ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area I can't believe that this scam really works!

Another...

ENGR DELE DANIELS
FEDERAL SECRETARIAT IKOYI,
LAGOS-NIGERIA.

Dear Sir,

REQUEST FOR YOUR UNRESERVED ASSISTANCE.
This mail may come to you as a surprise but it was borne out of my sincere desire to share a mutual business relationship with you. First, your strictest confidence in this transaction is highly solicited. This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and top secret. I am a top government official with a statutory corporation and member of an adhoc committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to review contract awarded by past administration. In the course of identifying, scrutinising and recommending for the payment of all valid contract executed, we discovered a huge sum of money amounting to USD2.5M (Two Million five Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on grossly over invoiced contract already awarded and executed for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.Having cleaned the ‘AUGEAN STABLE‘ we intend to transfer the balance of USD2.5M presently floating in our aney bank of Nigeria to our own benefit and advantage. However, we request for your unwavering assistance in this regard because as civil servants we are prohibited under the civil service code of conduct bureau from operating a foreign account or running a foreign company unless after retirement in this vain we want you to front for us as partner to enable us lodge the funds speedily into your account. Bear in mind that no risk is attached to this project and all logistics are in place and modalities worked out for the smooth conclusion within a stipulated time. This is in accordance with the fact that you must never betray the trust already reposed on you.

We have decided to compensate you with 25% of the total sum for your support, 70% for us while 5% for miscellaneous expenses (local and
international). Please,provide your confidential phone and fax number,to enable me contact you for further discussion on this matter. Please advise on your return e-mail if any time is confidential enough to call . Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

ENGR.DELE DANIELS

and of course the fad of the century....

I just got one from "Dr. Hilary M. Okoh, The Director and Accounts unit. International Bank for Africa, Lome, Republic of Togo."
The curious thing is that it was addressed to ScottW, which is the way I'm registered (only) at IAEI & Holt's forums.
Therein must lie the "Sucker's List"

It does indeed seem that some people fall for these scams:

ABC News item
BBC News story (Scary!)

And for some general information:
www.419fraud.com


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 06-28-2002).]

Hey everybody, lookee what I got in the ole inbox this morning. You think it's legit?

(give you a hint, it came from India)

MR. UME UGO
3/5 RIDER HAGGARD
CLOSE, JO, BORG
SOUTH AFRICA.
Tel:874 - 762864167
Fax:874 - 762864168

(URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL)

(RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 126,000.000.00 USD}
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MILLION DOLLARS

Dear sir,

We want to transfer to overseas account
($ 126,000.000.00 USD) one hundred and twenty six million United
States Dollars) from a Prime Bank in Africa, I want to ask you to
quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable
and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up
a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty
a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain
honest to me till the end for this important business trusting in
you and believing in God that you will never let me down either
now or in future.

I am UME UGO,the Auditor General of one of the prime
banks here South Africa, during the course of our
auditing,I discovered a floating fund in an account
opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has
operated on this account again, after going through
some old files in the records I discovered that the
owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the
money is floating and if I do not remit this money
out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The
owner of this account is Mr. Allan P.Seaman, a
foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since
1993. and no other person knows about this account or
any thing concerning it, the account has no other
beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well
that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager
Diamond Safari [pty]. SA.

We will start the first transfer with twenty six
million [$26,000.000] upon successful transaction
without any disappoint from your side, we shall
re-apply for the payment of the remaining rest
amount to your account.

The amount involved is (USD 126 M) one hundred and twenty six
million United States Dollars only. I want
to first transfer $26,000.000 [Twenty six million
United States Dollar] from this money into a safe
foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I
don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you
as a foreigner because this money can not be approved
to a local person here, without valid international
foreign passport, but can only be approved to any
foreigner with valid international passport or
drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is
in US dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr.
Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too,and the money can
only be approved into a foreign a/c.

However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind
us together. I got your contact address from the
Girl who operates my computer, I am revealing this to
you with believe in God that you will never let me
down
in this business, you are the first and the only
person that I am contacting for this business, so
please reply urgently so that I will inform you the
next step to take urgently. Send also your private
telephone and fax number including the full details of
the account to be used for the deposit.

I want us to meet face to face to build confidence
and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us
together before transferring the money to any
account of your choice where the fund will be safe.
Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing
and investments.

I need your full co-operation to make this work
fine, Because the management is ready to approve
this payment to any foreigner who has correct
information of this account, which I will give to you,
upon your positive response and once I am convinced
that you are capable and will meet up with
instruction of a key bank official who is deeply
involved with me in this business. I need your strong
assurance that you will never, never let me down.

With my influence and the position of the bank
official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's
reliable account which you can provide with assurance
that this money will be intact pending our physical
arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official
will destroy all documents of transaction immediately
we receive this money leaving no trace to any place
and to build confidence you can come immediately to
discuss with me face to face after which I will make
this remittance in your presence and three of us
will fly to your country at least two days ahead of
the
money going into the account. I will apply for annual
leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you
are ready to act and receive this fund in your
account. I will use my position and influence to
obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of
this money to your account with appropriate clearance
from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange
departments.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given
35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while
5% will be for expenses both parties might have
incurred during the process of transferring.

I look forward to your earliest reply.
Yours truly
Ume Ugo

_________________________________________________________

HEY!!!!!!!!!! I got the same letter last night, so WHO does UME want to transfer this money to? BOY am I offended

I just received this one and wowee - I'M RICH!!!

My name hasn't been this last name for a couple of years (which isn't even spelled the same as mine was and it was only on loan via marriage) but hey, I'm the lucky winner!

I quote:


Dear Aiken,
I am Barrister James Ibe , a solicitor at law. I am the personal attorney to Mr. Patrick Aiken a national of your country, who used to work with Shell Development Company in Nigeria. Here in after shall be referred to as my client. On the 21st of April 2000, my client, his wife and their only daughter were involved in a car accident along sagbama express road.


All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy here to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in repartrating the fund valued at US$12.5 million left behind by my client before it gets confisicated or declared unserviceable by the Security Finance Firm where this huge amount were deposited. The said Security Finance company has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confisicated within the next twenty one official working days.

Since I have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer.

I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Please get in touch with me through this email:
(jamesibe1@mail.com)for more details.

Best regards,


Barr. James Ibe (SAN).

I received a copy of this one yesterday, and TWO copies today!

Has anyone else noticed the phone number given here?

874 is not a valid area code within South Africa, so we must assume it's a country code and he forgot the "+" in front of it. But South Africa is +27. Code 874 is access to the Inmarsat satellite service for the Western Atlantic region. Real convincing, eh?

Here is an interview with one of the originators of this scam (an 11 year old child):

Meet the Nigerian E-Mail Grifters

Bill