# I Have Joined The Club! I Have FINALLY Recieved A Nigerian Scam Letter!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 12, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906 "2004-02-12T19:27:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/1 "2004-02-12T19:27:54Z")

</div>

AT LONG LAST!!

Nobody can truly call themselves a websurfer until they have recieved a Nigerian Scam e-mail.

AND NOW I HAVE!! HUZZAH!! THREE CHEERS & A TIGER FOR **ME**!

I was beginning to think Nigerian was mad at me!

The letter—

> [@](#):
>
> FROM:DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA  
> ABACHA ROAD  
> KANO - NIGERIA.  
> DEAR SIR,  
> I AM DR. (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA, A HELPLESS AND DEHUMANISED WIDOW OF LATE GENERAL  
> SANI ABACHA, EX-MILITARY HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA WHO DIED ON THE 8TH OF JUNE  
> 1998 OF HEART PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED YOU BECAUSE OF MY NEED TO DEAL WITH PERSONS  
> WHOM MY FAMILY AND I HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. SINCE THE  
> DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO ALL SORTS OF HARASSMENT AND  
> INTIMIDATION WITH LOTS OF NEGATIVE REPORTS EMANATING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE  
> PRESS ABOUT MY HUSBAND. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ENSURED THAT OUR BANK  
> ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN AND ALL ASSETS SEIZED.  
> IT IS IN VIEW OF THIS, THAT I SEEK YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN THE  
> TRANSFER OF THIS SUM OF US$14,500,000 (FOURTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDERD UNITED  
> STATES DOLLARS ONLY) BEING THE VERY LAST OF MY FAMILY FUND IN MY POSSESSION AND  
> CONTROL. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEIZED ALL OUR PROPERTIES AND FROZE ALL OUR  
> ACCOUNTS BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL. AFTER THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, BUT MY  
> ONLY HOPE NOW IS THIS AVAILABLE US$14.5M CASH WHICH MY HUSBAND CAREFULLY  
> PACKAGED AND DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY OUTSIDE NIGERIA.  
> WE THEREFORE NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE TO CLEAR THIS MONEY FROM THE SECURITY  
> COMPANY AND MOVE IT TO YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR INVESTMENT INTO A  
> PROFITABLE BUSINESS. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST US IN CLEARING AND INVESTING  
> THIS MONEY ON OUR BEHALF, PLEASE, CONTACT OUR LAWYERS AT INTEGRITY CHAMBER)  
> IMMEDIATELY WITH THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS:  
> FROM:DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA  
> ABACHA ROAD  
> KANO - NIGERIA.  
> DEAR SIR,  
> I AM DR. (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA, A HELPLESS AND DEHUMANISED WIDOW OF LATE GENERAL  
> SANI ABACHA, EX-MILITARY HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA WHO DIED ON THE 8TH OF JUNE  
> 1998 OF HEART PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED YOU BECAUSE OF MY NEED TO DEAL WITH PERSONS  
> WHOM MY FAMILY AND I HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. SINCE THE  
> DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO ALL SORTS OF HARASSMENT AND  
> INTIMIDATION WITH LOTS OF NEGATIVE REPORTS EMANATING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE  
> PRESS ABOUT MY HUSBAND. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ENSURED THAT OUR BANK  
> ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN AND ALL ASSETS SEIZED.  
> IT IS IN VIEW OF THIS, THAT I SEEK YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN THE  
> TRANSFER OF THIS SUM OF US$14,500,000 (FOURTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDERD UNITED  
> STATES DOLLARS ONLY) BEING THE VERY LAST OF MY FAMILY FUND IN MY POSSESSION AND  
> CONTROL. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEIZED ALL OUR PROPERTIES AND FROZE ALL OUR  
> ACCOUNTS BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL. AFTER THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, BUT MY  
> ONLY HOPE NOW IS THIS AVAILABLE US$14.5M CASH WHICH MY HUSBAND CAREFULLY  
> PACKAGED AND DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY OUTSIDE NIGERIA.  
> WE THEREFORE NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE TO CLEAR THIS MONEY FROM THE SECURITY  
> COMPANY AND MOVE IT TO YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR INVESTMENT INTO A  
> PROFITABLE BUSINESS. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST US IN CLEARING AND INVESTING  
> THIS MONEY ON OUR BEHALF, PLEASE, CONTACT OUR LAWYERS AT INTEGRITY CHAMBER)  
> IMMEDIATELY WITH THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS: OMMITTED BY Bosda WITH THIS  
> CODE: AB/CA-10, SO THAT HE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE FROM ME AND INDICATE YOUR  
> INTEREST. HE WILL CONTACT YOU AND GIVE YOU THE DETAILS AND NEGOTIATE YOUR REWARD  
> WHICH I CAN ASSURE YOU WILL BE VERY SUBSTANTIAL. YOU SEE I CANNOT DEAL DIRECTLY  
> WITH YOU BECAUSE I AM BEING MONITORED BY GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENTS. YOU HAVE TO  
> MAKE SURE YOU INFORM ME ABOUT YOUR DEALINGS WITH THE LAWYER VIA E-MAIL.  
> PLEASE ENSURE TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL VERY SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL FOR OBVIOUS  
> REASONS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WILL LIKE TO KNOW  
> PLEASE YOU ARE FREE TO ASK FOR ANWSERS.  
> WE AWAIT YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.  
> SINCERELY,  
> DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA.  
> N.B. PLEASE DIRECT ALL YOUR MAILS AND ENQUIRIES TO THE GENTLEMEN AT INTEGRITY  
> CHAMBERS FOR OBVIOUS SECURITY REASONS. OMMITTED BY Bosda WITH THIS CODE:  
> AB/CA-10, SO THAT HE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE FROM ME AND INDICATE YOUR INTEREST.  
> HE WILL CONTACT YOU AND GIVE YOU THE DETAILS AND NEGOTIATE YOUR REWARD WHICH I  
> CAN ASSURE YOU WILL BE VERY SUBSTANTIAL. YOU SEE I CANNOT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH YOU  
> BECAUSE I AM BEING MONITORED BY GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENTS. YOU HAVE TO MAKE  
> SURE YOU INFORM ME ABOUT YOUR DEALINGS WITH THE LAWYER VIA E-MAIL.  
> PLEASE ENSURE TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL VERY SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL FOR OBVIOUS  
> REASONS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WILL LIKE TO KNOW  
> PLEASE YOU ARE FREE TO ASK FOR ANWSERS.  
> WE AWAIT YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.  
> SINCERELY,  
> DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA.  
> N.B. PLEASE DIRECT ALL YOUR MAILS AND ENQUIRIES TO THE GENTLEMEN AT INTEGRITY  
> CHAMBERS FOR OBVIOUS SECURITY REASONS.

