Ron Reynolds and Juan Freizwidatt are back (see 1000 Mugus Served) - this time as high-powered executives.
Cast of Characters:
JOE BRANE - Scammer
MERY LOPEZ - Scammer's boss at the bank
MATTHEW MAMA - scammer lawyer
RON REYNOLDS - CEO of Reynolds Rap Records in Hollywood, CA
assisted by
JUAN FREIZWIDATT - Corporate Counsel.
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OPENING GAMBIT: MAY 4, 2004: JOE BRANE Subject: NEXT OF KIN. Date: Tue, 04 May 2004 08:29:17 -0400 Return-Path: <joebrane@scfn.net> X-Origin: 81.199.80.234 Dear Sir. I sincerely write to seek your co-operation and trust to enable my colleagues and I carry out an urgent Business Opportunity in my department. I work with the Diamond Bank Benin ;currently I am thesenior manager of bills and exchange at the foreign remittance department of mybank. I was the account officer to one Mr. Ali B.Ashraf who died along with his family on the 8th of November 1999 in an ADC Boeing 727 plane crash at Egirin River. All 141 passengers on Boards were feared dead. He left in his domiciliary account the total sum of $15.5 million(Fifteen million five hundred thousand USA Dollars).Since the management got the information of his death we have been expecting any of his relation or his next of kin to come up and claim his money. Unfortunately from the day of his death till the time of this letter none of his relations or friends has come up for the claim. The banking and financial law of Diamond Bank Benin stipulates that if such fund remained unclaimed after a period of four years it will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill. On this discovery sir, I and two other senior staffs now decided do business with you and release the money to you as the next of kin toAli B. Ashraf for safety and subsequent disbursement. I will soon proceed for my retirement leave this year, and I personally do not want this fund to be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.That is why I wanted the fund to be moved out of the bank before I proceed on my retirement from the banking service by June 15th 2004. The need for a foreigner as next of kin in this project is occasioned by the fact that our customer Mr. Ali Ashraf was a foreigner and we cannot stand as his next of kin or heir. We have agreed that 30% of the Fund would be for youas foreign partner;thereafter my colleague and I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentage indicated. To enable the immediate transfer of the fund into your nominated account, you will first apply to the bank as the next of kin of the deceased. Indicating your bank account number and location wherein the money will be remitted. Upon receipt of your acknowledgement indicating your interest, I will send you the text of the application , you will send to the Bank's authority for approval with respect to your claims. Send your reply through my direct and private email address (joebrane@gawab.com) Indicate your direct Fax and telephone number, for effective communication this opportunity requires. Looking forward to hearing from you. Yours Faithfully. Joe Brane. MAY 5, 2004: LET THE GAMES BEGIN: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, I'm interested. What do I need to do? MAY 6, 2004: THE MUGU REPLIES, THIS TIME FROM A NEW EMAIL (joe_brane02@yahoo.com): JOE BRANE Dear Ron Reynolds I must thank you for accepting to partner me in this deal.The origin of this fund ,as i explained to you in my first letter ,is normal and over the past 25years of my banking carrier,i have witnessed the bank seat on such money while the gap between the rich & poor continue to widen,bank directors continue to declare huge profit every year as a result of such money as that of Ali B .Ashraf.But in this case ,i have decided to seek for someone outside my country to transfer the fund for our own purpose.I need to know you more and i need an assurance from you that once the fund is transfered,you will help me invest my share in your country or any tax free country of your choice.I want to assure you that this transaction is 100% hitchfree & all you have to do is to follow my instructions technically & maintain absolute confidenciality.Meanwhile ,i need the following from you immediately so as to commence.1:An identifiable document such as scan copy of international pasport or international drivers licence. 2:Your bank particulars where the fund will be deposited.3:Your telephone & fax. As soon as i recieve the above ,i will place an application on your behalf to the bank after ,procuring a change of ownership with all necessary affidavit to make you the next of kin to late mr Ali B .Ashra you will then be made the bonafide beneficiary of the fund.While the bank will release the fund to your norminated account through their corresponding bank in europe.This modus operandi is worked out by me as an experienced banker and i dont envisage any likely bottleneck unless there is a problem on your side. Thank you and i take you from now as my brother as you do same to me. Bro. Joe brane please reply me on this box for discrete reasons. My private mobile number is 00229604825 JOE BRANE MAY 8, 2004: THE MUGU WRITES AGAIN, SAME BASIC MESSAGE BUT THE DEAD ENGINEER'S NAME HAS CHANGED. HMM...... Dear Ron Reynolds, I must thank you for accepting to partner me in this deal.The origin of this fund ,as i explained to you in my first letter ,is normal and over the past 25years of my banking carrier,i have witnessed the bank seat on such money while the gap between the rich & poor continue to widen,bank directors continue to declare huge profit every year as a result of such money as that of Pascal Lent.But in this case ,i have decided to seek for someone outside my country to transfer the fund for our own purpose.I need to know you more and i need an assurance from you that once the fund is transfered,you will help me invest my share in your country or any tax free country of your choice.I want to assure you that this transaction is 100% hitchfree & all you have to do is to follow my instructions technically & maintain absolute confidenciality.Meanwhile ,i need the following from you immediately so as to commence. 1:An identifiable document such as scan copy of international pasport or international drivers licence. 