The following is the latest scam email we received.  If you’ve seen these before, this may seem like your run-of-the-mill scam email, however there was something particularly disturbing about it: Embedded in the email was a real life photo of a person in a hospital intensive care unit on life support.  In our opinion this a new low. Of course we are publishing this without the photo.

What the scammers want us to do is reply to the email and ask them for more information. They would then be likely to tell us that they want to send us a cashier’s check (which is fake) for a large amount of money and ask us to deposit it into our account, take a percentage for ourselves, then send them the rest.  Here is the email we received, unedited: 

“Greetings.

Greetings to you and your family in the name of God,in my search for a reliable and God fearing person and having gotten your contact through prayers and pains taking efforts via searching i made on the internet on my bed side. Presently, I'm in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for Oesophagi Cancer .

Though its a sad and long story but I will cut it short for your quick and easy understanding. I am linda_ereim(Miss), the only daughter to Late Mr/Mrs. Owen.I. ereim, former Defence attachee to Ivory Coast Embassy in London. My late parents was murdered by those who are envious of his position in the same office.

Before his death he made a vow to use his wealth for the down trodden,orphanages and the less privileged in the society. Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to an individual or better still a God fearing person who will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here in. I want an individual that will use this fund and provide succor to poor and indigent persons, orphanages, and widows and for the propagating peace.

I took this decision because I do not have any husband nor child that will inherit this money and my father relatives are not inclined to helping poor persons and I do not want my father's people hard earned the money to be misused or spent in the manner in which my late parent's did not specify. I do not want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner.

What is required of you is your honesty, trust and sincerity. Any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for another individual for this same purpose.
May God Almighty bless you.
linda_ereim(Miss)

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged. Access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized. It is intended solely for the address. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying,
distribution or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and maybe unlawful.

Sincerely,
Miss linda_ereim.”