date: tue, 31 aug 2004 05:52:59 -070
from: mark_simon010@tiscali.co.uk
subject: dear friend
to: mark_simon010@tiscali.co.uk
dr.mark simon
account department
union bank of nigeria plc.
marina- branch, lagos.
dear friend ,

re: transfer of the sum of us$30.5 million dollars into your account.first, i must solicit your confidence in this transaction.this is by virtue of it's nature as being utterly confidential and top secret.though i know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried.but iam assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. we have decided to contact you through this medium due to the urgency of this transaction as we have been reliably informed of your discreteness and ability. let me start by introducing myself to you.

i am dr, mark simon accountant with the union bank of nigeria plc branch office lagos. i came to know about you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle this onfidential transaction as we are still in active service. the proposition. an australian national, late engineer butchr.miguel, an oil merchant/contractor with the federal government of nigeria, until his death five years ago in a ghastly air crash in an egypt air, flight 990 which occured on 2nd november 1999,banked with us here at union bank of nigeria. marina branch lagos, and had a clossing balance of us$30.5m(thirty million five hundred thousand united states dollars) in a fixed deposit account, which the bank unquestionably expects it to be claimed by any available foreign next-of-kin to the late beneficiary or alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for the purchase of arms and ammunitions at the military war college in kaduna state here in northern nigeria. sequel to this, fervent valuable efforts were made by union bank of nigeria to get in touch with any of the miguel? family or relatives but proved to no avail.

It is because of the perceived posibility of not being able to locate any of the late engr.butch r. miguel's next-of-kin (he had no known wife and children) that the management under the influence of our honourable chairman and members of the board of directors, majorgeneral kalu uke kalu (rtd), that an arrangement be made for the fund to be declared"un-claimable" and subsiquently be donated to the trust fund for the purchase of arms and ammuniton to further enhance the course of war in africa and the world in general.in order to avert this crude and negative development,some of my trusted colleagues and i now seek your permission to have you stand as the next-of-kin to late engr. butch r.miguel, so that the fund us$30.5m would be released and paid into your account as the beneficiary's next-of kin.all documents and proves to enable you recieve this fund will be carefully worked out and moreso as professional bankers, we are assuring you of 100% risk-free involvement. your share stays while the rest will be for myself and my colleagues for investment purposes in your country. note that this transaction will strictly be based on the following terms and conditions as i have stated below, as we have heard confirmed cases of business associates running away with funds kept in their custody when it is finally remitted into thier bank accounts.a very good example is the one of mr. peter hopwood,the president of mileage trading and investment company at number 121,west 55th street,21st floor,new york 10022, and the former chairman of ompadec(mr patrick opia)whom we were reliably informed that after the agreement between both partners in which he was to take 15% of the money while the remaining 85% for the nigerian officials,with all the remaining documents signed,the money was duly transfered into mr hopwood's account, only to be disappointed on their arrival in new york and were informed that mr peter hopwood was no longer on that address,while his telephone and fax numbers had been re-allocated to some body else. this was how they lost us$18.5m to mr hopwood. this is a very recent story here in my country and everybody is aware of this.some of the officials decided to cry out and face the law, because they felt they had lost so much to a stranger,while the chairman of compadec(mr patrick opia) is now hidding in a foriegn country.so right now, i am taking all precautionary measures to guard against re-occurence of such act in our case.this is why we have decided that this transaction will be based on the following:- (a) our conviction of your transparency, honesty and diligence. (b) that you will treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and confidentiality (c) you must be ready to produce us with enough information about yourself to put our minds at rest. (d) that upon reciept of the fund, you will promptly release our share on demand after you have deducted your 20%.your urgency will be highly appreciated, as we are alredy behind schedule for this financial quater. if this proposal is alright by you, then kindly get to me immediately.thank you in anticipaton of your cooperation.
yours faithfully,
dr. mark simon.
(chief accountant)
union bank of nigeria plc.
marina branch lagos.