2:Your bank particulars where the fund will be deposited.3:Your telephone & fax. As soon as i recieve the above ,i will place an application on your behalf to the bank after ,procuering a change of ownership with all necessary affidavit to make you the next of kin to late Pascal Lent.You will then be made the bonafide beneficiary of the fund.While the bank will release the fund to your norminated account through their corresponding bank in europe.This modus operandi is worked out by me as an experienced banker and i dont envisage any likely bottleneck unless there is a problem on your side. Thank you and i will like to remind you that this entire operation will require expenditure joe brane MAY 10, 2004: RON FINALLY REPLIES: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, Sorry I couldn't reply last week, I wasn't ignoring you. In my business I often have to travel, sometimes on short notice. Last week I went to Edna, Kentucky with my two biggest rap artists, Garf Kitty-Kat and Sick-spac Quakur to the grand opening of the new Enda shopping mall. It was a grand event! People went wild when Garf and Sick-spac did a duet, rapping their hit songs "Yo' Mamma" and "Crack Ho's in Heaven." It was a huge success and we sold hundreds of records. Anyway, I got your two emails and now I'm confused. First you wrote me about some guy named Ali B. Ashraf, this morning you're talking about Pascal Lent. What's up with that? And just what is it you want me to do? If I understand you right, you want me to claim that I'm related to someone, but who? And how can a good old American boy like Ron Reynolds be related to Ali Ashraf? That sure would raise some eyebrows at your bank, wouldn't it? I mean, isn't someone going to want some proof here? Let me know a bit more about how this is supposed to work. May 12, 2004: RON TRIES TO WAKE UP THE MUGU RON REYNOLDS Yo, Joe -- what's happening here? I haven't heard back from you. I just got an email from some guy named Bello who made me an offer for even more money. I'm thinking I may as well take him up on it since you seem to have lost interest. MAY 13, 2004: JOE COMES BACK WITH AN EXPLANATION JOE BRANE Dear Ron Roynolds, How rae you today ? I hope you are you fine, I am sorry for the mix up in names , Pascal Lent is also one of our cleint who lost his in the same plane crash .However , We are deading with Ali Ashrat .you need noot to worry about the discripency in name ,this iis why the I am an insider . just let me have the requested information them I will get requested information them I will get oon the with the work .this transaction is 100%hitch free transaction provided you fellow my instruction technically and maintain absolute confidentiality .you are free to call me on 00229 60 48 25 for more briefring .I need the information to obtain vital documents such as change of ownership from Mr Ashrat to your name and other vital documents that will give legal teeth to the transfer . Best Regards Joe Brane MAY 13, 2004: RON BUYS THE EXPLANATION: RON REYNOLDS Sounds good to me. Looks like you've got it all worked out. So, what's the plan? How are you going to pull this together to make me look like a relative of some guy with an Arab name? Let me know what you need so we can get things moving. I'm ready. By the way, do you know this fellow Usman Bello who wrote me yesterday? He's making a similar offer and I can't decide if I should follow up with him. Is he a friend of yours? MAY 13, 2004: MR. MUGU COMES RIGHT BACK AND IS GETTING TESTY ALREADY: JOE BRANE Subject: Let's get serious, this is not rap Dear Ron Reynolds, I am very surprised that you did not receive my mail of yesterday.Mr pascal lent is one of our esteemed customers from South Africa who died in the same crash.However, his relations have long claimed his deposit.But i keep mentioning his name name cos we were all fund of him here due to his large hearth & generousity.We are here claiming the deposit of mr Ali Ashraf and provided you follow my instructions technically,it does not matter where you come from cos i am an insider getting all information to pull the deal to sucess.Idont care if you have 100 offers ,if you are serious to conclude this deal with me & take your share ,forget rapping now & send the requested informations so that i can get on with the work.If you can speed up action & suspend american rap for a few days ,we should conclude in 10days. You can call me on 00229604825 Joe Read Below & comply immediately I must thank you for accepting to partner me in this deal.The origin of this fund ,as i explained to you in my first letter ,is normal and over the past 25years of my banking carrier,i have witnessed the bank seat on such money while the gap between the rich & poor continue to widen,bank directors continue to declare huge profit every year as a result of such money as that of Ali Ashraf.But in this case ,i have decided to seek for someone outside my country to transfer the fund for our own purpose.I need to know you more and i need an assurance from you that once the fund is transfered,you will help me invest my share in your country or any tax free country of your choice.I want to assure you that this transaction is 100% hitchfree & all you have to do is to follow my instructions technically & maintain absolute confidenciality.Meanwhile ,i need the following from you immediately so as to commence .1:An identifiable document such as scan copy of international pasport or international drivers licence. 2:Your bank particulars where the fund will be deposited.3:Your telephone & fax. As soon as i recieve the above ,i will place an application on your behalf to the bank after ,procuering a change of ownership with all necessary affidavit to make you the next of kin to late Ali Ashraf.You will then be made the bonafide beneficiary of the fund.While the bank will release the fund to your norminated account through their corresponding bank in europe.This modus operandi is worked out by me as an experienced banker and i dont envisage any likely bottleneck unless there is a problem on your side. Thank you and i will like to remind you that this entire operation will require expenditure joe brane MAY 13, 2004: RON GETS TESTY RIGHT BACK RON REYNOLDS Yo, Joe, lighten up, dude! I did get your email yesterday, that's why I wrote to you this morning that your explanation about Lent/Ashraf makes sense to me and I'm ready to roll. I was just curious how you were going to make me out as an Arab. But as I said, I trust you to have this all worked out so I'm ready to go.You know best since you're an insider. I'll get my passport from the safe deposit box tomorrow and make a scan, and I'll have my secretary pull together the bank information. My phone is 206-XXX-XXXX. That also works as a fax line but we almost never use faxes anymore in this office -- that's dead technology ever since emails and scans came along. (One other thing, you're better to email me since faxes are open for anyone in the office to see. No one sees my private email except for me.) But one thing -- what do you mean by "I will like to remind you that this entire operation will require expenditure"? I'm a bit confused -- didn't you say you were preparing to send me money? What expenditure? Will I need to travel? If so, that's no problem, I just need to know what we're