This is the story..

On a e-mail dated September 17^th  I received the following from my new friend his name Austin Thomas

My dear,

I have just used all my salary to ensure that I bought the Hard Disc inorder to transfer this fund without delay ,please endeavour not to denied me or disappoint me when you receive this fund in your country do not forget to keep to our agreement by sending back to me our agreed percentage. I just want to ensure that the fund is wired your account fast before i embark on my annual leave because it's fast approaching.
However,I am done now with the processing but to transfer this fund directly into your account might required some documents from our paying bank because our bank does not wire directly to a foreign account but only wire through our corresponding paying bank.
So I guess transferring this fund through wire transfer will not be they best to avoid any stoppage on it’s way.
But I suggest the best way is to load this fund into an ATM CARD and send it to you for immediate withdrawing simple.
Please I await for your fast response if that is ok by you? to enable me commence the processing immediately.

Yours faithfully

Mr. Austin Thomas

The English is obviously flawed and it’s a rambling e-mail but I decided to have some fun so I wrote him back the following.

On 10/01/07

Dear Sir,

I feel so lucky please go ahead.

He then wrote me

This rambling note on 10/03/07.

Please forward your secured receiving address immediately, the loading processing has be done and i even forgotten that the Card must be activated here before you could use it successfully in your country it will not be nice sending it without activation,this is reason it will be delayed till tommorrow because i wouldn't afford the activation fee today please bear with me and also receive the pin code too.
But i will try my best to raise the money for the activation by fist tomorrow morning and send it immediately to you for immediate withdrawing.
Please all i want you to do now is to help with delivery it's $98.00 only for the delivery fee to your country because i have no cent remaining with me honestly speaking even the activation fee of the $200 dollars that i will pay tomorrow, someone promised to give it to me tomorrow.

To make things more faster endeavour to send the delivery fee immediately so that immediately your Card is activated tomorrow i send it to your address without delay.
I enquired from our bank agent EXpress courier they are the cheapest courier service and reliable in this country according to them, their delivery fee is just US$98.00 only to deliver a mail to your country.

Quickly send the courier fee (US$98.00) through MONEY GRAM only. on the name below :

RECEIVER NAME: VICTOR AKUJOBI

ADDRESS: CARRIER 909 SHEGBEYA

CITY NAME: COTONOU .

COUNTRY NAME: BENIN REPUBLIC.

USE THIS

TEXT QUESTION:HOW MANY DAYS?

ANSWER :ONE DAY.

TRANSACTION NUMBER ????????.

Endeavour to use the above information correctly to send the courier fee immediately to enable me send the card to your address tomorrow and forward the tracking number to
you to monitor your CARD while on transit ok.
Don't forget to reconfirm your secure receiving address while sending the fee and also your direct mobile phone number ok.and i will also help you to send together with all the vital documents that are attached to it both with instructions on your minimium and maximium withdrawal per day .
I wait for your urgent response today if you can really appreciate my effort.

Yours sincerely

Mr Austin Thomas

All he wanted was $98 so he could send me a credit card to withdraw masses amount of money

When he did not hear from me for a while he wrote me back angrily on 10/08/07