Here's some spam that's designed to prey on people who truly have absolutely no ethics whatsoever. It's an obviously bogus request for someone to help the attorney of a Nigerian army officer launder cash that the officer managed to pilfer before being arrested for human rights offenses.
It's pretty amazing to think about what type of person would actually be taken in by this scheme. You have to be dumb enough to believe that a Nigerian attorney looking to launder millions of dollars would contact you via email without any knowledge of you whatsoever, and offer to deposit $26.4 million in one of your accounts. You also have to be corrupt enough to be willing to help launder cash for a former army officer who served under a brutal dictator. One thing I will say is that anyone who gets burned by this scam definitely deserves whatever happens to them.
Note: (10/2002) This was the first time I'd ever gotten hit by the famed Nigerian scam. I've since learned a lot more about it. For more information see the 419 Coalition Web site.
From: gremalawfirm@yahoo.com Subject: Urgent Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2001 11:03:40 AHMED A. GREMA AHMED & ASSOCIATES BOOK SHOP BUILDING, 11TH FLOOR 23 BROAD STREET, LAGOS - NIGERIA SIR, I WISH TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU. I AM AHMED A. GREMA (SAN) SENIOR PARTNER OF AHMED & ASSOCIATES LAW CHAMBERS, A LAWYER/ATTORNEY TO HAMZA AL MUSTAPHA WHO WAS THE FORMER CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER TO THE MILITARY DICTATOR OF NIGERIA, GENERAL SANI ABACHA. THE LATE GENERAL SANI ABACHA DIED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE 8TH OF JUNE 1998. HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE ARMY POISONED HIM IN THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA (ASOROCK) BECAUSE HE RULED NIGERIA WITH AN IRON HAND AND HE DID NOT WANT DEMOCRACY IN THE COUNTRY. WITH THE DEATH OF THE DICTATOR, ELECTIONS WERE HELD IN THE COUNTRY AND A CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION WAS SWORN INTO POWER. WITH THE ADVENT OF THE NEW CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION, A DECISION WAS TAKEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA TO PROBE AND PROSECUTE ALL MILITARY OFFICERS THAT SERVED IN THE LAST MILITARY REGIME OF THE LATE GENERAL SANI ABACHA. MY CLIENT, MAJOR HAMZA AL MUSTAPHA WAS SINGLED OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY AS AN ARMY OFFICER THAT MUST BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSENESS TO THE LATE DICTATOR AND GROSS HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES ON THE CITIZENS OF NIGERIA. MY CLIENT AND I WERE BEST OF FRIENDS AND HE SHARED HIS SECRETS WITH ME. THE FORMER CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER TO THE LATE HEAD OF STATE MAJOR HAMZA AL MUSTAPHA HAD PRIVATE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE WORTH 100 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS AROUND THE WORLD. PRESENTLY HE HAS BEEN ARRESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY AND IS PRESENTLY IN PRISON WAITING TO BE TAKEN TO COURT ON CHARGES OF GROSS HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES ON THE CITIZENS OF NIGERIA. I WAS DIRECTLY INFORMED BY MY CONTACTS AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, THAT HE WILL BE CONVICTED BECAUSE OF HIS POSITION AS THE FORMER CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER TO THE LATE DICTATOR. SHORTLY BEFORE THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT ARRESTED MY CLIENT, HE ENTRUSTED TO ME THE SUM OF TWENTY -SIX MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS (us$26,400,000.00) FOR SAFEKEEPING. THIS AMOUNT WAS TO BE SENT TO HIS MISTRESS IN LEBANON TO LAUNDER FOR HIM. I HAVE SINCE HAD THIS AMOUNT WITH ME STASHED AWAY A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY IN NIGERIA. I CANNOT SEND THIS MONEY TO MY CLEINT'S MISTRESS ANY MORE BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION OF THINGS OVER HERE. AS A RESULT OF THIS I HAVE BEEN MANDATED BY MY CLIENT TO SOLICIT FOR A PARTNER ABROAD WHO IS WILLING AND READY TO ASSIST IN RECEIVING THE $26.4 MILLION. THEREFORE, I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE IN MOVING AND SECURING THIS MONEY IN YOUR ACCOUNT ABROAD. YOU WILL BE ADEQUATELY COMPENSATED WITH 15% OF THE TOTAL SUM FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND CO-OPERATION WITH ME TO MOVE THIS FUNDS OUT OF THE COUNTRY. I INTEND TO SAFEGUARD AND INVEST THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY ABROAD WITH A RELIABLE FOREIGN BUSINESS PARTNER SO THAT WE CAN INVEST THE FUNDS IN REAL ESTATE BUSINESS OR ANY VIABLE BUSINESS IN YOUR COUNTRY. THAT IS WHY I AM SOLICITING YOUR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION AS REGARDS THIS BUSINESS. ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN EUROPE TO RECEIVE THE MONEY IN CASH DEPENDING ON WHERE IS CONVENIENT FOR YOU. PLEASE INDICATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST ME BY SENDING TO ME THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION; YOUR COMPANY NAME ADDRESS AND YOUR PRIVATE PHONE AND FAX NUMBERS SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU AND COMMENCE THE TRANSACTION IN EARNEST. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU VERY SOON. BEST REGARDS, AHMED A. GREMA