talking about here. Trust me -- I'm ready. I'm always ready for money, and the sooner the better. But I can't "suspend American rap" -- that's what my business is all about, and that's how I've made my millions. Rap is my life. Well, no, actually I hate rap music personally, but the rap music BUSINESS is my life. There's no way I can give that up even for a day -- I have millions upon millions of fans who count on Reynolds Rap Records and the Astroboy Entertainment Group to satisy their entertainment needs, and I love taking their money. But I can sure as hell handle a business deal at the same time as managing my rap business. I didn't get where I am today by being lazy or stupid! Say, do you want some rap CD's for your own music library? Just let me know and I'll get the latest Garf Kitty-Kat out to you. I'll get you the rest of the details in the morning. I gotta run -- I'm meeting with the head of BMG Music at Spago in 20 minutes. Catch you later, Joe my man! MAY 14, 2004: RON SENDS THE INFO RON REYNOLDS Here's my passport scan. My secretary pulled together the bank info: Commerce Bank 40189 Clampett Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Attention: Milburn Drysdale. director Account number 087914-3920467M29G979U Let me know what's next! MAY 14, 2004: HE LIKES ME! MY MUGU LIKES ME!! BUT HUH? MAFIA TYPE IMAGE??? JOE BRANE Subject: Like Ya Dear Run, I think i like you now.You not only soundvery business like ,you also have portrayed a mafia type image which we need to execute this deal.I want to tell you that i am very proud too be associated with you cos as ablack man ,i know that majority of American rap artist are blacks, now you have through commercial ingenuity commercialized what used to be the black man's pastime of the old into a million buck industry and at the same time give the black youths a sense of belonging ,fortune, respect and above all off the street.I sincerely , on behalf of all africans here commend you and your colleeagues in the industry for turning away from the evil of recism to recial cooporation and wealth for a better society .I am sending you right away ,an application from thebank which you are expected to complete and send back to the by email bank as you prefer. After you have applied for the remitance of the fund , The bank will engage the services of an accredited attoney who will go to Benin high court to file an affidavit of change of ownership from mr Ali Ashraf to your name.He will follow up till the fund is transfered into your account through the corresponding bank in south africa.I am to remain very silent while i will be passing informations and secretly monitoring the operation.The bank is not, and should not at any time,be aware that one of their staff is pulling the strings ,they will assume that truely a relation of ali Ashraf has applied to claim his money hence every detail will be officially handled in accordance with international banking code of conduct.Finally ,let me assure you that this is a 100% hitchfree transaction, provided you follow my instructions technically and maintain absolute confidenciality.I love to invest in your industry when this is true .I will appre ciate your call any time cos now you are not only my business associate ,you are also my good friend. Expect the form in my next mail. Joe. MAY 14, 2004: THE PHONY DOCUMENTS BEGIN: JOE BRANE Subject: Complete this form, sign, stamp; scan& send to bank THE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT DIAMOND BANK SARL BENIN 025BP DANTOKPA COTONOU EMAIL:diamondbankbp@financier.com Sir/Madam. I am ............... ... . the next of kin to mr Ali Ashraf Of Lebanon I wish to apply for release of USD$ 15.5million usd which is the balance, left in account number 025/00495-000/024 in favour of late Ali.B. Ashraf who met his untimely death in a plane crash As you know Sir, the documents in your file and the mandate of the LATE Ali.B. Ashraf, favoured me as his brother in-law, the next of kin and the beneficiary of the balance in the account referred above. The reason of not coming up since is because of family problems. Please kindly remit same to the bank account below. BANK NAME : BANK ADDRESS: A/C NO BANK TEL: BANK FAX: Email: I shall be grateful if this application is given a speedy attention and favour. I will be taking care of any charges as far as this money is concerned as it is due in your bank. Tel & YOURS FAITHFULLY, Mr__________________________________Sign& stamp___________________________ Dear Reynolds Complete the above application form and return to the bank on this email:diamondbankbp@financier.com MAY 17, 2004: THE WEEKEND OVER, RON WRITES THE "BANK" BUT -- OOPS!! -- HE ACCIDENTALLY FORGETS TO ATTACH THE SCAN OF THE APPLICATION. HOW CARELESS.......... RON REYNOLDS ATTN: THE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT DIAMOND BANK SARL BENIN 025BP DANTOKPA COTONOU EMAIL:diamondbankbp@financier.com Dear Sirs: I am attaching a scan of my application for release of funds of my late family member, Ali Ashraf. Please forward my $15.5 million right away. Thank you. MAY 17, 2004: NOW RON WRITES TO THE MUGU: RON REYNOLDS Well, I'm glad you like my rap music business but I'm not so sure I like what you wrote in your last email, "you also have portrayed a mafia type image which we need to execute this deal." MAFIA TYPE IMAGE?? I'm offended. Are you telling me I look like some type of Mafia schmuck? Or, worse, are you trying to imply I do business like a Mafia crook? I want to make it clear right here and now that I run a clean, honest, fair, and profitable business. I treat my recording artists and customers right. I don't screw anyone around, and I don't expect anyone to screw around with me. So don't look to me to be a Mafia criminal, okay? Meanwhile, I just emailed the bank director and sent him a scan of the application. How soon can I expect the money to transfer to my account? What about interest income? There should be some pretty good interest building up on an account of that size. I'm assuming that by the time it comes to my bank it will be upwards of $17 million, right? Okay, I've done my part. The ball is in your court. Let's get that money moving. You did say 10 days, right? And that was about a week ago. MAY 18, 2004: YOU GOTTA LOVE THESE GUYS! I DIDN'T ATTACH THE APPLICATION I CLAIMED TO HAVE ATTACHED, FIGURING I COULD STRETCH IT OUT WITH A SERIES OF ILLEGIBLE ONES LATER. BUT -- THE "BANK" DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THERE WAS NO APPLICATION ATTACHED. AND HERE'S AN ODD COINCIDENCE -- THE DIAMOND BANK SARL HAS THE EXACT SAME IP AS JOE BRANE.... WHAT ARE THE ODDS? MERY LOPEZ ATTN: THE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT DIAMOND BANK SARL BENIN 025BP DANTOKPA COTONOU EMAIL:diamondbankbp@financier.com Dear Sirs Your application to release the sum of 15.5musd(fifty millon five hundred thousandunited states dollars)has been receive by the bank and before the final approval from the bank,you are expected to present the following vital documents of proof. 