank you for your email. I wrote to Mrs Okoye at the security company this morning – as I said I would – and asked her to confirm the details of how best to get the $9,700 to her. I am still waiting for her to get back to me. As soon as she does so, I will take action.

By the way, my dear fellow, I forgot to ask in my previous email, did you have any luck raising that final $9,000 yesterday? I do hope so. Please let me know.

I do realise that we were hoping to be in Madrid today, but what with one thing and another that obviously hasn’t been possible. I did think that we were rushing things somewhat. If you ask me, Mr Mah, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry with this kind of thing. I think it’s much better that we take our time over this transaction and make sure that we get everything right, rather than rushing ahead willy-nilly without checking that we have covered all of the bases.

I will get back to you as soon as Mrs Okoye responds to my email. Do let me know about that $9,000 now, won’t you?

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: OUR BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 12:19:02 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

ATTN: Gilbert Arnold Murray

SIR,

OUR ACCOUNT DETAILS:

Bank: Bank of China, London
Bank address: 90 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 6HA
Swift Code: bkchcnbj920
Account number: 306733697868093001
Account name: Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd

Please note that we expect to receive from you this transfer evidence/payment slip as soon as the transfer is made to enable us start with the process of releasing your inheritance and also for record updating.

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: There seems to be some mistake

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 12:39:44

Dear Mrs Okoye,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. However, there seems to be some mistake.

I asked you to send me details of your bank account so that I could transfer the $9,700 into it. However, you seem to have sent me details of someone else’s bank account entirely. It appears to belong to some Chinese company from what I can make out.

Kindly send me details of your security company’s own bank account by return so that I can transfer the money today.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: THERE IS NO MISTAKE PLEASE

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 13:31:14 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

ATTN: Gilbert Arnold Murray

SIR,

OUR REVENUE COLLECTOR’S BANK ACCOUNT.

The bank account below is our revenue collector’s bank account and for your notice our company is of Chinese origin with branches the world over. Shaanxi Investment & Industries Company Limited are our payment receiving agents.

Bank: Bank of China, London
Bank address: 90 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 6HA
Swift Code: bkchcnbj920
Account number: 306733697868093001
Account name: Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: What a surprisingly plausible explanation

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 14:04:11

Dear Mrs Okoye,

Thank you for your email. What a surprisingly plausible explanation for you asking me to transfer money into a Chinese company’s London bank account when your company is based in Nigeria. I am impressed.

I must say, I didn’t realise that I was dealing with such a large company with such a global reach. Absolutely nothing in the dealings I have had with you up until today has given me that impression. In fact I don’t mind admitting that up until today I was under the impression that you were a two-bit operation, probably operating out of an insalubrious shack in some filth-strewn backstreet in downtown Enugu. Well, you live and learn.

Now that I understand the situation, I will access my bank’s online banking service and transfer the money into your revenue collector’s bank account this afternoon.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: I have transferred the money

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 14:45:12

Dear Mrs Okoye,

A quick note to inform you that I have just transferred the $9,700 into your revenue collector’s bank account via my bank’s online banking service. As my bank account is in pounds sterling we had to convert the amount from dollars to sterling, and the precise amount I transferred was £5,265.31 (which is correct according to my bank’s current dollar to sterling exchange rate).

Please note that as this is a transfer between two different banks, my bank normally advises that it will take between three to seven working days for the money to appear in the account to which it is transferred.

I trust that you will now be able to move forward on my behalf with the transfer of my late second cousin twice removed (on my mother’s side)’s funds. Please get back to me if there is anything further that you need from me.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I have transferred the $9,700 to the security company

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 14:52:37

Dear Mr Mah,

You will be pleased to hear that I have just transferred the $9,700 to the security company’s revenue collector’s bank account via my own bank’s online banking service. I have just written to Mrs Okoye to let her know that she can expect to receive the money within three to seven working days.

So, my dear fellow, where do we go from here? Have you had any luck raising that final $9,000?

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: Nice to hear that

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 06:59:52 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

I am happy to know that you have transferred to the security company their fees.

I am going to get $6,500 this evening from JOE (my in law) so please send to me the $5,000 as we agreed so that everything will be complete as I hope to raise $2,500 from my younger brother tomorrow.

