Many examples of the Nigerian (aka 419, aka advance fee) scam follow.

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FROM: JOSEPH SOKO

OKUMAGBA ANNIN LAW FIRM
ATTORNEYS/LEGAL PRACTITIONERS.
NIGERIA.

ATTENTION:

DEAER FRIEND,

COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON. GRACE AND PEACE AND LOVE FROM THIS PART OF THE ATLANTIC TO YOU. I HOPE MY LETTER DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TOO MUCH EBARRASSMENT.AS I WRITE TO YOU IN GOOD FAITH Y. PLEASE EXCUSE MY INTRUSION INTO YOUR PRIVATE LIFE.

I AM JOSEPH SOKO,I REPRESENT MOHAMMED ABACHA, SON OF THE LATE GEN.SANI ABACHA, WHO WAS THE FORMER MILITARY HEAD OF STATE IN NIGERIA. HE DIED IN 1998. SINCE HIS DEATH, THE FAMILY HAS BEEN LOSING A LOT OF MONEY DUE TO VINDICTIVE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO ARE BENT ON DEALING WITH THE FAMILY.

BASED ON THIS THEREFORE, THE FAMILY HAS ASKED ME TO SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER WHO CAN WORK WITH US AS TO MOVE OUT THE TOTAL SUM OF US$75,000,000.00 (SEVENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS), PRESENTLY IN THEIR POSSESSION. THIS MONEY WAS OF COURSE, ACQUIRED BY THE LATE PRESIDENT AND IS NOW KEPT SECRETLY BY THE FAMILY.

THE SWISS GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY FROZEN ALL THE ACCOUNTS OF THE FAMILY IN SWITZERLAND, AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD SOON FOLLOW TO DO THE SAME. THIS BID BY SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO DEAL WITH THIS FAMILY HAS MADE IT NECESSARY THAT WE SEEK YOUR ASSISITANCE IN RECEIVING THIS MONEY AND IN INVESTING IT ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY.

THIS MUST BE A JOINT VENTURE TRANSACTION AND WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER. SINCE THIS MONEY IS STILL CASH,EXTRA SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PROTECT IT FROM THEFT OR SEIZURE, PENDING WHEN AGREEMENT IS REACHED ON WHEN AND HOW TO MOVE IT INTO ANY OF YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNTS I HAVE PERSONALLY WORKED OUT ALL MODALITIES FOR THE PEACEFUL CONCLUSION OF THIS TRANSACTION.

THE TRANSACTION DEFINITELY WOULD BE HANDLED IN PHASES AND THE FIRST PHASE WILL INVOLVE THE MOVING OF US$25,000,000.00( TWENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS).

MY CLIENTS ARE WILLING TO GIVE YOU A REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THIS MONEY AS SOON AS THE TRANSACTIONIS CONCLUDED. I WILL, HOWEVER, BASED ON THE GROUNDS THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US AND ALSO ALL CONTENTIOUS ISSUES DISCUSSED BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS TRANSACTION. YOU MAY ALSO DISCUSS YOUR PERCENTAGE BEFORE WE START TO WORK. AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU, I WILL GIVE YOU ALL NECESSARY DETAILS AS TO HOW WE INTEND TO CARRY OUT THE WHOLE TRANSACTION.PLEASE, DO NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEARS, AS ALL NECESSARY MODALITIES ARE IN PLACE, AND I ASSURE YOU OF ALL SUCCESS AND SAFETY IN THIS TRANSACTION.

PLEASE, THIS TRANSACTION REQUIRES ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO TREAT IT AS SUCH UNTIL THE FUNDS ARE MOVED OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.

PLEASE, YOU WILL ALSO IGNORE THIS LETTER AND RESPECT OUR TRUST IN YOU BY NOT EXPOSING THIS TRANSACTION, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

TRULY YOURS,

JOSEPH SOKO

You may be surprised to receive my letter, however, I got your contact from the Chamber of Commerce and Trade. I have decided to contact you for confidential, urgent and rewarding joint business. My name is DUDU BENSON, I was a Personal Assistant to the Late Congo President, LURENT KABILA, who was assasinated in February and my aim of writing to you is because of the need for a trusted and honest person, who I can entrust the sum of US$62,800,000 (Sixty two million, eight hundred thousand USDollars).

Source of the money: I and the late president secured this money in a security firm in Ghana, in my name before his death. Now that he is late, I want to transfer the money out of Africa, for investment in your country, I can not travel out of Nigeria where I am on asylum, hence I am asking for your assistance to have this money in your care pending when I will secure travel documents to come over to your country.If you accept this offer we shall share the money as follows: for you, 25%, 75% for me. I have all the title documents to the fund which I can transfer to you to enable you have assess to it. Be assured that is risk-free and legitimate.

