No, I'm not talking about the jam band.

In the past week, at least two of us here at the Saratogian have received emails from "service@adirondacktrust.com," requesting that we visit a website and input all sorts of bank information. The site asks you to enter a log in (but, as I proved this afternoon, any old combination of number and letter will work) the next page them asks for all sorts of private information.

That's all well and good, and hopefully a person with a bit of common sense will know how to avoid the scam. At first glance, the website you're directed to looks legit, but it clearly isn't, so if you receive such an email, do not enter an personal data.

Now here's a different kind of scam that's much more entertaining. Not phishing, this scam is slightly more devious, and much more hilarious. Today I received this email:

From the desk of Roy Smith

Client Service Manager Capital Trust Bank Lagos

Nigeria desk.

Tell: +234-70-87150205

Web Fax: +1-484-784-0725

Dear Bernstein,

I will like to solicit your help in a business proposition, which is by nature very confidential and a Top Secret. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one worried and apprehensive but i am assuring you not to worry, as all will be well at the end of this endeavor.

I am Mr. Roy Smith, Client Service Manager of Capital Trust Bank Plc Lagos Nigeria, My partners and I have decided to seek your help in transfer of some amount of money requiring maximum confidence from my bank. A foreigner, Late Dr. Edward Bernstein, who was an oil merchant and contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria until his death onboard the ill fated Kenyan Airways bus {A310300} was our customer here at Capital Trust Bank and had a balance of US$32 million which the bank now expects his next of kin to claim as the beneficiary.

So far, valuable efforts has been made to get to his people but to no avail, as he had no known relatives more because he left his next of kin column in his account opening forms blank and he has no known relatives . Due to this development our management and the board of directors are making arrangements for the funds to be declared unclaimed, and subsequently paid into the federal government purse. Usually, funds of this nature end up in the greedy pockets of some politicians due to our corrupt society.

To avert this negative development my colleagues and I have decided to look for a reputable person to act as the next of kin to late Dr. Bernstein, so that the funds could be processed and released into his account, which is where you come in. We shall make arrangement with a qualified and reliable attorney that will represent you in liaising with my bank for inconveniency of you coming to my country.

All legal documents to aid your claim for this fund and to prove your relationship with the deceased will be provided by us. Your help will be appreciated with 20% of the total sum (US$6,400,000). Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered you. Thank you very much for your time.

I wait anxiously for your response.

Pls get back to me through this email: colloroy_7@yahoo.co.uk

Yours faithfully

Roy Smith

Hmmm.... this guy must have sent this letter to every Bernstein between here and Kalamazoo. My reply? "Of course, I'd love to help you, but I'll need at least 80% of the profits." We'll see what their counter offer is. If they offer me 50%, I might just accept, but I'll require them to get an embarrassing tattoo.

There are a lot of scams out there. Be careful.