Orphans crying out for public’s help

Darlington is having a rough time. In fact, life is so bad, he calls himself, the Crying Orphan.

He will only share his story with those who are interested and “will show concern and be very sincere with me by helping me without betraying me.”

He shares it anyway.

Darling’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, died seven years ago. He was too young then to receive his inheritance of more than $1.5 million in U.S. money. He had to live in “the motherless orphanage home.”

He is an adult now, but he is fighting with his father’s attorney to get his inheritance released to him.

“The lawyer want a family member, Uncle or aunty which can pay the sum of 200 us dollars for him to sign and release my inheritance, i have search for people that could help do this and no one is willing, so i have no choice than to let you know about this even if i do not know you,” he wrote. “please send me mail to tell me weather you are ready to help me, and i know i will share with you 20 PERCENT OF MY INHERITANCE.(20%).”

Poor fellow. Maybe he should meet Mireille Baker from the Ivory Coast of West Africa. She also is an orphaned heiress. She needs help because she is “still a small girl.”

Mireille is the only daughter of late Chief and Mrs. David Baker. Her father was a “very wealthy Coccoa merchant in Abidjan.” He was poisoned to death by his business associates during a business trip.

“My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special,” she wrote. “Before the death of my father on November 2006 in a private hospital here in abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of Seven million,five hundred thousand United State Dollars left in fixed/suspense account in one of the prime bank here in Abidjan.”

It seems that her father noted Mireille as his only daughter and next of kin.

Before his death, Baker told his daughter that his wealth was the reason he had been poisoned by his associates, and that she was in danger.

“That due to the incessant political crisis in this country and to avoid been kill by his enemies I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose such as real estate or hotel management.”

Mireille has a fairly large vocabulary and good understanding of the banking industry for a “small girl.” In any case, she put forth a plan where her partner would become her guardian, transfer the money into another bank account, and bring her to this country to further her education and secure permission to live here. For this, she offers 15 percent of the total sum as compensation — once the money is successfully transferred, that is.

Maybe Mireille already knows Joyce Williams, the 22-year-old daughter of Chief and Mrs. Williams. Williams also is a major cocoa exporter and politician from Liberia, Africa. Williams’ story shares similar circumstances as those of Darlington and Mireille.

“I was born out of tragic fate,” she wrote. “my mother died from cancer when I was only 4 years old,my father nurtured me with great care and love before he met his own untimely death on the way coming back from business trip from overseas.”

The father was seriously injured in a fatal car accident and spent three painful days in the hospital before he died, she continued. Before his death, he told her a deep secret that Williams will only share in confidence … through e-mails to strangers. That secret had to do with a deposit of $7 million in U.S. currency that the elder Williams deposited in a private security company in the Ivory coast because of  political instability in Liberia, Joyce said.

Her father died, and Joyce’s wicked uncle stepped in, seized all her father’s companies and properties and left her with nothing. Her country’s traditions prevent women from holding property or running businesses, she contends.

“I was left with nothing and dropped out of school because of financial difficulties and my uncle’s wicked attitude,” she wrote.

Currently, she is in a missionary home for refugees on the Ivory Coast after she left Liberia to avoid civil war. Her uncle headed to London with her children, but the money is still with the security company.

Williams just needs a foreign partner to retrieve the money for her. For the partner’s effort, Williams will pay 15 percent of the total and 5 percent for expenses incurred during the transaction.

All three of these tales of woe are designed to tug  on heartstrings while dangling easy money in front of potential victims. Common sense dictates that anyone who really needed help retrieving money that belonged to them would certainly not trust a complete stranger to help. These e-mails are best deleted and forgotten.

The Daily Journal has made a commitment to keep readers abreast of scams that hit our area. If someone tries to make you the victim of a scam, call us at 431-2010 and tell us what happened. We will include your story in our scam alert series to prepare others who may find themselves in the same situation. The Daily Journal will run Scam Alert stories in the paper every Monday.