1:Death certificateof late mr Ali .m .ashraf 2:Letter of administration from the probate registrar of Benin high court. 3:affidavit of change of ownership from Benin high court. At the receotion of the above,the bank will approve your relations' payment andpayment paid into your account through our corresponding bank in any of our paying center of your choice.You are to present the documents at our headoffice or use any of our accredited lawyers below;Matthew. m. mama esq. of mamambam chambers ,email:mamambamchambers@lawyer.com. or Lawrence ezeugo of dantopka chambers chambers,email; dantopka_chambers@lawyer.com You are to engage their services if you cannot physically come to present the documents. Yours Sincerely. Mrs Mery lopez MAY 18, 2004: THE MUGU EXPLAINS WHY BEING A MAFIOSO IS A GOOD THING, NOT AN INSULT: JOE BRANE Dear Reynolds. My idea of american mafia is really on the positive side.The Robin hood kind of organization.The mr fix it of difficult deals ,but i am really sorry if you misunderstood me. Meanwhile , the bank will be getting back to you later andif you are asked to chooselawyers,choose the mamambam chambers,he will be morefriendly andhe is a younger man. Joe MAY 18, 2004: RON TAKES THINGS UNDER CONTROL. FIRST AN EMAIL TO JOE BRANE: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, I don't know where you got the idea of the American Mafia as a Robin Hood kind of organization. It's a gang of criminals, intent only on money, power, and control. These are guys who would scam the last dollar from little old ladies. They're crooks, fraudsters, and thieves. You certainly wouldn't want to associate with people like that!! I got an email from the bank asking for Ali Ashraf's death certificate and some bullshit affadavits. They did give me a couple of lawyer names but we don't need to bother with any of that. I have my own legal department right here so I'll just turn all that over to my main man, Juan. As you can imagine, we work a LOT with lawyers around here. What with all the recording contracts, licensing agreements, theater venue agreements, sub-contracted musician agreements, royalty entitlements etc. etc. etc. we keep a staff busy all the time. Juan can easily hook up with his overseas contacts and wrap up any paperwork in no time. He's the best. He's travelling today, finishing up the paperwork for Garf's big concert in Detroit next week, but when he gets back in the office tomorrow I'll have him contact the Benin High Court and get things moving. There is one problem, however. This Mery Lopez at your bank, is she an idiot or something? She wrote that she was ready to release "the sum of 15.5musd(fifty millon five hundred thousandunited states dollars)". What kind of banker can't keep numbers straight? Is it fifteen or fifty? And what about the accrued interest, you didn't answer my question about that. Let's get this rolling long so we can hook you up with an investment in the entertainment industry! MAY 18, 2004: NOW IT'S TIME TO WRITE THE BANK: RON REYNOLDS Attn: Mery Lopez Dear Ms. Lopez, Thanks for your email about my application for transfer of the funds of the late Ali Ashram. I'm confused by one thing, however. You wrote "the sum of 15.5musd(fifty millon five hundred thousandunited states dollars)". So, which is it? 15.5 or 50.5 million? Also, what about accrued interest? Even at today's low rates I figure there must be about $1300-$5000 a day being added to the account. I'd like to know the exact total. I'll have my legal staff get the necessary paperwork for you this week. MAY 18, 2004: HMM.... THAT'S ODD. THE MUGU DOESN"T WANT ME USE MY OWN LAWYER. JOE BRANE Dear Ron. I have since admitted to you that after your explanation which i agree with you ,i now understand the real meaning of mafia as not being as positive as i saw in the films. The director of international remittance could not be stupid to that extent but you can see that what happened was a typographic error.The amount proper is $ 15.5m.You should at this moment stop concerning your self with the interest and concentrate on how to transfer the amount the bank has admitted they have and after putting together all the legal pepers & transfer the amount available ,then we can ask for the accrued interest. Finally, i am meant to understand that the only lawyer who can represnt you on this matter is the banks accredited lawyers.Lets not spoil anything at this stage ,there will be lots of jobs for your team of lawyers when the fund arrives, but at the moment you must use the banks accredited lawyers who understa nd the local terrrain. You should also understand the position of this transfer, i dont want a lawyer who will file a litigation from Us and raise eye brow here and that is why i advised you not to come here.Ron ,Let me secretly run the show from here and all i need is you should take my intructions.The only time i want you to be the boss is when the money is already in your account but now i am in full control. Get in touch with the banks accredited lawyer now and lets keep the deal rolling. joe I dont mind a call from you :00229604825 MAY 18, 2004: OKAY, WE'LL GO WITH THE SCAM LAWYER. RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, I really don't see why Juan couldn't handle all that legal mumbo-jumbo from here. He's tops in his field. But since you've got this all mapped out I'll go along with your plan and choose a local lawyer. The dumb broad at the bank suggested two names, but you said I should choose mamambam chambers because he's younger. Is that a good idea? Don't you think maybe we'd be better off choosing someone older, with more experience? Some of these younger guys just don't have the street smarts to handle complex jobs -- they're too wet behind the ears. Since you're facing retirement yourself you know how some young guys are really a lot dumber than they think they are. Can we trust this kid? Is he any good? I don't like working with lawyers I don't know. That's why I like to rely on Juan. As for the accrued interest, this is an important detail, and when it comes to business deals, details matter. You have to be careful with bankers and lawyers -- if you don't stay on top of things you can get ripped off. I want to make sure they know that when all is said and done, the final figure is going to have to include the interest, and I'll be looking for a full itemization. MAY 18, 2004: THE BANK EXPLAINS WHY THERE IS NO INTEREST ON THE $15.5 MILLION. (INTERESTING DETAIL -- THE BANK SENT THE EMAIL AT 10:45PM AFRICAN TIME. BANKERS HOURS ARE APPARENTLY A LOT LONGER IN BENIN!) MERY LOPEZ Dear Mr Ron Raynolds, I have received your mail the content well understood. Our record shows that, the late Ali.M.Ashraf even while alive created a seperate account where the monthly interest of his deposited capital is paid to a certain charity and since his death, the organisation have come forth to claim the interest and his will states that the principal has to be claimed by his bonafide next of kin.This is why you are directed to our accredited lawyer who will brief you after obtaining the legal document. The mitake above is from my secretary and you should bear in mind that the principal is $15.5 million USD.