# Make sense of this weird e-mail I got.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 23, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129 "2001-10-23T17:44:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/1 "2001-10-23T17:44:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Date: Tue, Oct 23rd 2001 00:33:00 Filter sender  
> From: pius akubueze \<[pakubueze@onebox.com](mailto:pakubueze@onebox.com)\> Add to Address Book  
> To: [shiro@zensearch.net](mailto:shiro@zensearch.net) Download Message  
> Cc: View Header  
> Subject: CONFIDENTIAL / PRIVATE Include Original: Yes/No
> 
> CONFIDENTIAL / PRIVATE  
> MR P.O.AKUBUEZE  
> LAGOS - NIGERIA  
> Dear  
> BUSINESS TRANSFER OF US$45.5M ( FORTY FIVE MILLION  
> FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY)  
> I am the New Auditor General to Audit Government  
> Account for this 2001 year budget, during my  
> auditing, I discovered that there was an over invoiced  
> amount of US$45.5 Million, in United States Dollars  
> Equivalent.  
> The above amount is floating after my auditing,since  
> it was an over - invoice amount, this means thatthe  
> money is from a contract executed by a Foreignerand  
> the real contract sum was paid remainingthefloating amount of US$45.5M.  
> Based on this development, I cannot claim this money  
> except with the help of a Foreign Partner, this is my  
> mean reasons for contacting you. Now , I got your  
> contact from your Country’s profile abroad and  
> Ireserve your contact for this kindof transaction with trust.  
> What you have to do is to send a replymail telling me  
> that you are interested in this transaction and trust  
> worthy to handle this transaction for me, because I  
> will put your company’s name as the Contractor that  
> executed the contract before and the money will be  
> wired transferred to your bank account, I will then  
> travel to meet you in your country for my own share  
> when this amount is wired to your account.  
> I would have travel out to open an account myself for  
> this transfer, but as a Civil Servant Iam not allowed  
> to operate foreign bank account while in services ,  
> hence the need for an overseas partner.  
> I got your contact from your country’s profil  
> abroad and I have put it that the money when  
> transferred to your bank account will be shared as follows:
> 
> 1. 30% to you for acting as the owner of  
> the money and for providing an account. 2. 10% set  
> aside for anyexpenses that may be  
> incurred in the course of the transaction (if any).
> 2. 60% to me as the owner / originator of thetransaction  
> All logistics have been put in place and all modalities worked out for  
> the smooth  
> conclusion of the transaction within a very short  
> period of time within (14) Fourteen working daysafter the receipt of  
> information required like your company’s name,  
> telephone and fax number, bank details for wiretransfer process.  
> As soon as I receive the above details I shall makethe  
> application in your name and file inforclaimsto  
> the appropriate Ministries concerned in favour of your  
> company. It is pertinent to state here that this  
> transaction is entirely based on trust and Iwill always put my trust  
> in you.  
> Acknowledge the receipt of this mail using  
> mye-mailonly please don’t reply through any other means for  
> security reasons.  
> Yours faithfully,  
> P.O.AKUNUEZE

Spam or Scam?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RedNaxela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ad7895/32.png) [@RedNaxela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedNaxela)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/2 "2001-10-23T17:49:28Z")

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Put it this way: do you think it’s a good idea to give your bank information (i.e., account number) to a complete stranger? If so, then I’ve got a few bridges to sell you.

In this particular case, the indispensable Snopes has already disposed of it:

[http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm](http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm)  
RedNaxela

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**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/3 "2001-10-23T17:50:34Z")

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It’s a well-known scam:  
[http://www.treas.gov/usss/index.htm?alert419.htm&1](http://www.treas.gov/usss/index.htm?alert419.htm&1)

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**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/4 "2001-10-23T17:50:49Z")

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This is a scam that’s been going around for several months…surprised it hasn’t hit the urban legend sites yet. The Washington Post (my local newspaper) published a warning on it in one of Bob Levey’s columns.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/5 "2001-10-23T17:52:24Z")

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Both. This looks like a variation of the old Nigerian wire-fraud scam. The nonsensical English should be your first clue.

[Nigerian Advance Fee Email Fraud](http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Business/nigerian.htm)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/6 "2001-10-23T17:56:04Z")

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Ahh. I didn’t read the whole thing.

