Do you know Elizabeth Wong?

I don’t either.

However, Ms. Wong has sought me out from her home in England to handle a portion of her late husband’s estate.

Ms. Wong wrote me an email over the weekend that says if I help her handle the investment of her late husband’s estate.

Here’s here letter:

107 Chatsworth House

19 Lever Street

Manchester

M1 1BY

England.

United Kingdom.

Dear (Blank)

How are you today? I hope fine.

Please read my email and reply back to me after reading it. I am Mrs. Elizabeth Wong from Malaysia but living in United Kingdom, presently working with at the office of the Prime Minister here in UK. I need investment partnership. I have some fund on my name for business investment oversea which I have inherited from my late Husband back there in Malaysia.

I am looking for a trustworthy foreign partner who will assist in investment. I can not handle it myself due to my work and diagnosed illment and the financier house where the fund is has written me several letter to come forward for the claim or file in next of kin. I want you to help me safe the fund and handle the investment of the fund on my behalf in any profitable investment you know. Please contact me back a.s.a.p to enable me give you full details and how we are going to proceed and discuss possible business terms.

I am waiting to have your good response.

Sincerely yours

Elizabeth Wong

Ms. Wong’s email was just one of four I received between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning.

Take, for example, the following letter I received after the note from Ms. Wong.

From Edwin Kramer

Address: Radeburger Str. 701561 Zschorna, Dresden

Germany

Dear one, I want to discuss something very important with you because I am very sick right now and according to my doctor, I cannot be able to talk for the moment until I undergone for a surgery, could you contact me with this email address: krameredwin@yahoo.de?

So that I can give you the full detail of what I want you to do for me, because I have some money in a bank which I want you to give to the charity people, I am doing this because I don’t have any issue.

Waiting for earnest.

Edwin Kramer

I don’t know Mr. Kramer and find it really creepy that he referred to me as “Dear one.”

It looks like Mr. Kramer is not well and has some money he’d like me to handle for him. Money, that I, a complete stranger half-way-around-the-world, should help him give to “the charity people.”

And what follows below is the most cryptic and weird of my weekend e-mails. I’m reprinting it verbatim...

Hello Dear (Blank)

how are you doing today, it pleases me to get in contact with you, my name is Khadi James, i am from liberia, but live in dakar, i will like to know you and to get into close relashionship with you. if you don’t mind to write me back, in response to your mail, i will sent to you my picture for you to see me,

waiting to read from you.

khadi.

I apologize to Khadi James, but I have no wish to get into a close “relashionship” with him/her.

Every day I get an email from somebody offering me part of a multi-million-dollar inheritance, a cut of an insurance settlement or just wanting to get to know me from places all over the globe.

Of course, all of these internet scams are take-offs on the old Nigerian scam. Somebody just wants to rip me off. I feel sorry for anybody who falls prey to these creepy, odd rip-off attempts.

E-mail Matt Johnson at matt.johnson @lee.net.