Notes: The scammers letters are posted exactly the way I received them. My replies are in the pink boxes, and the scammers and his aliases are in the other colours. I have added pictures, where necessary, in order to help those who are unfamiliar with some of the references I have made. I have also posted explanatory comments at the end of some of the messages, these also serve as a running commentary. 

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
Sent: 04 December 2003 09:07:56

To: Mr. Parker <xxxx@hotmail.com
Subject: You received a PassionUp Greeting Page!

To: Lady Penelope (FAB) c/o Mr.Parker (FAB) at parker_fab@hotmail.com

Here is my Prayers for you all. From Usman Bello (FAB)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were sent a PassionUp greeting Page from USMAN BELLO

Click here to view your greeting page: (The link actually works)

See our newest and best greeting cards at:
http://www.passionup.com/funnews.htm

PassionUp.com--the home of fun pages, animated greeting cards,
fill-in-the-blank love letters, and love poems.

This email came from computer: 81.199.85.xx

NOTE:

At last, I get to see what he really thinks of Lady Penelope. Seems as though he's quite taken by her.

Check out the link to the card, as it's too cute to miss!

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
Sent: 04 December 2003 09:31:44

To: Mr. Parker <xxxx@hotmail.com
Subject: You received a PassionUp Greeting Page!

To: Lady Penelope (FAB) c/o Mr.Parker (FAB) at parker_fab@hotmail.com

Here I come again, You all are Lovely. I wish I am there with you, doing things together. From: Usman Bello (FAB)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You were sent a PassionUp greeting Page from USMAN BELLO

Click here to view your greeting page: (The link actually works)

See our newest and best greeting cards at:
http://www.passionup.com/funnews.htm

PassionUp.com--the home of fun pages, animated greeting cards,
fill-in-the-blank love letters, and love poems.

This email came from computer: 81.199.85.xx

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: THE MONEY IS NOT CONFIRMED HERE, WHAT HAPPENED?
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 02:49:57 -0800

Dear Lady Penelope (FAB),

I am writing this mail to you with tears on my eyes as I have looked
so stupid and unreliable to the eyes of the Attorney this morning.

He can to my office with the whole hope that, as I asured and begged
him, he will surely travel to Abuja this morning as soon as they come back
from the Western Union Office here in Lagos.

I sent him along with: Sylvester Ik.Anthony with the reciept you sent
to me, surprisingly, they came back saying that there was no mach fund.
That mean, is either this is a mistake somewhere or the money was not
correctly paid.

My dear, I could no belief my ears as I had to call the Western Union
Office on phone, and they re-iterated that, there was no payment machable
to the information they gave as you sent.

My question now is , what happened and how was the payment made?

Can you call the Western Union Office and reconfirm all the
information, if may be there was a mistake or break down some where that
made the money no confirmed here.

With tears again, this transaction is delayed because the payment of
the $5,000.00 is not made and we can not get the approval of the
remittance of $58 Million Dollars.

Please for God's sake my dear lady FAB, confirm these information and
call me immediately from any phone or pay phone via my direct telephone
line: 234-1-776xxxx.

Hoping to hear from you.

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTE:

Good grief, talk about going overboard in the acting department! I guess he thinks that the fact that Lady Penelope gets soppy over anything means he should too, especially if it means he can blackmail her emotionally by doing it.

I am terribly sorry that I was not able to reply to your email any sooner, but when I go clothes shopping I lose all track of time, plus, my girlfriends kept dragging me to more and more stores. However, I did manage to buy some very nice outfits for the winter months, so the day we spent in town was well worth it.

As promised, I have attached a scan of the Western Union receipt to this letter. I do hope it is alright, because I asked Parker to fill it out for me, as I completely forgot what you told me to do. I did, however, sign it. The amount is in American dollars, as I thought that would be easier for you, and the test question and answer are the same as the ones you suggested. Oh, and please apologise to the attorney for any inconvenience my shopping spree may have caused him, as it certainly wasn't intentional.

And now for the best news, your lovely cards finally arrived, thanks to Parker's email account. I can't tell you how much I adore them and I keep looking at them over and over again. The fact that you picked out the nicest pink flowers made me feel so special that I burst into tears, as I finally realised how much you really cared for me. Thank you, my dear friend, from the bottom of my heart.

