First Merit Bank E-mail scam! Rip-off attempt! I received an email trying to solicit my cooperation in an illegal activity; to claim that I am an heir of someone deceased. Internet, London

I have not been personally ripped off. I am reporting a attempted rip off. PEOPLE SHOULD BE WARNED. I received e-mail:

---- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 10:53 AM
Subject: GOOD DAY

FIRST MERIT BANK LONDON.

Dear Sir;
PRIVATE AND URGENT.

Please do not be offended if i have invaded your privacy. I am MR. Franz Frostl, and I am contacting you on business transfer of a huge sum of money from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction
of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION;
I am the account officer to Mr Selah Adams (deceased) one of our foreign customers. While he banked with us, I oversaw his accounts and other official/financial
obligations as my office demanded being his accounts officer.Unfortunately, he died along with his entire family in the plane crash of 31 October, 1999 on board the Egyptian Airline 990 alonside other passengers. Please consult the Cable News Network(CNN) website below for verification.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html

While he was alive, none of his family members was ever known to me other than his immediate nuclear family. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir. I cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Having made a very franatic and exhaustive search for any family member that would lay claim to this fund, I decided to take my chance with you. I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the deceased as I have all documentations including his certified Death Certificate that will facilitate your stand as next of kin to him as he had a closing balanced
of 5,500,000.00lbs(pounds sterling) here in our bank in London. I also have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any member of deceased family to become beneficiary of this fund.

Please acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;

1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers

These requirements will enable me make some internal re-adjustments and file your name in form A2ag and other vital forms as next of kin which before now was left blank by the deceased upon opening of the account six years ago. Upon your reply, I will advice the way forward. I must assure you that if you are serious and follow my lead religiously, then this funds will be released to you within a seven-working-day period.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail.

Please reply to franzfrost@XXXX.com

Regards,
Mr. Franz Frostl

Mitchell
Woodstock, New York
U.S.A.