Scam, Spam, and Sham

I am headed on another missions trip in a couple weeks.  I will be going back to Africa where I love to be.  The thing that always trips up people going on missions trips is the cost.  Money not only makes the world go around, but money is needed to make you go around the world.  As a person who works on staff at a church and travels at the request of others, I frequently am seeking people who support these missions both in prayer and finances.  But lets be honest. When we ask people to pray, one of the things we ask them to pray for is that the finances will come in...wink wink.  Many of my trips have taken me to Africa. So as I  look at the letters I send to people, I can't help but think of the poor people in Nigeria.  I don't mean poor in the literal sense of course. It seems there are many wealthy people in Nigeria. I use the term "poor people" as in looking for pity. They can never seem to find a helper to get the 1.2 million dollars someone has left them in a trust fund.  And if only you would help them by paying the $1000 transaction fee, they will share the money with you. Don't you ever wonder who falls for that? One day I wondered about a popular advertisement promising money. "Earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars at home stuffing envelopes. For $5.00, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to find out how."  I sent the $5.  In about a week I received my instructions in a half page letter.
1. Get a Post Office Box
2. Take out an ad for stuffing envelopes like the one you replied to
3. Put these instructions in the envelope they mail you and send it back
4. Deposit the money and celebrate!
5. This is not illegal

So there you have it. I was amused but did not follow the instructions. People have become more clever in the age of technology. A friend of mine had his email hacked recently. I have seen this email before. One morning I get the following email: "Please help me. I was on vacation with my wife when we were mugged. (insert various details of the mugging including being hit on the back of the head with a lead pipe) We are ok. (thank God!) They took everything from us but I have my phone. (imagine that)  I need you to wire $500 to us so we can get new IDs to get home." The wire transfer goes somewhere to England. When I received this email, I had talked in person to my friend not 15 minutes earlier. I walked back over into the church where I saw him and told him of his identity theft.  Then it occurred to me.  With this new scam comes new problems for me. Lets say on my trip to Africa we get robbed and I need money to get home.  When I get to an internet cafe to tell my story and ask for help, all my friends will laugh and dismiss the email as scam. I could be stuck there for months! Hmmm. Ok so as this blog comes to a close remember to pray for me as I go to Africa. Pray. Forget the finances, pray that I don't get robbed. And if you get an email from me in the next couple weeks saying I am stuck in Africa and need money to get home, pray for finances....wink wink.