chance to help someone in Uganda w/HP-19BII?

[Gene]

I got the email below from ssennyonjovincent@hotmail.com and do not have this part he seeks. I have no idea if this is a scam or real request, but since it is only for a small calculator part, I thought someone here might could help.
Either way, I am not involved beyond posting this here. --Gene
-------------------------------------------

During my studies for the MSc in international securities, investment and banking at Reading University (ISMA Center),UK in 1997 Iwas introdeced to the HP Calculator as part of our instructional tools. Before returning home to Uganda I ordered the above HP 19BII -BUSINESS CONSULTANT II ID 71200813 from US because I could not get it from UK. It arrived in mid September when I had already left for home.My friend forwarded it to my address in Uganda. On receiving it I noticed that the "battery holder cover" could not close properly because one of the plastic looping pins was broken. I had no alternative but to use it as it was. However, recently, I lost the cover. There is no dealer in such equipment in Uganda my search for the cover in Kenya where there is some represenative was fruitless.Shipment to US or to Indonesia for repairs would be too expensive.Purchasing a new one would be equally costly,and I fear pirated versions.
I do need the calculator desperately for instructions to my students and also for my research work.
Please do advise me what I can do. Below is my full address:
Thank you.
Vincent M M SSENNYONJO
PO Box 21041
Kampala
Uganda

[Jon]

it's a scam. his motive seems to be obtaining personal information. if john doe sends him the part, he'll have john doe's name and address. he may encourage future contact to obtain more information. also, he emphasizes that he "desparately" needs the calculator to teach and to research. i dont see how a missing battery cover will prevent him from doing either. he could just apply tape over the batteries to prevent them from falling out. also, take note of his mailing address. it's a p.o. box in a foreign country...meaning, it's pretty much impossible to track him.

[Randy]

I'd be willing to bet it's a scam. The "19Bii battery door needed" is taken from an classified ad that ran some time ago, he got your email from a posting?

If he really needed one, why not post in the classifieds? Why the direct email?

[Vieira, Luiz C. (Brazil)]

Hi;

if he sends his broken calculator to be repaired, he will pay costs and receive a new model. No need for that sort of battery holder because the new HP19BII has a different battery port.

If he is a scam, let it goes. If he is interested, he should read answers in here. Whay didn't he post here, instead he sent a private message?

My thoughts.

Luiz C. Vieira - Brasil

[Chris Randle (UK)]

I'm pretty certain that I saw an almost identical message on a mailing list many months ago. It wasn't about the 19BII, IIRC, but it was pretty much the same sort of wording. The other list concluded that it was a scam for harvesting personal details.

One thing that makes me very suspicious of this one is that the 19BII was readily available in the UK.