- Please advise me on your position by e-mail immedaitely, indicating your phone and fax numbers. Please I await your prompt reply-DUDU BENSON.

I am Dr. Mrs. Mariam Abacha, wife of 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 20million U.S dollars cash that I intend to use for investment purposes.

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 husbands share being the above sum after his death. Presently, the new civilian Government has intensified their probe into my husbands' 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 company in Europe (with a coded name) 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 family, I cannot make use of this money, thus I seek your help in receiving these funds and pay into your account for the family safety.

On your consent, or e-mail via the under listed contacts immediately for further discussion and clarification. Bearing in mind that you may assist me, l have decided to part with 10% of the total sum.

Please if interested contact me on the e-mail address below.

Regards
Dr Mrs M Abacha

(URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL)

(RE: TRANSFER OF ($ 126,000,000.00 USD} ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MILLION DOLLARS

Dear sir,

We want to transfer to overseas account ($ 126,000,000.00 USD) one hundred and twenty six million United States Dollars) from a Prime Bank in Africa, I want to ask you to quietly look for a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to provide either an existing bank account or to set up a new Bank a/c immediately to receive this money, even an empty a/c can serve to receive this money, as long as you will remain honest to me till the end of this important business trusting in you and believing in God that you will never let me down either now or in future.

I am MR HASAN TUTU,the Auditor General of one of the prime banks here South Africa, during the course of our auditing,I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 1990 and since 1993 nobody has operated on this account again, after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is Mr. Allan P.Seaman, a foreigner, and an industrialist, and he died, since 1993. and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that Allan P. Seaman until his death was the manager Of Diamond Safari [pty]. SA.

We will start the first phase of the transfer with twenty six million [$26,000,000 USD] upon successful transaction without any disappointment from your side, we shall re-apply for the payment of the remaining Balance amount to your account.

The amount involved is (USD 126 M ) One hundred and Twenty six million United States Dollars only. I want to first transfer $26,000,000.00 [Twenty six million United States Dollar] from this money into a safe foreigners account abroad before the rest, but I don't know any foreigner, I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money can not be approved to a local person here, without valid international foreign passport, but can only be approved to any foreigner with valid international passport or drivers license and foreign a/c because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the a/c Mr. Allan P. Seaman is a foreigner too,and the money can only be approved into a foreign a/c.

However, we will sign a binding agreement, to bind us together. I got your contact address from the Girl who operates my computer, I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let me down in this business, you are the first and the only person that I am contacting for this business, so please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take urgently. Send also your private telephone and fax number including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit.

I want us to meet face to face to build confidence and to sign a binding agreement that will bind us together before transferring the money to any account of your choice where the fund will be safe. Before we fly to your country for withdrawal, sharing and investments.

I need your full co-operation to make this work fine, Because the management is ready to approve this payment to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you, upon your positive response and once I am convinced that you are capable and will meet up with instruction of a key bank official who is deeply involved with me in this business. I need your strong assurance that you will never, never let me down.

With my influence and the position of the bank official we can transfer this money to any foreigner's reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money will be intact pending our physical arrival in your country for sharing. The bank official will destroy all documents of transaction immediately we receive this money leaving no trace to any place and to build confidence you can come immediately to discuss with me face to face after which I will make this remittance in your presence and three of us will fly to your country at least two days ahead of the money going into the account. I will apply for annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to obtain all legal approvals for onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance from the relevant ministries and foreign exchange departments.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 35% of the total amount, 60% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring.

I look forward to your earliest reply through my email address.

Yours truly,
HASAN TUTU.

Dear Sir,

I am Mr. Kawzulu Mbeki, a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an Executive Accountant with the South Africa Department of Mining & Natural Resources. First and foremost, I apologise using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to Confidentiality and prompt access reposed on this medium.

Be informed that a member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council who was at the Government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition gave your enviable credentials/particulars to me. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction.

While I am in London U.K at the moment on holiday, within the Department of Mining & Natural Resources where I work as an Executive Accountant and with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have in our possession an overdue payment bills totalling Forty Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars $40,500,000.00 which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf or a reliable foreign non-company account to receive such funds.

More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South African Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence your importance in the whole transaction. This amount $40.5m represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department by a foreign contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key tested Telegraphic Transfer K.T.T to any foreign bank account you will provide by filling in an application through the Ministry of Justice here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you.

I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 30% of the $40.5 million, 60% for us and 10% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me.

Endeavour to contact me immediately through my private number +**-***-******* or email *******@********** to confirm whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will enable me scout for another foreign partner to carry out this deal.

