Phishing for compliments: best of the spam

Today I got a new variation on the Nigerian be-sure-to-send-your-bank-account-detail story from the phishermarket. I re-present it in all its glory:

From Tony Som, LLB (Hons)
Barrister & Solicitor
03 BP 3105
République du Togo


Dear Derek Barry,

I am Barrister Tony Som, a solicitor at law and personal attorney to late Engr M Barry, a national of your country,who used to work with SONACOP Oil Company here in Lome Togo.

This is an official legal notice for an unclaimed fund left by my late client, who died in a plan crash in Cotonou Benin Republic on the 26th December 2003 with his wife and their only daughter,

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

After these several unsuccessful attempts,I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at $9 Million dollars left behind by my client before it gets confisicated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited.

The said Security Finance Company has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his account confisicated within the next twenty one working days of which i have tried to locate his relatives but all my efforts have been abortive but Since I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 4years now,

I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you.Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim.

All i require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me through the above email for more details.

Yours Sincerely,
Barrister Tony Som.

Envoyé avec Yahoo! Mail.
Une boite mail plus intelligente.

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Everything about this bit of spam was class. From Tony Spam's honours law degree to the fancy post code in Togo (why is this a West African specialty?), to the name of the client Engineer M. Barry "a native of my country" (which one?), and the plane crash in Benin that killed all the Lebanese, it was all superior spam!

Thankfully "envoyé avec une boite mail plus intelligente" ('sent by a more intelligent mailbox?'). Formi-dable!