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As a freelancer I have profiles on different (more professionally oriented) social networking sites. And of course from time to time I get contact requests from people outside my network. Usually I accept those request, because let’s face it, you’ll never know where the next job might come from.
This week I get a request from somebody, I’ll call him NC, whose profile says he is a legal practitioner in the UK. Mmmh, a little strange, as I don’t work in this area of expertise, but nevermind. A few hours after accepting the request, I get the following message:
Thanks for your prompt response to my friend request. I do believe this would be the beginning of a profitable business relationship between us. My proposition is confidential and i intend to attach some classified documents with it to authenticate my claim. Hence this platform is not secure enough for such information. Kindly send your response to my email address ([...]), so i can forward a comprehensive proposition to you for mutual beneficiary.
This is signed with his name and (Esq.). Mmmh ... I’m not very familiar with the legal system in the UK, but I always thought that “esquire” was a term only American lawyers used. And shouldn’t it be “to you for our mutual benefit” and not “beneficiary”? But that might be the grammar Nazi in me calling.
I reply with a short message asking him for more information about himself or the joint practice he is affiliated with, as the practice he claims to be working for yields no hits on Google. Then I get this reply:
I do appreciate your response, with reference to my previous mail be rest assured that my proposition is of mutual benefit to us. Its comprehensive and classified, hence i need your email address to send you further details. Also note that my proposition would not hinder your current employment, and it doesn't require your physical presence or travel. If you follow my precise instruction religiously the entire transaction can be completed within couple of days. Please forward your response to this address; [...] Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
I again reply by asking him for information related to himself or his practice, especially as his sole contact information on the networking site is a gmail address. And that was it. No reply or contact after that.
Am I just too jaded or does this strongly smell like a variation of the Nigeria scam just without the grieving family member doing the initial contact? Have those scammers started using networking sites to give their claims more credibility or is there indeed a “real” reason to contact a stranger with a business proposal you can’t event give the slightest hint about?
This week I get a request from somebody, I’ll call him NC, whose profile says he is a legal practitioner in the UK. Mmmh, a little strange, as I don’t work in this area of expertise, but nevermind. A few hours after accepting the request, I get the following message:
Thanks for your prompt response to my friend request. I do believe this would be the beginning of a profitable business relationship between us. My proposition is confidential and i intend to attach some classified documents with it to authenticate my claim. Hence this platform is not secure enough for such information. Kindly send your response to my email address ([...]), so i can forward a comprehensive proposition to you for mutual beneficiary.
This is signed with his name and (Esq.). Mmmh ... I’m not very familiar with the legal system in the UK, but I always thought that “esquire” was a term only American lawyers used. And shouldn’t it be “to you for our mutual benefit” and not “beneficiary”? But that might be the grammar Nazi in me calling.
I reply with a short message asking him for more information about himself or the joint practice he is affiliated with, as the practice he claims to be working for yields no hits on Google. Then I get this reply:
I do appreciate your response, with reference to my previous mail be rest assured that my proposition is of mutual benefit to us. Its comprehensive and classified, hence i need your email address to send you further details. Also note that my proposition would not hinder your current employment, and it doesn't require your physical presence or travel. If you follow my precise instruction religiously the entire transaction can be completed within couple of days. Please forward your response to this address; [...] Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
I again reply by asking him for information related to himself or his practice, especially as his sole contact information on the networking site is a gmail address. And that was it. No reply or contact after that.
Am I just too jaded or does this strongly smell like a variation of the Nigeria scam just without the grieving family member doing the initial contact? Have those scammers started using networking sites to give their claims more credibility or is there indeed a “real” reason to contact a stranger with a business proposal you can’t event give the slightest hint about?
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