Something From Nothing

Date:  Wed, 02 Aug 2006 05:20:00 -0400
To: (forwarded from a friend)
From: "H & F Arts" <hnfart@swissbonline.com>
Subject:  Get in Touch with me asap

Hello there,

My name is Bomi Savage and I am an artist. I live in the United Kingdom, with my two kids, four cats, one dog and the love of my life. It is definitely a full house. I have been doing artwork since I was a small child. That gives me about 23 years of experience. I majored in art in high school and took a few college art courses. Most of my work is done in either pencil or airbrush mixed with color pencils. I have recently added designing and creating artworks on the computer. I have been selling my arts for the last 3 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines. I have sold in galleries and to private collectors from all around the world. I am always facing serious difficulties when it comes to selling my art works to Americans, they are always offering to pay with US POSTAL MONEY ORDER, which is difficult for me to cash here in the United Kingdom.

I am looking for a representative in the States who will be working for me as a partime worker and i am willing to pay 10% for every transaction, which wouldn\'t affect your present state of work, someone who would help me receive payments from my customers in the States. I mean someone that is responsible and reliable, because the cost of coming to the States to get payments is very expensive, i am working on setting up a branch in the U.S pretty soon. But for now I need a representative who will be handling the payment aspect.

These payments are in Money Order and they would come to you in your name, so all you need do is cash the Money Order, deduct your percentage and wire the rest to me. It wouldn\'t cost you any amount, you are to receive payments which will be sent to you by Fedex or USPS from my business partners, which would come in form of a Money Order then you are to cash it and send the cash to me via Western Union Money Transfer. All Western Union charges will be deducted from the money.

If you are interested, endeavor to send your reply immediately to my e-mail address: hnfart@swissbonline.com

Regards,

Bomi Savage

Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 11:52:47 -0700 (PDT)
To: hnfart@swissbonline.com
From: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Good Day Bomi:

This sounds very interesting. I'd be glad to help out. Please have them send the money orders to:

Richard O Jones
PO Box 13311
Hamilton OH 45013.

Just out of curiosity, do you have any samples of  your work you can send me?

peace

Three Weeks Later:
$3,300 in Fake Money

I'll leave the line breaks for you. It looks more like poetry that way.

Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 08:52:19 +0100
To: "Richard O Jones"
From: hnfart@swissbonline.com
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Dear Richard,

How are you doing today? I hope great! I am sorry for the unwaranted
delays
you have
experienced towards receiving the payment from Saul Kramer. The problem
is
that the
payment was not sent until last thursday when we were able to conclude
with
the final shipping itineries involved in the recent purchases he made.
Please be patient with us as I am assuring you that you will be
receiving the
payment in no time from now. If it has arrived already, kindly also let
me know
so that I can give you further advise on how to disburse the funds.
Remember that you are to cash the money orders at your Bank where you
will be
given cash instantly.

Kind regards,
Bomi Savage

Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 11:13:26 -0700 (PDT)
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com 
From:  "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

OK. I will let you know when the money orders arrive. peace

And sure enough, when I go to the post office, I pick up a plain brown envelope with four Postal Money Orders for $850 each.

Woo-hoo!!! Right? Not so fast.

They look good, but there's no image of Ben Franklin in the cameo watermark on the left, and the security strip that's supposed to be embedded in the paper is clearly inked on.

What's also odd is that "Saul Kramer" lives in Medford, Ma [sic], but the stamp and postmark are from Cotongo, Republique du Benin.

I'll take it to the PO tomorrow to see if they care (but I'll save one for a souvenir).

Now, do I continue to bait them?  Hmmmm. Hell yeah!

Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2006 20:50:14 -0700 (PDT)
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
From:  "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Ok. I got four $850 money orders. Now what?

I would like to see some images of  your art. Do you have a website or can you e-mail me some photos?

peace

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 01:55:40 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Dear Richard,

Please if you are yet to cash the Money Orders go right away to your

BANK and have the Money Orders cashed instantly or they may ask you to

deposit

them and come back for the monies.

We will love to purchase some fine woods here in Africa to use in

creating

sculptures and wood works

My client has sent some united states postal money

orders, you are to have 10% of the total funds received,you will split

the

funds into two,i have located two western union outlet near you that

you will

make the transfer,this is because you can't transfer huge amount at one

western

union outlet once,so to make it very easy without any questioning this

is the

best way to send the funds by splitting the funds

Below are Two western union outlet that you will have to go to each of

them

for each transaction

Also Below is the Details for the Transaction

NAME: ATUBA FELIX FORTUNE

ADDRESS:13 OKOTA ROAD,LAGOS,NIGERIA

TEST QUESTION:WHAT DAY

ANSWER:TODAY

MTCN AND EXACT AMOUNT SENT ALSO NEEDED

These are some Westrn Union Outlets you can use for the transfers

LOBILL #338

1500 PLAZA DR

HAMILTON, OH 45013

LOBILL #336

1204 W MAIN ST

HAMILTON, OH 45013

So i will be expecting two transfer details in this name and also i

heard the

western union discriminate Africa alot,heard that there is a lot of

racism

shown by them at their outlets when one is sending money to africa, I

believe

strongly that you are not part those that encourage and practice

racism, please

do not entertain any questioning from each of the outlets, just tell

them that

you are sending the funds to your friend

And you will start receiving 15% once you execute this first transfer

perfectly

GET BACK ASAP WITH TRANSFER DETAILS

Regards,

Bomi Savage

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 01:57:38 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Dear Richard,

As per your email, I am attaching some samples of my work for your

perusal and

careful consideration.

