| The syntax is tortured, the grammar mutilated, | | | | involve the ostensible transfer of amounts |
| but the message - sent by snail mail, telex, fax, | | | | obtained through inflated invoices to the bank |
| or e-mail - is coherent: an African bigwig or his | | | | account of an unrelated foreign firm. Contract |
| heirs wish to transfer funds amassed in years of | | | | fraud or "trade default" is simply a bogus order |
| graft and venality to a safe bank account in the | | | | accompanied by a fraudulent bank draft for the |
| West. They seek the recipient's permission to | | | | products of an export company accompanied by |
| make use of his or her inconspicuous services for | | | | demand for "samples" and various transaction |
| a percentage of the loot - usually many millions of | | | | "fees and charges".Some of the rackets are plain |
| dollars. A fee is required to expedite the | | | | outlandish. In the "wash-wash" confidence trick |
| proceedings, or to pay taxes, or to bribe officials | | | | people have been known to pay up to $200,000 |
| - they plausibly explain.It is a scam two decades | | | | for a special solution to remove stains from |
| old - and it still works. Only last month, a | | | | millions in defaced dollar notes. Others "bought" |
| bookkeeper for a Berkley, Michigan law firm | | | | heavily "discounted" crude oil stored in "secret" |
| embezzled $2.1 million and wired it to various bank | | | | locations - or real estate in rezoned locales. |
| accounts in South Africa and Taiwan. Other | | | | "Clearing houses" or "venture capital organizations" |
| victims were kidnapped for ransom as they | | | | claiming to act on behalf of the Central Bank of |
| traveled abroad to collect their "share". Some | | | | Nigeria launder the proceeds of the scams.In |
| never made it back. Every year, there are 5 such | | | | another twist, charities, academic institutions, |
| murders as well as 8-10 snatchings of American | | | | nonprofit organizations, and religious groups are |
| citizens alone. The usual ransom demanded is half | | | | asked to pay the inheritances tax on a "donation". |
| a million to a million dollars.The scam is so | | | | Some "dignitaries" and their relatives may seek to |
| widespread that the Nigerians saw fit to explicitly | | | | flee the country and ask the victims to advance |
| ban it in article 419 of their penal code. The | | | | the bribe money in return for a generous cut of |
| Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo castigated | | | | the wealth they have stashed abroad."Bankers" |
| the fraudsters for inflicting "incalculable damage to | | | | may find inactive accounts with millions of dollars - |
| Nigerian businesses" and for "placing the entire | | | | often in lottery winnings - waiting to be |
| country under suspicion"."Wired" quotes statistics | | | | transferred to a safe off-shore haven. Bogus jobs |
| presented at the International Conference on | | | | with inflated wages are another ostensible way to |
| Advance Fee (419) Frauds in New York on Sept. | | | | defraud state-owned companies - as is the sale |
| 17:"Roughly 1 percent of the millions of people | | | | of the target's used vehicle to them for an |
| who receive 419 e-mails and faxes are | | | | extravagant price. There seems to be no end to |
| successfully scammed. Annual losses to the scam | | | | criminal ingenuity.Lately, the correspondence |
| in the United States total more than $100 million, | | | | purports to be coming from - often white - |
| and law enforcement officials believe global losses | | | | disinterested professional third parties. |
| may total over $1.5 billion."According to the "IFCC | | | | Accountants, lawyers, directors, trustees, security |
| 2001 Internet Fraud Report", published by the FBI | | | | personnel, or bankers pretend to be acting as |
| and the National White Collar Crime Center, | | | | fiduciaries for the real dignitary in need of help. |
| Nigerian letter fraud cases amount to 15.5 percent | | | | Less gullible victims are subjected to plain old |
| of all grievances. The Internet Fraud Complaint | | | | extortion with verbal intimidation and stalking.The |
| Center refers such rip-offs to the US Secret | | | | more heightened public awareness grows with |
| Service. While the median loss in all manner of | | | | over-exposure and the tighter the net of |
| Internet fraud was $435 - in the Nigerian scam it | | | | international cooperation against the scam, the |
| was a staggering $5575. But only one in ten | | | | wilder the stories it spawns. Letters have |
| successful crimes is reported, says the FBI's | | | | surfaced recently signed by dying refugees, |
| report.The IFCC provides this advisory to | | | | survivors of the September 11 attacks, and |
| potential targets:Be skeptical of individuals | | | | serendipitous US commandos on mission in |
| representing themselves as Nigerian or other | | | | Afghanistan.Governments throughout the world |
| foreign government officials asking for your help | | | | have geared up to protect their businessmen. The |
| in placing large sums of money in overseas bank | | | | US Department of Commerce, for instance, |
| accounts.Do not believe the promise of large | | | | publishes the "World Traders data Report", |
| sums of money for your cooperation.Do not give | | | | compiled by US embassy in Nigeria. It "provides |
| out any personal information regarding your | | | | the following types of information: types of |
| savings, checking, credit, or other financial | | | | organizations, year established, principal owners, |
| accounts.If you are solicited, do not respond and | | | | size, product line, and financial and trade |
| quickly notify the appropriate authorities.The "419 | | | | references".Unilateral US activity, inefficacious |
