The (fake) Quest To Eradicate AIDS with Mythical Mystical Indian roots

Swami Gulagulaananda said:

"When in a game, play..."

I have won several lotteries organised by Shell, Coca Cola and other companies. Each prize was no less than 500,000 GBP. And I have also been fortunate to share my surname with super rich heirless millionaires, facilitating unscrupulous lawyers to wire their enormous funds into my account so that I can send them their share for making it happen. Considering the number of lotteries I have won and number of inheritances in my name, I am richer than Bill Gates ten times over.

But alas, we are aware of how scams work. Some of us, at least. So I continue to be penniless as before.

Recently, I got an email - The brevity of which prompted me to reply, and then began an interesting conversation.

from: Robert Adair
to: r-adair@hotmail.co.ukdate: 17 October 2013 21:29subject: Your revert awaited

having a proposal to discuss with you

To which I replied, with equal conciseness...

Regarding what

And I got a reply to that...

from: Robert Adair
to: Nikhil Baliga
date: 18 October 2013 13:42subject: RE: Your revert awaited

I am Robert Adair from the United Kingdom.There is huge demand for Indian herbal roots in my company
presently. My Boss is desperate in need of the roots for Pharmaceutical productions even
willing to buy at a higher rate. He is ready to send a purchase officer to meet the seller in
India,to receive this product and pay instantly.
But due to my interest in the business,i don't wish to reveal the real seller's contact to my
boss. Hence,I am soliciting your help to stand as a middleman to do this business on my behalf
and the profit would be shared between us. Profit will be healthy in this deal.
For further detail about the business,kindly reply
Sincerely,Robert Adair

Healthy profits. Time to pretend to be a sucker... but a cautious one. We don't want to set off any alarm bells. So I replied...

Sure, it sounds interesting. It'd be great if you can provide more information.

So he sent me his business proposal. It might be a little long to read, but I think you should quickly go through it. Just for kicks... (There's a tl;dr at the end of the mail for the lazy ones)

PURCHASE OF ANTI HIV/AIDS RAW MATERIAL EDUIN SALVE  ROOTSAttn. Sir,I am a foreign purchasing Manager/Pharmacist to the above mentioned company; a subsidiary of Shire Pharmaceutical Limited UK.I got your contact from the internationalbusiness directory out of desperate search for a reliable and abusiness minded person in your country for a mutual and urgentbusiness transaction requiring maximum confidentiality and trust,hence I am contacting you. I and my Regional director use to visit your country India for the purchase of the above mentioned HIV EDUIN SALVE ROOTS . The botanical name of this Raw Material is  Eduin Salve Herbal Roots This Eduin Salve Herbal Roots raw materials used for the preparation/manufacturing of ANTI HIV/AIDS drugs in the United Kingdom . I wish to seek your cooperation in having an alliance with you in the outright purchase of these raw materials from the original seller in your country, and resell to our company. This seeds is sold at the rate of ($1,800.00) per packet. The seller of this seeds is a citizen of your country India .We have come to purchase these raw materials from him in several occasions. I will want you to be the middle man between the original seller of this products and my company. Where by you will purchase these products from the original seller at the rate of ($1,800.00) per a packet and resell to our company at the rate of ($3,150.00) as against($2,400.00) per a packet which we normally buy the products from the former middle man who has never kept to our sharing agreement. The over inflated profit that is added to it will be shared by both of us. That’s you will have 60% while 40% will be for me. This over inflated profit shall be calculated on the basis of the number of packets that you are able to supply us for purchase in any of our trip to India . I shall give to you my bank account details where you will send in my entitlement.Please NOTE that my regional director will not make any payment to you without seeing the products with you due to past experience. That’s you are going to make the out right purchase of these products from the original seller and resell to us when we must have finish discussion with you on our arrival in India. The payment is usually done on Bank to Bank transaction or cash in hand. That’s after seeing the number of packets supplied by you and the total amount calculated; we shall immediately proceed with you to our nearest correspondent Bankers trust here in India for instant payment into your account. We will be able to make any payment to the tone of the number of packets supplied to us on our arrival. I shall give to you the direct contact of the original seller for you to make enquiries about these raw materials after you must have given me your consent in this proposal. I will also give you details on how to contact my company officially over these raw materials and the new price of $3,150.00 per a packet after you must have concluded with the original seller. Because my company also serves as a distributing company of this products to some other companies in United Kingdom . All other information shall be given to you when you must have agreed to handle this proposal with utmost confidentialityFor your fullest cooperation, hoping to hear from you in a soonest possible time.Contact Number +448719746257   Regards,Mr Robert Adair

tl;dr: Guy says there're some roots that he wants me to purchase for $1800 and sell it at $3150. The profit is divided between me and him in 60:40 ratio. I have to pay upfront. His boss is clever to not pay upfront.

I am a poor average person from a third world developing country. Can you expect me to have $1800? So I ventured...

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the explanation. The deal certainly looks exciting and I am interested to pursue this offer.

However, $1800 is a lot in Indian Rupees and I don't have that much liquid cash to purchase the packets. I understand from your mail that your regional manager is not willing to pay the money upfront. However, since you and I are going to be business partners, I'd like you to transfer the money to my account. In return of the trust that you display, I am willing to share 50% of my profit, thereby giving you 70% of the total money. So rather than a 60-40 arrangement, it becomes a 30-70 arrangement.

