THE NIGERIAN MONEY SCAM
From: Mr. Steven O. Okofa
| Here is my correspondence with a
gentleman allegedly named Steven Okafa. The Nigerian money scam is
growing in popularity. I believe the point is that a mysterious
gentleman from Nigeria claims he is trying to dispose of a large sum of
unclaimed cash and will give you a cut of the money providing you set up a
bank account to transfer the money. From what I have heard this is a
scam to make you open up a bank account in another country and allow access
to Steven Okafa. Once he has access Mr Okafa will take all of your
money. I originally received an email from Mr Okafa and replied to him using
the name Nantucket Nectar. He didn't fall for it so I sent him an
email from another address I had and claimed to be Ollie Noodle, after a
favorite Chinese restaurant of mine. He didn't solicit this email
address but pretended he had known who I was all along. The only purpose of
my correspondence is to take him up his time with nonsense. Spelling errors have been preserved to display the sheer absurdity of the letters, both his and mine. |
From: Mr. Steven O. Okofa
I am Mr. Steven O. Okofa, the Director in charge of Auditing, in a reputable Bank in my country. With due respect and regards, I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end of the transaction.
During our investigation and auditing of the bank, my department came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased person who died on November 1999 in a plane crash and the fund has been dormant in his account without any claim of the fund either from his family or relation.
Although personally, I kept this information secret within myself to enable the whole Plans and idea be profitable and successful during the time of execution. The said amount was USD$21.5M (Twenty-one Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only).
I am glad to say that with the introduction of Internet and website, I was opportune and pleasured to have come across your Contact through this satellite media. As it may interest you to know, meanwhile all the arrangement to put claim over this fund as the bonafide next of kin to the deceased get the required approval and transfer this money to a foreign account has been put in place.
Directives and needed information will be relayed to you as soon as you indicate your interest and willingness to assist us and also benefit your self through this great business opportunity.
I could have done this deal alone but because of my position in this country as a civil servant, we are not allowed to operate a foreign account, this is the actual reason why it will require a second party who will forward claims as the next of kin with affidavit of trust to this bank and also Present a foreign account where he will need the money to be retransfer into.
On smooth conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 20% of the total Sum as gratification, while 80% will be for my partner and me.
Please, you have been advised to be honest, sincere and as I am still in service and intend to retire from service after I conclude this deal with you.
I will be monitoring the whole situation here in this bank, until you confirm the money in your account and ask us to come down to your country for subsequent sharing of the fund according to percentages indicated and to discuss profitable investment opportunities, either in your country or any country you advice us to invest in. If you are interested do respond for more information.
Yours Faithfully.
Steven O. Okofa
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Dear Mr O. Okofa,
I am interested in your money. My patience is being tested while I wait for your response. The window of oppurtunity will soon be closing. I have a situation on my hands. One that I will tell you about in our next email.
Sincerely,
Mr Noodle
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Attention: Ollie Noodle
Thank you very much for your response to my proposal letter.
It is a pity we are discussing a business of this magnitude through email, due
to the urgency involve. Morealso, It is pertinent at this point that we put our
heads together as a team to actualize this deal now that you have indicated
your zeal and willingness to work and participate in this great transaction.
The deceased person operates an account in our bank. All effort to locate his
relations/next of kin proved abortive because non of these was found on his
file.
The Government of my Country has given my bank 14 days to locate his
relation/next of kin for claim or transfer the $21.5m to government's treasary,
thes we do not want hence we want you to front as the next of kin. We are going
to use our official power to secure documents to present you both to the
government, Foreign Exchange Department and the accreditted bank that will
transfer the funds to your country through online banking services. We are
going to use [NIGERIAN INTERNET BANK--REFERRED TO AS "BANK"-- I DON'T WANT TO
GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE BANK] where
the funds will be transferred from to your nominated bank account because is
based online.
Morealso, [BANK] is the only Federal Government accredited foreign payment bank, they have the capacity of online banking operation, which gives
their client the opportunity of effecting their transfer themselves to any
other bank, just simply through the internet. You will be the one to transfer
the funds from the account of [BANK] to your account after all
requirements has been met with.
At this point, as soon as you confirm the payment in your account, you will
immediately notify me, so that I can come immediately to your country to meet
with you. I will need your full names, full contact address, tel./fax numbers.
The above information's will enable me obtain the necessary hereditary document
on your behalf which will give you legal claim to the fund, so as to enable the
bank transfer the money to your account as a hereditary funds passed down to
you by late Engineer Adam Harrison as his next of kin.
All information used in this transaction shall be kept confidential and the
documents shall be destroyed with my official power after the sucessful
conclussion of this transaction.
If in the process of this transaction, you give us any reason to doubt our
trust in you, we shall discontinue the transaction with you, because this money
in question is a huge sum of money and myself and partners will not want
anything that will jeopardize this life time opportunity at our disposal.