Send the Western Union as follows:

NAME: WILLIAMS MBAH
ADDRESS: ENUGU, NIGERIA
TEST QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT NUMBER?
ANSWER: A2636050

Let me have the details of the Western Union as soon as you send it.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I should be able to get the $5,000 by Monday

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 15:49:32

Dear Mr Mah,

Thank you for your email. I’m delighted to hear that it sounds as if you will be able to raise the additional $9,000 by tomorrow. This is good news indeed: at last, everything will be in place for the transfer of the money.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to lay my hands on the $5,000 until Monday, or possibly Tuesday. As I told you, it’s going to be coming out of the brewery’s current account rather than my own bank account, and there isn’t enough money in there at the moment. However, I paid in a large cheque from one of our creditors yesterday and that should have cleared by Monday or Tuesday. As soon as it clears, I’ll be able to withdraw the cash out of the bank and send it on to you.

Tell me, Mr Mah, did Mr Debie land safely in Enugu the other day? I trust that nothing catastrophic happened to his flight, despite the appalling safety record your airlines seem to have.

On the subject of bodies being pulled out from burning wreckage, the village is still crawling with police today after the gruesome discovery in the smouldering remains of the wicker bunny. Happily my Head Brewer seems to be out of the picture, although the police have warned him that they may need to question him further on the matter in the next few days.

Tell me, Mr Mah, given that we now seem to have sorted out our money problems, when do you think the security company will be able to deliver the consignment to Madrid? Presumably you and Mr Debie will be able to arrange a suitable date with them. Some time towards the end of next week would suit me best. Please let me know.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: Proof of the transfer

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 15:55:42

Dear Mrs Okoye,

I have just remembered that you asked me to send you proof of the transfer that I have made to your revenue collector’s bank account. Obviously, as I made the transfer online I cannot send you a payment slip, and as an Englishman, obviously my word is my bond. However, I have attached additional proof to this email: it is a screenshot of my online bank statement, which clearly shows the transfer (of £5,265.31) at the top of the list of this month’s transactions.

Presumably the attached screenshot is sufficient proof for you. Please get back to me by return to confirm that it is acceptable for your purposes.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

(Click to enlarge)

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: OUR PROCEDURE

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 16:27:11 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

ATTN: Gilbert Arnold Murray

SIR,

We write to acknowledge the receipt of your last mail to our department in which you notified us of the transfer of $9,700 equivalent covering for the processing and registration fees.

Further, you are expected to forward to us the transfer receipt/transfer evidence soonest as no processing and release of inheritance will be carried out until the said transfer reflects in our revenue collector’s account. We demand strictly the transfer receipt/slip for record updating.

Be informed also that you are expected to send to this department all the necessary documents as requested for in our first mail to you regarding your claim for vetting and clarification.

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: I have already sent you proof of the transfer!

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 16:55:58

Dear Mrs Okoye,

I have just read your last email and I am baffled: I have already sent you proof of the transfer!

Have you not received the email to which I attached a screenshot of my online bank statement, which clearly shows that the transfer has been made? Or perhaps you have accidentally deleted the email in a fit of ineptitude? Either way, let me know and I will resend it if need be.

Regarding the documents that you were referring to, could you please remind me exactly which documents I need to send to you? Let me know by return and I will send them on to you as soon as is likely.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: SO FAR

Sent: Thu, 04 May 2023 14:37:44 -0700 (PDT)

DEAR GILBERT,

I just read your mail though late but I can’t help it because these days have been so busy for me.

I got a call from Joe a few minutes ago and he was saying that he could not come up with the $6,500 as he promised me earlier that his resources could not make up for that instead that he can only afford to send to me $3,000. I had no option and I asked him to go ahead and send the $3,000 so by tomorrow morning I will collect it at the Western Union office and when I add it to the $2,500 that my younger brother will bring it comes to $5,500 so we will be short of $3,500.

Please search for avenues to help me make it up so that we will be able to round everything by Monday.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I will do my best to find the extra money

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 09:25:27

Dear Mr Mah,

I am disappointed to hear that your brother in law won’t be able to come up with all of the money he had promised you. Shame on him for promising something that he couldn’t actually deliver. That really is unforgiveable: we were depending on him.

