The Great Jewel Heist Safari: The Adventure Continues

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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:39 pm

This has all inspired me to read up on Mali/Bamako. Some interesting archaeology there! One guide recommends that visitors should take a least a day trip by boat to the island Bozo and Fulani villages in the rivers. Perhaps M could be hiding in one of those villages, before moving on to Timbuktu??

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:45 pm

baiting is not only fun it's educational Smile

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:38 pm

I'm not evil Red, I merely have bad PR Laughing

I've often sneaked a wry smile when threads mention how well the West African lads network. I smile because they spend time in the social setting of the internet cafe, and you meet people... blah blah blah.

Well ex-pats network just as well, except we do it in bars that serve Guiness. Its very probably from my own experience that the professor and F4th3r M4x would know each other directly, or through a mutual friend. So you wouldn't be stretching believability that far to bring F4th3r M4x back into play and have him holding the bag.

May I tactfully suggest if you were to do such a thing, that after the lads disappointing performance the good F4th3r questions his commitment and gives him an unobtainable ultimatum. get here within x hours and take care of your wife, or we'll have to take her to Timbuktu to be taken care of.

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:40 pm

My 9-year old twins have always wanted to be in a bait, so here is an ultrasound uterine scan--proof, if you want it, that M1ch is expecting twins!

I just hope LEO doesn't mind that those kids don't have any clothes on.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:13 am

@ Hekate & Harry - Indeed! I've learned a lot on this safari. It makes me want to go to Africa all the more Smile

@ Lokie - Great idea... thanks for the inspiration.

@ MikeHawk - Mate! You're a champ! That's perfect. I wouldn't be too worried about the nakedness... I can't even work out where they are! Laughing

Ok here's the latest from the lad. He claims to be on the move. His IP keeps changing but I cannot get a pinpoint on his exact location right now. Both these emails were to m1ch and were about 9 hours apart:

Email 1:

1k3 wrote:

Honey,

How are you doing,hope everything is ok! right now i am on the way to bamako we just stoped over here for break fast and i came to internet to inform you, please i dont really know the day i will be there because the drive told me that the journey will take long but he asure me that i will be there in bamako by thursday,please tell the man to inform you the day of his travel ok and also let me have his email address, please dont painc i am on the way coming to pick you and take you home just get your things ready now okay;

Love you so much

Email 2:

Quote:

Subject: I am now in k4yes mali.

My love,

i want to inform you that am now in a city called k4yes in mail very close to bamako,the first drive was very slow so i have to change to another to meetup i thank God that i am getting close to you now please i want you to reconfirm the street address and also the apartment number so that i will never make mistake once i arrive and get your things ready now because we are moving immediately also i have made a way for us to travel with out any problem.

i will be with you tomorrow evening and i want you to be smarter than me dont sleep off also dont let anybody no that we are travel soon keep very secret okay,

I cant wait to see you my love,i saw our baby in my last dream he was very happy and smart so for that i will give him my tittle name Afunw4-al0t3nna. the meaning in english is when you see the son,you have seen his father okay,

My heart i love you so much.

Well he's lying about K4yes (i'm sure no one is surprised by that) as both IPs resolve to Senegal. That said, the IPs are changing so I think he is moving east towards Mali. The trip must be worse than he anticipated. The delays are going to cause problems for M1ch.

I love the official title he picked for the baby. He has really taken a shine to the fruit of H4mish's loins! Razz

So he's asking M1ch to engage in sleep deprivation? Uh oh... she might start hallucinating...

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:44 am

@ Red and all those who supported him during this bait:

YOU GUYS ROCK !!! Very Happy

I just read the whole thing and needed hours for that, but it's simply hilarious! What an excellent effort and what a safari!

However, I wonder how dumb this idiot must be. You'd think that after two months+ he would realize that he's chasing a phantom.

Also, here's a question (maybe I didn't get that): The lad once mentioned that he knows what an IP addy is. How do you handle this problem as he for sure checked where M1ch's emails come from? Can you hide or "fake" the IP addy?

Please - keep up the good work. You made me laugh tears. Life is good... Laughing

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:55 am

@ Ibinna - Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm really glad you've enjoyed the bait! Very Happy

Regarding IP addresses, you can use webmail services that hide IP addresses such as gmail. Have a look in the Help forum for more providers as they are an excellent resource in any bait.

