SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
From: oseni mustapha [mailto:mustty2@yahoo.com]
Subject: STRICTLY PERSONAL
I AM MAKING THIS CONTACT WITH PROFOUND INTEREST, HAVING CONSIDERED YOU HIGHLY REPUTABLE AND CAPABLE OF ASSISTANCE TO MY UNDERSTATED BUSINESS PROPOSAL AFTER GOING THROUGH A BRIEF PROFILE OF YOUR COMPANY HERE IN THE GHANA INTERNATIONAL TRADE AFFAIRS COMMISSION.
I AM OLIVER KABILA FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ZAIRE, SON OF LATE LAURENT M. KABILA, THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES REPUBLIC OF CONGO ZAIRE. PRESENTLY TAKING REFUGE HERE IN ACCRA GHANA (WEST AFRICA) AFTER THE SUDDEN DEMISE OF MY FATHER, FOLLOWING HIS ASSASINATION BY HIS PERSONAL BODY GUARD ON THE 16TH JANUARY 2001. I REFER YOU TO THE TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY OF THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY.
ON TRUST AND IN UTMOST CONFIDENCE, I AM ESTABLISHING THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU IN BENEVOLENT SPIRIT AS TO ENHANCE IMMEDIATE RESOLUTION TO AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHTLY AT HAND. IN A CLOSE DOOR MEETING HELD WITH MY FATHER BEFORE HIS SUDDEN DEATH, HE DISCLOSED TO ME CERTAIN FACTS AND SECRETS ABOUT HIMSELF AND THAT OF MY STEP-BROTHER GENERAL JOSEPH KABILA (I MEAN THE PRESENT PRESIDENT OF MY COUNTRY). CERTAIN DOCUMENTS WAS GIVEN TO ME THAT DAY BY MY FATHER REGARDING 1000KG OF 22 KARATS GOLD WHICH HE DEPOSITED IN A PRIVATE VAULT OF A SECURITY FIRM HERE IN GHANA. IN ADDITION, $168 MILLION USA DOLLARS CASH IN TWO TRUNK BOXES ALSO IN THE VAULT. THE $168 MILLION USD WAS TO BE USED TO WORK ON LEADERS OF THE ECOWAS COMMUNITY, ENHANCING HIS FULL SUPPORT IN POWER. BUT THIS AIM WAS NOT ACHIEVED BEFORE HIS DEATH.
THE ISSUE OF THIS MONEY AND THE GOLD HAS BEEN A SECRET BETWEEN MY FATHER AND I UNTILL HE DIED. THEREFORE, I AM TAKING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENRICH AND EQUIP MYSELF TO FACE MY SECRET AMBITION. AS NOBODY CAN CONVINCE ME THAT MY STEP-BROTHER (JOSEPH) IS NOT BEHIND THE DEATH OF MY FATHER.
I HAVE SINCE BEEN IN THIS TOWN IN PURSUANCE OF THE CLEARANCE OF THIS CONSIGNMENT AND I AM SO FAR ABLE TO CLEARIFY/CERTIFY ALL PAPERS WITH THE SECURITY COMPANY (WHERE THE CONSIGNMENT IS BEING KEPT IN A PRIVATE VAULT). I HAVE INSPECTED THE BOX BUT COULD NOT OPEN IT DUE TO SECURITY REASONS. BECAUSE MY FATHER DID NOT DECLARE THE CONTENT AS MONEY BUT PERSONAL EFFECTS.
ALL I NEED NOW IS A RELIABLE FOREIGN PARTNER WITH WHOM I CAN CLEAR AND TRANSFER THIS MONEY ABROAD.I HAVE AGREED TO GIVE A REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF THIS CONSIGNMENT AS YOUR SHARE. YOU MAY ASK IF I DON'T HAVE INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS TO ASSIST ME ON THIS ISSUE. THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT I HAVE AN AMBITION RIGHT NOW AND WANT TO LIVE IN DISGUISE UNTILL MY AMBITION IS FULFILLED.
I EXPECT YOUR KIND URGENT RESPONSE BY PHONE OR EMAIL: mustty2@yahoo.com OR mustty1@yahoo.com TO ENABLE ME FURNISH YOU WITH MORE DETAILS ON THIS BUSINESS.
THANKS IN ANTICIPATION.
OLIVER KABILA CELL PHONE: + 233 24260633 (ON 24HRS)
NB: I SHALL COUNT ON YOUR INDULGENCE TO PLEASE KEEP THIS INFORMATION VERY SECRET & CONFIDENTIAL. AND PLEASE, YOU SHOULD HENCEFORTH ADDRESS ME AS MR. MUSTAPHA OSENI. THAT IS THE NAME I AM NOW USING FOR SECURITY REASONS.
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Variations of this scam have been bilking Americans - and others around the world - out of millions of dollars each year for decades. Originating in Western Africa, it's most often referred to as the "Nigerian" or "4-1-9" scam after the section of Nigerian law that forbids it. More broadly, it's called "advanced fee fraud" and is very much against the law virtually everywhere.
Originally targeted at businesses and charitable organizations, the scam has mutated to target individuals as well. Judging from the dozens of different versions of it BreakTheChain has received over the past month, it's spreading like wildfire. The names and particulars differ from letter to letter, but the formula is always the same:
"I am writing you in confidence in hopes that you can help with a business venture. Because of my ties with a foreign government or bank, I have come into a sizeable fortune. Unfortunately, social, political and/or legal restrictions prohibit me from accessing the money directly. But you can help me and, in return, I will share the wealth with you. Just contact me to let me know if you are interested."
SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Sir,
Blessing to you and the Church in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that this letter will come as a surprise to you but I pray that you find in your heart the time and will to help me pray and ask the Lord for forgiveness of my sins for I have sinned. I have killed, raped, and done a lot of unforgivable things that I cannot but bow my head in shame, so please brother, help pray for my soul and me.
My name is KALUMBA DAVID alias '' Terror'' special Military assistant to the late president Laurent Kabila of the democratic republic of Congo. I will be 35years this year and out of this years 16 years was spent in the bush fighting as a Guerilla. All these years my total devotion was to the late President. I stole, killed and committed all kind of atrocities. When eventually we succeeded in over- running the Late Mobutu Sese Sekos army, I was handsomely rewarded with the position of special military assistance of the President. Aside being his Chief Security officer, I was also charged with the responsibility of ensuring steady purchase and supply of arms from South Africa.
A week before the death of the late President I was in South Africa with a total sum of $12.5 million dollars cash which was brought in through a diplomatic means. This money was to effect the payment of shipment of long-range anti-tanker launchers to my country before I learnt of the sudden death of the president. My initial reaction was to deposit this money with a security deposit Company here in South Africa, which I did, and rush back to Congo. It was in the process of my arrangement to travel back to Congo that something happened to me. I met a cab driver that talked to me about the Lord and wonders of his son Jesus Christ. Since that very day I have never been the same, I keep hearing cries of little Children every night I sleep and I keep seeing this big house dripping of blood in my dreams.
I feel my sins are catching up with me; my past is out to hunt me. I have prayed to the Lord for forgiveness of my sins and to the glory of the Lord I have not touched this money...
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
...and so on. Here's one more chapter in the "Kabila" family soap opera:
SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
FROM: MRS, MARIA KABILA.
I am very much interested to enter into a mutual business relationship with you, after going through your company's profile yesterday. I AM MARIA KABILA a widow and also the second wife of the late PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRO) president LAURENT DESIRE KABILA, who was assassinated on January 16th by one of his security aids. I am under several pressures from this present military Government headed by the first son of my late husband GENERAL JOSEPH KABILA, who felt victimized due to the family problems between his biological mother and I. He has probing my family financial resources and has gazetted all my family's properties. Just recently he seized all the known family deposited funds registered under my care by my late husband, through his appointed friend who was the Governor CENTRAL BANK OF CONGO (CBC).
However, I want to mandated to scout for a very reliable foreign investor participant with a solid back ground, who is not known as my associate who will help me to claim the total sum of $ 30.000.000.00USDollars currently with security company which I now intent to use for an investment out side my country Congo...
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
These letters aren't limited to the reign of the late President Kabila. Quite often, they come addressed directly to you and use your name in the salutation. Don't be fooled, these scammers buy the same mailing lists that spammers do.
SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
ATTN:SHARON,
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. We have decided to contact you by e-mail due to the urgency of this transaction, as we have been reliably informed of it's swiftness and confidentiality.
Let me start by first introducing myself properly to you. I am Mr.Ibrahim Yusuf, a Manager at the Union Bank Nigeria PLC, Lagos. I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle a very confidential transaction which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.
THE PROPOSITION:
A foreigner, late Engineer Johnson Creek, an Oil Merchant / contractor with the federal Govenment of Nigeria, until his death three years ago in a ghastly air crash, banked with us here at Union Bank PLC., Lagos, and had a closing balance of USD$38.M ( Thirty Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which the bank now unquestionably expects to be claimed by any of his available foreign next of kin or alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for alms and ammunition at a military war college here in Nigeria...
END CHAIN LETTER TEXT
There are literally hundreds of variations of this scam, and no one site could list them all. Other popular variations include an appeal to churches and a notice that you've won a foreign lottery you never entered.
The most frequent question I get is "do people really fall for this?" The answer is, sadly, yes. According to Internet Scambusters, in 1996, the United States Secret Service received 300-600 complaints from victims and potential victims each week! The lure of easy money can sometimes be way too much for some to resist. On the 'net, people often adopt an attitude of "It's probably not true, but I'll try it - What can it hurt?"
It hurts big time. Once you've initiated contact with these scammers, they will stop at nothing to get what they're after - access to your bank account. They will harass, threaten, and even use physical force to achieve their means. This is not a game, it is very serious. If it sounds like a scam, treat it like what it is: a crime. Report it immediately.
So, what should you do if you receive one? Most experts agree, the best thing to do is ignore them and hit the delete button. Many have told me, however, that they have (or at least were tempted to) reply to the sender just to let them know that they are "on to" them. However, this is highly inadvisable. These are not bored teenagers looking to score an easy buck. These are hardened, organized criminals who will not stop until they achieve their goal and will not be discouraged by threats of contacting the authorities. They see every response from you as an opportunity to exploit and aren't afraid to do so.
If you live in the United States and have received a letter like the above and lost money as a result, the US Secret serv asks that you contact your secret service field office. In other parts of the world, check with local consumer advocates and organizations investigating international crime to see if they are looking into this type of scam.
Don't be a victim. Break this Chain!
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