Below is one of many Nigerian scam emails that we have received in our inbox. This is provided for your entertainment as well as to give you an example of what these scams look like. If you have received one of these email messages (and odds are you have or will receive many of them) simply delete them from your inbox. They are scams, designed to con you from your hard-earned money.

Dear Sir,

I am making this contact with you in good faith, my name is Mr Bello
Umanah, the personal accounting officer to Mr Frank O' Rourke, an American
who used to work with Shell Development Company in Nigeria. Herein after
shall be referred to as my client.

On the 21st of April 2000, my client, his wife and their three children
were involved in a Car accident along Sagbama express road. All occupants
of the vehicle unfortunately lost there lives. Since then I have made
several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my client's extended
relatives, but this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several
unsuccessful attempts, I decided to contact you to assist in repartrating
the money and property left behind by my client before they get
confisicated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge
deposits were lodged. Particularly, the Bank where the deceased had an
account valued at about 12.5million United States Dollars has issued me a
notice as his accounting officer to provide the Next of Kin or have the
account confisicated within the next ten official working days. Since I
have been unsuccesfull in locating the relatives for over 2 years, now I
seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the deceased so
that the proceeds of this account valued at 12.5million United States
Dollars can be paid to you and then you and me can share the money.

I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim
we may make. 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.

Best regards,

Mr. Bello Umanah