I am really looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and Regards,Nikhil Baliga

I tried to be smart, huh? I wanted to see how he would evade it. But the tenacious little bugger played the sick card (What's next, dog ate my homework?) He replied thus, and in all caps:

THANKS FOR YOUR RESPOND I HAVE TO ENLIGHTEN YOU MORE ABOUT THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION, THIS BUSINESS IS BUYING AND SELLING BUSINESS. YOU ARE TO BUY FROM THE INDIA DEALER AND RE-SELL TO THE COMPANY. SHIRE PHARMACEUTICAL LIMITED UK . THE COMPANY WILL BE SENDING THEIR SALES REPRESENTATIVE TO INDIA TO PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT,MIND YOU I HAVE A PARTNER IN INDIA BEFORE HIS NAME IS MR. PRADEEP GUPTA , HE BETRAYED ME IN THE BUSINESS AFTER SOME TRANSACTION, THAT IS WHY I REALLY NEED A GENUINE AND RELIABLE PERSON. MR. PRADEEP GUPTA , AFTER THE TRANSACTION HE DID NOT SEND MY OWN PERCENTAGE TO ME ACCORDING TO OUR ARRANGEMENT. NOW THE COMPANY HAS TOLD ME TO SUPPLY THE SAME PRODUCT AGAIN, I NEED SOMEONE WHO IS TRUTH WORTHY SO IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION FOR ME WITHOUT ANY DOUBLE MIND I WE BE GLAD TO RECEIVE YOU AS A PARTNER. (2) I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE THAT I DON'T WANT THE COMPANY TO KNOW THE DEALER OF THIS PRODUCT TO ENABLE US REMAIN AS THE SUPPLIER OF THE MATERIAL. BECAUSE IF THEY KNOW THE DEALER OF THE PRODUCT THEY WILL BEING GOING DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER TO BUY THE PRODUCT. I SUPPOSE TO COME DOWN TO INDIA BY MYSELF TO BUY THE PRODUCT BUT BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT THAT KEEP ME IN THE HOSPITAL BED. THIS THE REASON WHY I NEED SOMEONE IN INDIA WHO CAN HANDLE IT FOR ME. (3)AND ALSO YOU DO NOT NEED ANY LICENSE TO DEAL ON THIS RAW MATERIAL.BECAUSE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE LOOKING FOR GOOD WAYS OF ERADICATING THE EPIDEMIC OUT OF THE GLOBE WORLD BECAUSE OF ITS DEADLY NATURE. SO PEOPLE THAT DEAL ON THIS MATERIAL ARE RESPECTED PEOPLE IN THE HEALTH WORLD.THAT MEANS THE BUSINESS DID NOT REQUIRE LICENSE BECAUSE THE COMPANY SALES REPRESENTATIVE IS COMING TO INDIA TO BUY IT FROM YOU. AND THEY ARE COMING WITH CASH MONEY. YOUR COMMISSION SINCE YOU ARE THE EXECUTOR YOU WILL TAKE 60% FROM THE PROFIT AND I THAT INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BUSINESS WILL TAKE 40%.SO ACCORDING TO YOUR QUERRY IN YOUR PREVIOUS MAIL, ONE PACKET CONTAINS 10SATCHETS AND ONE SATCHET IS 5GRAM SO 1PACKET IS 50GRAMS SO PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HANDLE IT. TO ENABLE ME TO GIVE YOU THE INDIA DEALER CONTACT. PLEASE YOU ARE TO PROVIDE ME YOUR DETAILS. FULL NAME:PARTNER NAME IF ANY. NACOMPANY NAME:HOUSE ADDRESS:A COPY OF YOUR I.D CARD OR DRIVING LICENSE.CONTACT NUMBERREGARD.ROBERT ADAIR

Somehow the mail made me scroll to the bottom looking for "I agree with terms of license" button. So I have now decided  to reward his efforts. I played the fool card thus...

Hi Robert, 

   Thanks for the explanation. I understand from your mail that you are looking for a trustworthy and reliable business associate. I can assure you that I will not betray you like Pradeep Gupta. Please send me the details of the supplier from whom I have to purchase the boxes and number of boxes that you would like me to purchase. Once I have purchased the boxes, I will get in touch with you. Can I use my credit card to make the purchases? 

Thanks and Regards,
Nikhil Baliga

The reply came as expected.

SO PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HANDLE IT. TO ENABLE ME TO GIVE YOU THE INDIA DEALER CONTACT. PLEASE YOU ARE TO PROVIDE ME YOUR DETAILS.
FULL NAME: 

PARTNER NAME IF ANY. NA 

COMPANY NAME: 

HOUSE ADDRESS: 

A COPY OF YOUR I.D CARD OR DRIVING LICENSE. 

CONTACT NUMBER 

REGARD ROBERT ADAIR

What do I do next? Any suggestions? I was thinking of creating a fake profile and sending all this fake information to him with a well photoshopped fake license or something.

Some salient points to observe:

• The plant that he mentions is not the scientific name of anything. Google searches resulted in nothing relevant. In fact, it sounds like a Marathi surname :P
• For a Brit, the quality of his English is dropping like crazy with every other mail.
• Replies look like standard templates. There is a disconnect between my mails and his replies
• Identity thief, drug dealer or plain scamster?
• And no, I am not jobless. I am just trying to get some kicks and also understand the modus operandi. But it's mostly for the kicks