Is this a scam????

From: [email protected]
Date: 6/03/2008 1:04:12 AM
Subject: =?ISO-8859-2?Q?NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT OF $900,000.00 USD ONLY IN FAVOR OF xxxxx xxxxx=

UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC.,

I received this today and would like your expert opinion. Thank you!

CONTACT US
HEAD OFFICE STALLION PLAZA
36 MARINA
P.M.B 2027 LAGOS, NIGERIA
Direct Line : +234-80-85742094
Mailto:[email protected]
05/03/08
__________________________________________________


ATTENTION! xxxxx xxxxx.
MADAM.

TOPIC : NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT OF $900,000.00 USD ONLY IN FAVOR OF xxxxx xxxxx

With the high esteem of our banking strategies, both Local and International, we wish to inform you that we are the Big, Strong and reliables decentralizing bank in Nigeria assigned by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development and the World Bank Group Attached to the Central Bank of Nigeria, it is in our most delight and pleasure to inform you that we have received a go ahead to contact you for a transfer of $900,000.00 NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS which is part payment of a contract that was executed for Julius Berger Nigeria Pl.c successfully by one foreigner, by name MR SCOTT KOFFELYN , which you happen to be his trusted beneficiary of this sum.
It might interest you to understand that ours is to make sure that we serve our clients diligently and satisfactory, that is why we have taken our time to investigate and found out that this fund transfer to you is of genuine cause, and have decided to effect this transfer immediately in the next 5 working days if all modalities and requirements are met.
finally before we proceed, you are directed to reconfirm and send to this bank, your full details such as contact tel and mobile numbers, and your designated bank account informations, where you want the fund to be wired into.we are waiting to hear from you as soon as possible.

IN ANTICIPATION

THANK FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION
YOURS TRULY

FOR: UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PL C.

DARRY MANGIN
Foreign Payment Operations
Department

Mod edit - edited to remove your name and your email address - SP

100% Scam

Yes, it's a scam, banks do not send unsolicited emails to people concerning money left as inheritances by deceased people you have never heard of.

This is the real Union Bank of Nigeria's website:

www.unionbankng.com

They would not be sending you an email from a Polish email address, which the scammer did when they mailed you from [email protected] from the www.vp.pl domain.

This is a standard NOK (Next of Kin) scam. If you google the term "next of kin scam" you can find thousand of these, using hundreds of different scripts.

I have to admit I kinda like this script, tho, because of this line:

With the high esteem of our banking strategies, both Local and International, we wish to inform you that we are the Big, Strong and reliables decentralizing bank

This is a manly-man bank!

Your starter for ten:

LAGOS, NIGERIA

Whenever you see that in an unexpected email, your only action should be to hit delete.

Scammers do "claim" to be in many other locations of course, but when they come straight out and tell you they're in West Africa, it's time to run away.

It's just as easy to follow the one golden rule: If someone contacts you via email out of the blue offering something tempting, it IS a scam. Just delete it and move on.

If i may add,

These scammers are not as dumb as we would like to think, they are professional thieves and many of them make a very good living from scamming people.

The scam you have posted is more obvious than many, some come with very elaborate emails and identification papers which all look very realistic.

There is a scam taylored to suit most victims,
for the elderly, they like to paly at the heartstrings, and may have you helping an orphanage.
The lottery scam, targeted at those with less money
The romance scam taylored to suit those in their second relationship at an older age
The hitman scam, aimed at anybody who will believe it.
Check mule scams aimed at the unemployed or the young mother who wants an honest job that she can do with young kids



With all of the scams out there it is inevitable that you will be confronted by scammers again, when you recieve an email from a stranger, always consider that this stranger is attempting to get you money, in most cases you will be correct, if you ever start to think that it is real then please let us have a look at it before sending any money.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my query and I value your insight and your knowledge. I thought it was a scam, but needed your expert opinions, so thanks very much! You're doing a great job!

Any time Merry,

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