Discover How Nigerian Scams Work
The Nigerian Scam is a multi billion scam running since 1980's. This scam has survived many governments of Nigeria and is also known as Advance Free Fraud, The 419 Fraud and The Nigerian Connection. It is most commonly referred to as "419", even by the Nigerians. This is called so after a formerly section of Nigerian Criminal Code which was relevant to the fraud. It is now only a sub classification of the Advance Free Fraud which is being perpetrated by the West Africans globally.
In this scam, the target receives an unsolicited email, letter or a fax concerning Nigeria or any other African Nation containing some illegal proposal like money laundering schemes. The Target may even receive a seemingly legitimate and legal business proposal through usual means.
This scam originated in Africa includes over invoiced oil or other goods or services contracts through which overage is taken from Nigeria, crude oil deals, bequest left in a ill, money clearing where the "Bad Guy" can chemically clean his currency and use it, spoof banking, fake lottery, chat rooms, employment or even ordering items through online auctions or sales, and then cheating the target. These are only a limited number of forms. There are many other forms of this scam and the list is exceptionally creative and seemingly endless.
At a certain point during the deal, the Target is asked for a certain sum of fee as "Advance Fee", "Transfer Tax", "Performance Bond", extend the limit of credit or for granting COD privileges. This list is also virtually endless. After the victim pays, they make up some complications, which will require more money. This continues until the victim runs out of money or quits or both. There is no effective Recourse for this. Moreover, the victim may also have to pay fees for extended credit on some transactions. Sometimes, the victims is called to the country for meeting the officials, but is then held for ransom. Nigerian money scams, according to some reports are the third largest industry in Nigeria. This scam has also seen coalition with many top leaders from the successive governments in Nigeria. Thus the victims are rarely able to recover their losses and the money stolen by the Nigerian Connection has never been recovered from the country. Most of the 419 scam letters and emails have been traced back to Nigeria from where they originate. There have been many incidents when the victim has either killed himself, or has killed one of the Nigerian Officials. Some have even hired private investigators to travel to Nigeria, but this is also fruitless. Some victims have even turned into criminals. In 2004, fifty two people related to this scam were arrested in Amsterdam and a phony Nigerian Embassy was discovered. In 2006, operations were sped up and more arrests were made. Authorities of Nigeria have not been very helpful in this matter. This scam has even lead to companies marking the emails containing the word Nigeria or containing Nigerian IP address specially. "The 419 scam", aided by the government has certainly grown into one of the largest scams till date. Nigerian scams come in the form of dating, email, checks, ebay etc. If something seems to good to be true, it probably is!
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