What is Wrong With This Picture?
A Public Service Announcement
Recently I received an ‘unsolicited’ email. It was not a ‘comment’ on one of my blogs, instead an email directly to me at my blog email address.
The writer (we will call him ‘Sam’) made a disturbing and heart wrenching appeal.
Sam claimed to be a Christian from Nigeria. He said he was ‘marooned’ in Morocco (a decidedly Muslim country). According to Sam, two years ago he illegally traveled across the Sahara desert some 1600 kilometers in an attempt to ‘immigrate’ to Spain.
However, upon reaching Morocco, Sam ran into some trouble. He did not have a passport, visa or any other form of identification. The Moroccan police, Moroccan nationals, and the Spanish civil guard of Melilla (a Spanish town on the Moroccan northern coast) constantly persecute him for his Christianity. He cannot find a Christian church, missionaries, or any other ‘Christian’ aide.
Sam begs for food and clothing. He begs ‘to sustain a living’, he says. He hides in the mountains when he can. He has been ‘captured’ by the police on numerous occasions and taken to the Sahara Desert to die.
Now, I am a bit of a skeptic. I wondered how a persecuted beggar had access to the internet, an email account (@yahoo.co.uk), and access to ‘search’ the internet for my email address. While I do not ‘hide’ my email address - it is not 'published' - one actually has to look for it. I also wondered why he was not deported. I wondered why Sam did not go to the Nigerian embassy. I also wondered why he did not seek asylum at the U.S. embassy, the U.K. embassy, or a church.
Sam responded to my query. First, as he was in the country illegally without identification, the Nigerian embassy told him to ‘go home’ the same way he got there. According to Sam, he is able to ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café when he ‘gets lucky’ begging so that he can use the internet.
Sam did not tell me why he did not go to any other embassy or why he did not seek assistance from any Christian or Catholic Church in Morocco (there actually are some). It ‘begs’ credulity though that an indigent man under constant persecution and ‘eking’ out without proper food, shelter or clothing could ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café to gain internet access… I decided to ask Sam what he wanted from me, since his initial request was to “see to my situation”. [By the way, the initial email was a ‘form’ email addressed to ‘brothers and sisters’ in the Lord.]
Sam does not want help finding fellow Christians in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding a Christian or Catholic Church in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding missionaries or Christian aide people in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding any or getting sponsorship through any embassy in Morocco.
Sam wants MONEY! Sam not only wants money - he wants CASH!
Originally, Sam wanted help getting to Spain, but as the tableau unfolded through the emails, Sam wants to go home to Nigeria.
I wanted to know how Sam ‘wanted’ to get the ‘cash’. He responded that I could send him cash through Western Union. Now, as a skeptic, I investigated this. There were two ‘little’ problems with Sam’s request.
First, to receive money through Western Union, one must provide a picture ID. Oops, Sam has already told us that he does not have a passport or any ID… Sam was quick to respond with the name of a ‘Muslim friend’ who works in a bank, who will get the money for him.
Second, according to Western Union, a recipient of money can receive the money ANYWHERE in the world - as long as they have a proper ID and KNOW where the money is being sent. One does not have to BE where the money is being sent, only KNOW where it is being sent. [From the Western Union website: “You may pick up your money transfer at any Agent location. You will need to complete a "To Receive Money" form with the following information: name, address, amount expected”]
Skeptical, but still concerned, I asked Sam what the minimum amount of money he NEEDS to get wherever he is going. I offered Sam a choice of different amounts. Honestly, without too much surprise on my part, Sam chose the largest donation of $1000.
With very little research, one can discover that $1000 (U.S.) is MORE than the average Nigerian makes in a year, and HALF what the average Moroccan makes in a year…
With a little more research through Christian mission sites, one can discover that $1000 will repatriate four Jews to Israel from anywhere in Europe or the Former Soviet Union. $1000 can ‘buy’ freedom for up to ten slaves in parts of Chad and Sudan… $1000 can buy a well (clean water) for an entire village in Asia.
$1000 to help one criminal illegally cross international borders - seems a bit pricey - as well as un-Biblical.
Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
Sam, by going to Morocco without a passport, visa, or identification not only violated a half dozen international laws (making him legally a criminal) he violated Biblical law.
Now, Sam is a criminal. Whether or not he is a ‘scam artist’ which I believe he is is immaterial to his ‘criminal’ standing.
Further, Sam claims his persecution is because of his Christianity. I find no references in the Bible where those being persecuted for their faith requested monetary aid.
It is true that those who make a living serving the gospel should be fed by the church. 1 Corinthians 9:14 states, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” In other words, a church should support its preacher and its missionaries. Sam makes no claim to be a ‘missionary’.
