I recently received an email from a troubled person overseas trying to find a way to get rid of some money. I’m sure that you have seen similar emails, Nigeria in particular seems to be a hotbed of people in trouble trying to find someone to help them deposit money somewhere. This is common enough that the US Secret Service has started calling these schemes 4-1-9 schemes after the section of the Nigerian penal code that makes such schemes illegal.

Well I received a similar email from a poor individual in Sweden named Edvard Bernhand who was on his death bed. It was a sad story:

Now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never
Really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my business….I want God to be merciful to me And accept my soul, so I have decided to give alms to charity Organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.

Touching, I know. He went on to explain how he couldn’t trust anyone but me and he needed my help to distribute his $28,000,000 to various charities. Specifically he wanted 20% to go to Tsunami victims, 20% to hurricane victims in the US, and was kind enough to contribute 10% to me for my time and effort.

Well, I could I refuse such an offer? In an effort to expedite the process, I thought it would be best to allow him to send the money directly, rather than wiring it around. So I sent him what I thought was a helpful response:

Edvard,

Thanks for your concern for our hurricane victims. However, I’m  
afraid that I must insist on no less than 20% for my efforts, as my  
time is quite valuable.

First, submit the information to this institute for tsunami relief:

https://www.habitat.org/giving/donate.aspx?
link=1&media=Google&keyword=frontlink&tg=tsunami&rev=&source_code=10w31

Then for the hurricane victims:

http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html

You can then transfer my share of the money to me as in the form of  
an Amazon.com gift certificate:  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/
subst/gifts/gift-certificates/gift-certificates.html .

Glad I could help.

Strangely, he didn’t take to the idea. He seemed to be quite upset (I’m inferring this from the fact that his reply was in all caps.):

I DO NOT THINK YOU ARE SERIOUSE IN CARRYING OUT THIS PROJECT FOR ME. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THE 10% THEN FORGET ABOUT IT.I WILL LOOK FOR SOME OTHER PERSON TO ASSIST ME.

THANKDS,

EDVARD B

I know, I should have stayed with the 10% offer, but I’ve got my own family to think of after all. Later on I stumbled across this entry from another blogger. I guess when he didn’t respond Edvard came to me. Watch your inboxes, you may be next.