Should I respond to an Email from a Nigerian Princess?

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The discussion revolves around a fraudulent email purportedly from Zainab Abacha, the daughter of a former Nigerian leader, claiming to offer a lucrative opportunity to access $72.5 million in exchange for personal banking information. Participants express skepticism and humor about the email's legitimacy, highlighting the common characteristics of such scams. Many warn against sharing personal information or engaging with the sender, emphasizing that these schemes are designed to deceive individuals into financial loss. Some share exaggerated anecdotes about similar scams, illustrating the absurdity of the situation while others suggest reporting the fraud to authorities. Overall, the conversation serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of falling for such scams, particularly during challenging economic times.
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Hi everyone, I recently an email in my account, which I've copied and pasted below. It's apparently from the daughter of a deposed leader in Nigeria requesting help to access her funds worth a whopping USD $72.5M! That's a lot of money and all I have to do is give her my number and account.. and she'll give me 20% - that's still pretty good money. I think I'll open a new account. I think this offer is too good to pass up in this hard economic times.. Yahoo, mom I'm gunna be rich! :biggrin::biggrin:

Oh, and a copy of that email I got:

Dear Zdenka

BUSINESS THAT WILL BE OF MUTUAL BENEFIT TO YOU AND I:
I humbly wish to solicit for your assistance in this business that will be of mutual benefit to you an I. I am Zainab Abacha, the daughter of the Late Nigerian Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha; 1993-1998.

I have within my reach funds-in-cash totaling USD72.5M (Seventy Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which I deposited with a Private Security Company in Africa with an anonymous name.

Considering my traveling restrictions and my late father of beloved memory's political status, I now I cannot lay claim to this money unless I transfer it out from Africa. I will require your assistance and sincerity as in presenting you as the sole beneficiary of this funds so that this batch of funds-in-cash will be paid into your account / country.

Upon a positive response from you, I will let you know how to receive this money without any problem. Note also that the incumbent Government of Nigeria is not aware that I am in possession of this particular batch of funds-in-cash.

Your commission will be down payment of 20% of the total sum if you assist me move this funds-in-cash from Africa. I expect your urgent response via my e-mail address.

NB: Kindly include your Phone and Fax numbers.



Zainab Abacha
 
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Andre said:
Sure why not, it would only cost you $1500 travel expenses.

ummm... where and how do you know of the $1500 travel expenses? Btw that email was meant for me, and you're not supposed to reply to her! It's MY money. :))
 
Hate to break it to you, but you are getting ripped off.

You should hold out for a bigger cut. I was offered 60% of the money as commission a few years ago. (Of course that was with not with the prospect of an eternally grateful Princess attached to the funds.)

Ask her for a picture of herself as a gesture of her sincerity and discretion. That way you will be able to judge how sincere she is.
 
You're too late sucker. I already sent my $5,000 earnest money. Better luck next time loser.
 
LowlyPion said:
Of course that was with not with the prospect of an eternally grateful Princess attached to the funds.

Yep, this one I got was from a princess, so it's safe to say she's not a lying scumbag like others out there.. Women always tell the truth! Well I'm not sure I have the patience to haggle the money pie to 60%. Though, if the economy was better then I would have re-considered the offer.

Good news! She offered me her photo when I asked her.. she told me to google 'Nigerian Princess', and her photo would be the 2nd one that pops up on the image search.. Cool, now I know she's for real!
 
Zdenka said:
Good news! She offered me her photo when I asked her.. she told me to google 'Nigerian Princess', and her photo would be the 2nd one that pops up on the image search.. Cool, now I know she's for real!

I really hope you're joking (though since these things have been going round for years, I'm not sure that you are!)
 
cristo said:
I really hope you're joking (though since these things have been going round for years, I'm not sure that you are!)


I'm as serious as the email! :wink:
 
On a serious note there are many people who get taken in by these con merchants.Since you've obviously got money to spare Zdenka would you like to invest in my latest design for a perpetual motion machine?
 
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  • #11
Dadface said:
Since you've obviously got money to spare Zdenka would you like to invest in my latest design for a perpetual motion machine?
That would be a silly thing to do - I have a hedge fund that spreads the risk by investing in shares of perpetual motion machines, much more sensible!
 
  • #12
Zdenka said:
Hi everyone, I recently an email in my account, which I've copied and pasted below. It's apparently from the daughter of a deposed leader in Nigeria requesting help to access her funds worth a whopping USD $72.5M! That's a lot of money and all I have to do is give her my number and account.. and she'll give me 20% - that's still pretty good money. I think I'll open a new account. I think this offer is too good to pass up in this hard economic times.. Yahoo, mom I'm gunna be rich! :biggrin::biggrin::

I would demand 40%. Just to cover the risks.
 
  • #13
I put my laptop up on craigslist for $300 bucks, but some guy in Nigeria bought it for $527,000. He said he didn't mind paying extra because he knew it would be a hassle to ship, and man was he right. But it was worth it. I just deposited the check and funds should be available at 12:01 am tomorrow morning!
 
  • #14
Brilliant! said:
I put my laptop up on craigslist for $300 bucks, but some guy in Nigeria bought it for $527,000. He said he didn't mind paying extra because he knew it would be a hassle to ship, and man was he right. But it was worth it. I just deposited the check and funds should be available at 12:01 am tomorrow morning!

