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Those concerned with the myriad online scams that regularly surface, would do well to note the existence of a common letter fraud known as Nigerian letter fraud or 419 fraud. Named for Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code and also referred to as Advance Fee Fraud (AFF), 419 impersonation fraud combines with advance fee scam and can be perpetrated via snail mail, fax or email. The letter typically offers a percentage of a large sum of money to the recipient in exchange for the recipient’s “assistance” in the transfer of the amount through his or her own bank account and permission to lend the money to the sender’s “cause”. It may seem like nothing more than a scam to most (and it is), but it has fooled countless people into giving up money and personal information.
According to the US Department of State, the Nigerian letter may contain the following or similar text:
“After consulting with my partners, and based on information gathered from the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, I am pleased to propose a confidential business transaction for our mutual benefit. Me and my partners have the sum of $35,500,000.00 We have the instruments to transfer the amount to a foreign company account in our favor. This amount resulted from an over-invoiced contract, executed, commissioned, and paid by a foreign contractor about two years ago. So we can transfer this money This can only be remitted to a foreign account, and as civil servants, we are prohibited from operating foreign accounts. The total amount thus shared Will:
30% for the account owner (you)
60% for us
10% to meet any contingencies
“We will start the money transfer immediately as soon as you send the following documents/information through the above fax number.
1. Four copies of invoice paper on your company’s letter head and signed and stamped
2. Name, address and fax number of your banker
3. Account Number and Beneficiary Name.
“Bear in mind that this is a purely private and personal deal, non-official; and it should be treated with all the measure of confidentiality and privacy.”
After all the talk about how risky it is to share personal information with anyone on the internet, you’d think that no one would fall for a letter asking them to send over bank and company information, but It is estimated that millions of dollars are lost each year as a result of this scam. Additionally, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it has been discovered that once a victim stops sending money, the victim’s personal and bank information is used to drain their bank accounts and credit cards. goes. Some victims have even been lured to Nigeria, where they have been imprisoned, and some have even been killed for their involvement in the scam.
According to the Department of State, little progress has been made in prosecuting 419 fraud offenders. Some of the reasons for this include:
1. Only five to 10 percent of AFF victims report the scam, possibly because the victims do not want to admit that they have been defrauded or are involved in the situation.
2. Victims may believe that they can recoup their losses by continuing to cheat.
3. Victims may believe that they will be prosecuted under US law as co-conspirators if they report the fraud. At least one US court has upheld civil forfeiture of income awarded to AFF.
4. Sections 5 and 6 of the Nigerian Presidential Decree of April 1995 criminalize the receipt and/or possession of a fraudulent letter by a victim. This may prevent victims from returning to Nigeria to assist in the prosecution of these criminals.
To avoid getting caught up in the infamous international scam, the FBI recommends taking specific steps:
1. If you receive a letter from Nigeria asking you to send personal or banking information, do not respond in any way. Send the letter to the US Secret Service or FBI.
2. If you know someone who is involved in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI or US Secret Service as soon as possible.
3. Be suspicious of persons presenting themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials seeking your help in depositing large sums of money into foreign bank accounts.
4. Don’t believe the promise of big money for your cooperation.
5. Protect your account information carefully.
Unfortunately for the victim, once they send money or products to Nigeria, it is almost impossible to reverse the damage done or catch the culprit. If you receive anything via fax, email or US mail that looks like a Nigerian letter scam, do not reply to the sender and contact the appropriate law enforcement agencies as soon as possible.
For more information and a detailed description of the modus operandi of this scam, visit http://www.state.gov/www/regions/africa/naffpub.pdf,
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