It’s time to take time out of our busy lives as Americans and pay tribute to the dozens of hardworking men and women of Nigeria who have worked so diligently over the past 25 years -- throughout Africa and Europe -- to scam hundreds of greedy, unsuspecting people out of millions and millions of dollars.

If you’ve not heard of the Nigerian 419 scam, it began in the early ‘80’s, according to what I’ve read on the Internet, as the Nigerian economy, heavily dependent on oil prices, began to decline. Several unemployed university students first started the scheme by targeting businessmen visiting Nigeria looking for risky opportunites and big rewards. The students eventually branched out to businessmen in the West, and eventually, by the 1990’s, to companies. Emails and faxes were sent out by the hundreds of thousands around the globe.

The number 419 refers to the Nigerian criminal code of conduct involving fraud. The scam worked something like what’s in this letter, the first of several that were sent to my office by fax (I’ve kept the layout as close as possible to the original letter, INCLUDING all the typos and bad English):

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FROM:
Dr. Chukuma Okpara
DATE: 8th April 2001



Dear Sir,
URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL: STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
I AM Dr Chukuma Okpara Director of procurement and contracts with Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria.
Sometime ago, my corporation (NNPC) awarded a contract to Total Oil International, to service Turn Around Maintenance and rehabilitation work in Kaduna Refinery and Petrol-chemical Company (KRPC) plant in Nigeria. This contract was over-invoiced by us to the tune of US $75 Million (Seventy Five Million Dollars). Some officials and myself reached a compromise to transfer the fund into a foreign bank account that will accommodate this fund.
For providing the beneficiary’s account you will be entitled to 25% of the total sum, 70% for myself and partners, and 5% will be set aside to offset any expenses that may be incurred by either party during the transfer process.
To enable us put up claims, we would require the following information (1). Name to be used as beneficiary, telephone/fax number. (2). A written and signed letter of guarantee to confirm to us that the said fund is safe when transferred and our share will be given to us accordingly. After the successful completion of this deal, we intend to use part of our share to invest into your corporation or any business as may be advised by you.
Please contact my financial adviser Mr. Yaya Ahmed in London who will give you brief details of this transaction. His telephone number is + 44 772 0480 902 or his Netherlands no: + 31-612 309 149 and fax number is +44 870 135 2749. Be advised that confidentialty is required because we are civil servants and do not want any scandal.
Yours Faithfully
Signed
Dr Chukuma Okpara

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Let’s see, $75 million, and I get to keep a whopping 25%!!! Sounds pretty good – oh, but wait, better offers were to be placed on the table:

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(Received by fax12/30/01)
FROM THE DESK OF ENGRAKMED HARUNA
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONTRACTS REVIEW PANEL
FEDERAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX (ANNEX)
LAGOS-NIGERIA
ENGR. AKMED HARUNA
TEL: 011 874 762 534 845
FAX: 011 874 762 534 846

Sir,
REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

First, I must solicit your strictest confidentiality in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and ‘TOP SECRET’. You have been recommended by an associate who assured me in confidence of your ability and reliability to prosecute a transaction of great magnitude involving a pending business transaction requiring maximum confidence.
We are top officials of the Federal Government Contract Review Panel who are interested in importation of goods in to our country with funds which are presnetly trapped in Nigeria. In order to commence this business, we solicit your assistance to enable us transfer into your account the said trapped funds.

The source of this funds is as follows: During the immediate past military regime here in Nigeria, government officials set up companies and awarded themselves contracts which were grossly over invoiced in various ministries. The present democratic government set up a Contract Review Panel to look into these contracts as well as those awarded to contractors, for which payment has not been made. In the course of doing this, we identified a lot of inflated funds presently floating in the Central Bank of Nigeria and ready for payment. However, by virtue of our position as civil servants and member of this panel, we cannot acquire this money in our names. I have therefore been delegated as a matter of trust by my colleagues of the panel to look for an overseas partner into whose account we would transfer the sum of US$21,320,000.00 (Twenty One Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand U.S. Dollars). Hence, we are writing you this letter.

We have agreed to share the money thus:
25% for the Account owner (you).
65% for us (The Officials).
10% to be set aside in settling all foreign expenses (by you) and local expenses (by us) incidental to the actualisation of this project.
As a token of our gratitude, as soon as you confirm the arrival of the funds in your Account, we shall arrange for you the equivalent of 500,000 barrels of Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), for spotlifting at a price less than the prevailing market value per barrel.

