Here are some fraudulent letters that I recently received and which claim to
come from Nigerian sources. Both were mailed to a mailing list so clearly I was
truly chosen for this honor.
THE DESK OF:
MR DAVID NKEM(PRINCIPAL AUDITOR)
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION
(NNPC)LAGOS,NIGERIA
ATTN: DEAR SIR
COMPLIMENT OF THE DAY TO YOU. I WISH TO EXTEND THIS
MUTUAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU WITH THE HOPE THAT
YOU
WILL GLADLY ACCEPT. I AM THE PRINCIPAL AUDITOR OF THE
NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION. A POST I
HAVE
HELD FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. IN THE COURSE OF
DISCHARGING MY DUTY LASTYEAR,I DISCOVERED THAT SOME
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN THE PAST, COMMITTED SOME
IRREGULARITIES IN THE FORM OF OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT
VALUES WHICH EVENTUALLY GO INTO THEIR PRIVATE BANK
ACCOUNTS. WHAT INTEREST ME MOST, AND FOR WHICH
REASON I AM WRITING YOU IS THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT
WHICH WAS AWARDED TO A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR, IT WAS
OVERESTIMATED BY THE TUNE OF US$ 28.8M (TWENTY EIGHT
MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS). THIS
CONTRACT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND COMMISSIONED AND THE
CONTRACTOR FULLY PAID, BUT THE US $ 28.8 M OVER
ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CONTRACT IS STILL LYING AT
THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN). BECAUSE OF THE
HASTE WITH WHICH THE LAST GOVERNMENT WAS REMOVED FROM
OFFICE, THESE MEN HAS NO CHANCE TO COLLECT THIS MONEY
BEFORE LEAVING THE OFFICE. BUT AS A RESULT OF UPDATED
PAYMENTS ADVISE AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN),
IT HAS BEEN AWAITING TRANSFER TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT.
IN
MY REPORT, I RECOMMENDED THAT THIS MONEY SHOULD BE
PAID BUT ON THE CONDITION THAT THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD
BE INFORMED.
MY RECOMMENDATION WAS ACCEPTED AND I HAVE BEEN
GIVEN
HE GO-AHEAD ORDER TO GET IN-TOUCH WITH THE FOREIGN
CONTRACTORS, BUT SINCE THE CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN FULLY
PAID FOR THE JOB HE DID, I WANT TO DIVERT THIS MONEY
TO ANOTHER FOREIGN ACCOUNT. HAVING DONE ALL THE
NECESSARY GROUND WORK, THIS MONEY IS IN MY POSSESSION
AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR A TRUST WORTHY PERSON
INTO WHOSE PRIVATE OR COMPANY'S ACCOUNT THIS MONEY
WILL BE TRANSFERRED . I WISH TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE
AFTER THIS TRANSACTION AND GO INTO BUSINESS IN YOUR
COUNTRY THROUGH YOU AS MY AGENT. YOU ARE THEREFORE
REQUESTED TO KINDLY ALLOW ME TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY
INTO YOUR ACCOUNT PROVIDED THAT I CAN WITHDRAW THIS
MONEY WHEN I WANT TO. UPON THE TRANSFER OF THIS
MONEY,65% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE FOR ME AND MY
COLLEAGUES WHILE 30% SHALL BE FOR YOU THE ACCOUNT
OWNER AND THE REMAINING 5% SHALL BE SET ASIDE TO
REFUND EXPENSES MADE IN THE COURSE OF THIS
TRANSACTION
BE ASSURED THAT THIS BUSINESS IS RISK-FREE BUT THE
KEYWORD IS THE CONFIDENTIALITY DUE TO THE NATURE OF
THE TRANSACTION AND MY POSITION IN THE MINISTRY.
KINDLY TREAT AS URGENT AND CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY
THROUGH MY E-MAIL ADDRESS ABOVE,YOU WILL BE FULLY
DETAILED WHEN I HEAR FROM YOU. YOUR BANKING
PARTICULARS,
I.E - ACCOUNT NUMBER, TELEX,BENEFICIARY, AND YOUR
PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS ARE VITAL TO THE
SUCCESS OF THIS TRANSACTION FOR UPDATING AND
REMITTANCE PROTOCOL.
BEST REGARDS
MR DAVID NKEM.
Here is another letter. As you can see, money is just dropping from the skies in
Nigeria.
Engr.John Bosun
E-mail: fmwhjohnbosun1@yahoo.com
Lagos-Nigeria.
Fax ..+234-1759-7154
ATTN. PRESIDENT/CEO
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION
I am contacting you based on information and esteem recommendation I received of you from a high ranking official in the commercial section of the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce and Industry who guaranteed your reliability and trustworthyness in business dealings. This business proposal I wish to intimate you with is of mutual benefit and it’s success is entirely based on mutual trust, cooperation and a high level of confidentiality as regard this transaction.
I am the Chairman of the contract Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH). I am seeking your assistance to enable me transfer the sum of US$16,500,000.00 (Sixteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your private/company account.
The fund came about as a result of a contract awarded and executed on behalf of my Ministry the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. The contract was supposed to be awarded to two foreign contractors to the tune of US$60,000,000.00 (Sixty Million United States Dollars). But in the course of negotiation, the contract was awarded to a Bulgarian contractor at the cost of US$43,500,000.00 (Forty-Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to my benefit unknown to the contractor. This contract has been satisfactorily executed and inspected as the Bulgarian firm is presently securing payment from my Ministry, where I am the Executive Director in-charge of all foreign contract payment approval.
As a civil servant still in active government service, I am forbidden by law to operate an account outside the shores of Nigeria. Hence this message to you seeking your assistance so as to enable me present your private/company account details as a beneficiary of contractual claims alongside that of the Bulgarian contractor, to enable me transfer the difference of US$16,500,000.00 (Sixteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your provided account.
On actualisation, the fund will be disbursed as stated below.
1. 30% of the fund will be for you as beneficiary
.2. 10% for reimbursement to both parties for incidental expenses that may be incurred during the course of the transaction.
3. 60% of the fund will be for me which I intend to invest in your country with you as my partner.
All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for a smooth actualisation of the transaction within the next few working days of commencement. For further details as to the workability of this transaction, please respond by return mail on my confidential E-mail address: fmwhjohnbosun1@yahoo.com.or by fax .+234-1759-7154
Thank you and God bless as I await your urgent response.
Yours Sincerely,
John Bosun (Engr.)