(Fifteen Million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only). This is the amount you are legally entitled to claim from the account of late Ali.M.Ashraf. In view of that, I have already contacted one of our accredited lawyers, MR. Mattew.M.Mama of Mamambam chembers who will contact you soonest. Yours Sincerely Mrs Mery Lopez. MAY 18, 2004: THE "LAWYER" WORKS LATE TOO -- HE EMAILED AFTER MIDNIGHT, AFRICAN TIME. HE ALSO HAS THE SAME IP AS THE MUGU AND THE BANK. HMMMM......... MATTHEW M. MAMA DEAR SIR. I AM MATTHEW . M. MAMA OF THE ABOVE CHAMBERS. I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY DIAMOND BANK BENIN SARL TO SOLICIT FOR YOU ,OVER YOUR NEXT OF KIN, MR ALI. M .ASHRAF..MY FEE IS . $50 ,000 (FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYABLE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I AM HIRED .(AFTER THE $15.5musd MUST HAVE BEEN PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT BY THE DIAMOND BANK) YOU ARE TO TRANSCRIBE THIS AUTHORITY TO REPRESENT YOU INTO YOUR LETTER HEAD ,STAMP , SIGN AND SEND BACK TO ME . THIS WILL EMPOWER ME TO GO TO BENIN HIGH COURT TO FILE FOR THE NECESSARY DOCUMENT TO ENABLE THE BANK TRANSFER YOUR RELATIONS FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. AS SOON AS I RECIEVE THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY , I WILL TELL YOU THE NEXT LINE OF LEGAL ACTION. BEST REGARDS. MATTHEW M MAMA ESQ. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 TRANSCRIBE THIS INTO YOUR COMPANY LETTER HEADED PAPER ,STAMP , SIGN AND SEND BACK TO ME . 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 I, MR RON REYNOLDS OF 419 SHANNON DOHERTY DRIVE HOLLYWOOD ,CA 90914 HEREBY EMPOWER BARRISTER MATTHEW M MAMA OF MAMAMBAM CHAMBERS TO ACT ON MY BEHALF ON MATTERS RELATING TO THE CLAIM OF MY LATE COUSIN MR ALI. M .ASHRAF .YOU SHOULD GIVE HIM MAXIMUM COOPORATION. MAY 18, 2004: RON'S NOT HAPPY WITH THE FEE, AND LETS BOTH THE LAWYER AND JOE KNOW ABOUT IT. FIRST, TO THE LAWYER: RON REYNOLDS Dear Mr. Mama, What do you take me for, a fool??? Just because I'm a rich American you think you can rob me blind?? How in god's name can you possibly be so greedy as to ask $50,000 to prepare and submit three stinking affidavits?!?! Let me tell you, you wouldn't last 10 minutes as a lawyer in this country -- you'd be disbarred as a charlatan. Don't bother writing me again. I'll hire an honest lawyer. I don't do business with thieves. MAY 18, 2004: NOW RON WRITES TO JOE: RON REYNOLDS I can't fucking believe it!!! The bitch at the bank hired that lawyer Mama without even asking me. THEN -- the asshole lawyer Mama has the nerve to email me saying that his fee is $50,000!! Fifty thousand US dollars!! That's so fucking outrageous it goes beyond anything I've ever seen! What the fuck does he think, just because I'm an American record producer I'll pay anything?! He's fucking out of his mind!! Screw him. There's no way in hell I'm doing business with a crook like him. The kind of routine paperwork the bank needs wouldn't cost $500 to process here. Even less with our corporate lawyer. It's a ten minute job for a paralegal secretary. I'm going back to my original plan to put Juan on this. I'm not going to stand for highway robbery from some young punk lawyer when I caneasily do it with my own staff for 1/100 as much. $50,000!!! Can you believe it???What a crock of shit!! What rock did you find that slimeball under? That guy oughtto be reported to whatever government agency licenses lawyers in your country. Hey-- that's a good idea. I'm going to have Juan look into that tomorrow and file acomplaint with the proper authorities. There's no excuse for that kind of outrightthievery. He needs to be put in his place. What a fucking jerk! I expect the authoritiesin Benin will yank his license in a heartbeat! That'll teach him to screw aroundand try to rip me off. Ha! I'll get back to you in the morning after I'vehad time to cool down, and get Juan on the case. Right now I have to run. I've gota meeting with MTV to see about getting Garf his own TV special. MAY19, 2004: UH-OH, THE "LAWYER" IS PISSED OFF. I IMAGINE THE MUGU ENJOYEDTHE OPPORTUNITY TO YELL AT ME THROUGH A DISPOSABLE CHARACTER, BUT I'M NOT LETTINGHIM OFF THAT EASY: MATTHEW M. MAMA Ron, You are nothing but the son of a greedy slave master, you find it diffcult to pay $50,000usd in transation of 15.5musd. The moneyis not even your sweat ,your cousine .you are the most greedy client Ihave evenbeenindroduced to .Go try another person cos I dont even want to do business with KK. MatthewMama Esq MAY 19, 2004: OKAY, NOW JOE WRITES IN HIS OWNNAME: JOE BRANE Dear Ron I have told you that there is nothing juan gonna dohere from there unless he is coming here which is going to make me uncorfortable.Pleasecool down your temper so that we can conclude this business without any much exposure.Assoon as we get the legal papers ready,you can afford to make all the noise but nowplease keep your head cool.I am sure you did not write any thing abusive to the lawyer,youknow you cant fuck around with lawyers and doctors. You know i should notbe seen or even heard in this transaction,i can only give you informations on whatto do,hence you should contact immediately the other lawyer Barrister Ezeugo Lawrenceat email address:dantopka_chambers@lawyer.com Tell him what you want himto do for you and tell him how much you want to pay him. Rgds Joe Brane MAY 19, 2004: TIMETO RATTLE HIS CAGE A BIT: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, I'm very ready to do business butI'm not ready to let shithead lawyers screw me over. You said "I am sure youdid not write any thing abusive to the lawyer." Well, of course I wasn't abusive-- I was only honest: I told him he was a thief and a charlatan. I left out the partabout him being an asshole. But talking about abuse, here's what that dickhead hadthe nerve to write to me this morning: "You are nothing but the son ofa greedy slave master , you find it diffcult to pay $50,000usd in transation of 15.5musd.The money is not even your sweat ,your cousine .you are the most greedy client Ihaveevenbeen indroduced to .Go try another