BBC : Nigeria cracks down on email scam

It had to happen sooner or later. The following email just arrived in my mail box (in with the never ending flood of junk mail, porn site solicitations, emails with virus attachments, including, today, the ever helpful 'Windows XP patch' which I really needed, not running XP myself, and not inclined to use a patch kindly sent by email in any case, and will their ever be an end to the email get rich quick schemes that just never seem to stop coming). The Nigerian 411 scam is used, believe it or not, to bilk people of millions of dollars out of their bank accounts every year. The following text of the email is a classic example of this scam (will you be so kind as to allow them to deposit 123 million into your bank account temporarily?) Believe it or not people do fall for this scam, and probably a few people use the XP patch and cannot resist opening those virus files that come with their emails (a piece of advice - disable active scripting using the properties menu and the securities tab - choose custom - if you use explorer and disable java script on Netscape - contrary to what many people believe java script does not run in a protected sand box on your computer like Java does, and can be quite malicious).

The text of this 411 scam email follows ...



Subject: ATTENTION PLEASE

Date: Mon, 01 Apr 02 15:38:31 Dateline Standard Time

From: "anttomm"

No 5 PARK AVENUE, G.R.A, ENUGU. ENUGU STATE,

TEL:234 90506653 TEL:874-762864162 FAX:874 762864164

{VERY URGENT BUSINESS TRANSACTION}

GREETINGS

IN ORDER TO TRANSFER OUT (USD$126 MILLION DOLLARS) FROM OUR BANK. I HAVE THE COURAGE TO ASK YOUTO LOOK FOR A RELIABLE AND HONEST PERSON WHO WILL BE CAPABLE FOR THIS IMPORTANT BUSINESSBELIEVING THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN EITHER NOW OR IN FUTURE.

I AM MR. EMMANUEL OBI, THE EASTERN DISTRICT BANK MANAGER OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. (UBA). THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPENED IN THIS BANK IN 1980AND SINCE 1990 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN. AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES INTHE RECORDS I DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO NOT REMITT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTLY IT WILL BE FORFEITED FOR NOTHING.

THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS, A FOREIGNER, AND THE MANAGER OF PETRO -TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES, A CHEMICAL ENGINEER BY PROFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 1990. NO OTHERPERSON KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANY THING CONCERNING IT, THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT THIS COMPANY DOES NOT KNOWANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS (USD$126 MILLION DOLLARS).

I WANT TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO A SAFE FOREIGNERS ACCOUNT ABROAD BUT I DON'T KNOW ANYFOREIGNER, I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CAN NOT BE APPROVED TO ALOCAL BANK HERE, BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED TO ANY FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN US DOLLARS AND THE FORMER OWNER OFTHE ACCOUNT IS MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS IS A FOREIGNER TOO. I KNOW THAT THIS MASSAGE WILL COME TOYOU AS A SURPRISE AS WE DON'T KNOW OUR SELVES BEFORE, BUT BE SURE THAT IT IS REAL AND A GENUINEBUSINESS.

I ONLY GOT YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS FROM THE COMPUTER WITH BELIEVE IN GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LETME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE CONTACTED IN THIS BUSINESS, SOPLEASE REPLY URGENTLY SO THAT I WILL INFORM YOU THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE URGENTLY. I WANT US TO SEE FACE TO FACE OR SIGN A BINDINGAGREEMENT TO BIND US TOGETHER SO THAT YOU CAN RECIEVE THIS MONEY INTO A FORIEGN ACCOUNT OR ANYACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE THE FUND WILL BE REMMITTED. AND I WILL FLY TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR WITHDRAWAL AND SHARING ANDOTHER INVESTMENTS.

I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH FOREIGN ACCOUNT AND FOREIGNENEFICIARY. I NEED YOUR CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK FINE. BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT IS READY TOAPPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO HAS CORRECT INFORMATION OF THIS ACCOUNT, WHICH I WILLGIVE TO YOU LATER IMMEDIATELY, IF YOU ARE ABLE AND WITH CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH AMOUNT INSTRICT CONFIDENCE AND TRUST ACCORDING TO MY INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT BECAUSE THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL NEVER COME AGAIN IN MY LIFE.

I NEED TRUTHFUL PERSON IN THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE MISTAKE I NEED YOUR STRONGASSURANCE AND TRUST. WITH MY POSITION NOW IN THE OFFICE I CAN NOT TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO ANYFOREIGNERS RELIABLE ACCOUNT WHICH YOU CAN PROVIDE WITH ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACTPENDING MY PHYSICAL ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR SHARING. I WILL DESTROY ALL DOCUMENTS OF TRANSACTION IMMEDIATELY WE RECIEVE THIS MONEY LEAVING NO TRACE TO ANYPLACE.

YOU CAN ALSO COME TO DISCUSS WITH ME FACE TO FACE AFTER WHICH I WILL MAKE THIS REMITTANCE INYOUR PRESENCE AND TWO OF US WILL FLY TO YOUR COUNTRY AT LEAST TWO DAYS AHEAD OF THE MONEY GOINGINTO YOUR 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. IWILL USE MY POSITION AND INFLUENCE TO EFFECT LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEYTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FORMS OF THE MINISTRIES AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE DEPARTMENTS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BUSINESS, YOU WILL BE GIVEN 20% OF THETOTAL AMOUNT, 75% WILL BE FOR ME, WHILE 5% WILL BE FOR EXPENSES BOTH PARTIES MIGHT HAVE INCUREDDURING THE PROCESS OF TRANSFERING.

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EARLIEST REPLY BY MAIL.

YOURS TRULY,

EMMANUEL OBI.