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Loading ...Nigerian fraud, also known as 419 fraud, refers to a popular scam that has been around since the early 1990s. The scam typically involves a letter or email sent to millions of people in hopes that a few will respond. It typically describes a large sum of money that is available for one reason or another. The details of each scam are different depending upon who is sending out the mail. The catch for claiming the money is that the victim has to send some money (usually an amount much smaller than the possible reward) in order to gain access to the large sum. In the end, there is no reward and the victim loses his “investment”. more…
Here’s what a typical message looks like:
Sample Email 1
from WESTERNCONSULT <*****@consult.com.gh>
reply-to johnsaakwa@consultant.com
to ***
date Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 10:48 AM
subject Possible Spam : Gold Advert!
WESTERNCONSULT
Plot 112, Nana Close,
Light Industrial Estate,
Accra Ghana.
Dear Sir/Ma:
I am writing to you at this time to advertise the availability of our main product, alluvial gold in bulk quantities. As we represent a large number of local artisan miners, we are prepared to provide quantities of up to 400 kilograms of 22.karat alluvial gold monthly.
Following is information concerning our product:
Quantity: 400 kilograms available monthly
Quality: 22. karat alluvial Au
Origin: Ghana, West Africa
Price: $30,000 per kilogram
Assay reports provided by SGS Laboratories, Accra,
Our firm is in possession of the Gold Export Certificate issued by the Government of the Republic of Ghana necessary to export gold from Ghana, thus we can provide service to any part of the world. We are prepared to offer the quantity of gold required to the Buyer [or their representative] upon their arrival here in Accra. After the Buyer has confirmed the quantity and the quality of the gold with their refinery, and is satisfied, Only then transaction can take place. Further, we currently seek outside-based serious investors on a partnership basis in order to increase our production capacity. If you are interested in this proposal, or have any further questions, kindly contact us. Looking forward to doing business with you.
Yours truly,
Mr. John Saakwa,
C.E.O of WESTERNCONSULT.
Sample Email 2
Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more
PRESIDENCY OFFICE OF THE PAYMASTER GENERAL FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ATM CARD PAYMENT
FOR FUND BENEFICIARIES INTERNATIONAL CREDIT SETTLEMENT OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.
ATTENTION :BENEFICIARIES
THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR CONTRACT /INHERITANCE FILE AND FOUND OUT THAT WHY YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT FULFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOUR CONTRACT / I NHERITANCE PAYMENT.
SECONDLY WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOU ARE STILL DEALING WITH THE NONE OFFICIALS I N THE BANK ALL YOUR ATTEMPT TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO YOU. WE WISH TO ADVICE YOU THAT SUCH AN ILLEGAL ACT LIKE THIS HAVE TO STOP IF YOU WISHES TO RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT SINCE WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OUR SWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC, THAT IS THE LATEST INSTRUCTION BY THE PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN WHO WAS ELECTED IN ON THE MAY 6, 2010 (GCFR) FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
THIS CARD CENTER WILL SEND YOU AN ATM CARD WHICH YOU WILL USE TO WITHDRAW YOUR MONEY IN ANY ATM MACHINE IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, BUT THE MAXIMUM IS TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DAY, SO IF YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND THIS WAY PLEASE LET US KNOW BY CONTACTING THE CARD PAYMENT CENTER AND ALSO SEND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1.YOUR FULL NAME
2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER,
3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD
4. YOUR AGE ANDCURRENT OCCUPATION
5. A COPY OF YOUR IDENTITY ATTACHED TO E-MAIL
CONTACT PERSON:
Dr. Yusuf Ndola Adams Senior Delivery Officer
UPS Courier House, Plot *** Malumfashi Close,
Area 11, Garki Abuja-Nigeria
Email: ***
Telphone: ***
Landline: ***
THE ATM CARD PAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT $3,300,000.00 AS PART PAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2010. WHICH YOU ARE ADVICE TO CONTACT NOW THAT THE NEW ELECTED PRESIDENT HAS TAKEN OVER THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR FUND.ALSO FOR YOUR INFORMATION YOU HAVE TO STOP ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER PERSON(S) OR OFFICE(s). THIS IS TO AVOID ANY HITCHES IN FINALIZING YOUR PAYMENT.AS SOON AS YOU REPLY TO THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR FURTHER DIRECTION IN THIS REGARDS AND ALSO UPDATE ME ON ANY DEVELOPMENT FROM THE ABOVE MENTIONED OFFICE.