person cos I dont even want to do businesswith KK." Right about now I wish I really was in the mafia, like youtalked about. They'd know how to handle a schmuck like Mama -- one phone call andin a few hours that prick would never walk again. But, while I may not be able toget his kneecaps shot off (which is what he deserves), I can sure as hell get hislicense revoked. Arrogant jerk! He seems to think that just because the transferis a lot of money he should get a huge fee. Well, it doesn't work that way. Legalfees are based on the type of work, not the total money involved. It's like buyinggas for your car -- it doesn't matter whether you're filling up a Rolls-Royce ora Toyota, it costs the same. We're talking about getting one certified death certificateand drawing up two affadavits, but because it's for $15.5 million he thinks he shouldget $50,000! Then he has the nerve to insult me. INSULT ME!! Well, he's going toregret it, big time. After Juan makes a few phone calls to his international contactshe'll find out whoever is in charge in Benin and get Mama's license revoked fasterthan he can say "slave master." Maybe we'll even get the unscrupulous bastardthrown in jail for attempted theft. Anyway, enough about him, he's history.Mama's on his way to becoming a burger-flipper at McDonald's in Cotonou. Now let'sget back to business. You made a great suggestion in your email this morning: "thereis nothing juan gonna do here from there unless he is coming here". Of course!There's the answer! Even with a first-class ticket to Benin and a few nights in thebest luxury hotel the cost will be a tiny fraction of Mamasshole's thieving rate!Juan can wrap up everything in a couple of days, pick up a certified check and bringit back. What could be simpler than that? The best part is that we know it wouldbe handled right, with no one screwing us over because it's a lot of money. I'llhave my secretary look into flights right away. How soon should he plan to be there?Is Monday soon enough? He could be there as early as Friday but with the weekendcoming up I don't think there would be any point. I think he should come in lateSunday, meet with the bank first thing on Monday morning, take care of the legalmumbo-jumbo over the next couple of days, and come back to Hollywood on Thursdayor Friday. That's a great plan! I'll get moving on it. We should have thiswrapped up by the end of next week, partner. Sounds good to me! (And best of all,that dipshit Mama will be breaking rocks at Benin prison by then.) MAY19, 2004: LET'S GET JOE REALLY WORKED UP BY PUSHING THE JUAN ANGLE EVEN HARDER, WHILEDANGLING CASH IN FRONT OF HIM TO KEEP HIM FOCUSSED ON THE PRIZE: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, Sue(my secretary) just gave me the details. There are no flights out of Cotonou on Saturdayso Juan will have to come back on Friday. That's okay, it just means he has to wrapthings up quickly. Should be no problem. Here's the schedule: Saturday, May22: Los Angeles to Newark, NJ, Continental Airlines flight 1803, 9:55PM arrive 5:55AM Saturday,May 22: Newark, NJ to Paris CDG, Air France flight 5 5:10PM arrive 6:15AM Sunday Sunday,May 23: Paris to Cotonou (COO) Air France fligth 814, 1:55PM arrive 7:15PM. He'llbe travelling with Sick-spac as a bodyguard, so we don't have anything to worry about.Sick is 250 pounds of solid muscle and he's VERY intimidating. He grew up in thestreets and he knows how to use his fists. No one is going to mess with Sick! Onelook at his scowl and any thieves will go running! (Hmm -- maybe I should arrangefor him to pay a visit to Mr. Mama while he's there?) They're booked at theNovotel Orisha Cotonou, Boulevard de la Marina. Can you arrange for someoneto meet them at the airport and drive them to the hotel? I'm sure they'll be tiredafter such a long trip. Let me know soon as the airlines are only holdingthis itinerary for 24 hours, so we need to confirm the booking as quickly as possible. Bigmoney in just one more week, partner! By the way, how much cash should Juantake with him for administrative charges and bribes? I think $20,000 should be enough,don't you? I assume that the authorities will accept cash payment for fees. Is thereanything you want him to bring you from California? MAY 19,2004: SUDDENLY THE MUGU IS ALL FOR IT -- HE CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR JUAN TO COME TO BENINSO HE CAN MUG (OR KILL) HIM AND STEAL THE $20K+ IN CASH. MUCH EASIER THAN RACINGTO WESTERN UNION FOR SMALL SUMS. AND OH YEAH, DON'T FORGET THE WATCHES. AND A SUIT!!(WHAT ABOUT LAPTOPS??): JOE BRANE Dear Ron. I have read your mail with much interest.Mamais a hungry man and a distraction ,therefore i suggest we forget the asshole to fuckhimself and concentrate on our goal.You have so much impressed me with your speed,intelligence and authority.you have my 100% surport to send J & the buster downso that he can practically and on the sport get everything sorted out once &for all.you should give him a letter of authority to act on your behalf cos he willalso sign off the bankers certified draft instead of the protocol of transferingthe money into your account through the corresponding bank, bravo !!!.any day thatis convinient for their arrival is welcomed so that from monday the 24th,we can commenceaction.I will detail a driver and security to drive them to the hotel on arrival.Giveme the confirmed schedule so that i can make solid arrangement for pick up. The amountyou have mentioned should take care of everything excluding the hotel bill and J'sexpenses.You should not tell any one the main purpose of their visit as to maintainour secrecy.you can say ,J is coming here to rap up a recording deal so as to keepsafe till we pick the draft.what is my guarrantee ? ,i want to make arrangementsto come back to U.S with J ,i can get a visa at once while they are here. Youshould send the travel schedule to the bank as well cos they have a policy of officiallyreceiving visiting clients from the airport.I will work myself into being among theofficials that will receive J so that i can be arround to pass informations but tellj not to let the cat out. You give him 3 wrist watches and a pair of size40 suit for me to travel. Let one of the watches be ladies for mrs Mary Lopez Onceagain Bravo ! ! good thinking good product as the japs will say. Joe MAY19, 2004: HIS CHANGE OF HEART THREW ME OFF MY OWN SCRIPT. TIME FOR RON TO STALL ANDREGROUP: RON REYNOLDS Shit -- your comment about getting a visa to come to the states mademe realize that Juan and Sick might need visas to travel to Benin. I just had mysecretary check it out and sure enough, they do need visas. I never even thoughtabout that. Damn it! Now we have to go through the Benin embassy in Washington toget travel visas for them. There's no way we can get them in time