Thanks to Oliver Christ for the following links to explanations of the African Scam mail:
ITS Med: its.med.yale.edu/security/AdvanceFeeFraudSchemes.html
The US secret service: www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml
A collection of 125 of such letters can be found on www.scamorama.com/scam117.shtml
Ora Matushansky sent me the following article on these scams: news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_2003000/2003264.stm
| Who is offering? (Click on link to see full text of letter) |
What do you get? | What do you have to do? | How much money are we talking about? | Where did it come from? | How did they choose you to entrust with this deal? |
| top officials of the Federal Government Contract Review Panel | 1. 25% for the account owner (you) | Open a bank account to store embezzled money | US$26,400,000.00 (Twenty Six Million, Four Hundred Thousand US. Dollars) | inflated contract funds which are presently floating in the Central Bank of Nigeria | I got your contact in my private search for a reliable person to handle this transaction |
| MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR BUDGET AND PLANNING OF THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM | US$8.3 MILLION OF THE REMITTED FUNDS | Open a bank account to store embezzled money | FORTY-0NE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($41.5M USD) | OVER INVOICED CONTRACTS PURPOSELY DONE BY US FOR OUR OWN GAINS | INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE FOREIGN TRADE OFFICE OF THE NIGERIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY |
| SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA'S CONTRACTS REVIEW PANEL | (a) 20% TO THE ACCOUNT OWNER (YOU) | Open a bank account to store embezzled money | U.S$30,000,000.00[THIRTY MILLION,U.S DOLLARS] | CONTRACTS WERE GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES AND PARASTATALS | I GOT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS, WHILE SURFING ON THE INTERNET FOR A RELIABLE AND TRUSTING PERSON |
| identical to above, except for name | |||||
| son of a deceased wealthy Gold/Cocoa merchant who has business in many countries in Europe, America and Asian countries | 20% of the total sum |
1) provide a bank account 2) be the manager of this fund and also my personal guardian 3) procure admission for me in one of the known university in your country. 4) visit Abidjan... and I will go back with you to your country. |
(USD10.7M) | my father deposited the sum of Ten Million seven hundred thousand United State Dollars (USD10.7M) in a security Firm here in Abidjan C™te dâIvoire, for me his only son | your reputation and co-worshipper of God who will not disappoint me nor deny me in faith |
| the brother to Corporal FODAY SANKOH, who is the leader of the Revolutionatry United Front of Sierra-Leone (RUF) and formerly the Director of GOLD/DIAMOND CORPORATION of Sierra-Leone | 15% of the total amount, including 15% share from the profits which the money will generate from any future investment | for your assitance to help us move out the money and secure it for onward investment and to make residence arrangement for us | US$ 21.320M (Twenty one Million Three Hundreansd Twenty Thousand US Dollars) | Corporal Sankoh instructed me to move out of the country without delay a sealed trunk box, including quantities of Gold Dust and some uncut Diamonds | I have a business proposal which I know might interest you |
| WIDOW OF LATE PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE-SEKO OF ZAIRE | PUT YOU IN THE PICTURE OF THE BUSINESS, TELL YOU WHERE THE FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY BEING MAINTAINED AND ALSO DISCUSS OTHER MODALITIES INCLUDING REMUNERATION FOR YOUR SERVICES | RECEIVING THE MONEY ON OUR BEHALF, ASSIST IN INVESTING THIS MONEY | EIHGTEEN MLLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS(US$18,000,000,00.) | MY HUSBAND'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN SWISS BANK AND OTHER COUNTRIES | I AM MOVED TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER, THIS WAS IN CONFIDENCE CONSIDERING MY PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATION |
| son of Major U.K. Bello, former Chief Security Officer to Major Gen. Ibrahim Babangida | 25% of the fund | your assistance (in banking and investment) | US$30,000,000.00 | proceeds from the sale of Crude-Oil and Natural Gas which was diverted and sold on the orders of the president during his regime | This I am disclosing to you based on the trust and believe I have in you |
| widow of Late General Sanni Abacha, the former head of state of the federal republic of Nigeria | 30% of the total sum | receive this fund on my behalf for safekeeping | $35 million dollars | various huge sums of money deposited by my late husband in different security firms abroad | I deemed it necessary to act fast by contacting anybody abroad for assistance |
| an Administrative Secretary/Attorney with Global Security Company (PTY), Accra Ghana | we share the money 50%-50% | come and claim the consignment as the next of Kin to Mr. Francis Carden | ($35.5m USA) | Mr. Francis Carden, campaign manager for President Robert Mugabe absconded with the money but then died in the Terrorist attack that hit the world trade centre USA | I got the information concerning you and your company from our Chamber of Commerce here |
| wife of late Major Sahr George Gborie of the Sierra Leone Army | (no indication) | assist us for the retrival of this funds from the security company for onward transfer to your country for investment | US DollarsĘ20 million.(US$20 million) | Major Gborie, before his execution, aquired a lot of Gold and Diamond with some cash money | (no indication) |