I will do my best to find the extra $3,500 by Monday or Tuesday, but I’m afraid I can’t promise anything. It all depends on whether we receive any more payments from our creditors today at the brewery. If we do, I will be able to withdraw more money from the brewery’s current account early next week; if we don’t, then I won’t. It’s as simple as that. I’ll get Grant and Phil, my credit controllers, to phone around a few of my creditors this morning to see if they can rustle up a bit more money. They’re usually very good at persuading people to pay their debts quickly. We will just have to keep our fingers crossed.

You didn’t answer the question I put to you in my last email, Mr Mah. When do you think the security company will be able to deliver the consignment to Madrid? Do you think we will be looking at a date towards the end of next week, or some time the week after? Please advise so that I can make provisional plans.

I have to say, Mrs Okoye at the security company doesn’t seem to be very good at responding to my queries. I asked her yesterday to confirm whether the copy of my online bank statement that I sent her was acceptable as proof that I transferred money to her revenue collector’s bank account. I also asked her to advise me exactly which documents I needed to send her, but I haven’t heard a word from her on either matter.

Is the security company close to you, Mr Mah? I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could run round there, pop your head round their door and ask Mrs Okoye to stop painting her fingernails and start responding to my emails? It might help move things forward if you could: they don’t seem terribly efficient.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: Kindly respond to my questions

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 09:31:11

Mrs Okoye,

I put two questions to you yesterday, and I have yet to receive a response to either one of them. For your benefit, here are the questions again:

You asked for proof that I had transferred the money to your revenue collector’s bank account. Is the online bank statement I sent you sufficient proof?
Precisely which documents do I need to send you in order to move this business forward?

I would very much appreciate it if you would start treating this business with a touch more urgency, Mrs Okoye. Therefore, I would be grateful if you could respond to this email – and to all of my future emails – as quickly as possible. Let’s see a more businesslike attitude from you, Mrs Okoye, starting from now.

Gilbert Murray

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: REQUIREMENTS

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 11:37:52 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

SIR,

REQUIREMENTS.

May we inform you that GLOBAL SECURITIES has her modalities and policies which guides her in such transactions which you are requesting for.

Hereunder are the steps you must meet up with before your application will be considered and granted:

A. You are expected to forward to us via fax or email attachment all the related documents that you have to support your claim.

B. You will have to send to us inner copies of your international passport or any other form of identification which is accepted internationally.

C. You will have to send to us a copy or copies of legal documents in form of letters of administration (proving that you are legally noted by a court of law here as next of kin/beneficiary to the family treasures deposited by MR Muhammad el-Sahedi) and/or provide us with a clarified death certificate of the depositor.

D. You will be required to appear in person in our headquarters or employ the services of our accredited attorneys/lawyers to sign the final release documents.

Your ability to meet up with the above conditions will determine the speed with which you will be attended to.

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: Here are the documents you need

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 12:02:16

Dear Mrs Okoye,

Thank you for confirming precisely what documentation you need from me in order to move forward. What a fine example of copy and paste that was.

I have gathered together all of the documentation that I have relating to this business and attached it to this email. Please let me know as soon as you have received the documents so I know that they got through to you safely.

Incidentally, Mrs Okoye, I asked you two questions in my last email. You have only answered one of them. I can only assume that the screenshot of my online bank statement did indeed provide you with the proof you needed regarding the transfer of money to your revenue collector. Please let me know as soon as the money appears in your revenue collector’s bank account.

If I may say so, Mrs Okoye, when I ask you two questions, I expect you to give me two answers in reply. I can only assume that you are relatively new to your job. Kindly ensure that you read my future emails more carefully to ensure that you do not miss out on any important information.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

(Click to enlarge)

The deposit certificate
(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

The revised letters of administration
(Click to enlarge)

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: THAT’S OK

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 04:25:16 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please scan and send to the security company all the documents that I sent to you including your international passport.

I have resolved with Mr Debie for the signing of the documents to be by next Tuesday so write to the security company and inform them that your lawyer and representative will be in their office next Tuesday to sign the documents on your behalf. Let them know that Mr Debie your lawyer has the power of attorney from you to represent you.

