Dan Danjuma, Head of Foreign Operation Department of the Kata Bank

Dan Danjuma says: "There is no country in the world without fraud or whatsoever"

Hello, I am Miss Young. I received this story from a friend. Let me call him Kofi. He received this mail from Kata Bank:

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From: katabank_dan@katamail.com

Sent: November 26, 2005

Subject: From the bank

The Head,
Foreign Operations Dept.
Kata Bank of Nigeria Ltd,
40 Marina Street,
Lagos - Nigeria.
Email: kata_bank@katamail.com

CONFIDENTIAL LETTER.
Dear friend,
I am the Head of Foreign Operation Department of the Kata Bank of Nigeria Limited, Lagos. I got your mail ID from the Yahoo Chat Room. I am writing you this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to carry out this transaction of money transfer. We discovered an abandoned Sum of US$14.8Million (Fourteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer (Engr. Idris Hussein) who died along side his entire family in a plane crash. Since this incident, we have been expecting his next of kin or any close relation to come forward to claim this money, but nobody came to apply for the claim.
To this effect, we decided to look for a trusted foreign partner who can stand in as the next of kin to the deceased and claim this money. We need a foreign partner to apply for the claim because of the fact that the customer was a foreigner. And we don't want this money to go into the banks treasure as unclaimed fund. Every document to affect this process will emanate from my table and I will perfect every documents to be in accordance with the banking laws and guidelines, so you need not to worry or fear about this. You are required to provide bank account information for us to use for the transfer of the money.
We will use normal banking procedure and legal means to transfer the fund legally and immediately within 14 working days. I therefore, request your absolute secrecy and confidentiality during this transaction. And you need to assure me that you will not disappoint me after the fund is successfully transfered into your account.
To assure you of the reality of the transfer, see the Certificate of Deposit of the deceased has with our bank and the death certificate as attached below.
We have agreed that 30% of the money will be for you, 25% will be given to the poor and needy. 5% for expenses incurred on the both sides while 40% will be for us here. I will send you the transfer procedure as soon as you indicate your interest. I await your immediate reply to enable us commence the funds transfer.
Thanks for your anticipated assistance.
Your's faithfully,
Dan Danjuma
Head, Foreign Operations

Kofi had received a lot of these letters, so he knew that it was a scam. However, he decided to answer that he was interested, and that he was unsure whether it was fraud.

From: katabank_dan@katamail.com

Sent: December 01, 2005

Subject: Transfer procedure and requirements

Dear Friend,
I received your mail. All you heard is totally unture. There is no country in the world without fraud or whatsoever. See http://katabank2000.tripod.com/
I will be very grateful if you can go through the proposal once more and understand what is needed from you for the transfer of US$14.8 Million into your account. You have to provide an account where this money will be transferred. You need to prove your sincerity, capability and willingness to contribute towards the sponsorship of the transfer expenses of the fund transfer. So send the complete requirements which will qualify you for the transaction. This is real and true, it is an opportunity. If you know you don't have the capability in handling and co-sponsoring the transfer, please there is no need wasting our time.
However, note down the procedure through which we can get this money transferred to your account.
1. We have to legalize you as the true beneficiary and next of kin to late Idris Hussein. To do this we need the services of a lawyer who will use your information to get us the legal documents to cover you as the next of kin from the Federal High Court.
2. When the Legal documents are ready, the lawyer will apply on your behalf to the bank for the claim. This is where I will play my part for the approval and an order will be issued and send to the Central Bank of Nigeria for immediate transfer of the fund.
3. The Central Bankof Nigeria will then transfer the money to your account. Immediately the money is remitted in your account, I will come down to your country to have my share of the fund.
Send the following information for the commencement of the transfer process:
Your personal details:
1. Your Name:
2. Address and Telephone number:
3. Scanned copy of your international passport or driving license or any form of identity you have for identification purposes. Then send it through email attachment.
Bank details:
1. Bank Name and address:
2. Account number:
When I receive this information, I will introduce the lawyer who will represent you and get the necessary documents we need to legalize you as the next of kin to the deceased and the eventual beneficiary to the said deposit.
You can reach me on my mobile: 234-8024056704.
Hope to receive the requirements.
Dan Danjuma

This is the website http://katabank2000.tripod.com/. It is hosted on a free webhotel, and filled with ads. The bank can't be very profitable, since it cannot afford its own website or a real webhotel . BTW: Kata Bank is not on the official list of banks in Nigeria! So Mr Danjuma was right: "There is no country in the world without fraud or whatsoever".

Danjuma asks for $2,500 for the paperwork, but Kofi is not willing to pay. Therefore Danjuma pays it out of his own pocket, and then the lawyer enters the scene:

From: Rotimi Williams <rotimi_williams40@yahoo.com>
Sent: December 19, 2005
Subject: Payment made on your behalf

Dear Sir,
Dan Danjuma has made the payment of US$2,500 on your behalf. We will get all the necessary documents ready in three days. Hopefully on Wednesday we will send the scan copy of the documents to you while the original and the application for claim will reach the bank after we receive our balance. Attached is the payment receipt.
Regards.
Mrs. Ngozi Eze
Secretary, Rotimi Williams Chambers

A couple of weeks later the lawyers sends this:

From: Rotimi Williams <rotimi_williams40@yahoo.com>
Sent: January 5, 2006
Subject: Bank Approval: Fill CBN Form and return

Sir,

See the attached for details.

We were at the CBN office and was issued a Form for you to fill with your handwriting and return immediately.

However, below is the guideline for filling the fom:

Attach your passport photograph as provided at the right hand side of the form

Beneficiary name................. Your full name

Beneficiary Address.............Your full address

Beneficiary Bank..................Your bank name

Beneficiary Account..........Your account number

Swift Code: Nil. They are not transferring your money by Swift Transfer. So write NIL

Amount: US$14.8 million

Reason for payment: Tick (c) Inheritance

Institution owing you: Tick (C) Financial Institute

Paying Institute: Kata Bank of Nigeria

Mode of payment: Tick Full Payment

Type of Payment: Tick Telegraphic Wire Transfer

Declaration: ....................... Your full name. Date: today, that is the day you fill the form. Then your Signature

Scan the filled form and send to them through email attachment for submision.

Regards,

Mrs. Ngozi Eze

Kofi finds the documents impressive, but decides to keep quiet and see what happens. Kofi sends me this:

Dear Friend,
I have sent you everything i have like those documents which they sent me. This thing have taken a new twist now. Dan Danjuma (Scammer) met me online on my yahoo messenger id. Till now he nevere met me online. I was talking to my mother and he popped up. He was bein very rude .
He said "Its enough , i am searching for someone else who can do this transaction" . Then i didnt replied to him. When he realized that i dont care for this fake transaction he started pleading me. ...

Kofi contacted the police to trace the scammers. In this case they were succesful, and a scammer was arrested. Maybe more arrests are under way?

End of story.