Trippitaka's blog: "Fubar Hilarity"

So for a bit of excitement yesterday, I was preyed upon by an advance fee fraudster posing as a Fubar member with a lonely heart. The pitch went kind of as follows:-

The girl in question starts chatting to me. Within a couple of minutes she tells me how she's looking for someone to love her and how she's been let down in the past, blah blah blah. She feels she can trust me! After five minutes!

Anyway, after literally two more minutes of groundwork she tells me how her rich English father has died, but the lawyers won't allow her to access her $2.7m inheritence until she has a 'man' (?) that can claim it for her (and, of course, take a cut of the proceeds). At this point she gives me details of her 'lawyer' to contact.

The powers that be at Fubar (perhaps quite rightly) suggest that there is nothing they can do, such as delete her account, unless I have proof. As such, perhaps I shouldn't even reveal her Fubar identity here.

So what do you think? Should I be exposing this person and try to let other members know, or just give her the benefit of the doubt that perhaps all that she has said is true? Perhaps, as one person has suggested, if anyone is dumb enough to fall for it then perhaps they deserve what they get.

Ooh, this could've been a MUMM huh?

Anyway, if you're interested here's a transcript of our final conversation. I'll let you judge for yourself whether she sounds genuine. 'Jackson benita' isn't a Fubar screen name, so identities are still safe for now.

Jackson Benita: How are you doing today ?

Pauly: Not too bad thanks. How are you?

Jackson Benita: Am good
Jackson Benita: You went offline yesterday without saying bye

Pauly: I didn't go offline.

Jackson Benita: You did i sent you message but didn't got reply

Pauly: I don't remember seeing that message... but I wasn't offline.

Jackson Benita: Ok

Pauly: Anyway, I'm not sure I have the energy to continue the charade.
Pauly: I was thinking of contacting the 'lawyer' just to see how much money was going to be asked of me, but really what would be the point.
Pauly: Yeah I figured you'd have nothing more to say.

Jackson Benita: i don't get that

Pauly: Come on... The 'lawyer', the 'inheritence'... Did you really think I was that dumb?

Jackson Benita: how do you mean /
Jackson Benita: ?

Pauly: I know it's all a scam.

Jackson Benita: Never
Jackson Benita: why should you think childishly ?
Jackson Benita: what makes you jump into conclusion ?

Pauly: It all seems like a classic 419 scam. I wasn't born yesterday.
Pauly: Perhaps if you'd taken the time to speak to me for longer then there'd be a chance of it working.

Pauly: Even if it wasn't obvious enough, there's no such law firm as Bester & Associates.

Pauly: Nothing more to add?

Jackson Benita: i don't expect you to think am trying to scamm you

Pauly: Well I guess you wouldn't have tried if you expected me to think it.

Jackson Benita: don't think childishly
Jackson Benita: if you wanna trust me good and if you allow negative thoughts in you good

Pauly: Do you think that it would be best now to stop digging, cut your losses and be glad that I'm not involving the authorities rather than just telling you I know what's going on.

Jackson Benita: you getting it all wrong

Pauly: You talk about how difficult it is to trust... and yet, after knowing me five minutes you'd be willing to trust me with $2.7m of your money.

Jackson Benita: Yeah cause you said you have the qualities i want in a man

Pauly: Do you think a non-trustworthy person would tell you that they are?

Jackson Benita: i don't know

Pauly: I think you know all too well.

Jackson Benita has signed out. (29/12/2009 12:50)

And that was that. Not too exciting I know, but there you go. There were a couple of very long pauses in there too, whilst she figured out what to say.