'Nigerian' money scam: What happens when you reply?

Anybody who has ever received the notorious Nigerian Money Scam will probably have asked themselves the same question - what would happen if I replied?

For those of you unfamiliar with this email scam, the basic idea is simple. Somebody purporting to be a Nigerian banker contacts you, offering a chance to earn some serious money. Often his bank will be looking after the considerable fortune of a deceased millionaire - from shipping magnate to former president. He says he needs a foreign bank account through which to launder the money - and in return for sending him your bank details for this purpose, he will give you a share of the spoils.

Of course those who fall for this scam never see these promised millions. Instead their bank accounts are often cleaned out once they have handed over all their details - which include bank account numbers, copies of their passport and drivers licence and phone and fax numbers - it is a simple identity theft, dressed up with a tempting lure for the gullible.

Over the years silicon.com has received hundreds of these emails. What follows is the transcript of a conversation with one such scammer which began on 20 January 2003.

We received an email from somebody calling himself Mr Madu Frank, promising us 30 per cent of a large unclaimed fund, valued in the region of around $20m. Typically these people will send emails to multiple recipients - hoping somebody will take the bait. Often it is claimed the recipient was recommended to them by 'a friend' or taken from some kind of international directory.

Having received the initial email, silicon.com's Will Sturgeon set up a Hotmail account under an assumed identity, and replied.

Dear Madu Frank, Thank you very much for contacting me with this wonderful offer, it sounds almost too good to be true. It's amazing, only this morning I was saying how I could do with having a bit more money - I must be a very lucky man.

Of course I would be interested in helping, but would also be very interested to hear who recommended me, as you say you have been told that I am a "reliable" and "trustworthy" person. I assure you I am, but would like to know who I have to thank for this wonderful opportunity.

Just to clarify, you say I stand to get 30 per cent of the total money transferred - this is £6.75m, right? Wow!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Overnight a reply from Mr Madu arrived.

Thank you very much for finding time to reply to my mail. We have to begin this transaction fast, so that the fund will be in your account in about 14 banking days. First of all, you have to transcribe the letter below in to your letter headed paper, or plain paper, and send it back to me so that I will submit it to the INTERNATIONAL REMITANCE DEPARTMENT of the bank...

...I will require you to also send me your private telephone and fax numbers, I will submit this also to the bank, and they will contact you directly. When they contact you, I want you to act as the real beneficiary of the fund in question. Do not be intimidated by anybody. I will also want you to send me the front and back photocopy of your international passport or driver's licence, so that I will know who I am having a deal with. For further enquires on what you should do, call me immediately you receive this mail on my telephone number... I will be expecting your call.

He then included the text of the letter he wanted me to transcribe, including helpful blank spaces where I could fill in my name, address and, most importantly, bank details. Of course I didn't oblige... but that didn't mean I was finished with Mr Madu (wasn't he a partially sighted cartoon character?). I still wanted him to answer my question about who recommended me.

So I replied:

Thank you for getting back to me. I am still wondering if you could tell me who recommended me to you, as I asked in my last email.

I do not have a problem with all this, but you said in your original email that you had been told I was a reliable person - I was just wondering if you could elaborate? I am interested in finding this out - as that person may want to share in my good fortune. I should be aware of who has done me this big favour.

I look forward to hearing from you.

So I've posed Mr Madu a challenge here. We know the truth, but surely he won't admit to sending out random emails to all and sundry in the hope that some poor sucker will take the bait. No, instead he comes up with one of the most improbable - yet inventive - lies ever.

I have seen your mail, and understand the surprise that you are still passing through. I got your address from the Hotmail email directory for successful men and women. Please we have to leave out surprises at this point, and deal with the issue that we have at hand right now. Call me as I instructed you for more detail about what this transaction will look like.

Expecting your reply soonest.

I wasn't about to let that one go...

Mr Madu, I didn't know there was a "Hotmail email directory for successful men and women". You live and learn! How do they know I'm successful (I am - but I only set this Hotmail account up on Monday - and they didn't ask me then whether I am successful. Where can I see this directory?)

I hope you can understand my trepidation - I'd hate to blunder into some kind of scam (not that I would ever question your integrity or the genuine nature of this offer).

I suppose, as I said in my earlier email this just sounds too good to be true - are you sure it is all above board?

I am still very keen to help you out, and am really looking forward to getting the money - I just need to be sure it's the right thing to do.

All the best,

My conversational style fell on deaf ears, Mr Madu clearly wasn't keen to hang around chewing the fat...

Please send the transcribed letter, to my fax number... or send it as an attachment to my email box. I will be expecting to hear from you soon.

But, if he can lie, then what is there to stop me?

Mr Madu, OK - I have sent that fax. It should be there now. Let me know once you've got it.

I hadn't. At this point we played a little bit of email tennis. Three times I sent an email saying I'd faxed through the form - three times, on three consecutive days, he replied to tell me it hadn't arrived (that's because I'd not sent it Mr Madu) - each time urging me instead to email it to his inbox. I blamed confusion over the international codes.

My Dear Friend, I have not seen your fax yet... You do not have to add any other code. But I prefer that you send me the letter this time around, through email as an attachment, since you have tried to send it three times through fax.

I will be expecting you to send it through my email box now, so that I can submit it to the international remittance department of the bank, before the close of work today.

In the end I changed tack - suggesting it might be quicker to fax the bank directly - suggesting I might even look up the bank on the internet. I thought this might catch Mr Madu off guard, but it hardly threw him at all. He quickly replied, giving me the "direct telephone number of Dr George Ade, the Director of the international remittance department." He also gave me the department's fax number and implored me to contact them immediately.

Yet, still I resisted... Saturday, Sunday passed and still I hadn't faxed anything. Mr Madu was starting to grow impatient...

Have you faxed the letter to the international remittance department of the Eco Bank? (No) Have you called the director as I instructed you to? (No again I'm afraid Mr Madu) Please you know we have to be fast about this transaction, so I want you to act fast.

I will also require your private telephone number, so that I can communicate with you on phone. I will be expecting your mail immediately.

What's it going to take before this man gives up on me? Surely if he...

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