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types
This page considers some themes in 'Nigerian Advance Fee'
or '419' email messages.
It covers -
introduction
The preceding page provided an introduction to the 419
advance fee routine but it is important to recognise that
'unbeatable offers' (whether by email, snailmail, fax
or even VOIP) are limited only by the ingenuity and persistence
of the scammer and the greed or gullibility of the victim.
Email-based
scams thus include the following.
'next of kin'
This scam alerts you to the demise of a hirtherto unknown
relative and tempts you to claim a multi-million dollar
'inheritance' held by a bank, investment company or lawyer
(whether in a conventional account or as bullion, cash,
diamonds or other assets in the institution's storage
facility). The scammer typically collects money for bank,
transfer and facilitation fees.
personal laundry
The recipient is asked to assist the 'heirs' of a notable
(typically a deposed dictator, warlord or henchman) access
multi-million dollar funds held by a bank, investment
company or lawyer. The supposed heirs often vow to devote
their part of the loot to pious works, so that your cupidity
is legitimised by the smiles of widows, orphans, lepers
and beggars. The scammer typically collects money for
bank, transfer and facilitation fees.
'Immanuel Agyei' for example claims to have discovered
US$14.7 million belonging to "one of our foreign
customers who died along with his entire family in a ghastly
wind".
I want you to present yourself as the next of kin through
your relation with the deceased, so that the funds can
be remitted into your account ... The reason for requesting
you to present yourself as next of kin, is occasioned
by, the fact that the deceased (customer) was a foreigner,
and we have access to his detailed bio data which you
will hold as a weapon to present yourself as the next
of kin.
The mode of sharing after a successful transfer of the
money into your account, shall be 35% to me, for the
role you will be expected to play in this deal, you
will take 35% of the total sum and we both mapped the
balance 30% of the total fund as a donation to the welfare
of those in needs. The 30% will be divided in two place,
15% will be donated to Liberian for the re-deveploment
of their country and 15% will be donated to the welfare
of those who lost their families, friends, loveones
and properties in the August 23, 2005 hurricane disasters.
Therefore, you are expected to reply this letter indicating
your readiness and interest to participate in this business.
After receiving your reply, you will be communicated
with the exact steps to take. ...
Please treat this business proposal as strictly confidential
for security reasons considering my official position
in EcoBank Gh Ltd and trust us that this transaction
is risk free.
lost and found
The recipient is similarly asked to assist a bank official,
lawyer, government supremo or other notable to launder
money supposedly held by a bank, investment company or
even storage company. The loot is typically an unrecognised
overpayment that must be transferred to a friendly jurisdiction
with the victim's help before the error is recognised.
As with the personal laundry scam, the fraud involves
the scammer collecting money for bank, transfer and facilitation
fees.
she's your girlfriend and you'll cry if I
want to
In the dating scam the scammers entice the victim with
email or an entry on a matchmaking
site, often using photos lifted from another dating site
or from modelling sites. Once the victim is hooked the
putative friend 'encounters' an unfortunate series of
events such as being held hostage by a hotel owner after
his/her wallet is stolen, needs a new airline ticket,
has to bribe border officials and then bribe police to
get out of prison after being caught paying off the border
guards.
black gold
In what is sometimes characterised as the Nigerian National
Petroleum Co fraud the scammer offers cheap crude oil,
bulk grain or other commodities, then demands money upfront
for commissions and facilitation payments.
your lucky day
The scammer advises you that you have won the lottery
- although buying a ticket seems to have slipped your
mind - and all that is needed is a facilitation payment
or two before the big payout can be transferred to your
account. Sometimes you are lucky enough to have exactly
the same ticket, winning prizes in successive lotteries.
Ticket or file KTU/9023118308/03 (56475600545 188) for
example supposedly gives a UK National Lottery win of
- US$2.5m
(5 March 2005 draw)
- £186,532
(16 March 2005)
- £2.5m
(16 July 2005)
- £92,462
(13 August 2005)
- £3.98m
(20 December 2005)
- £230,640
(12 February 2005)
- US$2.5m
(21 September 2004)
- £250,000
(12 January 2006)
If
you believe the scammers it has also won -
- US$2.5m
in the 13 December 2004 SA Worldwinnings Sweepstake
Lottery
- US$2.5m
in the 27 March 2004 South African Lotto
overpayment scam
The scammer sends a cheque overpaying for a car or goods
by many thousands of dollars, persuading the victim to
transfer the difference to Nigeria.
job offers you can't refuse
A supposed oil company or other corporation offers a job
with extremely attractive salary and conditions, with
the scammer extracting money for processing visas and
permits.
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and incidents)
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