A Marine Get Rich Internet Scam

We've all been bombarded by scam e-mails from the spouses or children of deposed African politicians offering millions of dollars if we just help move some purloined cash.

Today, I received an e-mail with a novel twist on that scheme: a supposed Marine NCO serving in Afghanistan told me that he had found $14.5 million hidden in barrels in Helmland province and I could share in the lucre if I help get the money out of the country.

This scam is so patently obvious it's almost laughable, since it mimics the language used in decades-old Nigerian e-mail scams.

And the scammer did not research the Marine Corps very well. My new Marine NCO friend said he serves in the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, a reserve outfit that has not been mobilized since Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

It's hard to imagine anyone falling for this but it's also good to put out a warning.