It was a UK e-mail site. And yes, the one e-mail had a double post in it.

Those Nigerian hamster get the giggles, too!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/2 "2004-02-12T19:29:50Z")

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AT LONG LAST!!

Nobody can truly call themselves a websurfer until they have recieved a Nigerian Scam e-mail.

AND NOW I HAVE!! HUZZAH!! THREE CHEERS & A TIGER FOR **ME**!

I was beginning to think Nigerian was mad at me!

The letter—

> [@](#):
>
> FROM:DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA  
> ABACHA ROAD  
> KANO - NIGERIA.  
> DEAR SIR,  
> I AM DR. (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA, A HELPLESS AND DEHUMANISED WIDOW OF LATE GENERAL  
> SANI ABACHA, EX-MILITARY HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA WHO DIED ON THE 8TH OF JUNE  
> 1998 OF HEART PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED YOU BECAUSE OF MY NEED TO DEAL WITH PERSONS  
> WHOM MY FAMILY AND I HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. SINCE THE  
> DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO ALL SORTS OF HARASSMENT AND  
> INTIMIDATION WITH LOTS OF NEGATIVE REPORTS EMANATING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE  
> PRESS ABOUT MY HUSBAND. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ENSURED THAT OUR BANK  
> ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN AND ALL ASSETS SEIZED.  
> IT IS IN VIEW OF THIS, THAT I SEEK YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN THE  
> TRANSFER OF THIS SUM OF US$14,500,000 (FOURTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDERD UNITED  
> STATES DOLLARS ONLY) BEING THE VERY LAST OF MY FAMILY FUND IN MY POSSESSION AND  
> CONTROL. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEIZED ALL OUR PROPERTIES AND FROZE ALL OUR  
> ACCOUNTS BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL. AFTER THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, BUT MY  
> ONLY HOPE NOW IS THIS AVAILABLE US$14.5M CASH WHICH MY HUSBAND CAREFULLY  
> PACKAGED AND DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY OUTSIDE NIGERIA.  
> WE THEREFORE NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE TO CLEAR THIS MONEY FROM THE SECURITY  
> COMPANY AND MOVE IT TO YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR INVESTMENT INTO A  
> PROFITABLE BUSINESS. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST US IN CLEARING AND INVESTING  
> THIS MONEY ON OUR BEHALF, PLEASE, CONTACT OUR LAWYERS AT INTEGRITY CHAMBER)  
> IMMEDIATELY WITH THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS:  
> FROM:DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA  
> ABACHA ROAD  
> KANO - NIGERIA.  
> DEAR SIR,  
> I AM DR. (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA, A HELPLESS AND DEHUMANISED WIDOW OF LATE GENERAL  
> SANI ABACHA, EX-MILITARY HEAD OF STATE OF NIGERIA WHO DIED ON THE 8TH OF JUNE  
> 1998 OF HEART PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED YOU BECAUSE OF MY NEED TO DEAL WITH PERSONS  
> WHOM MY FAMILY AND I HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. SINCE THE  
> DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO ALL SORTS OF HARASSMENT AND  
> INTIMIDATION WITH LOTS OF NEGATIVE REPORTS EMANATING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE  