We wish to commence the importation business from our 65% share of the proceeds from the project. Please, note that this transaction is 100% safe, and we intend to effect the transfer within 10 banking days from the date of receipt of the following information via Facsimile on my Number: 011 874 762 634 846, your Bankers name, Company’s name and address, Account number and fax number.

The above information will enable us write letters of claim and job description respectively. This way, we will use your company’s name to apply for the payment and re-award the contract to your company. We are looking forward to doing this business with you and solicit your confidentiality in this transaction. Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter using the above Telephone and Fax number. I will bring you into the complete picture of this pending project when I hear from you.
Your faithfully,
ENGR. HARUNA
P.S.
My email address is as outlined; akmedharuna@totalise.co.uk

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Holy Cow! This one also gives me 500,000 barrels of Gasoline Oil Uh, I’m not exactly sure what that is, or what I’d do with it, but hey, it’s Africa, right? And those people know oil -- plus I get the same 25% share, oh, but wait, it’s less money. Ooohhh, but it also says TOP SECRET right in the email, I like that, and check it out! I was recommended by a top associate! A truly astounding deal, here’s a guy who obviously has his act together, and apparently knows my friends. It sounded perfect until I received this:

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(Received by fax, 10-16-02)
ALBERT KUMALO, PH.D
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH-ARICA
CONFIDENTIAL E-MAIL: -ALBERT KUMALO@EXECUTIVEMAIL.CO.ZA

DATE: -15/10/2002

DEAR SIR/MADAM
BUSINESS PROPOSAL :STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I AM ALBERT KUMALO PH.D, CHIEF ACCOUNTANT TO THE CONTRACT AWARD AND MONITORING COMMITTEE (C.A.M.C) IN SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY SOMETIMES IN 1998, A CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO A CONGLOMERATE OF FOREIGN COMPANIES IN JAPAN BY MY COMMITTEE. THE CONTRACT WAS OVER-INVOICED TO THE TUNE OF UF$21,700,00.00
(TINTY ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY).

THIS WAS DONE DELIBERATELY; THE OVER-INVOICING WAS A DEAL BY MEMBERS OF MY COMMITTEE TO BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT. I NOW DESIRE TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY, WHICH IS PRESENTLY IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT WITH THE SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY INTO AN OVERSEAS ACCOUNT, WHICH I EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE.

BENEFIT FOR PROVIDING THE ACCOUNT WHERE I SHALL REMIT THE MONEY, YOU WILL BE ENTITLED TO 30% OF THE MONEY. 65% WILL BE FOR ME AND MY PARTNERS, WHILE 5% HAS BEEN MAPPED OUT FROM THE TOTAL SUM TO COVER ANY EXPENSES THAT MIGHT BE INCURRED BY US DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION, BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES.

I WOULD REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING:
THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF YOUR BANK
YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER/SWIFT CODE
YOUR PRIVATE TEL/FAX NUMBER

THE ABOVE DOCUMENTS WILL BE USED TO MAKE FORMAL APPLICATION AS A MATTER OF PROCEDURE FOR THE RELEASE OF THE MONEY AND ONWARD TRANSFER TO YOUR ACCOUNT. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER OR NOT YOUR COMPANY DOES PROJECT OF THIS NATURE DESCRIBED HERE, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT YOU WON A MAJOR CONTRACT AND SUBCONTRACTED IT OUT TO OTHER COMPANIES, MORE OFTEN THAT NOT, BIG TRADING COMPANIES OR FIRMS OF RELATED FIELDS WIN MAJOR CONTRACTS AND SUBCONTRACTS TO MORE SPECIALISED FIRMS FOR EXECUTION OF SUCH CONTRACTS.

I HAVE STRONG CONNECTIONS AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT ALL THIS MONEY WILL BE RELEASED AND TRANSFERRED IF I GET THE NECESSARY FOREIGN PARTNERS TO ASSIST US IN THE DEAL. THEREFORE, WHEN THE BUSINESS IS SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED, I SHALL THROUGH OUR SAME CONNECTIONS WITHDRAW ALL DOCUMENTS USED FROM ALL THE CONCERNED GOVERNMENT
MINISTRIES FOR 100% SECURITY.

