Over the years as I've managed my websites I've run across various spins of whats become known as the Nigerian 419 Scam run by a group commonly know as "The Yahoo Boy's". Sadly, each year many gullable people fall prey to the cons and destroy their lives in doing so.
It's my hope that by collecting and publishing some of the many solicitations I've recieved over the years it will raise awareness of the problem. Often I do respond the the letters and collect the phony cashiers checks as a trophy.
Many of their fake documuments and cashiers checks are on display to show you just how authentic (sometimes) their story can seem. Enjoy the letters, docs, and photo's for what their worth and have a good laugh.
Rental Scam: In this con, a person whom had advertised a room or home for rent will recieve an email from a person out of the country wanting to rent. You will be sent a check for thousands of dollars to secure the property.
You will then be told the next day something has happened and they will not be able to move after all. You will be requested to return all but $500 via Western Union that same day. The cashiers check you deposited will come back as phony in about one week. You will be out about $3,000 on average.
Job Offer Scam: In this con, you may recieve a "job" offer from a person claiming to work for an oversea's corporation in desperate need of your help. For some odd reason they cannot seem to find a way to collect money owed by US customers, so they need your help. This is amazing to me since there are thousands of corporations collecting money owed by US customers every day with no trouble at all.
Nevertheless, it is your "assignment" to recieve money orders (usually sent from New York) and deposit the cashier checks into your account. Then, you are to immediately wire all but $500.00 (or sometimes 10%) to the payee in the UK. Obviously after time the check bounces and again, you are out about $3,000 on average (the checks that arrive are usually for $3,800). There have been cases where people are out far greater amounts.
From: "Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd." To: MikeAlmighty@yahoo.com Subject: Job offer Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 10:08:14 PM
I am GuangDong Liansu,the CEO of the Liansu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. The Liansu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. , was Established in 1986,GuangDong LianSu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Group is one of the largest manufacturers of plastic piping and extrusion facilities in domestic market in Asia.
The headquarter is located in Industrial Zone, Shunde. The GuangDong LianSu Machinery Manufacturing Company is also in London, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. We manufacturers and sell plastic piping,extrusion facilities and other raw materials and are therefore interested in employing your services, to work with us as our offshore payment agent who can help us eastablish a medium of receiving payment on our behalf for Goods and raw materials we supplied to our customers in the US, Canada and Europe.
It is upon this note that we seek your assistance as our agent in your state or country. Be informed that as our agent, you will receive 10% of whatever amount you clear for the company and the balance will be paid into an account the Company will avail to you.
Our sales varies from defferent sizes as you will be sent a full schedule of our yearly export and net income on your partnership and compitence with us every end of the year.
Guang Dong LianSu Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. manufactures and sell plastic piping, extrusion facilities and other raw materials to extrusion engineering firms. We need you to work with us as our offshore payment agent who can help us eastablish a medium of receiving payment on our behalf for Goods and raw materials we supplied to our customers in your country. Will we pay 10% of any amount you receive for us and the balance will be paid into an account the Company will avail to you.
We advise you to forward your current contact information; full name and company name(if any)Tel/Fax numbers and mainling address for us to officially introduce you to our clientele in your country as our representative who will receive all payment on our behalf for all products we supply. some of them have acknowled the receipt of our product and are ready to effect payment.
If you are interested, complete the application form below.
First Name:.............................................................. Middle Name:....................................................... Last Name:........................................................ Addrress Line 1..................................................... Address Line 2.................................................... City..................................................................... State...........................Zip........................... Home Phone........................................................ Cell Phone................................................................. Gender...........Marital Status................................. Status............................Age.............................. Nationality........................................................
Response should be sent to the following email address: liansumach_ca@yahoo.com Let me hear from you to proceed.
Sincerely,
GuangDong Liansu.
C.E.O.
GuangDong LianSu Machinery Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
This one is funny because his email name is a twist on "Lying So Much"! In later email he calls himself Lian Su. Lian Su never responded again after he believed I had been arrested upon attempting to cash the check for his company.