Morealso, I would like to know more about you; Your age, marital status,
occupation etc.
Finally, my good friend, I will like you to please keep this transaction to
your self until the funds is transferred through the bank to your own bank.
I await your response.
Yours Sincerely,
S. Okofa
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Dear Mr Okafa,
Please explain to me how the money will be divided up. You say that I willget 20% and you and your partner will revieve 80%. It seems to me that I am
doing a great share of work. In the spirit of fairness I would like 40% and
give you and your partner 60% to share. This is still a grat deal of money.
I feel though I am risking my job and welfare in this transaction and need a
bigger incentive. Please respond quickly I have a situation developing over
here that I will tell you about later.
What a blessing it is to hear from you! How did you find my contact
information?
I need some information from you, as well. What country is all this money
coming from? Will it be in US dollars? Can I use paypal to secure some if
not all of the funds?
Sincerely,
Mr. Ollie Noodle
1601 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC
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Attention: Mr. Ollie Noodle
We are offering you 20% ($4.3m), It is a fair deal, While the balance goes to
three of us over here. You are not risking anything, we are going to secure all
documents legally to present you as true beneficiary/next of kin. These
documents shall be destroy after the successful conclussion of this deal if you
want us to do that. I got your contact information in the Internet. The Money
is Coming from Nigeria in Africa, It will be transferred in US
Dollars via Online Banking system which I stated in my second mail. Please, if
your are interested in this deal, I would require the folowing information; You
Full name, Contact Address, tel/Fax number. These informations will enable me
secure all the hereditary documents to present you as the true beneficiary/next
of kin to late Adam Harrison. I await your urgent response.
S. Okofa
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Dear Mr Okafa,
I am a man who relies heavily on hunches, they seldom serve me wrong and
have guided me through life. I am a proud man, much like yourself. I have
a hunch about you and I know a good deal when I see one. I am very excited
about this deal between you me and your partner (please tell me his name).
Let's do this. I will gladly take 20% of your find, providing no taxes will
be levied.
Here is my personal information so we can speed this along. My full name is
Olestro Hypothalamus Noodle. My address, as previously mentioned is 1601
Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. I do not have a fax number at this
time but am in the process of having one set up in my summer home by the lake. It should be up in a day or two. Please email me back promptly and
kindly instruct me how to proceed, I need this money soon, I am in the
middle of a situation here that has put me at the mercy of time.
Sincerely,
Ollie Noodle
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Dear Ollie Noodle
Thanks for the information. My partner (Mr. Mike Tafa) will start securing
the necessary documents this morning. I would like to know more about you:
Your age, marital status, what are you doing at the moment? I am very sorry for
my inquisitive, I really need to know you because, this is a lot of money
we are about entrusting into your hand, more also, I was the one that
recommended you, hence I should know you. Do contact [BANK] through their
E-mail: [BANK EMAIL ADDRESS] or URL: [BANK] that you want to use their Online Banking
services to transfer the sum of $21.5m you inherited from Late Engr. Adam
Harrison to your account in US, that they should use their good office to
inform you on the proceedure. kindly send me your direct telephone number, I
would like to discuss with you on phone base on this transaction. Ollie, do keep
this transaction highly confidential and act accordingly.
Thanks
Steven Okofa
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7/21/03
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7/22/03
Attention: Ollie Noodle
I am very sorry for all you are going through at the moment, I really sympathise
with you. I think we have to pulse at the moment for you to conclude
setting up your "escape house" and acquired a phone line for us to keep
communicating. Contact [BANK] through their URL: [BANK'S WEBSITE] or email:
[BANK EMAIL ADDRESS] that you are very busy at the moment, that you wish to open
an account for the lodgment of the $21.5m you inheritted from late Adam Harrison
for onward transfer to your account using their online banking services as soon
as you conclude the project you have at hand.
I await your urgent response.
Steven Okofa
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7/22/03
Dear Mr Okafa,
What a pleasant morning it is to hear from year. I dreamed all night of my
millions. I think I will buy video games with my money. Do you play video
games? What is your favorite? What delicious fun it is to play video games and
then fly my plane. Such pedestrian joys keep my mind off of my wife. I saw her
with girlfriend the other day walking around Main Street here in DC. They
were wearing bikins and holding hands. Do you have a word for this type of
woman in your language?
Good news, I have done some research and found that I can call Nigeria from a
payphone using 10-10-220 for as little as 3 cents minute. Give me your phone
number and we can chat about our riches. I am setting up an account with your
bank as we speak. How much should I make for an initial deposit? I have a
little money saved up.
Please send me a picture of yourself and Mike Tafa so I can know who I am
dealing with. Are you working with anyone else besides Mike Tafa? I recieved a
strange email from someone today.
Enjoy the day, my friend!
Sincerely,
Ollie Noodle