Please do everything within your powers to complete the remaining $8,500 so that if you send them to me that Monday I will use them to tidy up everything.

From the look of things next week Thursday will be fine for us to be in Madrid or what do you think?

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I will do as you suggest

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 14:03:17

Dear Mr Mah,

Thank you for your email. I actually sent the documents off to the security company this morning. I am still waiting for Mrs Okoye to get back to me and let me know that she has received them safely.

Tell me, Mr Mah, have you met this Mrs Okoye? I’ve never come across anyone in my life who is so bad at responding to emails... and even when she does deign to respond to me, she doesn’t actually answer the questions that I have put to her half the time. I only hope that the rest of the security company’s employees are a bit more capable.

Anyway, I will do as you suggest and write to Mrs Okoye to let her know that Mr Debie will visit them on Tuesday to sign all the necessary paperwork.

As for Madrid, next Thursday sounds good to me.

Do have a good weekend, my dear chap. I have a feeling that everything is finally coming together now. I don’t think it will be long before we are toasting our success with the finest champagne in Madrid!

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye

Subject: My lawyer will be visiting you on Tuesday

Sent: Fri, 05 May 2023 14:05:32

Dear Mrs Okoye,

A quick note to inform you that my lawyer and representative, Mr Debie, will be visiting your offices next Tuesday in order to sign all the paperwork and do whatever else is necessary to finalise this transaction. He has my full authority to act on my behalf.

I trust that this will be acceptable to you. Please let me know either way.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: Happy weekend

Sent: Sat, 06 May 2023 04:17:50 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please pardon me for not being able to get back to you yesterday, I was off to see my doctor.

I may not write you again today because I will be travelling to the village to be with my old parents for the FATHERING SUNDAY which comes up tomorrow.

I am a ROMAN CATHOLIC by faith and my old father requested that we should come home to celebrate with him.

I promise to write you as soon as I come back to the city tomorrow evening.

Please use this weekend to tidy up your own end.

HAPPY WEEKEND.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: GOOD MORNING

Sent: Sun, 07 May 2023 22:32:08 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Good morning. I came back with my family late yesterday night.

I am getting ready to go to the security company this morning as soon as the office is open to discuss the final stages with the Operations Manager because as far as I am concerned I am sure that this Thursday’s appointment in Madrid must be a success. I want to be sure that all is ready and that after signing tomorrow of the final documents that by Wednesday the consignment will be transported to Madrid for our collection on Thursday.

I will let you know my findings and conclusion with them as soon as I come back.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: LEST I FORGET

Sent: Sun, 07 May 2023 22:47:10 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

I forgot to direct you on how to send the $8,500 by Western Union this morning.

Please send the $8,500 in two instalments of $4,500 and $4,000 as follows:

NAME: WILLIAMS MBAH
ADDRESS: ENUGU, NIGERIA
TEST QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT NUMBER?
ANSWER: A2636050

Please use the same test question and answer for the two and please send to me the other details as soon as you transfer the money to help me tidy up things today because I do not know yet how hectic tomorrow may be.

Lest I forget, when you get to the Western Union office do not tell anybody about our deal. Simply tell them that you are sending the money to your schoolmate who now resides in Nigeria.

I am waiting for the transfer details from you as soon as you do it to enable me to pick them up today.

WILLIAMS

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 08:56:39 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

SIR,

We write to acknowledge the receipt of the documents that you sent in by attachment and we are also waiting for the confirmation of the transfer that you made to our revenue collector’s bank account.

As you wrote, direct your lawyer to be in the Operations Department between the hours of 8am and 5pm tomorrow.

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye; Cc: Williams Mbah

Subject: What the hell is going on?

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 09:25:11

Mrs Okoye,

I received the following email from my bank manager first thing this morning:

Dear Mr Murray,

I am writing to inform you that an automatic stop has been placed onto a transfer you made on Thursday 4th May 2006. The transfer in question was for £5,265.31, to an account held with the Bank of China in the name of Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd (account number 306733697868093001). The £5,265.31 in question has been returned to your account.