Should I put him on a few spam lists?

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**Author:** ![Frumpy\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Frumpy\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frumpy_Jones)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/7 "2001-10-23T19:25:41Z")

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Daowajan asked us about this e-mail, and then added this to the replies:

\*\*

> [@](#):
>
> Ahh. I didn’t read the whole thing.

\*\*

Excuse me, but why would you ask US to read the whole thing and help you if YOU hadn’t read the whole thing yet?

Please take note of my sig, **Daowajan** , and substitute your name for ‘Benson’

🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RedNaxela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ad7895/32.png) [@RedNaxela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedNaxela)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/8 "2001-10-23T19:36:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Daowajan \*  
> \*\*Should I put him on a few spam lists? \*\*

If you mean that he should receive spam himself… naughty, naughty! 😉 Anyway, as a practical matter, one of two things is true: either this guy’s got his own spam filter (you think he wants to read the kind of dreck he dumps on you?), or the e-mail address is forged (as it almost always is). Worse, they might have forged the e-mail address of some perfectly innocent soul, who has nothing to do with the whole scam!

For the same reason, you could put that e-mail address on your own spam-block list, but I doubt it’ll do much good - he could be back tomorrow with a new forged e-mail address.

[JunkBusters.com](http://JunkBusters.com) has a good [summary](http://www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/spam.html#track) of how to figure out what ISP this spam came from; you could then forward it to that ISP and ask them to give him the boot - most ISPs don’t like being used as hosts by spam/scam artists.  
RedNaxela

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/9 "2001-10-23T19:53:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by RedNaxela \*  
> **Worse, they might have forged the e-mail address of some perfectly innocent soul, who has nothing to do with the whole scam!**

It’s likely the email address is valid because the entire point is to get you to reply to the email with sensitive information. Gullible people have been taken in by this scam, so someone is checking that email address for replies.

Spam with forged headers is certainly common, but that type of spam usually wants you to visit a website or reply through some other channel. There’s no point forging a reply address if that reply address is your sole contact with the sucker you falls for your scam.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RedNaxela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ad7895/32.png) [@RedNaxela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedNaxela)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/10 "2001-10-23T21:08:47Z")

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You’re absolutely right, **micco** - looks like I had the right solution for the wrong problem…  
RedNaxela

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/11 "2001-10-24T13:52:05Z")

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I got one saying some person died with no next of kin and they want to use me as next of kin to get the inheritance!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/12 "2001-10-24T14:16:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by micco \*  
> \*\*  
> It’s likely the email address is valid because the entire point is to get you to reply to the email with sensitive information. Gullible people have been taken in by this scam, so someone is checking that email address for replies.  
> \*\*

True. Whenever I have put a Nigerian e-mail through [SpamCop](http://spamcop.net) the address has been valid.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/13 "2001-10-24T14:35:10Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Floater \*  
> \*\*True. Whenever I have put a Nigerian e-mail through [SpamCop](http://spamcop.net) the address has been valid. \*\*

Which means very little. In a quick search of their site, I can’t find what SpamCop considers “valid”. You can certainly check whether the email address is a legal format from an existing domain. You could even check the destination server to see if a mailserver is running, but you can’t check to see if an actual email address is good.

There is nothing in the SMTP protocol which allows you to ping an email address and see if it’s valid. You can send mail and check for bounces, but even that’s not definitive. I have entire domains set to dump mail straight to /dev/null so any mail sent to them just disappears into the void. No bounce, but no receipt either.

This is one of the biggest problems with email. If it were possible to efficiently validate email addresses, it would be simple to set up mailservers or mail clients to only accept mail with valid “from” fields. This would solve a major problem with forged headers, but it’s simply not possible with the current state of the protocol.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/14 "2001-10-24T16:21:00Z")

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My favorite part is, “This is my mean reasons for contacting you.” Kind of sums it up right there, doesn’t it?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Frumpy\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Frumpy\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frumpy_Jones)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/15 "2003-11-12T17:38:58Z")

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Ya know, I just heard on NPR the other day that this whole scam comes from an old scam from England that made it’s biggest mark (I.E. took in the majority of suckers) during the depression.