Paul said of persecution, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19-21
Sam fits into one of three categories:
1. Sam is a Christian who made some bad (criminal) choices and fervently needs our prayers.
2. Sam is a Christian, having made some bad (criminal) choices. God is using that for His own glory, that Sam might preach the gospel to the Muslims in Morocco that persecute him. As such, he fervently needs our prayers.
3. Sam is a fraud artist or con artist feeding on the generosity and open hearts of Christians. As such, he fervently needs our prayers.
What Sam does not NEED is our money.
By the way, I found it ‘remarkable’ that Sam was, in our conversations so ‘lucky’. According to Sam, himself, when he was ‘lucky’ at begging, he could ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café to access the internet. Sam was indeed having a ‘good week’ since he answered eight emails within 12 hours each. In fact, our entire ‘conversation’ only took four calendar days. That is not bad for a ‘persecuted indigent beggar’. I also found it ‘passing’ strange that an Internet ‘savvy’ Nigerian would have such bad grammar, spelling, and specifically poor sentence structure - considering that English is the official language of Nigeria.
My ‘heart’ and prayers go out to ‘Sam’ regardless of whether he is a beggar or thief. I certainly can not support him financially.
This has been a ‘Public Service Announcement’ from Unchained Slave.
******************************
December 17 UPDATE:
Sam has maintained his 'indigence' claims - stating further that he had no Bible and the rocks, trees and animals were his 'only' friends.
I did a 'Google' search and found a Christian Church in Morocco. This church has an outreach program aimed at 'Nigerian Immigrants' (both legal & illegal). They were willing to help Sam with food, clothing, shelter & legalizing his status. They were also willing to accept financial aid for Sam to assist him in either getting to Europe or getting home to Nigeria.
I provided this information to Sam.
Sam responded that 'after re-reading all my emails' he would rely on God alone to meet his needs and would not contact me anymore...
As of this date, Sam has not contacted the relief organization.
If Sam (or anyone else) contacts you requesting financial aid under such dire circumstances, I suggest you investigate the circumstances and exercise caution.
AS 'Cleopas' noted in the 'comments', internet fraud scams are a large 'industry' in Nigeria.
The writer (we will call him ‘Sam’) made a disturbing and heart wrenching appeal.
Sam claimed to be a Christian from Nigeria. He said he was ‘marooned’ in Morocco (a decidedly Muslim country). According to Sam, two years ago he illegally traveled across the Sahara desert some 1600 kilometers in an attempt to ‘immigrate’ to Spain.
However, upon reaching Morocco, Sam ran into some trouble. He did not have a passport, visa or any other form of identification. The Moroccan police, Moroccan nationals, and the Spanish civil guard of Melilla (a Spanish town on the Moroccan northern coast) constantly persecute him for his Christianity. He cannot find a Christian church, missionaries, or any other ‘Christian’ aide.
Sam begs for food and clothing. He begs ‘to sustain a living’, he says. He hides in the mountains when he can. He has been ‘captured’ by the police on numerous occasions and taken to the Sahara Desert to die.
Now, I am a bit of a skeptic. I wondered how a persecuted beggar had access to the internet, an email account (@yahoo.co.uk), and access to ‘search’ the internet for my email address. While I do not ‘hide’ my email address - it is not 'published' - one actually has to look for it. I also wondered why he was not deported. I wondered why Sam did not go to the Nigerian embassy. I also wondered why he did not seek asylum at the U.S. embassy, the U.K. embassy, or a church.
Sam responded to my query. First, as he was in the country illegally without identification, the Nigerian embassy told him to ‘go home’ the same way he got there. According to Sam, he is able to ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café when he ‘gets lucky’ begging so that he can use the internet.
Sam did not tell me why he did not go to any other embassy or why he did not seek assistance from any Christian or Catholic Church in Morocco (there actually are some). It ‘begs’ credulity though that an indigent man under constant persecution and ‘eking’ out without proper food, shelter or clothing could ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café to gain internet access… I decided to ask Sam what he wanted from me, since his initial request was to “see to my situation”. [By the way, the initial email was a ‘form’ email addressed to ‘brothers and sisters’ in the Lord.]
Sam does not want help finding fellow Christians in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding a Christian or Catholic Church in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding missionaries or Christian aide people in Morocco.
Sam does not want help finding any or getting sponsorship through any embassy in Morocco.
Sam wants MONEY! Sam not only wants money - he wants CASH!
Originally, Sam wanted help getting to Spain, but as the tableau unfolded through the emails, Sam wants to go home to Nigeria.
