I've just received an e-mail offer to invest money in the Nigerian government. I'm a little suspicious. What do you reckon

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A.� Be very suspicious. Don't touch it. This is an old-fashioned con that's been going for years - but has just been updated on to e-mail. Let me guess. The e-mail says something along the lines of:< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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We respectfully invite your kind attention to the transfer of $25 million into your personal/company offshore account ... you will receive 20% of the total sum, 10% for miscellaneous expenses and the remaining 70% is for my colleagues and me.

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Am I right

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Q.� Yes, I regret you are. What's it all about

A.� This is a common lure in what's usually referred to as the Nigerian Letter Scam. The letter is usually signed by someone who 'represents' the relevant country's ministry of commerce or the department of petroleum resources. The writer claims that a huge amount of money is left over from a construction contract and he's trying to take the funds offshore.

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Q.� But some of it sounds so plausible.

A. Of course it does. They're conmen. They're meant to be plausible. They take you into their confidence. The most common form of this letter - and it had been going for years by airmail before it hit the net - started:

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Request for urgent business relationship: First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction. This is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential and 'top secret'. I am sure and have confidence of your ability and reliability to prosecute a transaction of this great magnitude involving a pending transaction requiring maximum confidence.

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Then it goes on:

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We are top officials of the federal government contract review panel who are interested in importation of goods into our country with funds that are presently trapped in Nigeria. To commence this business we solicit your assistance to enable us transfer into your account the said trapped funds.

The source of this fund is as follows; during the last military regime here in Nigeria, the government officials set up companies and awarded themselves contracts which were grossly over-invoiced in various ministries. The present civilian government set up a contract review panel and we have identified a lot of inflated contract funds that are floating in the central bank of Nigeria ready for payment.

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Q.� So how does the sting work

A.� The tricksters ask for banking details, headed notepaper and other stationery so they can 'transfer' the funds into your account. Then they use those items to forge withdrawals and drain your account. Sometimes they ask for money up front to start the deal. They rely on greed.

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Q.� Obviously, ahem, I would not have fallen for it. I take it that others have not been so lucky

A.� In America in 1997, victims lost more than $100 million to the scam. In Britain, Scotland Yard says the swindle has netted tens of thousands. The Central Bank of Nigeria tries to warn people about this scam, but it's usually too late.

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Q.� And the scam is still thriving

A.� Yes. Not only has it gone on to the net, but it has also found new victims. A recent variation targets charitable organisations and religious groups saying they have received an overseas. And an advance fee will help smooth things through ...

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Steve Cunningham