> PRESS ABOUT MY HUSBAND. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ENSURED THAT OUR BANK  
> ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN AND ALL ASSETS SEIZED.  
> IT IS IN VIEW OF THIS, THAT I SEEK YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN THE  
> TRANSFER OF THIS SUM OF US$14,500,000 (FOURTEEN MILLION FIVE HUNDERD UNITED  
> STATES DOLLARS ONLY) BEING THE VERY LAST OF MY FAMILY FUND IN MY POSSESSION AND  
> CONTROL. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEIZED ALL OUR PROPERTIES AND FROZE ALL OUR  
> ACCOUNTS BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL. AFTER THE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND, BUT MY  
> ONLY HOPE NOW IS THIS AVAILABLE US$14.5M CASH WHICH MY HUSBAND CAREFULLY  
> PACKAGED AND DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY OUTSIDE NIGERIA.  
> WE THEREFORE NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE TO CLEAR THIS MONEY FROM THE SECURITY  
> COMPANY AND MOVE IT TO YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER PLACE FOR INVESTMENT INTO A  
> PROFITABLE BUSINESS. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST US IN CLEARING AND INVESTING  
> THIS MONEY ON OUR BEHALF, PLEASE, CONTACT OUR LAWYERS AT INTEGRITY CHAMBER)  
> IMMEDIATELY WITH THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL ADDRESS: OMMITTED BY Bosda WITH THIS  
> CODE: AB/CA-10, SO THAT HE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE FROM ME AND INDICATE YOUR  
> INTEREST. HE WILL CONTACT YOU AND GIVE YOU THE DETAILS AND NEGOTIATE YOUR REWARD  
> WHICH I CAN ASSURE YOU WILL BE VERY SUBSTANTIAL. YOU SEE I CANNOT DEAL DIRECTLY  
> WITH YOU BECAUSE I AM BEING MONITORED BY GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENTS. YOU HAVE TO  
> MAKE SURE YOU INFORM ME ABOUT YOUR DEALINGS WITH THE LAWYER VIA E-MAIL.  
> PLEASE ENSURE TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL VERY SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL FOR OBVIOUS  
> REASONS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WILL LIKE TO KNOW  
> PLEASE YOU ARE FREE TO ASK FOR ANWSERS.  
> WE AWAIT YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.  
> SINCERELY,  
> DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA.  
> N.B. PLEASE DIRECT ALL YOUR MAILS AND ENQUIRIES TO THE GENTLEMEN AT INTEGRITY  
> CHAMBERS FOR OBVIOUS SECURITY REASONS. OMMITTED BY Bosda WITH THIS CODE:  
> AB/CA-10, SO THAT HE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE FROM ME AND INDICATE YOUR INTEREST.  
> HE WILL CONTACT YOU AND GIVE YOU THE DETAILS AND NEGOTIATE YOUR REWARD WHICH I  
> CAN ASSURE YOU WILL BE VERY SUBSTANTIAL. YOU SEE I CANNOT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH YOU  
> BECAUSE I AM BEING MONITORED BY GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENTS. YOU HAVE TO MAKE  
> SURE YOU INFORM ME ABOUT YOUR DEALINGS WITH THE LAWYER VIA E-MAIL.  
> PLEASE ENSURE TO KEEP THIS PROPOSAL VERY SECRET AND CONFIDENTIAL FOR OBVIOUS  
> REASONS AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WILL LIKE TO KNOW  
> PLEASE YOU ARE FREE TO ASK FOR ANWSERS.  
> WE AWAIT YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE.  
> SINCERELY,  
> DR (MRS.) MARYAM ABACHA.  
> N.B. PLEASE DIRECT ALL YOUR MAILS AND ENQUIRIES TO THE GENTLEMEN AT INTEGRITY  
> CHAMBERS FOR OBVIOUS SECURITY REASONS.