M1ch just sent this to the lad:

M1ch wrote:

my sweetheart,

what is happening?

you said you would be here by sunday and you are still not here? I never thought i would be here this long with this man. he is leaving soon for his expedition and i won't be able to eat or sleep or anything. please hurry i want to see you so bad it makes me sick. i love you!

your wife

Nice little kick in the backside for the lad. Gives me a good excuse for heading up the river too Wink

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:29 pm

Hmmmmmm he needs some motivation to get off his lazy, lying ass. All this stress and malnutrition is causing M1ch's blood pressure to soar dangerously (Google "pre-eclampsia" and send it to him) - I think she's going to need that urgent medical attention in hospital very soon now.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:44 pm

Gnash
Not nice pre-eclampsia, my ex- finance (still great friend) lost her first child due to that.

It's a great reason to move mich.
There are lots of great reasons to move mich. Every one with Ik3's name on them
Very Happy

Master Baiter Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 105

I don't know who is the father of this child... but if he is white, it will give a weird meaning to the kids title!

Quote:

when you see the son,you have seen his father. You sure?

lol.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:01 pm

Well, if she has to go to Timbuktu for a hospital... your lad will surely come behind her..... better send him a "be here in the next 6 hours as your wife has to see a doctor immediately...." email, watch him scurry....

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:09 pm

Ibinnavolldepp wrote:

However, I wonder how dumb this idiot must be. You'd think that after two months+ he would realize that he's chasing a phantom.

I actually spent some time thinking about that on my morning commute. He actually seems quite clever sometimes (find a priest, find a big woman...excellent ideas) but then again, so are some of the people who get taken in by 419 scams. It's the psychology involved. You can't just send out an email to a lad and invite him into a safari (or at least I can't). You have to make it very real to start with, and the more hooked he becomes, the more he is willing to go through.

And in this case, I think there is some additional motivation going on. He started out with several thousand dollars in travel money. I think that there is a very real possibility that he took an advance on the jewels. I think maybe the buyer gave him some up-front money to go and get them.

It's been hard for me to follow some of his family relations, but I think that Jerry was the son of his mother's sister. And Jerry's father was the "important person" that they were invoking in some of the emails. And then didn't he get his uncle to send him $100 recently? His mother's sister's husband would be his uncle, and probably the same uncle that they were talking about before.

So if it were me, any time he was about to go home, I would say that I hope his uncle isn't disappointed in him. Just to stir the pot a little bit.

But anyhow, I think that if he goes home without the jewels, his uncle (Probably the buyer, the money guy, Jerry's father, and quite a respectable figure in 1k3's eyes) will beat his 4r5e.

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:58 pm

Good point, MB! I think you are right.

Maybe he often is thinking reasonable and saying: "Hey, why don't I just go back to Nigeria. I went through so much now and I never met her and the jewels. I'm sick of it now!" - but on the other hand, he already has invested so much money and time in it, there simply MUST be a positive outcome for him (that's what he thinks!)! And I'm sure you are right - he didn't just invest his own money on the whole thing. Another reason why he can't come back home with empty hands...

Moreso, he received some REALLY good and convincing calls from Eliz4 (thumbs up for those btw), so M1ch "must" be real - who else should've called him? Wink

Btw, what came very often to my mind when I read the whole bait yesterday: I think this bait is a perfect example to show to the lad-huggers, who argue that these guys are "poor people" who only try to make their living. See, 1k3 is travelling now for over two months, staying in hotels, paying taxi cabs, photographers, fares for ground transportation to far places and so on. And if he runs out of money, he just calls home and gets money sent by his uncle or another one of his family. Now, is it just me or must he be one of Nigeria's more privileged citizens? How can he afford to do all these things, let alone all the time he invested? Can he really be poor? With the one exception of him traveling since weeks in the same clothes (wow, they must smell now!!!) it seems to me that he's absolutely not the one who can claim he would be a poor guy. So much for that Evil or Very Mad

Back to your point, MB: Isn't it just sweet that the same phenomen which often occurs with 419 victims ("now I have invested so much money in this deal, it must be real. Just that last little fee/obstacle and I'm rich!") is obviously now exactly happening to 1k3 ???? Laughing

Your thoughts are appreciated... Smile

I'm eagerly waiting for his new emails... Cool

Ibinna Volldepp

PS.: Please excuse my grammar/spelling mistakes. English is not my native language! Embarassed

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 11:03 pm

Ibinnavolldepp wrote:

PS.: Please excuse my grammar/spelling mistakes. English is not my native language! Embarassed

To be honest I never would have guessed. You sadly have better command of our language than a lot of our citizens. Confused

Master Baiter Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 187

Here's an idea in case you ever want to use it:

M1ch finds a card reminding her she has evacuation insurance, just when she has an ob/gyn emergency. She is then taken to Dakar/Casablanca/Abidjan/Gibralter for treatment. Only problem, Hamish is then contacted by the insurance company...

