Diyarbakır mayor of Kurdish origin sees through Obama scam

Doğan News Agency

Hürriyet photo

Scammers attempting to embezzle money from Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir sent a letter using U.S. President Barack Obama’s forged signature.

The scammers told Baydemir that the Obama re-election campaign “would like to see support and contributions from our friends and allies during [the run-up to the election].”

The letter displayed an official White House letterhead and asked for the fiscal transaction to be “kept absolutely sensitive and confidential” and requested that Baydemir deposit money in a Garanti bank account.

The scam letter also noted the mayor’s Kurdish origins, saying, “[I am] looking forward to working with your government and all Kurdish people to build a better life.”

Baydemir, unfazed by the scam attempt, sent a reply to the “president,” kindly refusing the transaction and inviting him for dinner at his favorite local restaurant, referring to Obama's preferrence for local food when meeting with world leaders.