If You Thought Email Scams Couldn't Get More Absurd, Check This Out

"Nigerian email scams" are advance-fee scams. The scam emails are often purported to be from an estranged or displaced Nigerian prince, doctor etc. (though many of these scams don't actually originate from Nigeria) who claims to be somehow loosely connected or distantly related to the email's recipient. In the email, the "prince" will ask for an advance fee ranging from a few thousand to several million dollars, promising repayment ASAP. Obviously, repayment never happens.

When email was just in its infancy, plenty of naive and impressionable people easily fell victim to the scams. Unfortunately, the scams have given an unfair, stereotypical view of Nigeria in popular culture (though, as stated, many of these emails don't originate from Nigeria), and it's important to remember that many people in Nigeria and elsewhere live in extreme poverty and must resort to illegal means to support themselves. That said, don't be stupid on the Internet. 

Seems legit. 1990 was 14 years ago, right?

Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555
Misau Street
PMB 437
Garki, Abuja, FCT NIGERIA

Dear Mr. Sir,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $ 3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.

Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number [redacted] only.

Yours Sincerely, Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager

[redacted]

Or could this be, I don't know, one ridiculously stupid idea for a scam?