Colibri
September 1, 2001, 8:28pm
1
Yeah, I know there have been a several previous threads on this, both in MPSIMS and GQ (a search turned up one in MPSIMS in July). But I recently received a new incarnation of The Nigeria Scam (this one from Cote d’Ivoire and Togo), which I found particularly amusing since it arrived with the subject heading in the thread title, and I just had to share:
Subject: An urgent massage for the manager
Message:
PERSONAL AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
Attn:
I am Mrs Chibuzo Nwetego, an Ivorien widow with an only son Henry Nwetego.My husband was the chief security officer to the ousted President Henry BEDIE of Cote d’voire.During the over throw of 24th December 1999, my husband was among the people that were killed by the military.
Since after his death, I ran away with my only son, Please,may I introduce this business proposal to you with reference to an introduction and good recommandation made of you and your esteemed firm by my close friend.
I do hereby wish to ask for your assistance in urgent business transaction that requires absolute honesty and secrecy.Although I did not in any way disclose to my friend the details of this my proposal due to confidential nature of this transaction.By virtue of my husband’s position. The
I am using this opportunity to seek for your assistance to move this money to your country, to be invested on behalf of my only son. For this business to be concluded immediately, all you need to do is to arrange to meet with me and my son where this box is been lodged, open an account in your name, pay in the whole money after clearing and transfering it to your chosen account. We can’t do that on our own because we don’t have account else where, oreover, we don’t have any business to cover-up that is why we needed your assistance. I am ready to offer you 30% of the total sum and give you the full power to manage the reamaining 70% on be half of my son.Contact my son Solomon Nwetego where we are curently staying in a sister’s house in LOME-TOGO. This money we deposited it in the best security company in LOME-TOGO. Upon conclusion of arrangement, we shall forward to you the certificate of deposit, and the phone and fax number of the security company for confirmation. However, call my son at this number: [deleted by me] immediately you recieve this e-mail message.
Please, I want us to finish this business as quikly as possible.
Yours faithfuly
This one is particularly bizarre because, instead of the money being locked up in some bank account, they supposedly have $20 million US cash sitting stacked in a box - and they can’t figure out what to do with it. They also say I need to go to lovely Lome, Togo, to pick it up personally, and open a new bank account there . Usually these guys just ask for your existing US bank account. I’m sure that if I did call them, that’s what they would eventually want. But as it’s currently framed, the whole deal makes even less sense than the usual scam.
Any other sightings of this particular scam? And has anyone else ever received an urgent massage?
A more typical example of the Nigeria is the one below, which I received last week. Interestingly, Mr. Eze also is offering me a massage, this one surprising instead of urgent: “I KNOW THAT THIS MASSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON’T KNOW OUR SELVES BEFORE”
Subject: URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL
Message:
IN ORDER TO TRANSFER OUT (USD 26 MILLION DOLLARS) FROM OUR BANK. I HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK YOUR CO-OPORATION TO HANDLE THIS IMPORTANT BUSINESS BELIEVING THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN EITHER NOW OR IN FUTURE.
I AM MR.DANIEL EZE,THE CHIEF AUDITOR OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. (UBA). THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPENED IN THIS BANK IN 1980 AND SINCE 1990 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN. AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE RECORDS I
THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS, A FOREIGNER, AND THE MANAGER OF PETRO - TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES, A CHEMICAL ENGINEER BY PROFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 1990. 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 THIS COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS (USD 26 MILLION DOLLARS). I WANT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGNERS ACCOUNT ABROAD 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 BANK HERE, BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED TO ANY FOREIGN ACCOUNTBECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN US DOLLARS AND THE FORMER OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT IS MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS IS A FOREIGNER TOO.
I KNOW THAT THIS MASSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON’T KNOW OUR SELVES BEFORE, BUT BE SURE THAT IT IS REAL AND A GENUINE BUSINESS,RISK AND TROUBLE FREE. I ONLY GOT YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS FROM THE COMPUTER ,WITH BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS. YOU ARE
I WANT US TO MEET FACE TO FACE OR SIGN A BINDING AGREEMENT TO BIND US TOGETHER SO THAT YOU CAN RECIEVE THIS MONEY INTO A FORIEGN ACCOUNT OR ANY ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE THE FUND WILL BE SAFE.I WILL FLY TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR WITHDRAWAL, SHARING AND INVESTMENTS.
I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH FOREIGN ACCOUNT TO ACT AS THE FOREIGN BENEFICIARY. I NEED YOUR FULL CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS TRANSFER A SUCCESS 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 LATER IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU ARE ABLE AND WITH CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH AMOUNT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND TRUST ACCORDING TO MY INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT BECAUSE THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL NEVER COME AGAIN IN MY LIFE. I NEED TRUTHFUL PERSON IN THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO MAKE MISTAKE I NEED YOUR STRONG ASSURANCE OF YOUR ABILITY TO HANDLE A BUSINESS OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
WITH MY POSITION NOW IN THE OFFICE I CAN TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO ANY FOREIGNER’S RELIABLE ACCOUNT WHICH YOU CAN PROVIDE WITH ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACT PENDING MY PHYSICAL ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR SHARING. I WILL DESTROY ALL DOCUMENTS OF TRANSACTION IMMEDIATELY WE RECIEVE THIS MONEY LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANY PLACE. YOU CAN ALSO COME TO DISCUSS WITH ME FACE TO FACE AFTER WHICH I WILL MAKE THIS REMITTANCE IN YOUR PRESENCE AND TWO OF US WILL FLY TO YOUR COUNTRY AT LEAST TWO DAYS AHEAD OF THE MONEY GOING INTO THE ACCOUNT.
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 EFFECT LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FORMS OF THE 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 INCURED DURING THE PROCESS OF TRANSFERING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EARLIEST REPLY.
SINCERELY,
So wait, all I have to do is fly to Africa and open up an account or something, then I will be a millionaire? Sounds better than playing the lottery. Where do I sign?
**
Bullshit! Any bank in the world would accept 20 million dollars in US cash. Shit, with that much you could start your own bank . Must be some strange Nigerian law that was enacted to maintain their financial instability as a third-world nation. :rolleyes:
Chas.E
September 2, 2001, 1:46am
4
BTW, I should point out that the FBI recently went abroad with a SWAT team to rescue a group of American victims of the “Nigerian Scam.” The victims went over to Africa to do the deal, and ended up being held for ransom. FBI agents broke em out. I read about this on CNN.com but I can’t find the cite.
I’m pretty sure it’s also on Snopes somewhere…
20 mil in 100 dollar bills would make a very big box.
There are tons of these scams… the scary part is, that a few people were recently lured to Africa and murdered. I can’t recall where I saw this but if the cite is of great importance to anyone I can search for it.
A listing of several Nigeria Scam Letters: http://www.naspa.com.au/scam.htm