Two Creston residents, both former elected officials, report they have received scam invitations this month.
Former mayor Joe Snopek got a letter in the mail recently from a man who claims to be a lawyer in Spain, whose deceased client shares Snopek’s surname.
“I m (sic) seeking for your consent/assistant (sic) so as to present you as the lawful heir to my deceased client assets who pass-away (sic) without a WILL, since share shares (sic) his surname,” the letter signed by Juan Maria Mendizebal says.
In the letter, Snopek is told he can share half 10.6 million euros by working with the lawyer to create the necessary “judicial or notary documents declaring you a legitimate heir” in the absence of a will.
“However, if this business proposition offends your moral ethics, do accept my sincere apology,” the letter says, before inviting Snopek to initiate further contact by email.
“God bless us Adios,” it concludes.
Former town councillor Ed Vondracek seems to be popular with con artists in Africa.
On Jan. 5, he received an email, supposedly from Nigeria, that a FedEx office in that country is holding a package for him from a colleague who has “explained that he is from the United States but he is in Nigeria for a three (3) month Surveying Project.”
In the package, Vondracek (known in the email as “unknown recipients”) is told, there is a bank draft worth $800,000 US.
By providing FedEx Delivery Post with personal information by email, and sending a payment of $375 US, his package will be shipped.
“Note: that we were not instructed to email you, but due to the high priority of your package we had to inform you as your sender did not leave us with his phone number because he stated that he just arrived in Nigeria and he has not gotten a phone yet,” the email continues.
The letter is signed off with:
“Mr John Horton
FedEx Online Team Management.
All rights reserved. © 1995-2013”
It is not clear if the copyright symbol is intended to indicate that rights to the scam are protected by law.
Four days later, Vondracek got another email, this one purportedly from Miss Silbele Aldepha, from Cocody Abidjan, Cote d’Ivory in West Africa.
The 21-year-old woman asks “undisclosed recipient” for his help in investing the undisclosed sum she has “honorably inherited” from her late father.
“I will give you all information’s (sic) needed as soon as I hear from you to further this transation (sic) in the BANK where the money was deposited,” she concludes.
Snopek and Vondracek did not pursue these opportunities.