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Jeff Ofori, international diamond dealer, is a supplier of rough diamonds located in Ghana. He says he can supply me with as much as 500 carats per month of rough diamonds.
This approach is quite different from the usual crap and I thought I'd try to find out what Mr. Ofori was all about. Rough diamond dealer Seymore Butts, proprietor of "Diamonds Seattle" is very interested in Mr. Ofori's inventory.
Conventions within the thread:
E-mails from the fraudsters are in black.
E-mails from me (Seymore Butts) are in italicized green.
Red X's represent characters that have been changed to protect personal info.
Comments from me are in bold black.
The game commences with the scammer's initial e-mail.
-------- Original Message --------
From: JEFF OFORI <xxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 07:37:45 +0000
Subject: ROUGH DIAMONDS FROM GHANA (PROPOSITION)
Hello My Friend,
I would like to know your interest in the buying of
rough Diamonds.
I have the capacity of supply for 500crts a month.
Please let me know your interest, my prices are
negotiable.
I will be shipping and you will be marketing them on
my behalf with your interest considered, I will let
you more details when i hear from you
Yours sincerely.
JEFF NANA OFORI
(alias ASHANTI-GOLD)
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 19:12:29 -0400
From: Diamonds Seattle Inc <iseymorebutts@xxxxxxxxxx.com>
To: JEFF OFORI
Subject: RE: ROUGH DIAMONDS FROM GHANA (PROPOSITION)
Greetings, Mr. Ofori,
I have been expecting your message for some time now. Felix had informed me of your extensive inventory but I was somewhat hoping that you could have contacted me sooner than this. However, no matter.
Felix has assured me that your reputation is impeccable and that you are very discreet. These qualities are obviously very important in my business.
Here's a list of what I will be looking for within the next few months:
1) Graded 3cts of "H", VVS-1, sawable and without fractures. I may be prepared to pay as much as US$385 per carat if you can supply me with at least 250 carats and up to 325 carats by July 31, 2005.
2) Graded 12 carat of "H", VS-1, sawable without fractures. I will be prepared to pay up to $1650 per carat if you can supply me with 144 carats or more, again by July 31, 2005.
3) Graded 12 carat of "H", VVS-1, sawable, slight fractures acceptable. I will only be needing a handful of these for the forseeable future and I am willing to pay approx. $750-$800 per carat.
There may be other items I will request of you from time to time and I am hoping that you will be receptive to these requests. Felix has assured me that you would be.
I am hoping to hear back from you at your earliest convenience.
Warmest regards,
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Seymore Butts
Proprietor, Diamonds Seattle Inc.
Seattle, WA
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 08:48:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: JEFF NANA OFORI
To: iseymorebutts@xxxxxxxxxx.com
Subject: RE: ROUGH DIAMONDS FROM GHANA (PROPOSITION)
Hello Mr. seymore Butts,
Glad you replied and looking forward to a good business association with you. Please, rest assured that every transaction is strictly confidential. And everything will go on smoothly.
I want you to give me your telephone/fax number to help me communicate to you every details.
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation,
Warm regards,
Jeff Ofori
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 18:28:07 -0400
From: Diamonds Seattle Inc
To: JEFF NANA OFORI
Subject: RE: ROUGH DIAMONDS FROM GHANA (PROPOSITION)
Greetings Mr. Ofori,
Thank you for your reply. However, to save time, I wish to know whether or not you can meet at least some of my requirements detailed in my previous email.
Obviously I had wrongly assumed that Felix had given you my office telephone number. It is 206-XXX-XXXX. However, I am presently in Madrid and will be soon on my way to Johannesburg.
Has Felix met up with you yet?
Please get back to me on my previous email.
Regards,
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Seymore Butts
Proprietor, Diamonds Seattle Inc.
Seattle, WA
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 05:46:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: JEFF NANA OFORI
To: Diamonds Seattle Inc
Subject: DIAMOND DETAILS
Hello Butts,
Thank you for your email I would prefer you call me on + 233 208165659 phone as soon as possible you go through the details below so as to arrange for freight arrangements to bring the below detailed specifications of Rough Diamond to you.
