The best get-rich-quick cyberscam yet
I’m sure everyone who reads this blog has received an e-mail message from a Nigerian lawyer claiming — in the strictest confidence, of course — that s/he represents an ousted Nigerian despot and needs some bank account information so s/he can transfer lots of money to your account. I’ve also received Filipino versions of this ...
I'm sure everyone who reads this blog has received an e-mail message from a Nigerian lawyer claiming -- in the strictest confidence, of course -- that s/he represents an ousted Nigerian despot and needs some bank account information so s/he can transfer lots of money to your account. I've also received Filipino versions of this cyberscam. The latest permutation just landed in my inbox:
I’m sure everyone who reads this blog has received an e-mail message from a Nigerian lawyer claiming — in the strictest confidence, of course — that s/he represents an ousted Nigerian despot and needs some bank account information so s/he can transfer lots of money to your account. I’ve also received Filipino versions of this cyberscam. The latest permutation just landed in my inbox:
Dear Sir, I am Barrister Al Mohammed El Said, Former Legal Adviser to the ousted Iraqi President General Saddam Hussein. I was Tortured and Incarncerated for speaking out against the Devilish and Inhumane actions of his son Uday Hussein. While I was working with the former President, I was entrusted with many assets and Fund which I was kept safe for the family. Upon my release from Prison, all the assets and fund in my possession were all retrieved except a certain Fund amounting to the tune of $25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million United States Dollars) which is proceeds from Crude Oil sales of one of his numerous Oil Companies and I am the only person who knows about this Fund and also have all the necessary informations and documents about the account which I am ready to disclose to you if you are willing to cooperate with me. The money is presently in a private security Vault in London and I have been asked to present an account into which the money will be sent. Note that I cannot operating (sic) an account here in the United Kingdom to prevent traces of my stay in the UK. It is in view of the above facts that I am contacting you as a foreigner to help in transferring this Money abroad into your account pending when the ban on travelling and other restrictions is lifted on me by my host. It was only possible for me to escape from Iraq to United Kingdom from where I am currently contacting you. Should you be willing to assist me, we are going to sign a Binding agreement of Trust to make sure that none of the parties involved will be cheated in this transaction. Also, I will be ready to travel along with my family to any country of your choice for sharing and Investments as soon as everything is set for me to do so. After the successful transfer of the fund into your account, I accept to share the money with you as follows: You will be given 35% of the Total Fund for your services, 60% will be for me while the remaining 5% will be for any expenses incurred in the course of the transaction. I look forward to your positive and co-operative response. Yours truely (sic), Barrister Al Mohammed El Said
I am so going to write this guy back.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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