Anyway, I must dash, as Parker needs some help getting all my shopping out of the car.

Lots of love,

Lady Penelope. (FAB)

NOTE:

The funny thing is, I deliberately wrote the surname of the person I had to send the money to in the place where the first name should have gone, and vice versa, but he never even noticed. Very odd.

Subject: RE: THE MONEY IS NOT CONFIRMED HERE, WHAT HAPPENED?
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 14:47:30 +0100

Dear Lady Penelope (FAB),

I am still writing after the first mail as contained herein this mail
that: It has been checked all over the Western Union Offices here in
Lagos Nigeria and re-affirmed that nothing was actually sent via this
name: Anthony Ik. Sylvester as I directed and you confirmed by the
reciept you scanned and sent to me.

Please my dear, I am still worried at how you sent this money and
where you sent it, if it was really sent or not, because we have tried, I
even left my office work and went by myself, and nothing was actually
found.

I wrote you mail before this time, please try and do something so that
this transaction can not be halted.

Regards,

Usman Bello. (FAB)

NOTES:

I wonder how many times he tried to cash in my phony receipt?

Anyway, it's time to start dealing myself out of this game. As they say on Thunderbirds, "it's action time".

Lady Penelope doesn't respond to this email of Mr. Bello's - I wonder what is going on?

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: OH! OH!! WHAT IS HAPPENING, MY DEAR FAB?
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 11:04:42 -0800

Dear Lady Penelope (FAB),

I am writing this to express shock and disappointment that, upon my
mails today, I have not heard anything from you by phone as I directed,
neither did you even reply my mails explianing what actually happened that
the money you sent did not come through.

Does it mean you did not actually send the money as indicated with
your credit card? Or does it mean a mistake was made along the line? Or
does it mean the money was not actually paid?

I know you can not decieve me like that, please, revert back to me
immediately so that we can ascertain the true picture of this transaction.

You can call me from any pay phone via my direct telephone
line:234-1-776xxxx.

Hoping to hear from you.

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTE:

Mr. Bello is about to get a shock.

Hi Mr. Bello,

My name is Tin Tin, and I am a friend of Lady Penelope. Unfortunately, Lady Penelope is not here at the moment, as she had to go on an urgent rescue mission. Before she left she asked me to reply to any messages that arrived in her email account, as she didn't know how long she would have to be away for. It seems as though she and the Tracy boys are helping her good friend, Sir Jeremy Hodge, find his associate, Professor Borrender, who went missing a couple of days ago. At the moment they are on a monorail that is due to arrive in Anderbad sometime tomorrow.

I do hope Lady Penelope's absence is not going to cause you any trouble, as she would never do anything to inconvenience you if she possibly could. However, if there is anything I can do to help you, then you only need to ask, as I like to help people as much as Lady Penelope does.

Best wishes,

Tin Tin.

NOTES:

I figured Mr. Bello would be more inclined to listen to another female character, such as Tin Tin, than he would to a male character, especially when the bait is at such a delicate stage.

Lady Penelope's urgent rescue mission is actually the plot of Episode 12 of the Thunderbirds, called The Perils of Penelope.

Subject: RE: She is not here.
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2003 09:15:01 +0000

Dear Lady Penelope (FAB) also Hi my dear Tin Tin,

I got your rather sad mail and understand the situation.

It is rather very unfortunate that Sir Jeremy Hodge has such probnlem
at this time. I pray that the Almighty God will see them all through and
they will succeed in tracing him and get him back.

I will keep praying for them, in short I will go into fasting from
now till I get the news that she is back and has seen him.

My dear Penelope and Tin Tin, the fact is that the money that Parker
paid for the conclussion of our project at hand here in Nigeria has not
been cleared as the Western Union Office here in Lagos said that it was
paid via Credit Card and has not been discredited.

The money needed to be discredited before it can be sent to Nigeria
and this has caused me a lot of shame as the Attorney had to abuse me
saying I am not serious with the work I asked him to do for me and Lady
Penelope.

I short at this time, I am ashame of myself as my position in the
Civil Service here in Nigeria matters a lot to me.

But I do not know how this problem can be solved urgently, as every
thing has come to a halt.