Subject: job offer? Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 10:03:36 AM
From :
Sam Leong
Reply-To :
leongsam@sify.com
Sent :
Monday, December 11, 2006 11:48 AM
Subject :
Part time offer
Hello Mike,
Would you like to work online from home and get paid without affecting your present job if you have one?
Sammie Gallery, U.K. needs an individual in the United States who will be working for me and i am willing to pay for every transaction,which wouldn't affect your present state of work.Someone who will receive payments on my behalf from my customers in the United States.
These payments are in form of a money order or otherwise and it will be made payable to your name, so all you need do is cash the money order deduct your 10% percentage and wire the rest back to me via western union money transfer.
I presently run an Art Gallery I inherited from my late father in the UK and we need someone to work for the gallery as a representative/bookkeeper in the USA.
I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the computer.I have been selling my art for the last 3 years and have had my work featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines.I have sold in galleries and to private collectors from all around the world.
I am always facing serious difficulties when it comes to selling my art works to people in the United States,some of my customers offers to pay with a UNITED STATES POSTAL MONEY ORDER OR OTHERWISE ...,which is difficult for me to cash here in United kingdom.
So I need someone in the USA to work as our representative and assist us in processing the payments from our clients and I will pay on every transaction.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS IN THE USA, GET IT CASHED IN YOUR BANK THEN DEDUCT YOUR PERCENTAGE AND FORWARD THE BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your bank, deduct your your 10% percentage and forward the balance to the company via WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
If you are interested, respond immediately by sending:
1. Your full names 2. Postal Address 3. Home Phone 4. Cell Phone 5. sex
so we can forward it to our clients and they will start making payments to you as the company's representative in the USA.
I WILL EMAIL YOU A LETTER OF EMPLOYMENT FROM OUR COMPANY WHICH YOU HAVE TO REPLY WITH AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER AND A SCANNED COPY OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION ATTACHED TO IT.
AS SOON AS WE CONFIRM ANY PAYMENT COMING TO YOU, I WILL LET YOU KNOW AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION TO SEND THE FUNDS TO THE COMPANY VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.
Just in case you are concerned about how i got to your contact, it was through the American Chamber of Commerce for trust worthy individuals,i was directed on how to make an online search.
I AWAIT YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE.
Warmest Regards,
Sam Leong. Sammie gallery, United Kingdom NB: Reply to leongsam@sify.com
From: "JOB OFFER" Subject: VACANCY @LONDON LUGGAGE COMPANY Date: Sunday, April 22, 2007 11:21:01 PM
Free Millions Scam: this one is so shallow it really doesn't need explaining. Obviously, at the end of it money is taken from your account, not put into it.
From :
mauline gurh
Sent :
Thursday, September 8, 2005 1:30 PM
Subject :
OUR FINDINGS
OUR FINDINGS
RE;YOUR CONTRACT NUMBER: NNPC/PED/WR-PH/2000
AMOUNT: $16.9 MILLION (USD) FILE NUMBER; B6 MPS|2000
Dear Sir\ Madam,
With due respect, I am the director of Finance Administration at the International Debt Management Bureau (Office) of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Nigeria.
I have been directed by the Authorities to find out before the end of this month, why your outstanding contract sum as indicated above, and such claims of your fund as indicated above have not been credited to your bank account, after instructions has been passed to all various Government ministries and parastatals that all over due contract payments must be released and credited forthwith, because a lot of petitions by beneficiarirs are being received by the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Presidency on frequent basis .
Futher to the commitment of the present administration in Nigeria to forestall future inconsistencie that had previously associated with payments,your bank details is what this office requires for in order to effect the payment.
And with your telephone and fax numbers respectively, coupled with any other information you deen neccesary to forestall any act of impersenation by unsurpulous fellows
Futhermore, any other reason why you have not received your payment up-till date should be indicated, In view of this circumstances, We will give you the best to make sure your are in order for payment, as two unknown people came for the claims of the funds and submitted bank account claiming that you are sick.
