Some of the latest clever and dishonest ways of making money among the lazy ones are through the internet. Don't be surprised if you find an email in your inbox headed 'Congratulations, you won $1,000,000'.  Other typical mail headlines read 'Transfer of 25 million dollars to your account', 'Do you want to become a million', 'I need your help', 'Be my friend'. Some will even send you a mail with subject 'Dear beloved one' and so on.

All these are unsolicited bulk emails that are used to commit financial fraud. The writers of these mails are unidentified thieves. It is all a form of 'advance fee' fraud.

Let's see how it works. Victims will receive an email in which they are requested to assist in transferring large sums of fictional money that belong to someone unknown to them, either dead or alive.

If the victim agrees to be involved in the transaction, the fraudsters request payment of various 'advance fees', which are supposed to be administrative costs or inducement. This type of fraud is said to have originated from West Africa, with Nigeria enjoying the large proportion of the blame, but many other nationals have joined them.

The fraudsters have different methods and different compositions that they use. If you are wise and lettered, you will definitely know that they are fraudulent mails. They contain a lot of jargon and typographical errors among other things.

Take a look at the two unedited specimens below. They were sent by fraudsters.

(to be continued)

Specimen letter (a)

Dearest beloved One,

My name is Jennifa Williams, 21years old girl, And the only survival of my late parents Mr.and Mrs Williams Johnson. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a cocoa merchant) who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days. Realy It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad on 12th. November 2005.

Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected by one of his brother who accompanied him on that Trip, But God knows the truth!   My mother died when I was just 8 years old, and since then my father took me soo special.  Before the death of my Father on November 12th 2005 he called the secretary who accompanied him to the hospital and told her that he has the sum of Seven Milion Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars.(USD$7.5.000 000) left in a Metalic Trunk box,

Which he deposited in one Prime Security Company  here in Abidjan, but the Security Company didn't know the content as money, because it was registered as family valuables personal for security reasons.

And he made the secretary to understand that it was because of this wealth that makes his Brothers to be against him, He also advice the secretary that i should seek for a foreign partner abroad, who will help me to retreived that trunk box, and shipped it direct to his or her country, and also to travel along with him or her because my life is in danger as soon as his Brothers find out about that money in the Security Compnay,

My dear beloved, i am just 21 years old and a Secondary School Level and really don't know what to do.

This is because i have suffered a lot of set backs, as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast. Coupled that i have been chased out of my Fathers House, all because i dont want to tell his Brothers any thing about my Fathers Wealth which they have plan to take over from me all because i am still a small girl,

My dearest one, I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards.  Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded,  I want you to assist me retreived this trunk box out from the Security Companys Custody, and shipped it direct to your Country, And as soon as you received it, You will now make an arrangement for me to come over to your Country in other to continue my Education and also to invest that money into Bussines relationship with you,

I will be waiting for your urgent reply immediately you read this message, and Please if you find this mail offensive, please ignor it and accept my appology, Thanks once again, and may God almighty bless you and your Family,

kindly get back to me as soon as possible so that I will send to you all the documents which was sign by my late Father on the day he made this deposit, including the contact of the Security Company, so that you can contact them on how this trunk box will be retreived and also be sent direct to you in your Country,

Thanks till I hear from you,
Yours Beloved

Specimen letter (b)

Dear Friend,

Transfer of 15 600,000.00 Million Dollars To Your Account

My Name is Mr. Justin Daniel, and I work in the International Operation

Department in a finance company here in London. I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though, this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it Because it still remains the fastest medium of Communication. However, this correspondence is Unofficial and private, and it should be treated as Such.

At first I will like to assure you that this Transaction is 100% risk and trouble free to both Parties. We Want to Transfer out money from our financial house here in London. The fund for transfer is clean origin.

The owner of this account is a foreigner, a Program leader. Until his death, The Late Prime Minister, Mr. Rafik Hariri, has a huge investment here in the United Kingdom and all over the world, as a Matter of fact he has the sum of (fifteen million six hundred thousand dollars) in his account here in London which he Deposited as a family valuables. The family do not know about this deposit.

I was on a Routine inspection that I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a balance of (Fifteen million six hundred thousand dollars) on further discreet investigation. I also discovered that the account holder has passed Away (Dead) leaving no beneficiary to the account.

The bank will approve this money to any foreigner because the Former operator of the a/c is a foreigner. I am certainly sure that nobody will come again for the Claim of this money. A Foreigner can only claim this Money with legal claims to the account Holder; Therefore I need your cooperation in this transaction.

I will provide all Necessary information needed in Order to claim this money, hoping in God that you will never let me down now and in future. o.k.!

I want to transfer this money into a safe foreign account abroad but I don't know any foreigner whom I can trust, I know that this message will come to you as a surprise as we don't know ourselves before, but be sure that it is real and a genuine business. I contact you believing that you will not let me know once the fund goes into your account.

please reply to my personal email addresses .

I am waiting anxiously for your urgent response.

Regards,
Yours Faithfully