Farhad,

Thanks for getting these emails. Please post them in full. Even from what we knew before you got the texts, this was a typical spam scam of the "overpayment" variety. I agree that the triple exclamation point quote also does not look like Boylan's style. In addition, the use of a gmail account falls in line with the scammers simply choosing a random name from news accounts.

However, the longer quote is as poorly composed as much of Boylan's work, with the exception that Boylan appears somewhat more versed in punctuating his horrid grammar and composition. Posting the fraudulent emails in full would allow further analysis of this type.

All the Boylan apologists have to do is scream "identity theft" over and over again. They just need to repeat the point that Boylan has been impersonated before and insist that this must explain the letter to Greenwald.

They have the advantage of being able to state a simple fact that cannot be countered as just wrong. Arguments that begin "Yes, but..." lose many listeners before they begin.

About the only way to counter this is just to state loud and clear that Boylan is the author of the disputed letter. This is the only thing that is going to reach most people.

A somewhat more nuanced take is that nearly any reasonable person would reach that conclusion (which makes it as good as a fact and better than most commonly held views). I also accept that in the unlikely event that someone else is the author, we have more serious problems than an angry Colonel who can't keep his fingers from twitching. But by the time you get to this level of explanation, it starts to sound like a rationalization when the facts already speak for themselves. Nearly anyone can claim their previous embarrassing email was a forgery, but we usually leave them with the burden of proving it.

Ok, wow, so...I just read your latest Machinist article, and wanted to share this with you: essentially, the same fellow tried to scam me by renting our vacation home in Turkey. He had a godson and fiance (same names, Edward & Nina Kaminsky with a York, UK address), stated he was in the Gulf region, and had the same deal: a big check that he wanted to send us to forward on to an agent, etc... I have sent you the full email chain I had with him...as you can see in that email he also sent me a phone number and address. I told him that I didn't feel comfortable taking a big check from him, but I would be happy to rent my place to him - and I never heard from him again.

Check it out, very strange.

Now, here's an even stranger part: I was over in the Persian Gulf region working as a civilian analyst for the US Navy for almost two years (up until about 6 months ago). Perhaps he got a list of people who sent emails to or from US forces in the area? Who knows. Maybe you should call the phone number he lists and ask him...

Very odd.

I've seen this article and ones by Glenn Greenwald concerning Col. Boylan's emails. Regardless of whether the email's are actually written by him or not, it is easy to forge the contents of email headers to make them appear to have come from anywhere. In the last several years, email servers will check the contents of the LAST purported address in the server chain with the actual IP address of the connection as an anti-spam technique. All previous email server hops are totally unauthenticated. There is no reason to think that military machines have been hacked simply because someone gets email with their servers somewhere in the header. It is trivial to fake this if you can find one open mail relay. If you get spam then you get one of these faked emails. No self respecting system administrator would investigate for intrusions on this basis alone, so claiming that the military somehow should is silly.

For the record, I am pretty convinced that Boylan sent the initial emails, but that this other person (in the emails to me he called himself Mikel George) used Boylan's name and email, and who knows how many others, to try and scam people.

I haven't yet figured out Mikel's scam, but it sounds like a Nigerian-style one (I'll send you a big check, you forward the money on to others, etc...). I didn't fall for it, but the emails I did get from Mikel were very poorly written. Here is an excerpt (I have blanked out the phone number and address in the email, I assume that the names are all fake and the Georges and Kaminskys already have enough trouble now, but I did send the full email to the Machinist):

"Dear,

I have gone through the rental quote you provided and I dont think that I have any problem with that.

I earlier made mention of being in the gulf, due to calls effect to radar we have limited use of phone

for now here for l would have preferred to call. My home # XXX-XXX-XXX is directed to answering machine

as I am here. Due to distance and not knowing when I will be returning to active duty, I left instructions

and a check of ($4000)which I think contains the total of which your bill came up to and more money, I will

like it if on receipt of the payment, you deduct the rental cost of $300 to pencil the days and turn over

the balance to a specially recommended agent, who will offset other logistics arrangements for Flight tickets,

car hire, sightseeing in the area, brief set up winery tours around, meals/chef and basket with wine/champagne/liquor

for a predetermined amount though the negotiation with the agent is not yet concluded, its desired to make their honeymoon most memorable.

Confirm this and send to me the name whom the cashiers check payment should be made to and address it`s to be delivered,

with the phone number with which to confirm its delivery and I will send a confirmation instruction to my bearer for the

payment to be sent to you immediately. As I write this,the agent is supposed to contact me through e-mail to assert his

ability to take me up on the offer of logistics for the couple ,if not you should have a local agent contracted to do so

for them unless you dont provide such services.

Below is the guest information to prepare your rental agreement if needed to be forwarded to me through attachment which l will sign AFTER

l have secured all my financial commitments, The guests information :

Edward/Nina Kaminsky

address: XXXXXXXX"

Mikel's first email to me stated:

"Hello,

I wish to inquire booking availability in your home

for a 21 Days Honeymoon surprise wedding package of my Godson which I was unable to attend because I am presently in the Gulf region. Check your availability of 21 days vacancy effect in Nov. 2007 thou can be flexible preferably 1st through

21st, Confirm availability and get back to me immediately with scheduled date; cost for the period, Security Deposit, Cleaning

fees, Tax and any order major services to be rendered, all been totaled, for the couple alone,no pets, neither

do they smoke.I will need to conclude this booking

early enough ready for them to avoid any inconvenience during there stay.Bear in mind that I have Cashier's check made out for this transaction,is it okay to pay

with it? Regards. Mikel"