for Juan and Sickto leave this weekend, so we'll have to put it off for another week. I'm not happyabout that. Your embassy in Washington is already closed for the day so I'll haveSue call them in the morning and see if they can fax the forms right away, and wecan Fedex everything to them tomorrow. I don't know if they have any system for fast-trackingapplications. I hope to hell that there's no problem about Sick-Spac getting a visa-- he has a pretty long criminal record. I'm afraid that before he made it big inthe music business he didn't exactly live the life of a saint, and his status asan ex-con may be a problem. I think I also need to rebook their hotel. Suesays that the State Department's website specifically lists Boulevard de la Marinaas a high-crime area. Sick's one tough bastard but I'd rather not put him somewherewhere he might have to hurt someone. Any suggestions? Juan tells me he's learnedsome interesting things about our friend Mr. Mama, and he's expecting an email inthe morning with more. Meanwhile I suggest you be very, very cautious -- I don'tthink you can trust that bitch Mery in your bank. I'll fill you in tomorrow whenI have more information but meanwhile, watch your back, okay? MAY 20, 2004: OF COURSE -- JOE WANTS US TO LEAVE THE BODYGUARD BEHIND. AND DON'TWORRY ABOUT THE VISA, HE'LL JUST BRIBE THE OFFICIALS JOE BRANE I have read your mailwith much understanding.i wantto start by saying that there is a good news.yesterdayi was introduced to the banks ceo who has assured me that he will assist your manto get a quick clearance from the verious agencies as soon as he arrives.You dontneed to go through the embassy protocol ,all you need to do is to send me the scancopy of J's paspôrt then we will make available a visa for him.You need to trust meenough to ask your body guard to stay behind and guard you cos J is coming here tomeet the most freindly people on the planet.Youe home office will stay in AMERICAand tell you which hotel is safe and the one that has bug in the bed ,i dont personallylike all those bullshit western propaganda.The next thing they will tell j now whenhe goes for visa is that it is dangerous to come to A frica while the same peopleand there cronies will be found in our beautifull beaches 24hrs of the day.All thebuseinesses they control ,all the bank deals ,they arestinkingly rich from the exploitationof africa ,they dont have a fucking good thing to say about it her except high crimerate bla bla all to keep off other prospective adventurers.Back to our businees ,the250pound criminal you want to come with j will raise eye brow cos no body will takehim to ministry of finance, Benin high court or the corporate head off of the bankcos i dont want any thing that will raise eye brow ,my people are just not used tosomeone being followed by a bouncer during official hours.I have not mate J but ihave already taking to like him.Forget making any reservation at the novotel, i willlodge him at avery exclusive hotel here .I dont want him to stay where the governmentsecurity net work will know what we are doing.I will send you the name and phonenumber later.On arrival, weshall drive straight to hold a meeting with theceo ofthe bank, there the programme will be laid out and discused,all the t's crossed &i ' dotted.The banks legal adviser who will work along with J will be formerly introducedto him and then he will be driven back to his hotel till the next day when work shallstart proper.For now i want you to only brief J & let no body make any noiseabout the deal.Finally i want to assure you that the safety of of J is guarranteedand as soon as i recieve J's particulars ,i will get the visa through my contact& the trip can still take place as scheduled.I will send you my particulars andpictures for assurance.Please try as much asyou can to keep our secret , secret. BestRegards. Joe.I think at this stage you should call me on vry urgent matters sothat we can move faster.My mobile number is 00229 60 48 25.If it will not be toomuch for you ,we can get a computer lap top for the ceo as P.R MAY20: 2004: IGNORING THE VISA QUESTION FOR NOW, RON GIVES JOE SOME SHOCKING NEWS --SCAMMERS WORKING AT HIS BANK??? RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, Juan made an interestingdiscovery about our little friend Matthew Mama, Esq. He contacted the "Ordredes Avocats de la Republique du Benin" at the Palais de Justice in Cotonou andgot a reply from a guy named Severin A. Hounnou (juristint@intracen.org). It seemsthat Mr. Mama isn't even licensed!! There's no record of him! He's an even biggerthief than I thought -- he a con artist, pretending to be a lawyer. Stay very clearof this guy -- he's bad news. Listen up, this is very important. I'm convincedthat Mary Lopez, that bitch at your bank, is working with this Mama character totry to steal the 15.5 million. For one thing, she's the one who put that fuckheadin contact with me. For another thing, when I asked her about the accrued intereston the money she gave me some incredibly unbelievable bullshit story about the interestgoing into a "separate account" that was for some unnamed "charity"which has already collected the cash. I know bullshit when I smell it, and that storywas so lame that I immediately knew she was lying through her teeth. It's prettydamn clear that she's been skimming the interest income all along. Bitch. Now thatI know she's working with a phony lawyer I'm totally convinced that she's tryingto steal the rest of the money. You need to be very, very careful and make sure thatshe is cut out of the loop or you and I will lose everything. As it stands now, I'msure that she's working up some way to make the money disappear quickly, and by thetime Juan can get there the account will be empty. For all I know she may be liningup some other foreigner to be Ally Ashram's next-of-kin, with bogus paperwork bythat criminal slimeball Mama. If you can do it without getting yourself introuble, maybe you should report Mama to the local authorities. Is there some kindof anonymous hotline for reporting criminals in your area? Maybe you could drop amention about Mary Lopez while you're at it. If we can get her out of the way completelyI think things will go a hell of a lot smoother. There must be a way to prove thatshe's been skimming the interest. Maybe you should also check into that other lawyershe mentioned, whatever his name was. He's probably as phony as Mama. Be careful,but try to get tighter control of that account. And watch your back -- you neverknow what these crooks might be capable of. I wouldn't want you to get hurt if theseguys start playing rough. I wouldn't put it past them. These guys are lower thanpond scum. MAY 20, 2004: THE MUGU IS GETTING PUSHY. JOE BRANE DearRon I expected your immediate reaction to my last mail by