Advance fee fraud schemes

Advance fee fraud schemes are unsolicited email messages, allegedly from highly placed African officials or their relatives. The messages request help in releasing huge sums of money held by their governments. They promise very large returns on a small advance fee that you would provide. Usually they ask the recipient to:

Keep everything confidential.
Send personal information and banking information.
Plan to set up direct meetings.

The letters are worded in such a way as to appear as though the sender knows you and is making a personal request. Examples of typical messages: Nigerian Letter
See also:

This is an old and well known scam. Originally, it was done via postal (snail) mail, but has moved to the Internet over the past 3 years. The US Secret Service and Treasury Department have published an advisory and instructions. In brief:

If you have already lost funds in pursuit of the above described scheme, please contact the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C. at 202-406-5850 or by email.

If you have received a letter, but have not lost any monies to this scheme, please fax a copy of that letter to (202) 406-5031.

Do not try to reply to the senders yourself. Replying only confirms a working address, and could expose you to dangerous people.

If you contact the Government, send them samples with full headers, and a brief cover letter including contact information.

Generally, unless you have made contact with the sender or lost money, there will be no acknowledgement, but your information is helpful and is reviewed.

If you are not sure what to do contact abuse@yale.edu for assistance.

Example of the Nigerian Letter

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 16:43:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: okumagba dennis
Subject: confidential
To: okumagbaolori2@yahoo.com

FROM: BARRISTER DENNIS OKUMAGBA.
OKUMAGBA OLORI & CO LAW FIRM
LEGAL PRACTITRIONAL.
NIGERIA

COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON. GRACE AND PEACE AND LOVE FROM THIS PART OF THE ATLANTIC TO YOU. I HOPE MY LETTER DOES NOT CAUSEYOU TOO MUCH EMBARRASSMENT AS I WRITE TO YOU IN GOOD FAITH. BASED ON THE CONTACT ADDRESS GIVEN TO ME BY A FRIEND WHO WORKS AT THE NIG ERIAN EMBASSY IN YOUR COUNTRY. PLEASE EXCUSE MY INTRUSION INTO YOUR PRIVATE LIFE.

I AM BARRISTER DENNIS OKUMAGBA , 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 LOOSING A LOT OF MONEY DUE TO VINDICTIVE GOVERNMEN T 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 THE IR 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 SAM E. 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 TRANSACTION IS 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 FORWARDS TO WORKING WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

TRULY YOURS

BARRISTER DENNIS OKUMAGBA.

Example of the South African Letter

----- Original Message -----
From:
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 8:23 PM
Subject: URGENT ASSISTANCE

FROM:MRS. M SESE-SEKO

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM MRS. SESE-SEKO WIDOW OF LATE PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE-SEKO OF ZAIRE, NOW KNOWN AS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC). I AM MOVED TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER, THIS WAS IN CONFIDENCE CONSIDERING MY PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATION.

I ESCAPED ALONG WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO OF OUR SONS THEOPHILUS AND BASHEROUT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) TO ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE WHERE MY FAMILY AND I SETTLED, WHILE WE LATER MOVED TO SETTLED IN MORROCO WHERE MY HUSBAND LATER DIED OF CANCER DISEASE.

HOWEVER DUE TO THIS SITUATION WE DECIDED TO CHANGED MOST OF MY HUSBAND'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN SWISS BANK AND OTHER COUNTRIES INTO OTHER FORMS OF MONEY CODED FOR SAFE PURPOSE BECAUSE THE NEW HEAD OF STATE OF(DR) MR LAURENT KABILA HAS MADE ARRAN GEMENT WITH THE SWISS GOVERNMENT AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO FREEZE ALL MY LATE HUSBAND'S TREASURES DEPOSITEDIN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. HENCE MY CHILDREN AND I DECIDED LAYING LOW IN AFRICA TO STUDY THE SITUATION TILL WHEN THINGS GETS BETTER, LIKE NOW THAT PRESIDENT KABILA IS DEAD AND THE SON TAKING OVER (JOSEPH KABILA). ONE OF MY LATE HUSBAND'S CHATEAUX IN SOUTHERN FRANCE WAS CONFISCATED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT, AND AS SUCH I HAD TO CHANGE MY IDENTITY SO THAT MY INVESTMENT WILL NOT BE TRACED AND CON FISCATED. I HAVE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF THIRTY MLLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS(US$30,000,000,00.) WITH A SECURITY COMPANY, FOR SAFEKEEPING. THE FUNDS ARE SECURITY CODED TO PREVENT THEM FROM KNOWING THE CONTENT.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS TO INDICATE YOUR INTEREST THAT YOU WILL ASSIST US BY RECEIVING THE MONEY ON OUR BEHALF.ACKNOWLEDGE THIS MESSAGE, SO THAT I CAN INTRODUCE YOU TO MY SON (THEOPHILUS) WHO HAS THE OUT MODALITIES FOR THE CLAIM OF THE SAID FUNDS. I WANT YOU TO ASSIST IN INVESTING THIS MONEY, BUT I WILL NOT WANT MY IDENTITY REVEALED. I WILL ALSO WANT TO BUY PROPERTIES AND STOCK IN MULTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES AND TO ENGAGE IN OTHER SAFE AND NON-SPECULATIVE INVESTMENTS. MAY I AT THIS POINT EMPHASISE THE HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENTIALITY, WHICH THIS BUSINESS DEMANDS, AND HOPE YOU WILL NOT BETRAY THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE, WHICH I REPOSE IN YOU. IN CONCLUSION, IF YOU WANT TO ASSIST US , MY SON SHALL PUT YOU IN THE PICTURE OF THE BUSINESS, TELL YOU WHERE THE FUNDS A RE CURRENTLY BEING MAINTAINED AND ALSO DISCUSS OTHER MODALITIES INCLUDING REMUNERATION FOR YOUR SERVICES.

FOR THIS REASON KINDLY FURNISH US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, THAT IS YOUR PERSONAL TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR CONFIDENTIAL PURPOSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS MAIL USING THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS.

BEST REGARDS,
MRS M. SESE SEKO

Example of the Afghanistan/Congo Letter

----- Original Message -----
Subject: Please can you be of help.
Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 08:17:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Frank Chimzam
To: drfrank90ng@yahoo.com

Sir,
I am from Republic of Congo but writing this letter from Afghanistan where I have leaved for many years . I was attracted to your business profile from a reputable directory and I hope that we shall make good friends.

Afganistan is now under intensive air raids by USA . Majority of the citizens and foreigners have lost a lot to this unfortunate circumstance . My Pharmacetical Industry was also damaged .

Fortunately my Bank has not yet been destroyed but has asked all her depositors to evacuate by cash. I would have wanted to transfer my money to Congo my home town but it is also in crisis with rival groups .Also Bank to bank transaction can not be possible at this time.

Please I have packaged the sum of US$15m in trunk boxes and will want to send it across to you as personal effects through Diplomatic cargo plane and through a security company.

There is no other person that should know about it except the pilot and you at the receiving end .

On arrival, please transfer the money into your bank account for safe keeping while I will come over to start a new investment with it . I will give 10% for honesty .

Please reply immediately so that I can send you waybills and other paticulars to claim it.

Thanks as I wait for quick reply.

FRANK C.

Yale University

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Advance fee fraud schemes

Example of the Nigerian Letter

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