IF THIS PROPOSAL IS OF INTEREST TO YOU, THEN CONTACT ME THROUGH E-MAIL AT ALBERTKUMALO@EXECUTIVEMAIL.CO.ZA SO THAT I CAN SEND YOU THE CONTRACT APPLICATION FORM FOR YOU TO FILL AND RETURN TO ME BACK BY FAX
PLEASE CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF THIS LETTER BY E-MAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
ALBERT KUMALO, PHD

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Holy $*@%! This guy’s an accountant for the, what was it? Contract Award and Monitoring Committee? That even has an ACRONYM, for crying out loud! Sweet! Ooh – and it says strictly confidential, right at the top of the page! And he has connections at the Central Bank of South Africa. Holy crap, who is this guy, BONO??? And again a healthy cut of over $20 million!!! But even BETTER offers would follow (don’t settle for cheap imitations, after all – act now! Supplies are limited! Operators are standing by!!!)

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(Received by fax 9-26-03)

FROM: MR MARK GREEN
EMAIL: MARKGR@MAIL15.COM
Efax: 1-206-202-0880
ATTN: CEO/PRESIDENT
I want you to patiently read this offer. I am Mr. Mark Green the Head of Delegation to the World Bank if West Africa. I am the linkman between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – OPEC and the petroleum sector in a West African country. I also attend OPEC meetings constantly in Geneva on the auspices of World Bank.
Through the sale of our allocated oil quota in OPEC, I was able to make S$22.2million, which is currently deposited in a Security and Finance company. I want you to assist me to claim this money as I cannot it directly because I am still a civil servant, and the code of conduct bureau forbids me to acquire such amount of money.
It is on this basis that I am contacting you for assistance. If you will be interested in claiming the funds on my behalf. Claim documents will be pricessed and sent to you. The documents with which the fund is deposited will be changed to reflect you as the new beneficiary so that you will be eligible to collect the fund on my behalf.
I will give you 20% of the fund for this assistance. I am aware of the international monitoring of all large-scale financial movements after the September 11th 2001 terrorist attack on America and to avoid any state of financial investigation I will provide a classified clearance paper from the relevant body which will exonerate the money from either drug, money laundered or terrorist related proceeds.
Kindly responds to me proposal through this my private email: markgr@mail15.com or Efax: 1-206-202-0880, the receipt of your mail or fax indicating interest. I want to assure you that there is no risk attached in this transaction. You should also provide me with your private telephone and fax numbers for easier communication.
Expecting your response.
Best regards,
MR. MARK GREEN

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Now this I like – finally, a guy with an American-sounding name. Probably knows a lot more about finance than those other guys, and I’ll bet HE’S not a scammer like all the rest…and he’s a lot more sensitive, too, what with all the references to 9-11 and terrorism and so on…hmm…but then I got this one…

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Tel: 44 704 011 6658; Fax: 44 207 060 0743
From: David Roberts Date: 16th December
2004
My name is David Roberts, Head of Private/Investment Banking Division of the Barclays Group, 48 Brook Str, Raunds, Northants, NN9 6LP, U.K. Our Private Banking client Hatem Kamil Abdul Fatah who was the deputy governor of Baghdad in Iraq and also business man made a numbered fixed deposit for 12 calendar months, with a value of (8,500,000.00) Eight Millions Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only in my branch. Upon maturity, several notices were sent to him. Again after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government, another notification was sent and still no response came from him. It was later discovered that the Governor had been assassinated in Baghdad. The websites below is a verification of the news about his death.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl/middle east/3970619.stm
http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article/pho?id=6979
On my knowledge of his death, I immediately froze all transactions on this account pending when his next of kin would come forward or present evidence for necessary identification. Unfortunately, from my investigations and enquiries, he had no family members who were aware of the existence of the money and as such, I have decided to do business with you, by presenting you as the beneficiary of these funds. Obviously I would not want this money to go into the Bank Treasury because the banking law and guideline stipulates that if such funds remain unclaimed for a year, it will be regarded as unclaimed funds.
If this interests you, please reply through my private email: davidrobertsjnr@mail2world.com stating your telephone numbers for detailed discussions. You can call me on telephone: 44 704 011 6658.
Best regards,
David Roberts

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Now HERE we go – actual internet links to news stories to add a little credibility (well, okay, so the links don’t actually WORK…but still.) And he’s head of a bank in the U.K, for crying out loud. And $8.5 million seems a lot more plausible than what those OTHER guys were promising…

And on and on…this isn’t even all of the ones I received, but you get the idea.

So reader, I’m looking for any donations you’d care to send – whatever you could spare – just a few pennies a day would mean SO much to SO many of us bloggers out there who could really use your help…YOU could change a life, just by sending a check in the mail.

Won’t you call today?