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:50 am

@ GG - Interesting idea... I already have an insurance company involved at an earlier stage and have some documents to back up an insurance agent character. There's so many different things I can run with at this stage it boggles the mind! Very Happy

@ Ibinna - Your english is excellent.

@ Michael - The family relations are complex but I do believe that in many circumstances he is just using "uncle" or "brother" to refer to non-family individuals who are probably involved in this in some other way.

@ Doc - It's all about the timing Wink

I want him to get to Bamako first, the best time to send that email is when he is in Kayes... which he still isn't.

@ 419buster - Laughing

1k3 Jnr is the spit mate!

@ Harry & Gnasher - Thanks for the medical info, I will probably deploy that modality soon.

*EMAILS*

Alright, here's what he sent today. Not much in it, same old bollocks, IP still Senegal:

1k3 wrote:

My Only One,

Now i am on the way to the western union to receive our transport fees to Nigeria, please i know your worried but am just waiting here in k4yes to receive the money from my uncle so that i will contiune please i will be with you today okay, dont cry honey your husband is fine and is coming to pick you today.

Your Love

He's making up the K4yes stuff because Father M4x told him that was where he was. I think it is time the father sent him an email... here's what I've prepared:

Father M4x wrote:

Dear Mr. 0k0y3

We have a great lead on her whereabouts and are heading there now. We are sure we can secure her safety by moving now. I hope to hear from you soon. I haven't heard from you in a couple of days so I can only assume you are also travelling yourself to meet me in K4yes. I hope you are well, I will say a prayer for your voyage.

When we find her we will let you know. I know that God is looking down upon her because my information suggests that she is alive. I am very concerned about the baby and its health right now. Where are you right now? Do you need a place to stay? Can we help you in anyway?

I hope that by tomorrow we will be with Ms. Xxxxxx and have her safely with us in a secure location.

In His name

If one thing is for sure, the idea of Father M4x reaching M1ch before him will get this lad scurrying to find a transport.

While I'm in no hurry to make him move (I don't care where he is as long as he is on the road) it would be nice to take him out of his comfort zone with this other lad in Senegal and make him do some more work.

Master Baiter Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 105

Red wrote:

@ 419buster - Laughing

1k3 Jnr is the spit mate!

No, i mean, who is the real father? Or, who was the semen donnor?

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 1:16 pm

dr stephen williams wrote:

Well, if she has to go to Timbuktu for a hospital

I don't know how much of a clue your lad has, but that's sort of a non-starter reality wise. Bamako would have better facilities. Other than being (I think) a World Heritage site, Timbuktu is really the ass-end of the universe that you would expect it to be.
And that's the main reason I always wanted to get a lad to go there Twisted Evil

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:11 pm

mr. mugu wrote:

Timbuktu is really the ass-end of the universe that you would expect it to be.

"Timbuktu Skyline" - hm, maybe Mr. Mugu has really an idea of that city... Laughing

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:30 pm

Well, remember, the famous Dr EXX CXX MD, gynecologist and baby deliverer, is in Timbuktu, and he specializes in this sort of thing....

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:02 pm

four1nine_buster wrote:

Red wrote:

@ 419buster - Laughing

1k3 Jnr is the spit mate!

No, i mean, who is the real father? Or, who was the semen donnor?

She was H4mish's mistress at the start of this - those are his jewels she's lugging around Africa as well!! Laughing

In other baits I'm using him for, I send pictures of the Celtic manager, G0rd0n Str4ch4n, whose colouring is like mine - red hair and skin with no melanin in it, except for some freckles! Yes, H is a ginge - no wonder he's so bad-tempered! Laughing

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:05 pm

Ibinnavolldepp wrote:

"Timbuktu Skyline" - hm, maybe Mr. Mugu has really an idea of that city... Laughing

Yep. I was in Gambia at one point and was considering going there just to say I had been to Timbuktu. Was still willing to go knowing what it was like, but I never got around to it.

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:31 am

@ Mr. Mugu - Reality isn't really a consideration in this bait Laughing

In all seriousness, I have considered that, but I think I will run with the "specialist" who happens to be in Timbuktu. It's as good a reason as any for the lad to go there. Plus, I don't think research is a priority for this lad.