Please Tin Tin, if there is any way you can reach My Lady Penelope
for me, please do urgently, or if there is any way you can give me a
telephone number to reach Parker, please do so that I can call him and
advise him on how to correct the payment via Western Union, so that
we can solve the problem.

You know, Nigeria Western Union, do not accept Credit card, rather
cash. So, if not paid by cash in England, we can not get the money here in
Nigeria and our problem can not be solved for the project.

So, please, a correction has to be made immediately, by correcting or
cashing/discrediting the Credit Card, and pay cash as directed before.

That is :

ANTHONY IK. SYLVESTER
ADDRESS IT TO LAGOS NIGERIA.

Send to me all the information as contained in the western union slip.

Hoping to get an urgent response from you.

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTES:

He's going to fast until Lady Penelope returns? Well, he's going to be pretty thin by the time that happens. Mind you, he seems more interested in getting his money, than he is in Lady Penelope's wellbeing.

It's me, Tin Tin. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers; they are very much appreciated.

Unfortunately, I do not know what it is you are talking about when you mention this Western Union thing. Is it something to do with that old time railway that they had in America, because if it is I cannot help you. As for Parker, he is with Lady Penelope.

Since this sounds very urgent I will try and get hold of Jeff Tracy, as he is the only one who knows how to contact Lady Penelope and the boys when they are on a rescue mission. You see, Mr. Bello, our rescue organization usually operates in secret, as we are very modest and do not want any publicity. This means that we only use our special TB1 communications system to talk to each other, and, as a result, no one outside of our organization can contact us until our missions are over.

However, do not despair, as I am going to try my very best to get a message through to Lady Penelope.

I will let you know how I get on.

Wishing you a very nice day,

Tin Tin.

NOTE:

Tin Tin doesn't seem to know what's going on. How annoying for Mr. Bello.

Since Mr. Bello doesn't reply to this message, I try again, but this time I make it sound like some progress is being made in the effort to contact Lady Penelope.

I managed to talk to Mr. Tracy about getting a message through to Lady Penelope, and he said that he would try and do it. However, he doesn't know exactly when, as it is too dangerous to try and contact her at the moment, as it looks like Professor Borrender's disappearance may not have been an accident after all.

Although Lady Penelope knows how to look after herself, especially when she is working with the boys, I am still worried that she might get hurt. I think I would just die if anything ever happened to her, as she is the nicest lady in the whole world, and I just love her so much.

I am sorry Mr. Bello, but I have to go now, as I am starting to get upset.

I will let you know if I hear any news from Mr. Tracy.

Love,

Tin Tin.

NOTE:

I'm setting things up for the final scene in this little production of mine.

10 DECEMBER:

Four days have gone by without a single reply from Mr. Bello. I think I have lost him completely this time, so I guess it's time to send him my final message.

I have some terrible news for you. Our dear friend Lady Penelope has been badly injured after a fall during her trip back on the Anderbad Monorail. She is being looked after at the Foxleyheath County Hospital, but, although she is expected to make a full recovery, there is a strong possibility that her head injury may cause her to lose her memory of everything that has happened during the last six months.

Oh, Mr. Bello, I just don't know what to do anymore; I am so upset. I have been crying and crying over poor Lady Penelope for hours, and I am simply exhausted by it all.

Please pray for her, Mr. Bello, as she needs all the support and love that she can get.

By the way, I am sending you a scan of an article that appeared in todays newspaper about her accident, as I know you will want to see it.

Your friend,

Tin Tin.

NOTES:

Although I don't expect to get a reply, I still send this anyway. If he does reply, I will have set up a way for this bait to be laid to rest.

Let's see what happens.

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: RE: Very sad news.
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 12:27:16 +0000

Dear lady Penelope (FAB)

The news and information about your health and the accident came to me
via Tin Tin, and since that yesterday that I read the mail, I could not control
myself and could not belief that, satan the devil can do this at this time.

Nevertheless, I trust and belief in my God Almighty, that, nothing
will happen to you. You will get well quick and will be as healthy as you
have always been.

By the way, how did the accident happen? Were you able to find the
missing person?

PLEASE PLEASE GOD, HEAL MY FRIEND AND MAKE HER FEEL AS BEFORE.

My prayer is that in the name of Jesus Christ, only begotten son of
God, I belief that you will be well and know yourself back.

Wishing you speedy recovary.

