Continuing our ongoing reportage of new 419 scams, we're pleased to announce that Nigerian advance fee fraudsters have moved into the foreign language and air disaster markets.

Mais oui, mes braves: here's a familiar story from the Ivory Coast:

Coulibaly Lassina
Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire.

Je suis COULIBALY LASSINA,le fils du regretté COULIBALY ZONGO. Mon père était un riche marchant d'or à Ouagadougou , dont la capital économique est le Burkina Faso . Mon père a été empoisonné par ses associés après l'une de leurs affaires. Ma mère est morte quand j'étais encore bébé et c'était nom père qui s 'occupait spécialement de moi. Avant la mort de mon père en Aout 2002 ,dans un hôpital privé ici à Abidjan ,il m'a secrètement appelé sur son lit d' hôpital et il m'a dit qu'il à une somme de $13.500.000USD...

Indeed, who would not wish to do business with the son of the magnificently-named COULIBALY ZONGO? And, on the subject of inspired monikers, what about this new slant on the 419 from none other than:

MR PUFFIN DANIEL
AUDITING AND ACCOUNT UNIT.
FORIEGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
UNION TOGOLAISE DE BANQUE LOME TOGO,
LOME-TOGO.

STRICTLY AND CONFIDENTIAL,

I am MR PUFFIN DANIEL the director in charge of auditing and account section UNION TOGOLAISE DE BANQUE,LOME-TOGO.With due respect and regard, I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end.

During our investigation and auditing in this bank, My department came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased person, who died on EgyptAir Flight 990 plane crash of 31st october 1999. No body was recovered from the crash site.

This fund has been dormant in his account with my Bank without any claim of the fund that is in our custody neither from his family or relation before our discovery to this development...

Yup, old PUFFIN DANIEL has got his mits on a tasty $7m just waiting for the poor old deceased's "relative" to collect. Easy money. It can only be hoped that Mr Daniel uses some of his 75 per cent of the profits to get himself a proper name. How about Puffin Zongo? That's the sort of title which carries real business credibility. ®

Bootnote

Thanks to Reg 419 aficionados Rick Cooper and Pat Cunningham for these fun-sized portions of fraud.

Other 419 fans might like to get their hands on one of the last Ghostly 419 shirts at Cash'n'Carrion. Top kit, to be sure.