Your soonest responce will be appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs Mauline Gurh
Director of Finance Administration, International Debt Management Bureau (Office) (FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE. FMF) Please reply to; director_fmfhq@walla.com
From :
Frak Uzoma
Reply-To :
frankuzoma44@i12.com
Sent :
Wednesday, July 20, 2005 12:50 PM
Subject :
ESTATE FOR CLAIM{RESPOND NEEDED}
Hello Mike,
My name is Mr. Frank Uzoma; I am the chief Accountant of a bank here in Nigeria.I would want to use this medium after going through your profile to seek for assistance in a business transaction which is of mutual benefit.
A foreigner late Engineer A.Giese who is from United States, an Oil Merchant/Contractor with the Federal Government of Nigeria, until his death in a ship mishap,who banked with us at our Bank and had a closing balance of US $21.5 million,which the bank now expect any of his available next of kin to claim.
To this regards, I have been directed by the board of Trustees of the bank to notify the deceased next of kin, which I have done and found out that he has no next of kin, which means that this funds will be lost to the government,which we all know will be stolen.
In order to avert this development,myself and some of my trusted colleagues in the bank now seek your indulgence to have you stand as late Engineer A.Giese's next of kin so that the fundwill be subsequently transferred and paid into your foreign account.
On indicating your interest, all documents and proofs to enable you get his funds will be carefully worked out and we are assuring you a 100% risk free transaction.
You will be allowed to retain 30% of the total amount after the transaction.If this proposal is okay by you, and you wish to take advantage of the trust bestowed on you reply this mail to enable me furnish you with relevant detailsto this transaction.
After having gone through your profile, i prayed and decided to confide in you for this simple and sincere business bearing in mind that one has to take some risks at times to survives trial times.
I am Miss,Rose Komela 19yrs of age, from Sierraleone. The only dauther to the late Dr Douglas Komela who establish his cocoa and coffee in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
I escaped from our country at the heat of the civil war after loosing my mother and two of my elder brothers in the war. As a result of the political instability in my country, my father established his cocoa and coffee export business in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
He went back to Sierraleone for the sales of his property, and was shot and killed by the rebel troupes fighting to take over the government of the country. The death of my father has now made me an orphan and thereby exposing me to danger.
Before his unfortunate death. My late father told me that he deposited a trunk box containing the sum of $12.7m. million u.s dollars with a security company here in Abidjan.
As a result of the present insecurity of lives and property in this country, I wish to request that you assist me transfer this trunk box in your country since i am still under age.
Again to assist me with a letter of invitation that will make me get a visa to your country for residence in order for me to continue my education and to invest the fund in a valuable business venture.
I am willing to give you 25% while 5% has been earmarked for expenses. I shall attach to you by email all the legal documents that is backing this my consignments making it 100% risk and free, when next i hear from you.
If this is acceptable to you. Please, you can contact me with this avaluable email address
FROM MR. WILLIAMS HANI SENIOR STAFF IN FILE DEPARTMENT BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA-FASO WEST AFRICA.
TOP SECRET AND URGENT CALL +226-78-84-21-34.
Dearest Friend.
I am Mr. WILLIAMS HANI. The director in charge of auditing and accounting section in Bank of Africa(B.O.A) Ouagadougou-Burkina Faso in west Africa. With due respect and regards I have decided to contact you based on the urgency of this transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end of the transaction.
Please here is my direct contact call me on +226-78-84-21-34 or email me at williams_hani004@yahoo.fr
During my investigation and auditing in the bank, my department came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased customer, a foreigner who died on December 26 Friday, 2003 in plane crash.
The fund has been dormant in his account with the bank without any claim of the fund in our custody either from his family or relation before my discovery to this development.
Actually, the late customer MR. FREDERIC AARON was a big merchant who trades on Gold, Diamond, Elephant tusks and crude oil from Africa to Asia and Europe and this money he deposited in our bank to pay for his purchases. Please I want you to visit the website below for more information about the plane crash.
Although personally, I kept this information secret within myself to enable the whole plans and idea be profitable and during the time of execution ( Two is secret).
