# The omega of Nigerian Scam letters **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430 "2002-03-27T19:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/1 "2002-03-27T19:06:13Z")
Not sure why, but lately I’ve been getting 2 or three variants of the old “Nigerian Scam” per week. Usually I just ignore them, but this one has got to to set some sort of record for cheek. Let’s all just pause a moment and shed a tear for poor “Dr. Mrs. Abacha” (yeah, right) and her blocked funds. ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- From: “Ms Abacha”, [INTERNET:msabacha@uymail.com](mailto:INTERNET:msabacha@uymail.com) TO: (unknown), INTERNET:El\_Kabong@his\_biz\_address DATE: 3/26/02 4:48 AM RE: ATTN: THE PRESIDENT/CEO ATTN: THE PRESIDENT/CEO Dear Sir / Madam, I am Dr. Mrs. Marian Abacha, wife to the late Nigerian Head of state,General Sani Abacha who died on the 8th of June 1998 while still on active service for our Country. I am contacting you with the hope that you will be of great assistance to me, I currently have within my reach the sum of 25MILLION U.S Dollars cash which l intend to use for investment purposes outside Nigeria. This money came as a result of a payback contract deal between my husband and a Russian firm in our country’s multi-billion dollar Ajaokuta steel plant. The Russian partners returned my husband’s share being the above sum after his death. Presently, the new civilian Government has intensified their probe into my husband’s financial resources, which has led to the freezing of all our accounts, local and foreign, the revoking of all our business licenses and the arrest of my First son. In view of this I acted very fast to withdraw this money from one of our finance houses before it was closed down. I have deposited the money in a security vault for safe keeping with the help of very loyal officials of my late husband. No record is known about this fund by the government because there is no documentation showing that we received such funds. Due to the current situation in the country and government attitude to my financial affairs, I cannot make use of this money within. Bearing in mind that you may assist me, 20% of the total amount will be paid to you for your assistance, while 5% will be set aside for expenses incurred by the parties involved and this will be paid before sharing. Half of my 75% will be paid in to my account on your instruction once the money hits your account, while the other half will be invested by your humble self in any viable business venture you deem fit, with you as manager of the invested funds. Remunerations, during the investment period will be on a 50/50 basis. Your URGENT response is needed. Please do not forget to include your direct tel/fax line for easy reach. I hope I can trust you with my family’s last financial hope. Regards, Dr. Mrs. Marian Sani Abacha. C/o abbas bundu (counsel) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/2 "2002-03-27T19:22:29Z")
Man, you must be important. Getting personal emails from the wives of dead heads of state. How is Imelda these days? :rolleyes: Do people still fall for this scam? ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/3 "2002-03-27T19:27:17Z")
Oh, that poor woman! Quick, give me her address so I can send my contact info, Social Security number and bank account information. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/4 "2002-03-27T19:34:00Z")
Don’t forget your mother’s maiden name! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/5 "2002-03-27T19:36:12Z")
Yep, I got one like this too. Here. At work. As if the moron who sent it on behalf of “the eldest daughter of Mobutu SeseSeko the late president of Zaire” wasn’t aware that they were attemting to defraud an employee of the US Federal Government. I dutifully faxed a copy of the letter to the US Secret Service. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/6 "2002-03-27T20:11:22Z")
\>\> they were attemting to defraud an employee of the US Federal Government I forget where I read it but I believe that, as an employee of the Federal Government, you are entitled to see her tits and she _must_ show them to you upon request. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/7 "2002-03-28T00:46:34Z")
man, i wished i worked for the gumm’int! ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/8 "2002-03-28T01:02:43Z")
I love that really personal “Dear Sir/Madam”. Geez, the folks rich people have to beg to nowadays… ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/9 "2002-03-28T04:03:31Z")
When I die and my dear Russian friends deliver my $25,000,000 kickback anyway, even after my death, (once again demonstrating the deep sense of honour that Russian businessmen are known for) I can only hope that I will also have some very loyal officials who will, out of their love and devotion to me, deliver all the cash to my widow and help her hide it away. Some values and ethics are more important than mere money, don’t you think? I’m touched by this story and my faith in fundamental human goodness is restored. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/10 "2002-03-28T10:17:11Z")
