A Disturbing New Form of Extortion

I'm used to receiving letters promising me millions of dollars from the Swiss bank account of former African political leaders, etc. written in sometimes hilariously bad English--especially by people pretending to be American soldiers in Iraq. Here's one of many such examples I received today:

Dear Frend,
How are doing today together with your family well,I have been waiting foryou since to come down here and pick your Bank Draft($850.000.00.USD) but did not heard from you since that time, then I went and deposited the Draft Package with Global Max Courier deliver company here in Benin Republic, because I travelled to Iraq to see my boss and will not come back till next month end.
You have to contact the Global Trust Courier deliver company to know when they will deliver your package to your Destination.I have paid for the delivering charges and insurance fee for the package.
The only money you have to send to them is there security keeping fee which is $98.00 US Dollars to received your package ok.Don't be deceived by anybody and This is there Contact Address Contact Dr.IKE DOMINIC, Director Global Max Courier deliver company Benin Republic.
E-mail:(glo_maxccb30@yahoo.fr) Tellphone Number +229-97 552 819 .
Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee.I gave them your delivering address but you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake in the delivering it to you ok With Below information.
1.YOUR FULL NAME-------------------
2.COUNTRY LOCATE-------------------
3.HOME ADDRESS---------------------
4.TELEPHONE------------------------
5.COPY OF YOUR PICTURE-------------
Try and Let me know as soon as you receive your Draft Package Via Global Max Courier Delivery Company to enable me know that you have reveived your package ok.
Thanks & Waiting for your Response,
Barrister Anthony.

But this is the first letter that I have received that went directly to the kind of threats that anyone foolish enough to engage those (usually) Nigerian-based scamsters usually experiences:

HELLO

I am very sorry for you Xxxxxx, is a pity that this is how your life
is going to end as soon as you don't comply. As you can see there is no
needof introducing myself to you because I don't have any business with you,
my duty as I am mailing you now is just to KILL you and I have to do it
as I have already been paid for that.

Someone you call a friend wants you Dead by all means, and the person
have spent a lot of money on this, the person also came to us and told
me that he wanted you dead and he provided us with your name ,picture and
other necessary information's we needed about you. So I sent my boys to track
you down and they have carried out the necessary investigation needed
for the operation on you, and they have done that but I told them not to
kill you that I will like to contact you and see if your life is
Important to you or not since their findings shows that you are innocent.
I called my client back and ask him of your email address which I didn't
tell him what I wanted to do with it and he gave it to me and I am
using it to contact you now. As I am writing to you now my men
are monitoring you and they are telling me everything about you.
Now do you want to LIVE OR DIE? As someone has paid us to kill
you. Get back to me now if you are ready.

If you are not ready for my help, then I will carry on with my job
straight-up.

WARNING: DO NOT THINK OF CONTACTING THE POLICE OR EVEN TELLING ANYONE
BECAUSE I WILL KNOW.REMEMBER, SOMEONE WHO KNOWS YOU VERY WELL WANT YOU
DEAD! I WILL EXTEND IT TO YOUR FAMILY, INCASE I NOTICE SOMETHING FUNNY.
DO NOT COME OUT ONCE IT IS 7:PM UNTIL I MAKE OUT TIME TO SEE YOU
AND GIVE YOU THE TAPE OF MY DISCUSSION WITH THE PERSON WHO WANT YOU DEAD
THEN YOU CAN USE IT TO TAKE ANY LEGAL ACTION. GOOD LUCK AS I AWAIT YOUR
REPLY EMAIL:mr.frankcole12@gmail.com

Oh yeah--he knows enough about me that it is addressed to XXXXXXXX.