News from a Dear Friend: Stuck in Africa

Josephine turned on her shiny new tablet, a gift from her son Frank, to consult her email: for a long time now her day were beginning in this way, a sort of consolidated ritual since she retired. And since Frank had moved to the United States, the Internet had become the most convenient and cheapest way to communicate with her son.

After some initial difficulties, Josephine had become familiar with the tablet and now she was perfectly at ease with these new objects that until a short time before gave her so much apprehension.

The joy she felt in seeing her grandchildren on the other side of the Atlantic in real time led her to often wonder if she could have endured that distance without the help of these new technologies.

But that day a message in her box caused her great concern. It had been sent to her by Jane, Frank’s wife. Although they had always enjoyed an excellent relationship, they had sent two or three emails at most in all those years.

They preferred both face-to-face live video chats! The subject of the message had nothing reassuring: “VERY URGENT”. The content was alarming:

Good morning !

Hope not to disturb you? I am traveling to Africa and I have had a problem. I really need your help is very urgent.

Contact me soon by email.

Jane

As a matter of fact Jane was often abroad for work. Josephine felt a little embarrassed, wondering why her daughter-in-law had thought of contacting her instead of contacting someone else. She tried to contact Frank on his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. Nothing strange: in the United States it was still late at night.

But since the stakes were really high, Josephine replied to that strange email to find out more. The answer was not long in coming:

Thanks for your answer, I am in a problematic situation. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t want you to tell someone else, because a very shameful thing happened to me. I will tell you in more detail when I return.

I was the victim of a very serious attack yesterday, in a neighborhood where they said it was dangerous, it is true. All my personal belongings were stolen: credit cards, cash, telephone, documents. I have no more money and I cannot make a withdrawal, in this situation I need your financial help very much. Could you lend me 1,500? With that I can pay the whole hotel bill, but any amount will be fine, I am in great need.

I contacted the embassy this morning but they haven’t helped me yet. I think they want to check the story, they are very cautious but I can’t wait for them, that’s why I’m contacting you to help me. For now I am not reachable, I connect to the Internet from the hotel.

Please send me a deposit with XXX, a cash money transfer agency that has offices here and this agency is in the post offices. For the transfer, use the information below. I have no more documents and I will not be able to withdraw the money if you do it on my behalf. You have to get it addressed on behalf of a nice person who wants to help me, but isn’t rich enough to lend me the money.

Here is his personal data for sending money: Surname: XXXX, Name: XXXX, City: Lagos, Address: XXXX, Country: Nigeria

Send me the references of the transfer as soon as possible (MTCN code, sender’s name, security question and answer and the amount sent) so I can collect the money.

Thanks so much.

Frightened by what she had just read, Josephine ran to the nearest post office to make the payment. Of course, she wasn’t rich but she couldn’t refuse Jane such help. As soon as she got home she received a call from her son, in panic.

“What’s going on mom? I saw you called me in the middle of the night!”

“It was for Jane, she’s in Africa, she wrote me that she was having problems.”

“But what are you saying, mom! She’s having breakfast right here in front of my eyes!”