This bank is in partnership with the Banking Intelligence and Fraud Reduction Agency (BIAFRA), which maintains a record of bank accounts around the globe that are used for a variety of criminal purposes, including advance fee fraud, money laundering, the funding of terrorism, and other illegal activities. The account to which you were attempting to transfer money has been flagged by BIAFRA as one that is used by criminals. Our banking system has therefore placed an automatic stop on the transfer.

This bank works closely with BIAFRA in order to protect our customers and to protect our own business. As soon as the automatic stop was placed on the transfer this morning, I contacted BIAFRA for more information. I spoke to a Mr Eric Boucher, who informed me that the account to which you were attempting to transfer money is currently under investigation as it is being used for criminal activities.

Given your standing within the local community and the fact that you have been a long-standing customer of this bank, I am assuming that you are unaware of this yourself. I would strongly urge you to investigate this matter yourself and to proceed with caution, as I believe that it is possible that you may be unintentionally involved in some kind of fraudulent or criminal activity.

Please contact me at any time if you would like to discuss this matter further, and please, whatever you do, do not transfer any of your own money into this bank account again. Not only are you in danger of losing the money, you are also in danger of getting caught up in criminal activity, for which you could yourself face prosecution.

Yours sincerely,

Nathaniel West

Manager, Bartletts Bank PLC

I am aghast, Mrs Okoye. I am in a state of shock. Can you please explain what is going on here? What on earth were you thinking of, asking me to transfer money to a bank account that is being used for criminal activities? Does this mean that your revenue collector is involved in criminal activities? But you are a security company. Surely there is no way you would employ a criminal?

I am assuming that you are as shocked by this news as I was, Mrs Okoye. I expect you to look into this matter at once, and I would appreciate an explanation from you by return.

This also means that we need to identify another way for me to get your fees to you: it goes without saying that there is no way I am going to transfer money into a criminal’s bank account.

I think you need to take a long hard look at your procedures, Mrs Okoye... and probably your modalities too. There’s obviously something seriously wrong with the way you do things.

Get back to me as soon as you can with an explanation.

Gilbert Murray

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: The security company has asked me to transfer money into a criminal’s bank account!

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 09:28:05

Dear Mr Mah,

I presume that you have read the email that I have just sent to Mrs Okoye, which I copied to you. I’m completely confused... I can’t understand what on earth is going on.

According to my bank manager, the bank account that Mrs Okoye directed me to transfer my money into is being used by criminals of some sort! This is astounding news: what on earth is a reputable security company like this doing employing a criminal as its revenue collector?

Thank heavens that my bank’s automated systems picked up on this and cancelled my transfer. Can you explain any of this, Mr Mah? I’m completely baffled.

I’ve got a few meetings booked this morning, but I’m going to cancel them so that I can visit my bank and try to find out more about what’s going on here. This is extremely troubling news.

I’ll tell you one thing, Mr Mah. Mrs Okoye had better be able to come up with a damn good explanation for all this. And she’d better come up with one fast. I’m not transferring a penny more to that security company until I know exactly what’s going on here.

I’ll get back to you once I get back from the bank.

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: WHAT DO WE DO?

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 02:17:04 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please I do not know what to say or do about this development and I did not meet with Operations Manager that I went to see rather I was told to come back later in the day.

Please can you go to any Western Union office and send to me in my name the $9,700 equivalent so that I will hand it over to Mr Debie tomorrow morning for him to pay it cash at their office tomorrow?

Please consider this and send me the details.

WILLIAMS

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: SERIOUS

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 02:46:12 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

Please can you give me a call from anywhere on +234-80-59881154? Let’s discuss on this development as I am worried now.

I am worried.

WILLIAMS

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Williams Mbah

Subject: I’m not transferring any more money to anybody until I know exactly what’s going on here

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 12:05:22

Dear Mr Mah,

I have just got back from my bank. I have read the emails you sent to me while I was away. You say that you are worried about this situation? Well I can assure you, my friend, that you’re not as worried as I am. I very nearly transferred over £5,000 of my own money into the bank account of a fraudster, for God’s sake! Thank heavens that my bank is so diligent: if what they are saying is right, I could very easily have lost that money!