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTE:

He does care, after all. And he didn't even mention the money.

It's Tin Tin again. Unfortunately our dear Lady Penelope is still in hospital, and under sedation, as the doctors want to give her body a chance to heal. It is unlikely that she will be conscious for at least another three days.

However, I am sure that she feels the love you are sending her, and that it will help her to overcome this tragedy. I just hope she hasn't lost her memory of the last six months, like the doctors think she has, as so many good things have happened to her during that time, and it would be very sad for her not to remember them.

All you can do now is continue to pray for her, as we all are, and keep sending her your love, as I believe it is these things that will finally bring her back to us.

Actually, Mr. Bello, Lady Penelope showed me some beautiful cards that you sent to her a few days ago, and I was thinking how nice it would be if you could send her another one, as it would be a lovely surprise for her when she wakes up. Could you do this little thing for our dear friend, Mr. Bello?

Well, I am starting to get tears in my eyes again, so I had better sign off while I can still see what I am writing.

All my love,

Tin Tin.

NOTE:

I thought I'd try to get one last 'trophy' before this bait is over, hence my request for another card.

Subject: RE: Some news.
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 06:11:01 -0800

Dear Tin Tin,

How is she now?

I have been very much worried about this her health, and I belief
that God will surely answer my prayers and make her recover and
regain herself again.

I have just sent her another card, the talking body.

I am still observing my fasting and prayers, this I will continue to
do untill I recive a good news from you that she is well again.

Extend my regards to my dear LADY PENELOPE (FAB), Parker, Tracy etc.

Regards,

Usman Bello

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: Usman Bello (FAB), sent you a TalkingBuddy Greeting
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 06:06:51 -0800

Hello Lady Penelope (FAB),

I just created an animated greeting for you. You can get it by clicking here or by clicking on the link below:

http://www.talkingbuddy.com/texis/open/greetings?edit=read&from=Usman+Bello+ %28FAB%29&fromemail=xxxx@tiscali.co.uk&to=Lady+Penelope+%28FAB%29 &toemail=xxxx@operamail.com&song=Have+I+Told+You+Lately+That+I+ Love+You&phrase=Get+Well+Soon&char=BreezeBee&message=GOD+ALMIGHT Y+WHOM+I+SERVE+WILL+HEAL+YOU+MAKE+YOU+WELL+AGAIN+AND +GOD+WILL+CONTINUE+TO+BE+WITH+YOU+FOREVER+AND+EVER…
AMEN

Take care,
Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTES:

Unfortunately, his card required you to download a special program so that you could read it, which I wasn't prepared to do, as it contained spyware similar to Bonzai Buddy. I will try to get him to send a different one.

However, if you break down the 'header' for the card you can get an idea of what is in it.

It was very kind of you to send that card to Lady Penelope. Unfortunately, we could not read it because it requires a special program to do that, and I am not allowed to install such things on Lady Penelope's computer without her permission. Oh well, I guess it is the thought that counts, but it would have been ever so nice if she could have read it. Is there any chance you could send her a card that doesn't need a special program? If there is, I would be ever so grateful.

As for Lady Penelope herself, there has been little change in her condition, but the doctors say that she is slowly improving and should be awake by Wednesday if all goes well. Let us hope that this is the case.

By the way, I understand that you had trouble sending your last greeting cards to Lady Penelope's account, so it might be a good idea to send any new ones to Parkers account instead. Here is his address, in case you have forgotten it:

xxxx@hotmail.com

Once again, I thank you for your prayers and good wishes for our dear Lady Penelope, and, although she cannot hear me, I have read to her all of the messages you have sent.

All my love,

Tin Tin.

NOTE:

I wasn't very confident about asking for another card, but I thought I'd try anyway. Unfortunately, I think he's losing interest in 'me'.

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: RE: A nice thought.
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 02:52:46 -0800

Dear Penelope,

How are you today?

Your ill health has given me a lot of psychological toture and brain
damage as I think all day and night why such thing should happen
to a lovely one like you.

Why such thing should happen to such a caring person like you. Why
didn't it happen to me instead of you, so that you can take care of me and
other things. Now that it happened to you, things are now left out waiting
for when Jesus Christ our saviour can bring to us a helper as he promised
his disciples.

My dear lady Penelope (FAB) I want you to belief that God in his
infinite mercy will heal you, cure you and make you fit again.

