I think these types of e-mail spam/scams are a little too obvious, but apparently they still take people for a ride every year as people get caught up with the notion of getting millions of dollars passed down to them easily. The interesting thing about this one is that it actually uses real company names to try and pass off as a legitimate deal. This was the e-mail:
From the desk of engr. Ibrahim ahmed
Nigerian national petroleum corporation (nnpc)
Lagos-nigeria
Email: engribrahimahmed@aim.comAttn:President/CEO.
Dear sir/madam,
May the good tide of our lord be with you. I’m engr. Ibrahim Ahmed,the Director of procurement and utilities with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). My colleagues have assigned me to seek For assistance of a reliable foreign company or an individual through whom we can transfer the sum of us$21.7m(twenty one million, seven Hundred thousand us dollars) which arose from the delibrate over-invoicing of some contract awarded by the corporation in the twilight of the last military regime. However, the current favourable political/economic climate in the country since the hand over from military to democratically elected government now presented an opportunity for this money to be transferred out of the country.
We have set in motion the machinery for the take off of this transaction and further action will commenced immediately we hear from you. We have agreed that after the transfer of the money into your account. You shall be entitled to 30%, my colleagues and I shall have 70% to ourselves.
Please, on the receipt of this proposal, you are requested to forward the following information to enable us commence with the necessary documentations.
1. Your full name and contact address
2. Your company’s name address(if any)
3. Your private telephone and fax number
4. Your age, occupation and country of residencePlease note that the nature of your business is not particularly relevant for the successful execution of this transaction. All we require of you is your willingness to co-operate and the assurance that our own share shall be given to us after the fund is transferred tnto your account. All necessary precautions have been taken to ensure a hitch-free transfer of the fund. I will appreciate your prompt response in respect of this proposal and pls do feel free to ask any
question at any time and I will be ready to offer any further information.Thanks.
Engr.ibrahim ahmed
Contact email: engribrahimahmed@aim.com
I wonder how many people in real life would actually use AOL instant messenger to communicate such a crazy offer as well.