When I got to the bank this morning I spoke to my bank manager, Nat West, about what had happened. He didn’t know much more than what he told me in the email he sent to me this morning, so while I was there in the bank he called this BIAFRA organisation again and asked them for more information on what exactly the problem was.

The chap he spoke to at BIAFRA printed off a more detailed report which shows the details they have on the bank account that Mrs Okoye told me to transfer the money to, and he faxed it over to the bank there and then. Nat West gave me a copy of the report, and I’ve scanned it in and attached it to this email so that you can see what’s been happening yourself.

Take a look at the report, Mr Mah. As you can see, it looks as if this bank account is being used by fraudsters of some description!

I really don’t know what’s going on here. Why on earth would the security company encourage me to transfer money into a bank account that’s implicated in fraudulent activities? I just don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense.

Tell me about this security company, my friend. Is it totally legitimate? Do you think it’s just the revenue collector who is involved in some sort of fraud, or could the entire security company be implicated? If so, do you think it’s safe to entrust them with any of our money?

Whatever’s going on here, this all smells fishier than a barrel of isinglass to me, Mr Mah. What’s more, I still haven’t heard a word from Mrs Okoye, which makes me even more suspicious. Well until I receive a decent explanation from her – one that I’m happy with – I’m not transferring any more money to anybody: if this security company is mixed up in some kind of fraud, how do I know that my money will be safe?

Mrs Okoye had better get back to me with an explanation quickly. I’ve a good mind to go to the police and see if they can shed any light on the matter... or perhaps it would be better if you went to the police over there in Nigeria. What do you think, my friend? What should we do? Do you want to go to the police, or shall I?

Best regards,

Gilbert Murray

(Click to enlarge)

From: Gilbert Murray

To: Stella Okoye; Cc: Williams Mbah

Subject: How do you explain this?

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 12:07:28

Mrs Okoye,

Why have you not got back to me yet in response to the email I sent to you earlier today? What the hell is going on over there?

I have just returned from my bank, where I asked my bank manager for more information about this fraudulent account you asked me to transfer my money into. My bank manager contacted this BIAFRA organisation and got them to fax through a report on the bank account in question, which I have attached to this email.

How do you explain this, Mrs Okoye? What the blazes is going on?

You have got some explaining to do, my dear lady. I am not going to be transferring any more money to anybody until I receive a satisfactory explanation from you as to what all this means.

I have a good mind to go to the police and see what they make of all this. Get back to me at once and let me have your version of events. And let’s have no more of these damn delays, do I make make myself clear?

Gilbert Murray

A copy of the forged BIAFRA report was attached to this email.

From: Stella Okoye

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: OUR REACTION

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 12:21:34 +0100

GLOBAL SECURITIES/FINANCE LIMITED
GLOBAL PLAZA
WUSE
ENUGU
NIGERIA
TEL/FAX: 042 882300

SIR,

OUR REACTION.

This is a reaction to your mail of this morning regarding our revenue collector’s bank account.

We have been using Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd, Lester Lin Co Ltd and Luke Lin Co Ltd as agents for our revenue collectors for years now and have never had problems with them concerning our funds. We have never known Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd to be involved in terrorism and otherwise.

Note that we write this mail to you to clear your mind and to ask you to withdraw your funds from Shaanxi Kaicheng Inv & Ind Co Ltd’s bank account if you feel that you do not have confidence in their account as stated by your bankers while we forward to you another account being held by another of our agents.

Yours faithfully,

STELLA OKOYE (MRS)

Secretary to the Operations Manager

From: Williams Mbah

To: Gilbert Murray

Subject: Consider

Sent: Mon, 08 May 2023 04:43:18 -0700 (PDT)

GILBERT,

I am really confused at this development though I know the security company very well at least during the days of my late boss and I have been going there with him so I know from my view of them that such a big company cannot be involved in criminal activities but what I do not know is the activities of that their money collectors’ agents.

From what I know about the security company, they are not owned by indigens (sic) here, they are foreign and maybe their agents are sponsors of terrorism.

Please I still suggest that we make direct payment so that this development will not draw us back.

WILLIAMS

Click here to view the concluding part of this scambust.