It's a scam. Found this version of the letter from 2000 where the person is trying to get someone to donate a Sega Genesis!
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=9db312b0e7871e50&rnum=1
Delivered-To:
gametrad@wvi.com
To:
gametrad@wvi.com
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:28:10 -0600
Subject: Gameboy
X-Mailer: Juno 4.0.5
From: "Arati M. Jambotkar" <aratimj@juno.com>
Greetings! I recently viewed your immensely impressive Sega Genesis
system with games upon the Ebay auction block. Initially, please
allow
me to introduce myself; I, Arati Jambotkar, currently am a second-year
student at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school in
Philadelphia. However, I currently am residing within my hometown of
LaPlace, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, due to a required
temporary
medical leave of absence.
The impending reason as to why I currently am addressing you remains
that
my younger cousin Mithun, who tragically became diagnosed with
lymphocytic leukemia almost five years ago, is ecstatically
celebrating
his sixteenth birthday this year (SIDE NOTE: This remains a
thoroughly
shocking phenomenon due to the fact that a plethora of doctors
formerly
predicted that Mithun would fail to live past the age of fifteen).
You
see, Mithun remains the #1 fan of video game systems; more than
anything
within this entire world, I would love to deliver to him various
minuscule and fairly inexpensive former, slightly used video game
system
for this truly memorable occasion. Unfortunately, due to enormous
tuition fees, etc., I remain thoroughly unable to purchase these items
for this truly courageous and spirited soul known as my cousin. What
makes matters worse is the fact that Make-a-Wish Foundation remains
unable to assist Mithun in this request due to the fact that his
cancer
has not been deemed within the "terminal phase" yet.
Therefore, since I recently viewed your fairly inexpensive auction
upon
the Ebay auction block, I currently am wondering as to whether or not
you
may remain willing to donate perhaps one inexpensive Genesis console
and/or game to this truly noteworthy cause (i.e. whatever you remain
willing and able to spare shall be much appreciated). Unfortunately,
I
remain truly sorry and rather embarrassed to state that I do not
remain
within the position to provide you with anything in exchange except
for
utter devotion to promoting your website and Ebay sales to my numerous
relatives, acquaintances, and friends at the University of
Pennsylvania
and at various other nationwide colleges. In addition, I can promise
you
that this magnanimous act will provide you with the genuine
heart-warming
satisfaction of realizing that you are assisting a cancerous child...I
know for a fact that Mithun wishes for this particular item more than
anything else in the world!
Please respond ASAP at either this address (i.e. "aratimj@juno.com")
in
regards to your thoughts concerning this matter within an utterly
positive sense, and I sincerely anticipate hearing from you soon!
Once
again, I genuinely appreciate your immense assistance, understanding,
and
cooperation in advance.
Sincerely,
Arati Jambotkar
Facebook
Twitter