As you may read through the details I have in stock at this moment more than your expectation. We will need to draw up the Kimberly certificate upon your approval to enable us get the diamond into the U.S.
we will commence with the immediate shipment to you of seven Hundred and fifty two carats 752CRTS.
Size 2 Carats quality vvs D-1 25picses X50 price 350$ 17.500
Size 3 carats quality vs1 D-1 11picesX33 price 400$ 13.200
Size 5 carats quality vvs D-H 7picesX35 price 500$ 17.500
Size 5.5 carats quality vs1 D-H 19picesX104.5 price 6 carats
Quality IF D-H 10picesX60 price 600$ 36000
7 carats quality vVS D-1 9picesX63 price 680$ 42840
8 carats quality SI1 D-1 7picesX 56 price 855$ 47880
Total Value (2.32.395$) two hundred and thirty two thousand three hundred and ninety five dollars U.S.
Approve list/price before we proceed.
Thank you.
Jeff
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 05:52:47 -0400
From: Diamonds Seattle Inc
To: JEFF NANA OFORI
Subject: RE: DIAMOND DETAILS
Dear Sir,
I thank you for your list.
At this time, I am only interested in pieces for which I have a buyer. However, I am very impressed with your prices. We can quite possibly do business for much of your inventory in the future.
Presently, I am interested only in your 2 carat of D-1, VVS. I hope you can come up with more of these.
Let me know how many pieces of these you can muster together and give me a total price within the next week or so.
Shipping won't be an issue. As a cash buyer, I generally pick-up any merchandise personally.
I have to rush now to catch a flight for Johannesburg. I am already running a day late for this meeting.
Good to hear from you again.
Oh. Has Felix contacted you yet? He hasn't responded to my e-mails lately.
Regards,
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Seymore Butts
Proprietor, Diamonds Seattle Inc.
Seattle, WA
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 10:54:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: JEFF NANA OFORI
To: Diamonds Seattle Inc
Subject: RE: DIAMOND DETAILS
Thank you for your reply your comments noted, about
your specification I can put up 280 carats of that
exact quality/ and size for you as soon as you approve
the offer, within 48 hours.
Which will be 98.000$ equivalent worth , let me know
upon the reception of this email when we should
arrange the logistics, how long would you be in
S/Africa? I will expect a phone call for confirmation.
Thank you and have a nice trip.
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 04:18:57 -0400
From: Diamonds Seattle Inc
To: JEFF NANA OFORI
Subject: RE: DIAMOND DETAILS
Greetings,
I believe I have made some kind of mistake. Apparently you are not the dealer that was referred to me by Felix Kumo after all. This would explain why Felix hadn't contacted you.
I was to be contacted by a dealer from Ghana and I had mistakenly believed that you were that dealer. His name is George Mbeki. Are you familiar with Mr. Mbeki?
Maybe we can do business soon, however. I am impressed with your inventory and prices.
Regards,
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Seymore Butts
Proprietor, Diamonds Seattle Inc.
Seattle, WA
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Sat, May 1, 2005, 5:39 PM UTC, Click here to listen - "Hello, Seymore. This is Jeff. I was trying to get hold of you to find out if you replied to my e-mail I sent yesterday. [unintelligible] try to get back to me as soon as possible, or you can get hold of me telephone number 233 for country code, 208165659. Thank you."
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Date: Tue, 3 May 2005 16:44:43 -0400
From: Diamonds Seattle Inc
To: JEFF NANA OFORI
Subject: Can we meet this weekend
Greetings Mr. Ofori,
I hope you are well.
I am presently having a bit of trouble getting my hands on the pieces that I need here in Johannesburg. I am still interested in the pieces that we discussed previously.
Can we set up a meeting for this weekend? Are you in or near Accra?
I will await your reply. Thanks.
Regards,
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Seymore Butts
Proprietor, Diamonds Seattle Inc.
Seattle, WA
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