It was a UK e-mail site.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/3 "2004-02-12T21:01:30Z")

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Ah, Abacha’s are a dime a dozen these days. Not to rain on your parade or anything, but the better (and rare) ones have a satellite phone number attached. If you really want some, set up a spoof account, then google “mugu guymen” and a bazillion guestbooks will be listed. Look for “MUGU GUYMEN! I DEY HERE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”, as those are 419ers telling other 419ers to piss off, this is their board. Put your spoof name and address in about five or six guestbooks, and your box will be full within a week. Gah-ron-teeed.

Also check out [www.scamorama.com](http://www.scamorama.com) for people who do this for sport.

Vlad/Igor

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/4 "2004-02-12T21:02:59Z")

</div>

What a slut that Maryam is. She wrote to me with a very similar offer on May 27, 2002. (However, that seems to have been before she was dehumanised.) She offered me a cut of $15 million, though, so it seems she’s been able to get her hands on some of the loot in the meantime.

On the other hand, I’ve also received two e-mails from Miriam Abacha, also a wife of Sani, which are more similar to the one you received.

I also got an e-mail from Sunirat Abacha, who is the daughter-in-law of Sani.

Also a letters from Barrister IJEWELE EGO, lawyer for the Abacha family. Plus one from Mr. Steve Akosa, a former special adviser on Petroleum to the late president, and from Dr. Jerry Williams, his former Energy Adviser.

Plus more than 50 other offers from folks in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, South Africa, the Philippines, Haiti, etc.

