Crux Polaris
14 November 2005, 09:01
Mariam Abacha – The Facts, The Fiction and The Scam
1. The Facts
2. The Fiction
3. The Scam
1. The Facts.
Mariam Abacha is the widow of General Sani Abacha, who died June 8, 1998. Gen. Sani Abacha was Nigerian head of state for 5 years before his death, and is accused of having embezzled billions of dollars in public funds and international aid to the country.
The spelling of Mariam’s name differs widely, but the most recognized form is “Hajiya Maryam Abacha”, with “Mariam Abacha” being a simplified version of same. The assets of the Abacha family has been seized, pending the trial of Maryam. She was caught trying to leave Nigeria with 30 suitcases full of US dollars. More than 2 billion USD in various currencies have been seized, along with 34 luxury houses and estates, 54 cars, and approx. 645 million dollars have been frozen in Swiss bank accounts.
Maryam is not in prison, but under 24 hour surveillance, and is prohibited from leaving the country.
General Sani Abacha is said to have died of a heart attack, but it is suspected by many that the actual cause of death was cyanide poisoning, possibly because of his frolicking with three prostitutes from India.
The Nigerian government estimates that the general stole in excess of 4 billion USD while in control of Nigeria, of which most came off crooked oil-deals. Nigeria is rich in oil, but the per-capita income is less than 300 USD.
2. The Fiction
The fiction in this tale, is that Maryam Abacha would be capable of undertaking such a transaction at all. As I mentioned, Maryam Abacha is under 24 hour surveillance by Nigerian police, and she is also kept watch over by the international community.
Her communications are monitored, and even though she is not in jail at the moment, she has no chance what so ever of leaving Nigeria, or her home town for that matter.
3. The Scam
Most of the world’s active e-mail users have received one or more letters, claiming to be from Maryam Abacha. These letters will claim that she needs your help in transferring some of the money, or all of the money, that her husband had, out of Nigeria and into your country.
The letters claim that if you help her, you will get a piece of General Sani’s pie, usually a certain percentage of the total amount.
The mode of transfer is something that can differ from e-mail to e-mail, but the two normal methods the e-mail will claim, is either “trunkboxes” full of cash, jewellery and/or gold or a bank transfer. The latter is useful to the scammers because as the victim sends his or her bank account number, they will be in a good position to commit Identity Theft. See our articles on ID Theft (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=251).
This article Copyright:
Fraudwatchers.org 2005
Written by Crux Polaris
1. The Facts
2. The Fiction
3. The Scam
1. The Facts.
Mariam Abacha is the widow of General Sani Abacha, who died June 8, 1998. Gen. Sani Abacha was Nigerian head of state for 5 years before his death, and is accused of having embezzled billions of dollars in public funds and international aid to the country.
The spelling of Mariam’s name differs widely, but the most recognized form is “Hajiya Maryam Abacha”, with “Mariam Abacha” being a simplified version of same. The assets of the Abacha family has been seized, pending the trial of Maryam. She was caught trying to leave Nigeria with 30 suitcases full of US dollars. More than 2 billion USD in various currencies have been seized, along with 34 luxury houses and estates, 54 cars, and approx. 645 million dollars have been frozen in Swiss bank accounts.
Maryam is not in prison, but under 24 hour surveillance, and is prohibited from leaving the country.
General Sani Abacha is said to have died of a heart attack, but it is suspected by many that the actual cause of death was cyanide poisoning, possibly because of his frolicking with three prostitutes from India.
The Nigerian government estimates that the general stole in excess of 4 billion USD while in control of Nigeria, of which most came off crooked oil-deals. Nigeria is rich in oil, but the per-capita income is less than 300 USD.
2. The Fiction
The fiction in this tale, is that Maryam Abacha would be capable of undertaking such a transaction at all. As I mentioned, Maryam Abacha is under 24 hour surveillance by Nigerian police, and she is also kept watch over by the international community.
Her communications are monitored, and even though she is not in jail at the moment, she has no chance what so ever of leaving Nigeria, or her home town for that matter.
3. The Scam
Most of the world’s active e-mail users have received one or more letters, claiming to be from Maryam Abacha. These letters will claim that she needs your help in transferring some of the money, or all of the money, that her husband had, out of Nigeria and into your country.
The letters claim that if you help her, you will get a piece of General Sani’s pie, usually a certain percentage of the total amount.
The mode of transfer is something that can differ from e-mail to e-mail, but the two normal methods the e-mail will claim, is either “trunkboxes” full of cash, jewellery and/or gold or a bank transfer. The latter is useful to the scammers because as the victim sends his or her bank account number, they will be in a good position to commit Identity Theft. See our articles on ID Theft (http://www.fraudwatchers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=251).
This article Copyright:
Fraudwatchers.org 2005
Written by Crux Polaris