I'm inheriting $4,650,000 from Nigeria!

I probably get five of these a day, but this one was particularly clever. Not only did the sender do enough research to bypass my gmail filter, but he also sent it to my work email address. No “bot” could do that, you’d have to google search my name and find the various contact info. Kudos to the Nigerian scammer for being tenacious.

I was not aware of any Fuchs’s in Nigeria, but you never know right? My chances of that are probably better than winning the lottery with tickets I never buy. Anyway, here’s what Mr. Aroma sent: (love the name, no?)

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS & HOUSING
MINISTRY COMPLEX IKOYI, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Dear Fuchs,

I will like to solicit your help in a business proposition, which is by nature very confidential and a top secret. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one worried and apprehensive but I am assuring you not to worry, as all will be well at the end of this endeavor.

I am Mr. Jonathan Aroma, Contract Awards Review and Payment Approval Committee of the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing Nigeria, My partners and I have decided to seek your help in transfer of some amount of money requiring maximum confidence from my department. A foreigner, Late Dr. Edward Fuchs who was an oil merchant and contractor with the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing Nigeria, until his death onboard the ill fated Kenyan Airways bus {A310300} executed a contract on behalf of my ministry to the tune of US$15.5 million which the paying bank (Capital Trust Bank) CTB now expects his next of kin to claim as the beneficiary of the contract through my department.

So far, valuable efforts has been made to get to his people but to no avail, as he had no known relatives more because he left his next of kin column in his contract registration and award forms blank and he has no known relative. Due to this development our management and the board of directors are making arrangements for the funds to be declared unclaimed and subsequently paid into the federal government purse. Usually, funds of this nature end up in the greedy pockets of some politicians due to our corrupt society.

To avert this negative development my colleagues and I have decided to look for a reputable person to act as the next of kin to late Dr. Edward Fuchs so that the funds could be processed and released into his next of kin, which is where you come in. We shall make arrangement with a qualified and reputable attorney that will represent you in liaising with my department for inconveniency of you coming to my country.

All legal documents to aid your claim for this fund and to prove your relationship with the deceased will be provided by us. Your help will be appreciated with 30% of the total sum (US$4,650,000). Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered you. Thank you very much for your time.

I wait anxiously for your response. And you can also call me on my personal number below for further discussion. Please also include your phone number in your response.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Jonathan Aroma
Tel: 234 808 147 8800
Web fax: +44 700 5938 461
Email: jaroma2000@yahoo.co.uk
Contract Awards Review and Payment Approval Committee (CRPAC)
Federal Ministry of Work and Housing, Nigeria

I admit, I’m tempted to screw with him in the fine sport of scam-baiting. Maybe I could get some nice carved Sid likenesses out of the deal. Stay tuned.

Otherwise, when I get my almost $5 million, I’ll buy you all a drink. Cheers!