The original scam was based off of Francis Drake’s estate, and he had not relatives, and the British banking system… blah blah blah…

Nothing like using technology for a super-old scam, to give it a nice, shiny cleaning…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/16 "2003-11-12T17:49:27Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by friedo \*  
> **The nonsensical English should be your first clue.**

The poor English is deliberate. Part of being a good scammer is getting the targeted victim to think, no matter how dumb they really are, that they are smarter than you. It encourages them to drop their guard and trust you more.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/17 "2003-11-12T19:00:59Z")

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Wow. There are _still_ people who haven’t come across this scam?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/18 "2003-11-12T23:44:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by r\_k \*  
> \*\*Wow. There are _still_ people who haven’t come across this scam? \*\*

Everyone has come across this scam for $32 million. I think the $45.5 million scam is a new one.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/19 "2003-11-13T05:29:27Z")

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I saw the thread title, and figured it must be about a new spam type that I’ve been receiving lately. They look like this:

> [@](#):
>
> To: curtc  
> Subject: Re: %RND\_UC\_CHAR[2-8], at the same  
> From: “Farley Maurice” \<[xhqbmgtjrptr@china.com](mailto:xhqbmgtjrptr@china.com)\>  
> Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:56:11 -0400
> 
> \<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN”\>  
> \<HTML\>\<HEAD\>\<TITLE\>\</TITLE\>  
> \<META http-equiv=Content-Type content=“text/html; charset=windows-1251”\>  
> \<META content=“MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141” name=GENERATOR\>  
> \<STYLE\>\</STYLE\>  
> \</HEAD\>  
> \<BODY bgColor=#ffffff\>  
> \<font color=“white”\>residue milord snoopy basis protozoan blum diverse diversionary reverie balfour airspace cleat harrow connors inventor leafy gobbledygook silty stargaze burgundy limestone scrooge ambitious fusty doubt outrageous decay aventine impasse multitudinous carcinogenic crepe sheathe crosswalk crack menelaus midwest mournful dulse \</font\>\<br\>  
> \<body\>
> 
> \<p\>Th\</pioneer\>e ul\</fiske\>timate d\</gerard\>igital  
> ca\</willow\>ble f\</brice\>ilter\</p\>  
> \<p\>Th\</zebra\>e fil\</convolution\>ter wi\</sw\>ll al\</squill\>low  
> yo\</await\>u t\</vortices\>o rec\</lineup\>eive a\</wang\>ll  
> t\</packard\>he ch\</perpetuate\>annels t\</pawtucket\>hat y\</tollgate\>ou  
> or\</coexist\>der wi\</waldron\>th y\</pigeonberry\>our r\</next\>emove  
> cont\</audible\>rol!\</p\>  
> \<p\>pay\</abc\>perviews, adu\</algebra\>lt mov\</suspect\>ies,s\</halve\>port  
> even\</beautify\>ts,s\</astound\>pecial ev\</effete\>ents!  
> \<a href=“[http://www.ehostzzz.com/cable/](http://www.ehostzzz.com/cable/)”\>  
> se\</temporary\>e n\</baltimorean\>ow!\</a\>\</p\>\<p\>\<a href=“[http://www.creditcard2003.com/cable/](http://www.creditcard2003.com/cable/)”\>  
> \<img %RANDOM\_TEXT border=“0” src=“[http://www.creditcard2003.com/fiter.jpg](http://www.creditcard2003.com/fiter.jpg)”\>\</a\>\</p\>
> 
> \<br\>  
> \<font color=“white”\>saskatchewan methionine roar bulk trinidad mead fetish saracen ymca chatty dough validate stumble influential corollary buchanan pittsburgh warrior prospector poultry erato psychiatrist polyhedral standby hidalgo polonium case marital durward puritanic boris beauteous complacent slivery \</font\>  
> \</BODY\>  
> \</HTML\>

This is the text that shows up, it’s not even HTML (the Content-Type header is “text/plain”). I’ve received quite a few of these, but with different details. What the hell is it?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129/20 "2003-11-13T07:00:45Z")

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There are even [conferences](http://j-walk.com/other/conf/index.htm) for this type of business opportunity now.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-sense-of-this-weird-e-mail-i-got/89129.md?page=2)