From: Chuck Kleinhans (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Aug 25 2008 - 17:28:33 PDT
On Aug 25, 2008, at 4:19 PM, john porter wrote:
>> this person has never communicated to the list before,
>
> Chuck,
> Didn't you search for Esperanza in Frameworks' Archive before
> putting your foot in your mouth? She's obviously been a valuable
> contributor to Frameworks and to experimental film in Dublin for a
> few years now.
> John.
>
> John Porter, Toronto, Canada
> http://www.super8porter.ca/
> email suppressed
>
>
Mea Culpa! I checked my Frameworks email folder and found nothing,
but now I remember that I cleared out a lot of old email files during
a fit of computer housekeeping last week.
On the other hand, there is no way to know if "esperanza collado" at
the yahoo address is the same person as the legitimate Frameworker
without more information., Could be identity theft.
There are just a lot of suspicious things about the "cry for help":
>
> How are you doing today?
>
what kind of salutation is this?
> I am sorry i didn't inform you about my traveling to Africa for a
> program called "Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty
> and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major
> countries in Africa which is Ghana , South Africa and Nigeria .
>
And just who is sponsoring this? who are the local contacts?
> It as been a very sad and bad moment for me, the present condition
> that i found myself is very hard for me to explain.
> I am really stranded in Nigeria because I forgot my little bag in
> the Taxi where my money, passport, documents and other valuable
> things were kept on my way to the Hotel am staying, I am facing a
> hard time here because i have no money on me. I am now owning a
> hotel bill of 300EURO and they wanted me to pay the bill soon else
> they will have to seize my bag and hand me over to the Hotel
> Management, I need this help from you urgently to help me back
> home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also
> need 1000EURO to feed and help myself back home so please can you
> help me with a sum of 1300EURO to sort out my problems here? I need
> this help so much and on time because i am in a terrible and tight
> situation here,
>
have you tried filing a report with the police? at least this sets
up your claim to the situation.
> I don't even have money to feed myself for a day which means i had
> been starving so please understand how urgent i need your help.
>
and yet two and a half hours earlier, sent a routine email with no
mention of starvation....
> i have decided not tell my family so that they will not be
> worried.when I return I will tell them and they will understand.
>
This is really implausible to me: to be in desperate straits and not
want to "worry" your family? That's what family is for.
Communicating to complete strangers on a listserv is a better
strategy than contacting
1. family?
2. established friends?
3. embassy and consulate people of your home country?
4. the local contacts you have who are hosting your visit/tour?
>
> I am sending you this e-mail from the city Library and I only
> have 30 min, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send
> me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return
> home.You need to transfer the money through Money Gram or Western
> Union .Pls reply back to my alternate email address at
> (address suppressed) because Gmail service is very bad here in
> Africa so i can give you the payment details on time Hope to hear
> from you soon.
> Regards,
> esperanza
>
Maybe my skepticism is misplaced. Anyone who lost their stuff in a
foreign country would be feeling pretty weird and perhaps try anything.
At the same time, identity theft does exist, and Nigeria is the crown
jewel of internet scamming. Con artists well know that sounding the
alarm short circuits sensible and rational thought and opens wallets.
I'm sure the real esperanza is a good person, and I hope she is not
in trouble. But this email doesn't prove any money sent would go to
the real esperanza.
Hope to hear more about what's really going on.
CHUCK KLEINHANS
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.