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