Problem is, new email just in, the lad is in Mali and he is not happy! Surprised

1k3 wrote:

Subject: I am upset!!

Honey,

please dont speak to father m4x because i will not be part of it anymore,now i am very upset about you because the address you gave to me was very wrong and i dont know what to do again, i am stranded over here in koul1k0ro-ba.you told me to locate you in b0ul3vard ke1ta de la koul1k0ro s0mme in bamako mali.after all the long journey and everything that happen to me on the road but i Thank God Almighty that i arrive safe,i just arrive in bamako mali this morning around 9am and i was trying to get a taxi to the address you gave to me but i cant hear their language so luckly i meet a man from Togo who can hear their language and translate it to me but we tried to get the address but noway so they where asking me about the phone number of the man your leaving withso that they will call him to locate the right address but i dont have any of his number because you refuse to get his number,now they directed me to a place called k0ul1koro to go and sreach for the address and that is about an hour from bamako and i do as they told me but now i am in k0ul1koro-b4 and their is noway to locate the address you gave to me. Laughing

Infact honey, i am really upset about this surffing and i must say that i am getting tired of this,right now all the money i wasted and time and life risky to mali now i cant see you,i am now stranded over here in k0ul1k0ro-ba doing nothing no money again with me,no going back to my country and this all you have course to me i told you to get the telephone number of the man and you said no secondly you gave me a wrong address to locate you, please if you really want me to help you just talk to the man and let him give you his contact phone number and his collect address in mali with out that i will never come and pick you okay, so that i will email my uncle again for another money to come over and pick you,

Your love

Most people like surfing! Come on lad, get in the spirit of it!

What I love is that it looks like the taxi driver sent him on safari! He took him an hour out of Bamako searching for this non-existent place, all because they figured, well, if it's not in bamako it's probably over there! Laughing

M1ch is really such a silly girl sometimes... tsk tsk.

IP confirms Mali btw.

He also sent more bullsh*t to father m4x (who offered him some accommodation in K4yes Very Happy

):

1k3 wrote:

Dear Father M4x,

I got your mail and i really happy about your kindness, infact i dont really know how to thank you for that! am sorry to inform you that i have a terrible accident in kid1ra with a motor bike on my way to the border and i lose all my money in the hospital now i am okay but i dont have any other money to continue to meet you,please i dont know if you have send me any amount of money to continue my journey tomorrow through western union money transfer here in mali mali d1boula before th border please, i am dieing over here no brother,no sister..help me father,

Send it to me with my information and send me the details to receive it as soon as possible.

First he tells the father he's a fraud and now he wants money from him!? Jeez mate... you're pushing your luck.

Time for M1ch to tell him the bad news:

m1ch wrote:

my baby,

i am so sorry i guess i must have made a mistake with the names i really don't know this place at all and can't read anything here properly because i am so confused with all this different language. why didn't you come and pick me up earlier like you promised?

prof3ssor sc0tt had to leave yesterday like i told you. you were supposed to be here on sunday and it almost a week later and you were not here so i didn't have a choice, i didn't know when you were coming and i needed to eat for the baby and sleep inside so i had to come with him. he was very kind to me and offered to take me with him to some place called m0pti, it is not far away we went up the river, he is going to take me to a doctor to get the baby checked by a proper doctor. right now i am staying in his expedition camp with him. why couldn't you come when you said you would? i think we are closer to home now so i am happy about that. i am so upset with myself for getting the names mixed up, i was sure it was something like that. i tried to get the number but the man refused saying that he does not give his number to people he does not know, i even cried about you but he seemed to ignore it. but i think he is a good man because he is taking care of me and is looking after my health in this situation.

i am so happy you are here to pick me up and take me home. i will be seeing the doctor today or hopefully tomorrow. i do not know when they can see me but i need to know the baby is ok. i have food and shelter now, it is a very basic camp, but it will be ok. i am close to you so please help me take me home and marry me because i love you. did you talk to him about the jewels? does he know anything about it? i haven't said a word, but i heard him talking more about it to a friend at lunch some time because it was in the paper again and they said that they are worth more than we thought! isn't that amazing news? think of everything we will be able to buy! even in england it is a lot of money, we will have a palace! i love you so much, thank you for coming to help me, you are my true hero, i owe my very life to you. sometimes i think back to think of everything i have been through in all this and all the pain and hurt and tears and terrors i have faced and i think that no matter what it is all worth it because i will have you in my arms and we will make sweet love and we will be happy with our baby and our fortune. i love you so much baby. can't wait to see you.

your wife

Well... I hope that is enough to keep him in the game. He's clearly very distressed and probably blown all his money. Plus he has no mates in Mali now and doesn't speak the language (well... neither do I...). We'll see what he comes up with. It is on the way home for him... so maybe he'll make the trip up the river. The other good news is that the place he is now in is actually on the way to m0pti, it's on the otherside of Bamako (as far as I can see).