However, I must stress here that I want you to have a positive mindset

about

this business proposition as everything our organisation does is

strictly

under the precints of the Law.

Kind regards,

Bomi Savage

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 05:51:52 -0700 (PDT)
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
From: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

I don't see any attachments.....

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:27:34 -0500
To: "Richard O Jones"
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Dear Richard,

As per your email, I have re-attached the pictures of samples as

requested for

your perusal and careful consideration.

Please if you are yet to cash the Money Orders go right away to your ...... [a word for word repeat from the previous e-mail with Western Union instructions]

The images Bomi sent me were straight from Art.com.

This one was labeled "dog." What do you think it is?

Looks like a fox to me.

If you know anything about art, you can plainly see that Bomi is a genius. What a diversity of style, everything from wildlife to florals to patriot propaganda to Cuban cigar boxes..... Beats me.

 I did take the Money Orders from Saul Kaufman to the USPS Rossville Branch today. Postmaster Andrea Osborne was quite concerned and glad to take the forgeries off my hands for futher investigation. She had to go through the tips to spot a forged document and explain to me why these are all scams, even though I think I made it pretty clear that this is a silly hobby of mine and I knew they would be forgeries before I got them. I also forwarded her the email with the addresses. We'll see if anything comes of it. I doubt it.

Now, I'm just trying to see how long I can stretch this out.

Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:19:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com

OK: The bank would only cash one of them because I don't have enough in my account to cover all four money orders. I will go to a different branch this afternoon to cash another one. This may take a couple of days.

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 10:13:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones" r_o_jones@yahoo.com
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

OK, I got another money order cashed. I'll go to
Western Union this afternoon.

Bomi starts getting a little impatient with me.

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 13:22:42 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: Get in Touch with me asap

Thanks for your email. I will be waiting for the wire transfer details
as soon
as you are done.

Kind regards,
Bomi Savage

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 15:37:30 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Still waiting..

Thanks for your email. I will be waiting for the wire transfer details

as soon

as you are done.

Kind regards, Bomi Savag

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:02:19 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Waiting for Wire Transfer Details

Please do get back to me at your earliest convenience with the Wire
Transfer
details.

Kind regards,
Bomi Savage

Finally, it hits the fan:

Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:12:24 -0500
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: YOU FOOL

YOU FOOL. YOU GOT IT ALL TWISTED. HAVE A SICK DAY

Should I play dumb?

Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:03:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: hnfart@patdukearts.com
To: "Richard O Jones"
Subject: Re: You Fool

I don't understand.

Checking my e-mail, I see a message from info@richardojones.com, the mailbox where comments from my blog are sent to me.

COMMENT

I PRAY YOUR SITE GETS SHUT DOWN. YOU SICK FOOL. GO GET A JOB ASS HOLE. I ABHOR THE LIKES OF YOU.

Posted by: XXXX XXXXXX | August 25, 2006 06:17 PM

Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 09:02:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: I use my powers for good, not evil

At the very least, Bomi, I got four fake money orders that you can't send to anyone else.

Here's a couple of tips for you:

1) If you're posing as an artist, at least learn something about art and have some believable samples ready. I am an art critic, so it was pretty easy for me to see that those four images did not come from the same person.

2) Find honest work.

No hard feelings, I hope. Surely you've been baited before.

Tell  your friends....

peace,
Richard O Jones
 

Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 12:27:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: Do you still want the money?

Fact of the matter is this: I'm a journalist and would love some insight into your business. I've been quite fascinated by it for some time. I have a whole blog at http://419fun.blogspot.com. I have collected letters from over 600 different names. I don't have time anymore to post them all or correspond with all who write me. I do try to correspond with those who tell me they are 20-something female students so they will send me a picture for my My Nigerian Girlfriend gallery. Nowdays, I only have time for the occasional Russian bride or when some new scheme comes along, like Bomi Savage the Artist.

If you will help me by giving me candid - but anonymous - stories about how you work, I will publish an article, share everything I have learned from you and from others, and will  help you in your job because it might help you find more creative schemes.

peace

Richard O Jones

COMMENT

KEEP DISCOVERING COMMENTS. I AM SUPER INTELLIGENT YOU SICK MOORON. I AINT FALLING FOR YOUR CHEAP TRICKS AIIGHT.

YOU SICK PIECE OF SHIT. I HATE THE LIKES OF YOU. YOU THINK YOU CAN PLAY MIND GAMES WITH ME BY TELLING TO REVEAL TO YOU ALL SORT OF SHIT. THAT AINT GONNA HAPPEN, YOU WANNA LEARN THE RUDIMENTS OF GAME SO YOU CAN SCAM THE HELL OUT OF YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS.

OF COURSE IF THAT PAYMENT CLEARED YOU WONT HAVE EVEN SENT ANY MONEY ANYWAY, AND IF YOU SENT IT WOULD HAVE COME RIGHT BACK @ UR ASS.

FUCK YOU! YOU DUMB ASS.

Posted by: XXXX XXXXXX | August 26, 2006 03:03 PM

Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 13:55:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: You don't have to be so rude....

So how much money do you really make at this?

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:03:32 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: A question for you

Where do you get your lists of e-mails?

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2006 23:46:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
 Subject: Another question, please

Do you work alone or in teams?

Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 19:56:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Richard O Jones
To: hnfart@patdukearts.com
Subject: Re: YOU FOOL

How many e-mails do you have to send out before you get a response? And how many of the response result in a "sale," so to speak? How much is the average take? Who else gets a cut of the money you make?

If you'd give me a couple of answers, I could ask more specific questions. Give me something here, Bomi. Curious minds want to know.