My office fax gets about 2 to 3 of those a week, in various forms. Stupid enough, but it’s noteworthy to mention that I work for one of Europe’s largest **banks**. I mean, preying on clueless individuals is one thing, but why try your luck with professionals? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/11 "2002-03-28T11:28:10Z")
the question is, do people actually fall for this? ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/12 "2002-03-28T11:47:44Z")
> [@](#): > > the question is, do people actually fall for this? According to my dad, who works in a bank, often what they really want is a nice examle of the company’s headed notepaper and the name of someone who works there, presumably to be used in a more subtle scam elsewhere. Alex ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/13 "2002-03-28T11:55:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*the question is, do people actually fall for this? \*\* About 4 years ago, I was reading some opinion column in which the writer told of his experiences with the Nigerian Scam. According to his story, he thought it sounded like an unusual but believable opportunity, and was close to making one of the first “advance preparation payments” when he decided to check out a book on scams and con games. The rest of the column was him warning the rest of us to be on the lookout these kinds of get-rich-quick schemes. While I don’t know how truthful he was being, I found it rather unsettling that this guy was a permanent columnist for Barrons. ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/14 "2002-03-28T14:10:32Z")
Coincidentally, there’s an article in my newspaper this morning about the Nigerian scams and, without naming names, they mention a local woman, a “charity fund raiser” who ended up in jail because she stole half a million dollars and gave it to the Nigerians in anticipation of a six or seven million dollar profit. They also mention a “businessman” who flew to Nigeria with five hundred thousand cash and had it taken away at gunpoint. I also remember a story on TV a few years back, on the Canadian version of “60 Minutes”, where they interviewed the top selling real estate salesman in Ontario about his experience of giving every cent he could scrape together to Nigerians. They also mentioned the Canadian consulate in Nigeria having to send an armoured vehicle to rescue a Canadian in Lagos from his Nigerian hosts. There’s a lot of really stupid gullible people out there, try and make that work for you. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/15 "2002-03-28T15:42:08Z")
People are still getting scammed by these letters. I’ve heard stories from law enforcement about trying to stop people from getting on planes to go to Nigeria, but still the mark gets on the plane convinced that riches await. I believe that the Secret Service has some agents assigned just to investigating Nigerian scams. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/16 "2002-03-28T15:45:51Z")
[Snopes on the Nigerian scam:](http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm) > [@](#): > > Who would fall for something this obvious? According to a 1997 newspaper article about the scam: > > > [@](#): > > > > “We have confirmed losses just in the United States of over $100 million in the last 15 months,” said Special Agent James Caldwell, of the Secret Service financial crimes division. “And that’s just the ones we know of. We figure a lot of people don’t report them.” ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/17 "2002-03-28T15:53:16Z")
Me: Ohhh one of those scam letters, lets have some fun with this poor son of a bitch. \ Hello and thank you for your letter, While I personally am unable to help you, contractual obligations make it impossible for me to do so. I as able to assure you that my employer, the United States Department of the Treasury, IS firmly commited to assisting both our political allies and their families. I have forwarded your request for assistance to my supervisor’s supervisor who is in a better position to coordinate efforts with national banks for money transfers and the State Department to set up relocation efforts should you wish to move to the United States. Since this email was recieved at work, we have already identified your location, and we’re pleased to know that you’ve already escaped \. We’ve alerted the local Consulate/FBI field office to contact you and arrange protection for you and your surviving family, our deepest sympathies, until such time as we assist in recovering your money and safely relocating your family. God bless and someone will be contacting you shortly. Should you feel that your life is in danger go straight to the nearest US Consulate or Embassy of FBI field office \, they have been alerted to your situation and will provide any assistance you require. \ \ \ Hey, sure nobody will probably ever do anything about it, unless its a really slow week but maybe, just maybe it’ll make someone ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/18 "2002-03-28T18:22:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robb \* > \*\*I believe that the Secret Service has some agents assigned just to investigating Nigerian scams. \*\* > [@](#): > > [The