TechRadar hack targeted by feeble 419 scam

One of these sister titles – the venerable PC Answers magazine, no less – received a very interesting piece of snail mail this morning.

It was a handwritten letter from a 419 scammer in Nigeria, who was offering to promote "the PC Answers" in exchange for the meagre fee of a brand new laptop, a projector and a fat wad of cash.

Excerpts:

"Permit me to say that I admire the PC Answers," begins Frederick Akabai Fidel of Rivers State in Nigeria, in his hand-scrawled note.

"Having perused the noted previous publications of the 'PC Answers' here in Nigeria, I Frederick Fidel an undergraduate of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology would like would like projecting the magazine Continuously via 'Allstates newspapers' and other National publications- which I serve as one of the distributors," he writes.

Translation: I'd like to promote your magazine because it's so awesome.

The abominable handwriting and spelling on display here makes it hard to read, but Fidel continues: "Two persons called me after my second publication on 'hardware' problems which I answered confidentially after perusing 2007 publications. These copies I got from someone who discarded them but favoured me to find a useful wealth and idea like PC Answers, which I have also introduced in my school's editorials."

Translation: Blabber blabber blabber. I used PC Answers to answer some technical questions I received, blabber blabber.

And then came the pay-off: "That I need a personal laptop for current information and a projector display despite my financial challenges is true. Emphasis and reality on publicity is needed – and are beyond my financial control.

"Yes, I ask for a difficult thing I know, even as I will need some finance to carry out some of the task which I have already started with allstates newspapers and could employ other national publications."

Translation: Please send me a new laptop and some projectors and also some money and then I promise with all my heart that I'll begin my task to make PC Answers a bigger success in the thriving magazine industry that is West Africa."

Oh yes, Mr Fidel, would you like fries with that? And how about the shirts off our backs, too?

He then finished with a final flourish:

"To fortify my urge for this goal and to display my honesty have I attached my documents subject to verification. I am gratefully awaiting to seeing your positive reaction as God would continue to be our strength."

To 'prove' that he wasn't lying, he attached a low-grade photocopy of a clearly fake certificate which claimed he had a diploma in computer engineering in 2003.

It's amazing to think that delinquent's such as this man actually manage to scam millions of pounds out of innocent Britons every year. He clearly thought he had a chance of scamming PC Answers magazine though – that letter must have taken some time to hand write.

We've asked Mr Fidel for some proof that he has indeed already started "projecting the magazine Continuously via 'Allstates newspapers' and other National publications" so hopefully he'll send over some faked newspaper pages.

We'll let you know if we get anything back.