# read this and tell me what the scam is exactly **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885 "2003-02-27T14:48:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/1 "2003-02-27T14:48:37Z")
I keep getting these ignorant emails and I just wondered what’s up with them and who the hell might answer one? To wit: ATTN: MY NAME IS MR LOUISE SACHIKO CHAIRMAN OF CONTRACT AWARD AND MONITORING COMMITTEE OF THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT ,MY DUTY AS EMPOWERED BY THE MAURITIUS GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE THE BASIC AMENITIES,SOCIAL RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS. THIS PROGRAMME INCLUDES ASSISTANCE TO DEPRIVED LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND TO CO-ORDINATE PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, FURTHERMORE, FROM THIS PROJECTS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURED SOME REASONABLE AMOUNT OF U.S.$21.8(TWENTY ONE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S.DOLLARSONLY) AS COMISSION FROM VARIOUS CONTRACTORS RESULTING FROM OVERINVOICING ,HENCE ALL THE NECESSARRY APPROVALS HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THESE APPROVED FUND WAS PACKAGED AND DESPATCHED THROUGH A SECURITY COMPANY FOR ONWARD DELIVERY TO ITS DESTINATION IN EUROPE. THESE FUND ARE FIRST DEPOSITED INTO A VAULT SECURITY BEFORE WE ARRANGE FOR ITS MOVEMENT T O EUROPE THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL USING DECOY PURPORTING THAT THE FUND BELONGS TO AN EXPATRIATE/COMPANY, AS WE ARE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS,WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OPERATE FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT,HENCE WE NEED YOU TO STAND AS THE BENEFICIARY AND CLAIM THE FUND ON OUR BEHALF FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY. PRESENTLY I AM NOW IN EUROPE TO SEARCH FOR A ARELIABLE PERSON/COMPANY OF HIGH INTERGRITY /DIGNITY AND ONE WITH CONSCIENCE WHO WILL CLAIM THIS FUND ON OUR BEHALF AS THE BENEFICIARY ,AND WE HAVE AGREED TO GIVE YOU 25%OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMMISSION FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE/EFFORT.AND 5% WILL BE USED TO SETTLE EVERY EXPENSES INCURRED .WE WILL USE 70%TO INVEST UNDER YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND GUIDE AND GO INTO JOINT VENTURE BUSINESS WITH YOU. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE . I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BEST REGARDS LOUISE SACHIKO ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/2 "2003-02-27T14:52:38Z")
Looks like a pretty standard [Nigerian scam](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/3 "2003-02-27T15:26:24Z")
They’ll send you millions if you’ll first provide them with your bank account number so they can make a _minor_ withdrawl. They’re thieves, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/4 "2003-02-27T15:42:06Z")
Umm, technically speaking the ‘scam’ is everything after the word ATTN: You should have gotten a speach from your bank when you opened your account to NEVER give out your banking account number to _ANYONE_. Then again I don’t follow this advice personally, I do have CPS (power company) take my monthly bills directly from my checking account. But they are quite easy to sue if they steal from me. But they don’t ☹ Which makes me sad… because them screwing me followed by my lawsuit plays a key role in my retirement plan. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/5 "2003-02-27T15:45:37Z")
Alternately, they will ask you to use your money to open the account (since of course they can’t) but don’t worry, they’ll immediately deposit the funds and you can reimburse yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Elvis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Elvis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvis)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/6 "2003-02-27T15:47:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CRorex \* > \*\*But they don’t ☹ Which makes me sad… because them screwing me followed by my lawsuit plays a key role in my retirement plan. \*\* Don’t rely on that–you would be entitled to recover whatever they took but probably very little else. You’re better off visiting their plant and falling into a turbine. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/7 "2003-02-27T15:48:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > \*\*Looks like a pretty standard [Nigerian scam](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm). \*\* Yup, that’s what I was going to say. You can search the archives (of the SDMB) and find several other such posts. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/8 "2003-02-27T15:51:57Z")
… but that’s a lot of money… sure looks tempting… :dubious: So long as the world is populated with kids who stick their tongues to frozen metal poles, we’ll have things like the Nigerian Scam. Yay us. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/9 "2003-02-27T16:00:23Z")
I would never give my millions to anyone that spelled necessary NECESSARRY anyway. If theres one thing I hate it’s a dumbass no spelling scammer. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/10 "2003-02-27T16:02:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aha \* > If **theres** one thing I hate it’s a dumbass no spelling scammer. That’d be the irony, Bob. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/11 "2003-02-27T16:03:25Z")