But he is really in the arse end of the world right now (without being in Timbuktu!) Laughing

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:37 am

Very nice.
That's a pretty big hop. I hope he goes all the way up the river after you instead of just hopping a flight. Both B4m4ko and M0pt1 have international airports. (As does timbuktu)

What never ceases to amaze me is that these little towns in the middle of absolutely nothing all seem to have an internet cafe and a western union.

Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:12 am

@ Michael - I think it is unlikely he'll take a flight from Bamako to M0pti (although I wouldn't mind if he does) as it would be well outside his price range and if he travelled overland from Western Senegal to Bamako overland it suggests that this is the only method of transport he can afford. I think a river trip would be relatively cheap and more likely. But hey, we'll see what happens.

I forgot to add above that the Professor has also received an email from the lad, and responded in kind. Here's what the lad sent to the professor:

1k3 wrote:

Hello Prof Xxxxxx Xxxxx,

How are you today,I Hope all is fine with you.I am 1k3 Xxxxxx Xxxxx from Nigeria.The Husband Of M1ch3||3 Xxxxxx who is living with you in Mali.My Wife told me everything about you and the Social Kindness you gave to her.and i really Appreciate the social kindness.

I am Really More than happy about that. Infact i don't know how to thank you.I Pray that God will Guard and Protect you every of your doing.Your Going Out and Your Coming In Will be a Blessing.

I am now in mali to pick her and i will like to have the full direction to the place so that i will never make a mistake in searching and also your direct contact number.

My Regards.

A nice first email, he's trying to get off on the right foot. The good old professor decided to send him a rather rambling email back. Here's what the lad was sent:

Prof. Sc0tt wrote:

Good evening Mr. 1k3 Xxxxx

Thank you for contacting me. Your wife mentioned that you may be able to contact me, it is much appreciated.

As she may have explained I am working on an expedition in the upper Niger River area of M0pti. I offered your wife continued accommodation considering her condition if she wished to stay with me as I could not provide it for her back in Bamako. I had been told you were arriving last Sunday and had not been able to make provisions for her continued care beyond that time as I do have work that I must continue with.

Your wife, M1ch3||3, decided that for her health it would be best if she stayed with me. This is fine for the time being but I cannot look after her forever, she requires medical help and I think it would be best if you could please collect her and take her home. We are now on an expedition and staying in a camp. We have good provisions of food and some medical supplies but as I have stated I really feel it would be best if you took care of her yourself as I have important work I must continue in.

I am a researcher and lecturer in ancient artefacts, history and archaeology. I am currently researching the gap between legend and myth in epic quests for artefacts in the region. My research suggests that there may be an element of predetermined providence (otherwise known as destiny or fate) in many voyages involving valuable artefacts. I am sorry to bore you with these details though, sometimes I just carried away with my work as I am (of course) greatly interested in it. I only mention it because your wife has mentioned to me some of the circumstances of her current position and I think I may have an informed opinion of what may be driving these very interesting circumstances. Anyway, I am sure you have better things to do than to be reading my ramblings, but if you'd ever like to discuss it please feel free to let me know.

Right now I am working through a laptop on a satellite link so the connection may be disrupted, if you experience difficulties receiving this message I apologise in advance. I have been letting M1ch3||3 use this laptop to email you but we do not always secure a connection, so hopefully she was able to convey the information you required in her email earlier.

Thanks for taking the time to read this email and for sending one of your own. Rest assured, your wife is in good hands and I will make sure she is well looked after. To be honest I think she is just happy to be finally in contact with some good old Brits! Well, cheerio, I will hear from you soon no doubt.

Sincerely,

Prof. Rup3rt Xxxxx

It will be interesting to see how he responds to that. I think it will just be "thanks, please send me your phone number". But I'd love for him to buy into the bait a little bit and wonder just what is the mystery behind all these strange circumstances. He'll also be pissed with M1ch for telling Rup3rt as much as she has.

Jolly good! Very Happy

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