I want to assure you that my partners and myself are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and please, remember to treat this matter very confidential, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service.

Once again, remember that time is of great essence in this transaction. I await in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

Kawzulu Mbeki

Dear Sir/Madam

SEEKING YOUR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.

Please Permit me to make your acquaintance in so informal a manner. This is necessitated by my urgent need to reach a dependable and trust wordy foreign partner. This request may seem strange and unsolicited but I will crave your indulgence and pray that you view it seriously. My name is COL. FRANK LANGA of the Democratic Republic of Congo and One of the close aides to the former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo LAURENT KABILA of blessed memory, may his soul rest in peace.

Due to the military campaign of LAURENT KABILA to force out the rebels in my country, I and some of my colleagues were instructed by Late President Kabila to go abroad to purchase arms and ammunition worth of Twenty Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only (US$20,500,000.00) to fight the rebel group. We were then given this money privately by the then President, LAURENT KABILA, without the knowledge of other Cabinet Members. But when President Kabila was killed in a bloody shoot-out by one of his aide a day before we were schedule to travel out of Congo, We immediately decided to put the funds into a private security company here in Congo for safe keeping. The security of the said amount is presently being threatened here following the arrest and seizure of properties of Col. Rasheidi Karesava (One of the aides to Laurent Kabila) a tribesman, and some other Military Personnel from our same tribe, by the new President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the son of late President Laurent Kabila, Joseph Kabila.

In view of this, we need a reliable and trustworthy foreign partner who can assist us to move this money out of my country as the beneficiary. WE have sufficient ''CONTACTS'' here to move the fund under Diplomatic Cover to a security company in Europe in your name. This is to ensure that the Diplomatic Baggage is marked ''CONFIDENTIAL'' and it will not pass through normal custom/airport screening and clearance.

Our inability to move this money out of Congo all this while lies on our lack of trust on our supposed good friends (western countries) who suddenly became hostile to those of us who worked with the late President Kabila, immediately after his son took office. Though we have neither seen nor met each other, the information We gathered from an associate who has worked in your country has encouraged and convinced us that with your sincere assistance, this transaction will be properly handled with modesty and honesty to a huge success within two weeks. The said money is a state fund and therefore requires a total confidentiality.

We would please need you to stand on our behalf as the beneficiary of this fund in Europe. This is because we are under restricted movement and watch and hence we want to be very carefull in other not to lose this fund which we have worked so hard for. Thus, if you are willing to assist us move this fund out of Congo, you can contact me through my email address, Tel/Fax nos. above with your telephone, fax number and personal information to enable us discuss the modalities and what will be your share (percentage) for assisting us.

Please note that There are no RISKS involved in this Deal as every ones Security is Gurranteed as far as we follow the required guidlines. I will hence furnish you with further details of this Deal as soon as I am assured of your Sincere interest to assist us.

I must use this opportunity and medium to implore you to exercise the utmost indulgence to keep this matter extraordinarily confidential, Whatever your decision, while I await your prompt response. Thank you and God Bless.

Best Regards

COL. FRANK LANGA (RTD). **********@***********

Dear Sir,

TRANSFER AND MANAGEMENT OF US425.5M

This proposal, no doubt, may come to you as a surprise, since it is from someone who you have not met before now. But based on a good confidential recommendation from someone, who knows you, I decided to contact you for a confidential business, which involves me and three other senior members of staff in office.

I am a senior project Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the major producer and marketer of Nigeria's Petroleum Products. I am in the position to credit your account with the sum of twenty-five million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars only (US$25,500,000) This money is generated from a contract awarded by my Corporation and inflated by colleagues and I for our personal use.

My colleagues and I have unanimously agreed to compensate you commensurately for assisting us, by sharing the money in the following rations:

1. 25% for you, for your assistance.

2. 70% for my colleagues and me. Our shares shall be invested in your country in a manner to be advised by you.

3. The remaining 5% shall be used to offset all the expenses, including phone and fax expenses to be incurred by you and us in the course of effecting this transfer.

I therefore implore you to send me the following particulars, to enable me process and credit your account as soon as possible:

A. Your bank name and address, including its telephone, fax and telex numbers.

B. Your account number at this bank, including your routing code, if any.

C. Your company's full name, address, telephone, fax and telex numbers, as well as your private/home telephone and fax numbers.

I want to inform you that this is a very confidential deal. I sincerely appeal to you not to disclose it to any other person until we are through. This is very important considering the nature of this deal and our position in NNPC. L

ooking forward to reading from you.

My regards,

Yours faithfully,

DR. MUSA WAZIRI.

NB:

For security reasons, I prefer that you send me all information by fax and phone, hence I did not include my contact address.

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