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