If you really liked the e-mail you got, I’d be happy to forward your address to all of these guys. 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/5 "2004-02-12T21:06:11Z")

</div>

Pfff! I got one from **Dr.** Miriam Abacha. Top that!! 😃

Vlad/Igor

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/6 "2004-02-12T22:35:33Z")

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> [@Vlad/Igor](#):
>
> Pfff! I got one from **Dr.** Miriam Abacha. Top that!! 😃
> 
> Vlad/Igor

Ha! I see your Dr. Miriam Abacha (well actually both a “Dr.Mrs.Maryam Abacha.esq” _and_ a “Dr. Mrs. Munirat M. Abacha” in the same letter, plus a “Dr. (Mrs.) Mariam B. Abacha (GCFR)” in another one), and raise you:

[ul]“Senator Fred Brume, of the Delta state central senatorial district of Nigeria,”[/ul]

[ul]“Senator Luisa Pimentel Estrada, the first wife of Joseph Ejercito Estrada (former head of state and President of Philippines).”[/ul]

And last but not least:  
[ul]“PRINCE JAMES MOKOBA the Crown Prince and Heir apparent to the paramount ruler of Idemili local kingdom,”  
[/ul]

Top _THAT!_

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/7 "2004-02-13T00:15:02Z")

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Bosda, be careful, because most of these letters are scams. I got a similar letter promising me $12 million if I would go to Nigeria to help them move their money out of the country. Well, expenses mounted up naturally with unexpected needs for bribes and bail and by the time I was finished I only netted $5 million. So watch yourself.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/8 "2004-02-13T02:20:58Z")

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Damn! I had a spoof account with about 200 letters in it (I was tracking them by IP and phone number at one time) but I let it go, so I don’t have any others to play.

I did make a guy wait for me at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, though.

Vlad/Igor

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/9 "2004-02-13T11:24:32Z")

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The last one I got pertained to be from the troops in Iraq. Apparently they had looted one of Saddam’s treasure palaces and needed help getting all the bullion and jewels etc out of the country…

Do people really fall for this stuff?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/10 "2004-02-13T11:34:51Z")

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ir didn’t pertain. It purported. Im an idiot…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/11 "2004-02-13T12:32:57Z")

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“Do people really fall for this stuff?”

Yes they do. Quite a few don’t think, can’t see the ridiculousness, have no critical skills, or are just flat out greedy. Quite a bit of money goes to these 419ers, making them wealthy in their country, or live very comfortably in Europe. A lot of English-speaking people around the world take these guys on to harrass them, waste their time, probe the theft ring etc. to try to bring them down.

Vlad/Igor

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/12 "2004-02-13T13:16:11Z")

</div>

Ooooooo they had these guys on ‘Scambusters’ on TV a few weeks ago. They met the 419er’s in Amsterdam, pretended that their contribution was buried in a park and sent them chasing around the park with a treasure map drawn by the 9 year old son of one of the crew members. Very funny!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/13 "2004-02-13T16:05:38Z")

</div>

> [@Vlad/Igor](#):
>
> Pfff! I got one from **Dr.** Miriam Abacha. Top that!! 😃
> 
> Vlad/Igor

A friend of mine, who used to live in Africa, told me that “Dr.” is often used to imply that the person speaks English. Can someone elaborate?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/14 "2004-02-13T16:31:36Z")

</div>

> [@One And Only Wanderers](#):
>
> The last one I got pertained to be from the troops in Iraq. Apparently they had looted one of Saddam’s treasure palaces and needed help getting all the bullion and jewels etc out of the country…

Were their names Clooney, Cube and Wahlberg, by chance?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JerH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-joined-the-club-i-have-finally-recieved-a-nigerian-scam-letter/228906/15 "2004-02-13T16:51:05Z")

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I know the Nigerian letters are scams…but just this week, I got business proposals from China, Korea, and the Ivory Coast asking me to help them move money out of the country. So, while all you suckers lose your shirts to Nigerian crooks, I’ll be livin’ large on my ill-gotten Chinese, Korean, and Ivory Coastian cash. 😛