telephone or mail.Whenis J sending in his scan copy of inter pasport.,? the arrangement has been concludedto have officials inside to receive him and stamp his visa right inside the airport.this is a perfect & solid arrangement that meanw that the former flight schedulestill holds .Please get back to me on phone to confirm 00229604825. Joe MAY20, 2004: LET'S SEE IF WE CAN PLAY SPOOK THE MUGU: RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, We cancelledJuan's reservation yesterday when the visa problem first came up, so he can't gothis weekend. Juan has made it very clear that he absolutely refuses to considergoing without Sick-Spac. He's firm on that point. He also said that before he'lleven consider going he needs to finish up a little more research. He's being a littlesecretive but it appears to me that he was a little spooked when he found out aboutthat phony lawyer, Mama. He wouldn't tell me what he's working on just yet but hepromised to give me a full report as soon as he's ready. He's a smart guy and helikes to have all his bases covered. Good lawyers are like that -- they always knowthe terrain before they make a move. That's why I have so much confidence in Juanto do the job right. I do know that he had a long conversation with someone at theState Department today because my secretary got a little flustered when she was tryingto put the call through, since it was some kind of conference call and she accidentallydisconnected some VIP hotshot. Sue mentioned something about the Benin Embassy andI think there was also some comment about the FBI, but that doesn't make any senseto me. (I was tied up on another call when she was talking about it so I think Imisinterpreted her comment). Anyway, I'll pin Juan down tomorrow so we can get theplans back on track. I don't want this to bog down for no reason. Have youdone anything about getting the Lopez bitch out of the picture? I'm still worriedabout her involvement. I have a very bad feeling about her. I'll give youan update tomorrow, and I'll try to set up reservations for Juan and Sick for thenext weekend. MAY 21, 2004: LOOKS LIKE 'SPOOK THE MUGU'WORKED: JOE BRANE Dear Ron. You surprise me sometime.What is this talk aboutFBI in a secret business i invited you to participate.I thank God you have only appliedto the bank ,you have not been involved in any legal bond here.If you cant keep offthat thief ,no problem for me cos i will get Ali,the african heavy weight wrestlingchampion (300pounder) to be on standby incase the thief want to snatch anyone's bag.iwill wait till next week to know if you are serious or you are just rapping ,if youare not serious ,i will not waist any time in getting a serious partner & notproffessional rapper. I dont understand why after all appeal considering my positionhere and the nature of deal ,you are still calling the the entire fbi and my embassywhen i have made solid arrangements to fly in your people and stamp their visa onarrival.I also dont see why you should not just give me a call when we are handlinga business of this magnitude. Oncre more ,the only conviction i will have now thatyou mean business is to have J's particulars as i earlier requested and then a privatecall on my number 00229 60 48 25. Joe MAY 21, 2004: TIME TO END THIS. BOMBS AWAY! RON REYNOLDS Dear Joe, Mery, and Matt: You want toknow if I'm serious? Oh yes, I'm serious. Very serious. I had a most enlighteningmeeting with Juan this morning. Let me give you just a few details from his verylong report: - Mery Lopez: doesn't exist. She's phony. -- Lawrence Ezeugo:doesn't exist. Phony. -- Matthew Mama: doesn't exist. Another phony. -- JoeBrane: phony, and in deep shit. -- Ali Ashraf: maybe phony, maybe not, but definitelydead. Very, very dead. It seems he died in plane crashes in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001and 2003. He really got around. He left a lot of cash with a lot of bankers and lawyersin Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. Here are just a very few interesting sites in that regard(I particularly like the first one): http://lists.village.virginia.edu/lists_archive/fixes/3807.html http://www.potifos.com/fraud/2003-02-10.html http://www.houseoffusion.com/spam/viewspam.cfm/spamid=43975 http://www.obvious.ca/blog/archives/000111.html http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/77224 http://liste.ferrara.linux.it/archive/crypto/2003-July/000480.html http://freebsd.kde.org/pipermail/kde-freebsd/2003-September/005845.html Thereare a few hundred more links I could add, but you get the picture. Curiouslyenough, Joe Brane, Mery Lopez and Matthew Mama all used the exact same computer towrite and send emails, from the same Internet cafe in Cotonou. What an interestingcoincidence! Have I ever mentioned that Juan is very well connected? I mean,VERY well connected. He has friends in very high places all over the world, and hereally knows how to pull strings when he wants something done. And guess what --he wants something done. Right now. He's pissed. We're talking VERY, VERY, pissed.Royally, majorly, totally pissed. In fact, I've never seen him this pissed. But hehas good reason. You were planning to mug him, maybe even kill him, and steal everything.And he knows it. And, most importantly, he's not happy about it. He says he's goingto make damn sure you pay for it. Big time. So the real fun starts now. Rememberwhen I suggested you watch your back? Well, I hope you paid attention because bynow the FBI, Benin Embassy, US State Department, Interpol, and local Cotonou policealready have you in their sights. Juan works fast. You know that Internet cafe Ijust mentioned, the one with the computer that Joe Brane, Mery Lopez, and MatthewMama all used to send their fake emails? The same computer each time?? The one you'resitting at right now?? Well, it's been identified and you're already under surveillance.There's probably an undercover agent watching you right now. Maybe it's the big guysitting near the door. Or the tall guy standing across the street. Or the new guyat the counter. Or all of them... I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. Apparentlyauthorities in west Africa are really starting to crack down hard on 419 advance-feefrauds. They don't like the way scammers like you are tarnishing the reputationsof the millions of decent, honest, and innocent citizens of Benin and Nigeria. Juantells me the prisons in Benin are not very pleasant. He also tells me that his newcontacts in Cotonou have promised him that your accomodations in that prison willbe especially uncomfortable. Juan made sure some gifts were sent to appropriate peopleto ensure their close cooperation in this regard. I think you made a big,big mistake, my friend. And you thought the bodyguard was the worst of your problems...... |