NOTE: THAT BECAUSE OF IMPOSTORS, WE HEREBY ISSUED YOU OUR CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH IS (811) SO YOU HAVE TO INDICATE THIS CODE WHEN CONTACTING THE CARD CENTER.
(MR. SADIQ ALMAN)
CHIEF AUDITOR TO THE PRESIDENT
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
ATM CARD PAYMENT FOR FUND BENEFICIARIES
Sample Email 3
From: Abdul-**** Sabur.
Date: July 22, 2008 at 1.05 PM
Subject: My Intention
Hello Dear
Salaam. It’s a delight to have your esteemed contact, i am Abdul, from Liberia. I wish to invest in Real Estate Management in your Country. I have ($2.3 Million United State Dollars) to invest and i will require your assistance in receiving the funds into your Bank Account. This money was realized from the gold dust sold during the war in my country Liberia by my late father Mr. Suleman ****, he deposited the money with a Fiduciary Company here in Dakar – Senegal with enabling conditions for the release of the funds which are as follows:
(1) I must be 22 years or above
(2) Upon request for the release of the fund, there must be evidence of an appointed foreign partner with investment intentions especially outside the West Africa. I will gladly give you 10% out off the total sum for your assistance.
Please it is important that you reply as soon as possible with your private phone and fax number for our verbal communication.
Waiting for your response,
Abdul *****
Sample Email 4
From: CHRIS LOAN
Subject:
To:
Received: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 3:49 AM
I am CHRIS LOUIS, I am a private loan lender .I give out loans to bussiness people and individuals for just 1% interest rate. I give out local and international loans to any body all over the worlds, give out loans via account transfer to what ever country you are. I am not a bank and I do not need much documents. If you are interested in getting a loan from my company, contact me with the following details.
All replies should be forwarded to: chri*****r@yahoo.com.hk
Ever received a mail from a Nigerian official or diplomat which claimed to make you richer by a million bucks or more? Have you been a victim of the notorious Nigerian or 419 fraud and ended up in a complete fiasco? Share your story with us at iYogi and we will publish your story to ensure that innocent people do not get defrauded anymore by the Nigerian fraud.
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Nigerian or 419 Internet Fraud
If there is one type of mail that I can count on to be in my inbox just about every single day, it’s a letter from some high up Nigerian government official promising to pay me millions for letting him deposit money into my bank account. I know a fraud when I see one and this one has a name. It’s called the Nigerian or 419 Internet Fraud and it’s still around because it still works.
The first time I got one of these proposals I passed it on to the FBI. I received a letter back from them explaining how the scam worked. It was also explained to me that in reality there is little that authorities can do to recover money for those unfortunate enough to fall for this scheme. One reason that not much can be done is due to the fact that the scam stems from a foreign country. Agents from this country cannot go to a foreign country and arrest perpetrators of a scam, even if they could find them.
As I stated earlier, I get at least one of these Nigerian or 419 Internet Fraud proposals every day. There are so many different versions of it but recognizing some of the typical components of them will prevent you from being fleeced. I’ve noticed that most of these letters are full of spelling and grammatical errors. That should be a huge clue by itself. Then, too, what legitimate business person in their right mind is going to send an e-mail to a total stranger and request to be allowed to put millions of dollars into their bank account?