I just recieved another one in the mail today. > [@](#): > > MR.RICHARD AKELE > DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT, > NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (N.N.P.C.) > [EMAIL:anwaodo@ecplaza.net](mailto:EMAIL:anwaodo@ecplaza.net) or [alexnwaodo@ecplaza.net](mailto:alexnwaodo@ecplaza.net) > TELEPHONE: 234-1-EAT ME > FAX: > > TRANSFER OF $28,600,000:00 (TWENTY-EIGHT MILLION SIX > HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS) ONLY. > I got your contact from the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Following this and other investigations resulting in a good recommendation. We have decided to contact you to help us with the legal Transfer of US$28,600,000.00 (Twenty-Eight Million Six hundred Thousand United States Dollars). The amount > stated above resulted from an over-invoiced contract executed for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (N.N.P.C.) for which the contractors have been fully paid. Because this money was part of the overall contract sum amounting to close to (US$100,000,000:00) that has been completed. > > The said amount has remained dormant and floating in our Apex Bank. Therefore, we will raise supplementary documents to enable us transfer into an account that is yet to be nominated. We need a foreign partner, because as civil servants, the code of conduct does not allow us to operate foreign bank accounts. Hence we solicit for your assistance, we are requesting you to provide us with the help for the safekeeping of this money until our arrival in your company to collect our share and decide on investment possibilities of this money. > > For your assistance in this transaction, we have unanimously agreed to offer you 30% of this money, 5% will be used in settling any incidental expenses that may arise and the remaining amount will be for us. To enable the prompt transfer of this money, kindly send to us your personal details, contact information & bank details in full. > > We look forward to hearing from you and thanking you for your anticipated cooperation and consideration in the above subject matter. Please be informed that we would appreciate the handling of this transaction in a confidential manner. We sincerely advise that you contact us on the above Telephone and fax numbers to maintain the confidentiality of the business. Sending > e-mail will be appreciated. > > Yours sincerely, > MR.RICHARD AKELE. Here is the question though. I at least one of these per month. I am assuming its the same group of clowns behind each of them. Why do they keep doing it? Do they actually get some gulliable western businesses in on this? Side: The sender on my email said **Mr. Richard**. When I first saw it I thought it said **Little Richard**. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/12 "2003-02-27T16:10:32Z")
Of course, I went through the trouble of changing the phone number but not the email addy. Oh well. I don’t give a crap if he gets spammed (or worse) but if the mods want to edit it, go ahead. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/13 "2003-02-27T16:14:45Z")
i imagine these scammers are just working the odds… it costs next-to-nothing (just whatever it takes to join up to the Internet so they can send e-mail) for them to send out this crap. and if they get even 1% response from their victims, the returns of a couple hundred/thousand dollars (whatever is in the bank account) versus their **own** minimal outlay probably make it nicely lucrative. lachesis ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/14 "2003-02-27T16:15:26Z")
I read they caught one of the Nigerian spammers…Their must be a lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/15 "2003-02-27T16:21:26Z")
Do your part to clean up the Internet. When you get one of these, check out the “reply to” address, and forward the email to “[abuse@domain.com](mailto:abuse@domain.com)”, along with a copy of the email’s properties. (In Outlook Express, you access the properties of an email by clicking on the email, clicking File–\>Properties, and clicking on the “Details” tab; you can then copy and paste the properties into your forwarded email). Usually, the Abuse department at the domain will delete the offending adress, invalidating that copy of the spam. Of course, if it’s a version of the scam in which the rube thinks she’s stealing money from a fledgling democracy, you may want to let it go ahead and do its dirty work. I don’t have much sympathy for the victims of such scams. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/16 "2003-02-27T16:51:32Z")
The scammers have caught a few people who were willing to engage in an act which, if it actually occurred would be larceny. That also makes it easier for the scammers to get away with it. Would _you_ want to call the State Dept. and say “I was involved in an under the table money transfer to steal from the government of Nigeria, and they stiffed me?” ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/17 "2003-02-27T18:01:33Z")
I read about someone who actually scammed the scammer. Damn. Wish I could remember where it was… it was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/18 "2003-02-27T19:05:28Z")
Very common, that. [Here’s an example](http://www.quatloos.com/brad-c/directory01.htm) that got a lot of attention via slashdot. The Nigerian scam seems like a slightly elaborated version of the Spanish Prisoner scam, which is such an old chestnut that even in the thirties and forties anyone who fell for it was marked as a hopeless rube. The e-mail version is probably more successful because the con broadcasts the messages like spores, doesn’t have to place himself in the same locale as the fish and the possibility of attendant bunko investigators, and has the advantage of targeting the kind of people who are apt to open and read spam e-mail, who are more-than-likely more credulous and slow-witted than the rest of the herd. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/19 "2003-02-27T19:24:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winnowill \* > \*\*I read about someone who actually scammed the scammer. Damn. Wish I could remember where it was… it was awesome. \*\* I read this online, I think the guy used the pseudonym Buddy Weiser. He had the scammer running all over the place, showing up for meetings, etc. The web site had a complete journal and photos. Really a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885/20 "2003-02-27T19:41:38Z")
Interesting article on the Nigerian scam e-mails[here](http://slate.msn.com/?id=2072851). The most interesting fact is that it is one of the top five industries in Nigeria! They also comment that it is the second most common spam on the Internet and that about 1% of the people who receive it fall for it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-this-and-tell-me-what-the-scam-is-exactly/157885.md?page=2)