Humor Nigerian Astronaut needs YOUR help!

[Wishbone]

Folks, am afraid there's some need to re-calibrate irony detectors, preferably in an echoless chamber.

 

[Ghostrider]

Although usually it's a Nigerian prince that needs your help, not an astronaut, the situation described in the "traditional" scam is just as ridiculous, and yes, people do fall for it.

This particular type of fraud is known as "Spanish Prisoner" and it has been used in various forms since the late 1800s. I've seen it used in a couple of cases though the conperson had used a variety of trickes to win the trust of the victim before pulling it. I guess it's here to stay a loooong time...

 

[Graham2001]

I suppose this was inevitable..LOL!

My Dear Friend,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the International Space Station in 2009. He was stranded there in 2011 when the American Space Shuttle was retired. He was supposed to return to earth on the American Space Shuttle Mission STS-135 with his other American crew members, but his place was instead taken up by return cargo. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

...

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1893/1

 

[iamwearingpants]

Wait, is this true?

 

[River Crab]

Repost. Unsurprisingly.

Nevertheless, amusing. :lol:

Edit: threads merged...that was fast! :ninja:

 

[Scruce]

Wait, is this true?

Do you ever check your spam folder in email? :facepalm:

 

[ky]

Wow.You got to be kidding me :facepalm:

 

[fsci123]

Haha nothing else to say.

 

[DanM]

I should get my dad to talk to this guy. Once he was fooling around with a Nigerian scammer under the name "Ben Bogue".

 

[garyw]

Oh that's a good one. If you read the full story it says:

In the year since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight and hazard pay and interest amounting to almost $15,000,000 U.S. American Dollars

STS-135 landed on July 21st so thats about $1.3m in hazard pay a DAY.

I'm in the wrong job and if they have that much cash to burn I'm sure ISA can come up with a workable flight plan.