419ers adopt Shakespearean line of attack

It's good to see that the lads from Lagos are still hard at work, despite the best efforts of police, spam-baiters and ourselves to cage/enrage/lambaste the advance fee fraudsters into submission.

This latest piece of work, forwarded by reader Jack Healy, marks a departure from the in-you-face line of attack. It's a rather good effort to reel in the gullible and greedy, but sadly let down - as is the local custom - by the usual litany of grammatical and spelling errors. Read on:

From: Dupont Consulting dupont_londom@excite.com
Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 22:56:04
To:
Subject: HSBC Private Banking :An Investigation

Dupont consulting
Londom,

Re: Transfer of Title Enquiry: H.S.B.C.

My Name is Sarah Londom,I work as an executive partner for the firm Dupont consulting and Londom ,investment brokers and security consultants U.K.

We are conducting an end of year consolidated financial statement for the fiscal year ending Nov.2003 under conjunctional agreement with H.S.B.C. this notary enquiry involves a client who shares your surname and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client at H.S.B.C{Republic}A commercial and investment arm of the parent bank.

It was brought to our knowledge that the formentioned client died in testate and nominated no next of kin to the title over the investments made with the bank.

We came to know of you via the London Global Database Center{L.G.D.C.}Hence we are making this contact. The essence of this communication with you is to request you provide us information on three issues:
1.Are you aware of a relative/relation who's last contact address! was in Brussels, Belgium?
,2.Who shares a similar name with thee.?
3.Whose date of birth on file was 1-10-1930?.

It is pertinent that you inform us ASAP whether or not you are familiar with this personality that we may put an end to this communication with you and our inquiries surrounding this personality.

You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. Please respond to this mail as soon as possible to afford us the opportunity to close this investigation.

Thank you for accommodating our enquiry.

Regards
Melissa Sarah Dupont-Londom
For: Serbeni Dupont-Londom
28-02-2004

Interesting. They're not actually offering you anything, but if you were as thick as ten black helicopter conspiracy theorists nailed together, you might just start thinking: "What happens if I pretend to be this man's next-of-kin?"

And at that point you're on the road to insolvency. Of course, you'd have to be pretty dense to respond to anyone who calls you "thee".
Mind you, it's got to be the basis of a rollocking good 419 tragedy a la John Webster: "Fie, my Lord, for in yonder vault lie my liege Taylor of Liberia's chattels" Exeunt all to Amsterdam ®