Good news, everyone! The advance fee fraud scammers of Nigeria have decided to stop fussing with old-fashioned checks and wire transfers, and have switched to an advanced new technology. They’re called “ATM cards.” Shiny!

Alex received this message from a spammer purporting to be from the “Central Bank of Nigeria,” promising him a $2.8 million in exchange for…well, nobody really knows what he’s been hired to do.

From: Mr Dave Walker
Date: Sun, May 24, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Subject: Your Atm Debit card Payment
To:

—
The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), working in relationship with HSBC
London has concluded to issue you a VISA CARD with which you can access
your contract amount 2.8 million USD This card center will send you an ATM
card which you will use to withdraw your money in any ATM machine in any
part of the world, but the maximum is FIVE Thousand Five Hundred United
States Dollars($5,500) per day. So if you like to receive your fund in this
way, please let us know by contacting the ATM payment department and also
send the following information as listed below:Contact Mr Dave Walker at
mrdave.walker6@gmail.com with the below details for claims.

1. Full name
2. Phone and fax number
3. Address were you want them to send the ATM card to (p.o box not
acceptable)
4. Age
5. occupation
6. Nationality
7. country of residence

Best Regards.
Mr. Dave Walker
+2348051131534

I guess this is a little more plausible than the normal Nigerian fraud script involving a huge wire transfer that needs to get out of the country ASAP. Thanks, Mr. Dave Walker. Withdrawing $5K per day from an imaginary ATM card sounds like a much better way to make a living than writing. I’ll spend the proceeds on the micropony with a glittering pink mane that I’ve had my eye on.

(Photo: selmer)

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