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October 19, 2004

Australia — the clever country

I was surprised to find that someone actually fell for the “Nigerian businessman wants to transfer $32 billion to your bank account” routine and promptly sent over $1 million.

To later find that the individual involved was actually a financial advisor borders on hilarious.

Apparently ASIC were so dumbfounded that they initially had assumed the financial advisor in question was somehow involved in the scam

So ridiculous seemed the proposition that Street, then an authorised representative of the licensed dealer Grosvenor Securities, had fallen for the infamous Nigerian scam that ASIC initially considered whether he might have been in on it.

I feel very lucky to have found out about this type of scam before sending my life savings to Mr Ibe Dike, also from Nigeria. The following letter almost had me fooled… after all - it reads so professionally!

Inheritance claim(Very Urgent) ECO BANK PLC,
NIGERIA.
FROM THE DESK OF:
ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT.
MR IBE DIKE.
Dear Friend,

I am Mr Ibe Dike, I Work With Eco Bank Nigeria Plc, MR JOHN VOELKER Was Our Customer before He Died, who worked with shell development company in Nigeria. He Died in the plane crash of 31st October 1999[with Egyptian Airline 990] with other passengers onboard.

I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my clients extended Relations, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but all the attempt was to no avail. I contacted you to assist in repatrating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge deposits were lodged.Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an account valued at about $9 million dollars.Consequently,The bank issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next Twenty One official working days.

Since i have been unsuccessfull in locating the relatives .I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you are a Foreigner so that the proceeds of this account valued at $9 million dollars can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money. 55% to me and 40% to you,while 5% should be for expenses or taxes your government may require. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please get in touch with me via my email to enable us discuss further.

Best Regards,
Mr Ibe Dike.
Posted by Patrick at October 19, 2004 6:57 PM
— Filed under Common , Various News Wraps , Random, Purposeless Stuff