I wanted to know how Sam ‘wanted’ to get the ‘cash’. He responded that I could send him cash through Western Union. Now, as a skeptic, I investigated this. There were two ‘little’ problems with Sam’s request.
First, to receive money through Western Union, one must provide a picture ID. Oops, Sam has already told us that he does not have a passport or any ID… Sam was quick to respond with the name of a ‘Muslim friend’ who works in a bank, who will get the money for him.
Second, according to Western Union, a recipient of money can receive the money ANYWHERE in the world - as long as they have a proper ID and KNOW where the money is being sent. One does not have to BE where the money is being sent, only KNOW where it is being sent. [From the Western Union website: “You may pick up your money transfer at any Agent location. You will need to complete a "To Receive Money" form with the following information: name, address, amount expected”]
Skeptical, but still concerned, I asked Sam what the minimum amount of money he NEEDS to get wherever he is going. I offered Sam a choice of different amounts. Honestly, without too much surprise on my part, Sam chose the largest donation of $1000.
With very little research, one can discover that $1000 (U.S.) is MORE than the average Nigerian makes in a year, and HALF what the average Moroccan makes in a year…
With a little more research through Christian mission sites, one can discover that $1000 will repatriate four Jews to Israel from anywhere in Europe or the Former Soviet Union. $1000 can ‘buy’ freedom for up to ten slaves in parts of Chad and Sudan… $1000 can buy a well (clean water) for an entire village in Asia.
$1000 to help one criminal illegally cross international borders - seems a bit pricey - as well as un-Biblical.
Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”
Sam, by going to Morocco without a passport, visa, or identification not only violated a half dozen international laws (making him legally a criminal) he violated Biblical law.
Now, Sam is a criminal. Whether or not he is a ‘scam artist’ which I believe he is is immaterial to his ‘criminal’ standing.
Further, Sam claims his persecution is because of his Christianity. I find no references in the Bible where those being persecuted for their faith requested monetary aid.
It is true that those who make a living serving the gospel should be fed by the church. 1 Corinthians 9:14 states, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” In other words, a church should support its preacher and its missionaries. Sam makes no claim to be a ‘missionary’.
Paul said of persecution, “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19-21
Sam fits into one of three categories:
1. Sam is a Christian who made some bad (criminal) choices and fervently needs our prayers.
2. Sam is a Christian, having made some bad (criminal) choices. God is using that for His own glory, that Sam might preach the gospel to the Muslims in Morocco that persecute him. As such, he fervently needs our prayers.
3. Sam is a fraud artist or con artist feeding on the generosity and open hearts of Christians. As such, he fervently needs our prayers.
What Sam does not NEED is our money.
By the way, I found it ‘remarkable’ that Sam was, in our conversations so ‘lucky’. According to Sam, himself, when he was ‘lucky’ at begging, he could ‘sneak’ into a cyber-café to access the internet. Sam was indeed having a ‘good week’ since he answered eight emails within 12 hours each. In fact, our entire ‘conversation’ only took four calendar days. That is not bad for a ‘persecuted indigent beggar’. I also found it ‘passing’ strange that an Internet ‘savvy’ Nigerian would have such bad grammar, spelling, and specifically poor sentence structure - considering that English is the official language of Nigeria.
My ‘heart’ and prayers go out to ‘Sam’ regardless of whether he is a beggar or thief. I certainly can not support him financially.
This has been a ‘Public Service Announcement’ from Unchained Slave.
******************************
December 17 UPDATE:
Sam has maintained his 'indigence' claims - stating further that he had no Bible and the rocks, trees and animals were his 'only' friends.
I did a 'Google' search and found a Christian Church in Morocco. This church has an outreach program aimed at 'Nigerian Immigrants' (both legal & illegal). They were willing to help Sam with food, clothing, shelter & legalizing his status. They were also willing to accept financial aid for Sam to assist him in either getting to Europe or getting home to Nigeria.
I provided this information to Sam.
Sam responded that 'after re-reading all my emails' he would rely on God alone to meet his needs and would not contact me anymore...
As of this date, Sam has not contacted the relief organization.
If Sam (or anyone else) contacts you requesting financial aid under such dire circumstances, I suggest you investigate the circumstances and exercise caution.
AS 'Cleopas' noted in the 'comments', internet fraud scams are a large 'industry' in Nigeria.
posted by Unchained Slave at 3:25 PM
1 Comments:
Did you know that e-mail and internet scams are now the largest 'industry' in Nigeria? True! This is a new one to me, but I have no doubt your are right.
By the way, there's a guarded wire fence around Melilla, Sam must really be 'lucky' to get in so often!
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