Check? Why so inefficient? Think of all the interest you are losing.

You should have just wired him your account number so he could do a wire transfer. I think this is the preferred Nigerian way to roll.
 
  • #15
Brilliant! said:
I just deposited the check and funds should be available at 12:01 am tomorrow morning!

Did he pay using a Nigerian Million dollar note? :-p
 
  • #16
Zdenka said:
Did he pay using a Nigerian Million dollar note? :-p

My Zimbabwian 500 billion dollar note is worth 16 bucks as a collector's item. I would have been able to collect $73,000,000 CDND if I cashed it in around Christmas 08... so they say. Such is life.:redface: Think of the contribution PF could have had!
 
  • #17
baywax said:
My Zimbabwian 500 billion dollar note is worth 16 bucks as a collector's item. I would have been able to collect $73,000,000 CDND if I cashed it in around Christmas 08...
LOL! Did you know there are more Billionaires in Zimbabwe than in all the World combined? Apparently they also have the most Trillionaires too. That's it I'm packing my bags and moving to this land of opportunity!
 
  • #18
They've probably got more trillionaires than the US has millionaires (wait, what's Zimbabwe's population?). Not surprising since a cup of joe will cost your 420 billion dollars, or two cows. Whichever you prefer.
 
  • #19
Zdenka said:
That's it I'm packing my bags and moving to this land of opportunity!

That's the spirit. You can have your Nigerian Princess join you there.
 
  • #20
Zdenka said:
LOL! Did you know there are more Billionaires in Zimbabwe than in all the World combined?

Does the world include Zimbabwe?
 
  • #21
I really love how someone with that type of $$$ was not taught proper grammar by her private tutors.
 
  • #22
Blame the Royal Scribes.
 
  • #23
I would stay away from this offer. It is a hoax. They will send you a check for you to put into your bank account...wait til it clears and then they want you to send a cashier's check from your bank account to them. It'll take the bank awhile to figure out the first check was a fake so then you'll be responsible for the money. Don't give them your bank account number. Bad things could happen!
 
  • #24
Leah said:
It is a hoax.

It can't be. She is a princess. Noblesse oblige.
 
  • #25
Why not crash these people with a flood of false data? It would take them months to get any needle, if any, in the financial haystack. They might even be exposed thus as fraudulent by their own countrymen.

I mention this only as a means to fight crime.
 
  • #26
Loren Booda said:
Why not crash these people with a flood of false data? It would take them months to get any needle, if any, in the financial haystack. They might even be exposed thus as fraudulent by their own countrymen.

I mention this only as a means to fight crime.

They always use yahoo, hotmail, or university emails (surprised that I never saw from gmail). They would simply switch to another account but costs will be incurred by other guys (for increased traffic).

I think best option is to never provide personal email to any third party whom you wouldn't trust. I only get spam on my hotmail account because I used it everywhere few years ago .. (never on my gmail - new account :)
 
  • #27
Zdenka said:
Hi everyone, I recently an email in my account, which I've copied and pasted below. It's apparently from the daughter of a deposed leader in Nigeria requesting help to access her funds worth a whopping USD $72.5M! That's a lot of money and all I have to do is give her my number and account.. and she'll give me 20% - that's still pretty good money. I think I'll open a new account. I think this offer is too good to pass up in this hard economic times.. Yahoo, mom I'm gunna be rich! :biggrin::biggrin:

Oh, and a copy of that email I got:

Dear Zdenka

BUSINESS THAT WILL BE OF MUTUAL BENEFIT TO YOU AND I:
I humbly wish to solicit for your assistance in this business that will be of mutual benefit to you an I. I am Zainab Abacha, the daughter of the Late Nigerian Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha; 1993-1998.

I have within my reach funds-in-cash totaling USD72.5M (Seventy Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which I deposited with a Private Security Company in Africa with an anonymous name.

Considering my traveling restrictions and my late father of beloved memory's political status, I now I cannot lay claim to this money unless I transfer it out from Africa. I will require your assistance and sincerity as in presenting you as the sole beneficiary of this funds so that this batch of funds-in-cash will be paid into your account / country.

Upon a positive response from you, I will let you know how to receive this money without any problem. Note also that the incumbent Government of Nigeria is not aware that I am in possession of this particular batch of funds-in-cash.

Your commission will be down payment of 20% of the total sum if you assist me move this funds-in-cash from Africa. I expect your urgent response via my e-mail address.

NB: Kindly include your Phone and Fax numbers.



Zainab Abacha


Print a copy, give it to the police and don't open any more of "her" correspondence...it's a rip-off!
 
  • #28
More like contact the FBI or the Secret Service, for what it's worth:http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm#nigerian" .
 
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  • #29
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4821/419b.jpg

too obscure?
 
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  • #30
These kind of scams are like tax for stupidity. It's wrong and should be stopped, but then again, the morons who fall for it will find some other way to lose their money, for instance by buying healing water.
 
  • #31
  • #32
maze said:
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4821/419b.jpg

too obscure?

erm... I don't think that's a Nigerian Princess! She's not wearing a dress..
 
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  • #33
That's just man looking to date a Nigerian Princess.

If he really wanted to get her attention he would be wearing a sign with his bank transfer number on it.
 
  • #34
Perhaps she must disguise herself.

Good cover if so.
 

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