I am looking forward to getting another nice card, I will forward to
you. Meanwhile, I am still looking for a day that God will heal you and we
communicate as usual and try conclude our transaction at hand which has
been kept pending because of your absence.

God will hear us and and prayers in Jesus name...Amen

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB)

NOTE:

I almost believe that he is seriously concerned about Lady Penelope. Maybe he is.

From: Usman Bello <xxxx@tiscali.co.uk>
To: Penelope Creighton-Ward <xxxx@mail.com>

Subject: HOW IS MY LADY PENELOPE (FAB) NOW?
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 17:28:59 +0000

Dear Tin Tin,

How are you today and how is my LADY PENELOPE (FAB)? How is her
health and condition now?

I am very much worried about her and have been fasting and praying
that God should show her mercy as she has been showing to the ophanages
and motherless babies. I wish to know how far she is now and how soon she
can write me by her self.

How is Parker himself and Tracy? How about the man they were looking
for before the accident happened to my dear Lady Penelope?

Hoping to hear from you.

Regards,

Usman Bello (FAB).

NOTES:

Oh dear, he's wanting to know when Lady Penelope can write to him herself. This must mean he's only interested in getting her money. Well, I think it's time for Lady Penelope to get some peace from Mr. Bello.

Thank you for your nice messages of support for our dear Lady Penelope. Your concern over her well-being has really helped me to cope with everything that has happened to her.

Unfortunately, I have some sad news to report. Although Lady Penelope is now awake and talking, she doesn't remember anything that has happened to her in the last two months, which is not as bad as it sounds, as the doctors thought she would lose at least six months of her memory. The saddest thing about this is that she no longer knows who you are, or why you have been emailing her, and we don't know either, as she seems to have deleted your messages after reading them. The only reason we can think of as to why she would do that is because she must have been dealing with something secret, as that is sometimes necessary with the work she does for International Rescue.

As you can see, Mr. Bello, it doesn't seem as though you will be hearing from Lady Penelope again, as you are now a complete stranger to her. However, she has read the emails you sent to me after her accident, and has asked me to tell you how much she appreciated your kind words. She thinks that you must be a very nice man and is sorry that she does not remember you. I am too, as I would have very much liked to have met you someday.

As for what happened to Professor Borrender, well he was rescued safely by Jeff and his boys and is now back in his laboratory working on his formula for converting seawater into rocket fuel. But you must not mention that to anyone, as it is a very secret project, and it's important that his rivals, like Doctor Godber, do not find out about it.

Well, I have to sign off now, as I am going with Parker to visit Lady Penelope again. She will be in hospital for at least another week, as the doctors want to make sure that there is nothing else wrong with her.

By the way, Mr. Bello, I am sending you a lovely picture of Lady Penelope taken at one of her charity dinners. The man she is with is not her boyfriend; he is Jeff Tracy's brainy technical adviser Hiram Hackenbacker. Hiram was simply escorting Lady Penelope to the dinner, as she didn't want to go on her own. The reason I wanted you to have this picture is because I wanted you to have something nice to remind you of what a beautiful and caring lady our dear friend is.

Well, you take care of yourself, Mr. Bello; it has been very nice talking with you.

All my love,

Tin Tin.

NOTES:

I didn't want to kill off Lady Penelope this time, as she has done a sterling job of wasting this Lads time. Besides, she might actually regain her memory.

The wrap up of the Professor Borrender story is pretty much how that episode of Thunderbirds ended. The doctor and the seawater thing are both from the same episode.

I decided to send him the picture because I wanted to leave him convinced that he was actually talking to the 'real' Lady Penelope, and that maybe he would want to continue to communicate with her as a result.

In case you don't know, the picture is another one of Sophia Myles, aka Lady Penelope in the new Thunderbirds movie. It was taken at a movie industry award ceremony, and although I don't know who the guy is, he definitely could pass off as a real life Hiram Hackenbacker.

21 DECEMBER.

Still no reply to my last email, so I guess it's all over, at least for the time being. ;-)

Sure, I never actually scored a real photo of Mr. Bello, but I did get a lot of other 'trophies' out of him, and I had a lot of fun doing it, too. So, on the whole I'm pleased with this bait, and rank it as one of my best.