US Secret Service on Nigerian/419 scams](http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/alert419.htm): > > In response to this growing epidemic, the United States Secret Service established “Operation 4-1-9” designed to target Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud on an international basis. The Financial Crimes Division of the Secret Service receives approximately 100 telephone calls from victims/potential victims and 300-500 pieces of related correspondence per day. > > Secret Service agents have been assigned on a temporary basis to the American Embassy in Lagos to address the problem in that arena. Agents have established liaison with Nigerian officials, briefed other embassies on the widespread problem, and have assisted in the extrication of U.S. citizens in distress. > > If you have been victimized by one of these schemes, please forward appropriate written documentation to the United States Secret Service, Financial Crimes Division, 950 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, or telephone (202) 406-5850, or contact by e-mail. > > If you have received a letter, but have not lost any monies to this scheme, please fax a copy of that letter to (202) 406-5031. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/19 "2002-03-28T22:48:55Z")
Interestingly, I myself have been contacted by none other than Barrister Ijewele Ego, who is the family lawyer for the Abacha family. According to Mr. Ego, Mrs. Abacha is being held under house arrest in Kano at present. You should be aware of this before you send her money. Mr. Ego says they have $30 million deposited outside the country. Anyway, to hell with a mere widow of a head of state. I got one from ROYALTY: > [@](#): > > Dear SIR/Madam, > > COMPESATION AND ROYALTY GRANT AMOUNT (USD$20M), TWENTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS > > I got your name through a specific check for someone in your line of business, who will not only assist me in this transaction but also have a knowledge of investment. > > I am PRINCE JAMES MOKOBA the Crown Prince and Heir apparent to the paramount ruler of Idemili local kingdom, and I have being mandated by my father His Royal Highness Johnson D. Mokoba. > > Right now, we have ($20M) being ROYALTY CLAIMS, COMPENSATION and MINING ROYALTY GRANTS for the mineral deposits in our land by the federal government of Sierra Leone as well as multi national OIL COMPANIES, as a result of the constant pressures from the international communities as well as to avoid a repeat of the celebrated Ogoni crisis caused by neglet, > ecological degradation and environmental disaster, which led to the abrupt execution of top environmental right activits and others, in November 1995. This money through assistance of a diplomat is secured abroad cash. > > Furthermore, with the constant strikes, Military interferance in the government of the day, there are uncertainties and bleak future n my country Sierra leone, hence the need for utmost carefullness for the future against the backdrop of rampant Civil and political unrest and wars in most African couintries as a result of bad leadership, hence the urgent need to ensure the movement of the funds out of Sierra leone for safe keeping and investment verseas, where it will be safe and invested in an environment free from oppression and war, and condusive for investment. > > . Right now, I am seeking for a partner who shall serve as the guardian of this fund and receive it, and with whom I can plan the best way to move this money for investment which is my motive for contacting you. That you shall serve as the general overseer and guardian of this fund pending when I come over for the disbursement. > > For these services a suitable percentage 30% has been mapped out for youa fter you must have shown your willingness to assist. I therefore crave your indulgence in this respect, by letting me have your positive response immediately via my E- mail above. > > Having stated the above clearly, I expect your urgent and prompt response,as I do not intend to have this transaction delayed. > > Please treat this as highly confidential. > > Best regards, > > PRINCE JAMES MOKOBA I’ve also received letters from: Mrs Chibuzo Nwetego, daughter of the security chief of the deposed president of Cote d’Ivoire. Daniel Eze, a banker at the United Bank for Africa, who has located a “lost” bank account of a deceased foreigner Usman Bello of Nigeria, who is overseeing the Petroleum Trust Fund of that country and who has found some loose change. Miss Rita Kazu Guei, niece of the former military head of state of Cote d’Ivoire Grace Moris, daughter of the former finance minister of Sierra Leone Interestingly, all seem to have funds stashed away of between $25-30 million. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430/20 "2002-03-29T05:23:04Z")
Jeff Olsen, if you don’t mind me asking, may I have an e-mail address to someone in the Treasury I could forward these too, just in case? I know they probably get plenty themselves, but I’d always like to help at least a little… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-omega-of-nigerian-scam-letters/100430.md?page=2)