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Below is a suspected Email Scam. This is for display purposes only. The Department of Commerce Trade Program is only sharing the information as a possible scam and therefore are not responsible for the contents of the email. All email addresses and phone numbers have been removed. The email is in the original format and has not been modified (except listed above) in anyway.

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From: Hajia Mariam Abacha

Subject: Please Help Us

Dear Friend,

It is with hope that I write to seek your help in the context below.

I am Hajia Mariam Abacha, wife of Nigeria's former head of state; Late General Sani Abacha, whose sudden death occurred on the 8th of June 1998. Since my husband died, I have been thrown into a state of utter confusion, frustration and hopelessness by the present civilian administration. The security agents in the country have subjected me to physical and psychological torture.

As a widow that is so traumatized, I am hopeless withmy present faith. You must have heard over the mediareports on the recovery of various sums of moneydeposited by my late husband with various securityfirms. Some companies willingly gave up their secret and disclosed our money confidently lodged there, or many, outright blackmail. Infact the total sum discovered by the government so far is in the tuneof $700 Million USD and they are not relenting to makeme poor for life.

I have no doubt about your capacity and goodwill to assist me in receiving into your custody( for safety) the sum of $23.3 Million USD willed and deposited safely in my favour by my late husband. This money is currently kept in Safe Deposit Box (SDB) at a securityfirm within Europe. As it is legally required, the administration of my late husband's property is under the authority of the family's Lawyer(Attorney)Barrister Alade Williams (SAN).

The investigative teams set up by my government have submitted their report after freezing almost all our account. Fortunately, our family lawyer had secretly protected the personal will of my husband from the notice of the investigators and have strictly advised that the $23.3m USD be urgently moved to an overseas account of any trust worthy but ANNONYMOUS foreign family friend without delay, for security reasons. Allour traveling papers have been seized by the government thereby preventing us from traveling and all the local and international outfit of our businessempire seized. This sum of money is our only hope to stay alive. I have therefore agreed to compensate yourgoodself with 20% of the total deposit when youfinally the deposit box from the security firm andlodged in your account. They have equally guaranteed 100% risk-free and smooth transfer. If you areinterested in assisting me,you can write me through mye-mail address

For obvious security reasons, it is imperative that you keep all our communication very secret. Do not mention my family,s name or disclose the transaction to anybody. If you are not interested in assisting me, still get in touch so that I can make alternative arrangement as time is of the essence.

Please do not expose me.

Regards,

Hajia Mariam Abacha (Mrs.)