Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 23:48:32 -0500
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
From: Bob Rankin
Subject: TOURBUS - 30 October 01 - Are You a 419er?
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TOURBUS Volume 7, Number 28 -- 30 Oct 2001
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\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
SIX YEARS of Searchable Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com !!
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: The Nigerian 419 Scam
Have you gotten a message from someone claiming to be a representative
of the Nigerian government, promising a multi-million dollar reward
for your help in transferring a huge sum of money? It's a well-known
scam that pre-dates the Internet, but alarming numbers of people are
taking the bait. Read on to learn more about the Nigerian 419 Scam.
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I get at least one copy of the Nigerian 419 Scam in my email every
week. It comes in various permutations, but here's a sample:
REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
WE ARE TOP OFFICIAL OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT REVIEW
PANEL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPORTATION OF GOODS INTO OUR COUNTRY
WITH FUNDS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN NIGERIA. IN ORDER TO
COMMENCE THIS BUSINESS WE SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE US
TRANSFER INTO YOUR ACCOUNT THE SAID TRAPPED FUNDS. I HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF
$60,000,000 (SIXTY MILLION US DOLLARS) INTO YOUR ACCOUNTS.
THE SOURCE OF THIS FUND IS AS FOLLOWS; DURING THE LAST MILITARY
REGIME HERE IN NIGERIA, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SET UP COMPANIES
AND AWARDED THEMSELVES CONTRACTS WHICH WERE GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED.
THE PRESENT CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT SET UP A CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL
AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A LOT OF INFLATED CONTRACT FUNDS WHICH ARE
PRESENTLY IN THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA READY FOR PAYMENT.
HOWEVER, BY VIRTUE OF OUR POSITION AS CIVIL SERVANTS WE CANNOT
ACQUIRE THIS MONEY IN OUR NAMES. I HAVE THEREFORE, BEEN DELEGATED
AS A MATTER OF TRUST BY MY COLLEAGUES OF THE PANEL TO LOOK FOR AN
OVERSEAS PARTNER INTO WHOSE ACCOUNT WE WOULD TRANSFER THESE FUNDS.
WE HAVE AGREED TO SHARE THE MONEY THUS; 20% FOR YOU, THE ACCOUNT
OWNER, 70% FOR US (THE OFFICIALS) AND 10% TO BE USED IN SETTLING
TAXATION AND ALL LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENSES.
The notion that someone in Nigeria has personally selected me to share
a multi-million dollar reward in return for the temporary use of my
bank account just screams "Warning, Danger" to me. Oh wait, that was
the robot from a Lost in Space re-run playing in the other room. But
you know what I mean... Why would anyone enter into such an obviously
suspicious relationship with a stranger from a foreign country?
TRICK OR TREAT?
===============
Because these messages set off my personal scam alarm, I always
deleted them. But the fact that I get this spam scam with such
regularity and the thought that this thing has been playing out for
decades made me wonder. How many people fall for this trick, and how
are they treated when they do?
The Financial Crimes Division of the U.S. Secret Service receives
approximately 100 telephone calls daily from victims and potential
victims of the Nigerian 419 Scam and 300-500 pieces of related
correspondence every day. And the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria handles
several cases every week in which business people, many of them
experienced in overseas transactions, have lost sums ranging from a
few thousand to over a million dollars.
Here's how the scenario typically plays out. When a potential victim
reponds to the scammer, they are asked for their bank account and
other personal information. The fraudster then tries to establish
credibility by providing documents bearing Nigerian government
letterhead, seals, etc. The scam artist may even arrange a meeting
between the victim and "government officials" in real or fake
government offices. Once the victim becomes confident of the
potential success of the deal, they are told they must come to Nigeria
to finalize the arrangements. But invariably a "problem" arises. The
victim is then pressured or threatened to provide one or more large
sums of money to save the venture
According to the U.S. Treasury, this scam grosses hundreds of millions
of dollars annually, and quite likely there are victims who do not
report their losses due to fear or embarrassment. In a few cases, scam
victims have been killed, and several people have been reported
missing. In response to this growing epidemic, the U.S. government
has established "Operation 4-1-9" designed to target the perpetrators
of this scam. So if you get a copy of the Nigerian 419 Scam by email,
forward it to this address: uce@ftc.gov. If it arrives by mail or
fax, you are requested to fax a copy of that letter to (202) 406-5031.
To learn more about the Nigerian 419 Scam, the various forms it can
take, and what to do if you have lost money because of this scam,
check out these links:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm
http://travel.state.gov/tips_nigeria.html
http://www.treas.gov/usss/index.htm?alert419.htm&1
That's all for now, I'll see you next time! --Bob Rankin
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