| Coalition" is more succinct and a lot more | | | | collaboration with the Nigerian government some |
| pessimistic:"NEVER pay anything up front for ANY | | | | of whose officials are rumored to be in on the |
| reason.NEVER extend credit for ANY | | | | deals, multilateral efforts in the framework of the |
| reason.NEVER do ANYTHING until their check | | | | OECD and the Interpol, education and information |
| clears.NEVER expect ANY help from the Nigerian | | | | campaigns - nothing seems to be working.The |
| Government.NEVER rely on YOUR Government | | | | treatment of 419 fraudsters in Nigeria is so lenient |
| to bail you out."The State Department's Bureau of | | | | that, according to the "Nigeria Tribune", the United |
| International Narcotics and Law Enforcement | | | | States threatened the country with sanctions if it |
| Affairs published a brochure titled "Nigerian | | | | does not considerably improve its record on |
| Advance Fee Fraud". It describes the history of | | | | financial crime by November 2002. Both the US |
| this particular type of swindle:"AFF criminals include | | | | Treasury's Financial Crime Enforcement Network |
| university-educated professionals who are the | | | | (FINCEN) and the OECD's Financial Action Task |
| best in the world for nonviolent spectacular | | | | Force (FATF) had characterized the country as |
| crimes. AFF letters first surfaced in the mid-1980s | | | | "one of the worst perpetrators of financial crimes |
| around the time of the collapse of world oil prices, | | | | in the world". The Nigerian central bank promises |
| which is Nigeria's main foreign exchange earner. | | | | to get to grips with this debilitating |
| Some Nigerians turned to crime in order to | | | | problem.Nigerian themselves - though often |
| survive. Fraudulent schemes such as AFF | | | | victims of the scams - take the phenomenon in |
| succeeded in Nigeria, because Nigerian criminals | | | | stride. The Nigerian "Daily Champion", proffered |
| took advantage of the fact that Nigerians speak | | | | this insightful apologia on behalf of the ruthless and |
| English, the international language of business, and | | | | merciless 419 gangs. It is worth quoting at |
| the country's vast oil wealth and natural gas | | | | length:"To eradicate the 419 scourge, leaders at all |
| reserves - ranked 13th in the world - offer | | | | levels should work assiduously to create |
| lucrative business opportunities that attract many | | | | employment opportunities and people perception |
| foreign companies and individuals."According to | | | | of the leaders as role models. The country's very |
| London's Metropolitan Police Company Fraud | | | | high unemployment figure has made nonsense of |
| Department, potential targets in the UK and the | | | | the so-called democracy dividends. Great majority |
| USA alone receive c. 1500 solicitations a week. | | | | of Nigerian youthful school leaver's including |
| The US Secret Service Financial Crime Division | | | | University graduates, are without visible means of |
| takes in 100 calls a day from Americans approach | | | | livelihood... The fact remains that most of these |
| by the con-men. It now acknowledges that | | | | teeming youths cannot just watch our so-called |
| "Nigerian organized crime rings running fraud | | | | leaders siphon their God-given wealthy. So, they |
| schemes through the mail and phone lines are | | | | resorted to alternative fraudulent means of |
| now so large, they represent a serious financial | | | | livelihood called 419, at least to be seen as have |
| threat to the country".Sometimes even the | | | | arrived... Some of these 419ers are in the National |
| stamps affixed to such letters are forged. Nigerian | | | | Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly |
| postal workers are known to be in cahoots with | | | | while some surround the President and governors |
| the fraudsters. Names and addresses are | | | | across the country."Some swindlers seek to |
| obtained from "trade journals, business directories, | | | | glorify their criminal activities with a political and |
| magazine and newspaper advertisements, | | | | historical context. The Web site of the "419 |
| chambers of commerce, and the Internet".Victims | | | | Coalition" contains letters casting the scam as a |
| are either too intimidated to complain or else | | | | form of forced reparation for slavery, akin to the |
| reluctant to admit their collusion in money | | | | compensation paid by Germany to survivors of |
| laundering and fraud. Others try in vain to recoup | | | | the holocaust. The confidence tricksters boast of |
| their losses by ploughing more money into the | | | | defrauding the "white civilization" and unmasking |
| scheme.Contrary to popular image, the scammers | | | | the falsity of its claims for superiority. But a few |
| are often violent and involved in other criminal | | | | delusional individuals aside, this is nothing but a |
| pursuits, such as drug trafficking, According to | | | | smokescreen.Greed outweighs fear and avarice |
| Nigeria's Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The | | | | enmeshes people in clearly criminal enterprises. |
| blight has spread to other countries. Letters from | | | | The "victims" of advance fee scams are rarely |
| Sierra Leone, Ghana, Congo, Liberia, Togo, Ivory | | | | incognizant of their alleged role. They knowingly |
| Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Taiwan, | | | | and intentionally collude with self-professed |
| or even Canada, the United Kingdom, Oman, and | | | | criminals to fleece governments and institutions. |
| Vietnam are not uncommon.The dodges fall into a | | | | This is one of the rare crimes where prey and |
| few categories.Over-invoiced contract scams | | | | perpetrator may well deserve each other. |