The best defense against being victimized by a scam such as the Nigerian or 419 Internet Fraud is to remember that if something seems too good to be true, than it quite likely is just that- too good to be true. The next line of defense is to always carefully research any proposition that offers to pay you huge sums. Before you do anything else, check out the scheme very carefully. Both the Better Business Bureau and the National Fraud Information Center are good sources to query about any prospective opportunity that promises you riches.
Dreaming of Big Bucks landed me straight into Advance Fee Fraud (AFF), (aka Nigerian, AFF or 419 Fraud).
Nigerian fraud! Jesus, how I fell for it!
One of these buggers wrote me a mail saying I’d won $4,50,000 as prize money for an online lottery. It was a congratulatory mail which made me feel what a lucky fellow I am to have won such a huge sum in lottery.
All I had to do was deposit $1000 as processing fee to claim my prize money.
I was struggling with finances at that time; and this was like a direct hotline contact from God! I fell for the bait- hook, line and sinker!
It was summer, 2008. I paid up the processing fee and waited eagerly for my bank account to be credited. But two days passed, and no news.
On the third day, I received another mail that a bribe needs to be paid to someone handling the prize money. As I had already dished out $1000 I felt there was no choice but to pay up for the prize money.
This time I deposited $1200.
I kept on checking my bank account throughout the next few days. Nothing happened. Even the phone number provided in the mail was switched off whenever I tried.
It took me a week to realize that I had actually been duped. It was a severe blow, especially at that time.
I reported the matter to the local police. There I learnt that this scam has been operating for quite some time now, luring people with the promise of big bucks! Many have been cheated so far under the pretext of Advance fee for a huge monetary deal.
Guys, beware of such proposals, and save yourself the torment of Nigerian, AFF or 419 Fraud.
Nigerian Scammers
It all started with an email asking me whether I was interested in making money online.. I had heard of people becoming overnight millionaires over the Internet and I responded to the email providing my details. I was contacted over phone and asked to pay a sum as advance. I readily paid the sum and thereafter no emails, no calls nothing. I was duped and could not even locate the person who had called me. Any one reading this, please be wary of such frauds.
Luck was on my side!
One morning I got an email from a Nigerian firm asking whether I was interested in buying a holiday cottage at very low price. As I was looking for a vacation home at the time, I got interested and contacted them. It was a beach house and was very well priced. I agreed to their conditions but before I made the payment I consulted with a real estate agent regarding the paperwork. To my utter shock he told me that such a sale would be a 100% scam and asked me not to pay anything. The brokers called me up a couple of times but I did not pick up. Luckily I didn’t lose money with these scammers.
There were these photos, I had, stored under C:/My Documents/For Mom/Family Reunion Photos. Naughty prints, meant for my eyes only! I was content to let it slumber in that folder. There was no danger of anyone looking there. But then, I got a rude jolt…in the form of a virus which disabled my system. No matter what I did, the system just would not turn on. I carried the whole thing to a repair centre and paid a small fortune to get it working again. I saw by the repairman’s smirk that he too was now privy to my secret!
Madison M, Knoxville
Hi Mark, I was wondering whether there is some way to trace these cheaters. I have lost my money to such scammers and still I get details of new such schemes every single day in my inbox! I doubt if there is a possibility to trace them using the account information provided…if any cyber experts are out there please do help us. Unless we take the initiative to stop such scams they would continue to grow!
I got a mail from a Nigerian asking for help to move money from his country. I had seen many such mails before but never such a detailed one. These people are really smart and they only provide account related information and get into details if they feel the victim is interested…anyway, I replied asking to come up with a better story than the one he currently has!
Hey Lonny, I do not think cyber experts would be able to help you out. The thing is, even if we can trace the IP and the country from where they are operating, laws there might be different. Besides, they use fake IDs to create temporary bank accounts that are only used for say, a couple of weeks, making it impossible to track them down. If you have lost your money to such a fraud, it’s highly improbable that you’ll get it back!