The amount involved is(USD$40m). FORTY MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS. Meanwhile all the whole arrangement and directives needed to put claim over this fund as the beneficiary next of kin to the deceased, will be forward to you upon your acceptance.
Information will be relayed to you as soon as you indicate your interest and willingness to assist me and also benefit your self to this great business opportunity.
In fact 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 and would eventually raise eye brow on my side during the time of transfer because I work in this bank.
This is the actual reason why it will require a second party or fellow from a foreign nation who will forward claims as the next of kin with affidavit of trust of Oath to the bank and also present a foreign account where he will need the money to be transferred into on his request as it may be, after due verification and clarification to designated bank account.
I will not fail to inform you that this transaction is 100% risk free. On smooth conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 30% of the total sum as gratification, while 10% will be set aside to take care of expenses that may arise during the time of transfer such as telephone bills etc, while 60% will be for me.
Please,you have been advised to keep everything top secret as I am still in service with the bank and intend to retire from service after I have concluded this deal with you.
Therefore to enable the Bank transfer the funds into your account in your name, you must apply first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the application form which you will fill and apply to bank. And you should not entertain any atom of fear as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.
Ask any questions that are not cleared by you for a good follow-up call +226-78-84-21-34. I look forward in working with you may almighty bless us.
Good a thing to write you. I have a proposal for you,this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will.Your profile pushed me to send you this mail.Please i want you to know that i can not help my self.
I am Muhammed Malik,21years old My late parents Mr & Mrs Tureh Malik.My late father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a cocoa merchant)who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days. It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Febuary 2003.
Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled with him at that time.But God knows the truth! My mother died when I was just 10years old,and since then my father took me so special.
Before his death on Febuary 12 2003 he called me who accompanied him to the hospital and told me that he has the sum of Twenty two million,seven hundred thousand United State Dollars.(USD$22.700,000) compile in a metallic box and deposited with one of the leading security company here in Abidjan-Cote D'ivoire.
He further told me that he deposited the consignment in my name,and finally issued a written instruction to his the security company whom he said is in possession of all the necessary but legal documents to this fund and the security company .
I am just 21 years old and a university undergraduate and really don't know what to do,this is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast.The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life. I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards.Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
Now permit me to ask these few questions:-
1. Can you honestly help me financially as your child or your Son? 2. Can i completely trust you? 3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you?
Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible on my private email address below: malik21malik@yahoo.fr
Thank you so much as you read this mail comprehensively.
From Mrs. Gifty Abavana kinstan House, Manet Estate, Accra Ghana.
Dear One, I got your contact via Internet as God wishes, my name is Mrs. Gifty Abavana and I am living with AIDS. Ever since my husband, Hon. Lawrence R. Abavana, former Ghanaian Agriculture minister died of AIDS and I was tested positive of the AIDS virus, the mass media wouldn't just let me and my family be. My children have stopped going to school because they could no longer stand the humiliations from fellow students.
The embarrassments are getting on my nerves but what can I do? I would have loved to travel out of the country to a place where I will have peace and spend the rest of my life with my children but I couldn't make it for I am weak and severely sick. Moreover, no Embassy would grant me Visa to her Country with my hairs withering and my body very weak.
From all indications, I know that my days are numbered.
In the light of The above, I have contacted you to assist me to transfer out of Ghana, The SUM OF $15 Million USD which my husband Deposited as [FAMILY TREASURES] with Global Trust Security Company Limited in Ghana to be safe-keep for my children. I will like my children to come over to your country in due time. My Dear I need you to handle this project and after the fund is secured YOU WILL INVEST THE MONEY FOR MY CHILDREN IN COMMERCIAL ESTATE OR ANY BUSINESS OF YOUR CHOICE YOU DEEM HEALTHY. I will like you to keep this as a top secret and Confidential.
For your effort, I am prepared to give you 20% of the total funds. I am looking forward to hear from you while thanking you for your anticipated co-operation. Please give me your phone number in your reply so I can also call you
