Helping out a talented spammer

I just want to share an email exchange I had this morning with yet another call for money out of Africa. This time it wasn't someone offering me a reward of a zillion dollars as percentage of their soon to be released gazillion dollars, offering me the opportunity of helping them by wiping out my own bank account which in return would free up some fictitious account or gold bullion or the testicles of the Prince of Timbuktu. No, this was from a humanitarian in distress. It was a dubiously named Dr. Lucille Pilling who claimed to be volunteering her time to fighting racism, HIV/AIDS, poverty and lack of education in Africa. What's not to like? Apparently she left her bag in a taxi...well, I'll let you read it for yourself since I can't really duplicate its poignant tone. I also include my response below.

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Lucille Pilling"
Subject: Please, I need your Help Urgently
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:49:32 +0200

How are you doing today? I am sorry i didn't inform you about my traveling to Africa for a program called "Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Africa which is Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria. It as been a very sad and bad moment for me, the present condition that i found myself is very hard for me to explain.
I am really stranded in Nigeria because I forgot my little bag in the Taxi where my money, passport, documents and other valuable things were kept on my way to the Hotel am staying, I am facing a hard time here because i have no money on me. I am now owning a hotel bill of $ 1550 and they wanted me to pay the bill soon else they will have to seize my bag and hand me over to the Hotel Management., I need this help from you urgently to help me back home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $1600 to feed and help myself back home so please can you help me with a sum of $3500 to sort out my problems here? I need this help so much and on time because i am in a terrible and tight situation here, I don't even have money to feed myself for a day which means i had been starving so please understand how urgent i needed your help.
I am sending you this e-mail from the city Library and I only have 30 min, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return home so please let me know on time so that i can forward you the details you need to transfer the money through Money Gram or Western Union.
--
Dr. Lucille B. Pilling
lucillepilling@gmail.com


Dr. Pilling,
I am so sorry for your discomfort and i understand why you would write me for help, being that we are like sisters and you have been such an integral part of my life. I am buying a lottery ticket and sister--if it's the winning ticket it's got your name on it.
Love, your sister and best friend, Lana Turner

As a footnote, I actually googled Dr. Lucille Pilling and she does exist. She's a professor at NYU and has also published a book on global public health policy and administration. Apparently the spammer has been doing her/his homework. Who knows, there might be someone out there claiming to be me and trying to get a $20,000 stipend to finish her novel in a shack somewhere in Mozambique.