Difference between revisions of "The Nigerian Scam"

The Nigerian Scam letters - I'm sure you've received them in your mail and<br>your inbox. This scam has been running for decades, and by now I would think<br>that most people in the United States have received it or heard about it in<br>one form or another.<br><br>Often an official-looking letter arrives in the mail. It is postmarked from<br>Nigerian, has a hand-written address and the letter appears to be hand<br>typed. It begs for help and offers a handsome return for your time. And I do<br>mean a handsome return - typically it offers over a million dollars for the<br>simple favor of using your bank account to transfer some money. <br><br>Don't even think about responding - this is a scam of the worst sort. There<br>are people who have lost their entire life savings because they called the<br>phone number and let their greed kick in and left their brains at home.<br><br>Sometimes this scam arrives in your email - an example email is included<br>below (note this is a scam - do not try and respond to it).<br><br>--------------------------------------------------------<br>LADY MARYAM ABACHA ABACHA COURT GIDADO ROAD KANO-NIGERIA<br>THE PRESIDENT/CEO<br><br>Dear Sir,<br><br>STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL<br><br>I am Lady Maryam Abacha, wife of late General Sani Abacha, Ex-military Head<br>of states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who died on 8th June 1998 of<br>heart problems. l contacted you because of my need to deal with persons whom<br>my family and l have had no previous personal relationships. Since the death<br>of my husband, my family had been subjected to all sorts of harassment's and<br>intimidation with lots of [http://www.accessibilityforum.org negative] report emanating from the government and<br>the press about my husband. The present government has also ensured that our<br>bank accounts are frozen and all assets seized. It is in view of this that I<br>seek your cooperation and assistance in the transfer of the sum of<br>US$30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million United States Dollars only) being the very<br>last of my family fund in my possession and control. An earlier attempt in<br>the physical movement of the sum of US$47,000,000.00 was to avail as the<br>money was confiscated and my International passport impounded at the<br>Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos in August 1998.The Federal<br>Government has seized all our properties and frozen all our [http://www.wordreference.com/definition/accounts accounts] both<br>local and International, but my only hope now is the<br>availableUS$30,000,000.00 which l carefully packed and deposited with a<br>security company as photographic materials where my brother-in-law is<br>working as a General manager when my husband died. If you are willing to<br>assist us in receiving this money on our behalf, please contact my<br>brother-in-law Alhaji Buba Abacha immediately on the following Telephone<br>Number DELETED or EMAIL-DELETED@TOPROTECTYOU.COM to discuss the details and<br>[http://wideinfo.org/?s=negotiate negotiate] your reward, which l can assure you, will be very substantial<br>.Please, ensure to keep this proposal very secret and confidential. We await<br>your immediate response. Maa Salaam. Sincerely, LADY MARYAM ABACHA. <br>--------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Wondering why I have deleted the email address and phone number. Because,<br>believe it or not, people call these numbers and send email to these<br>accounts and lose their money - fast. <br><br>What happens? A nice guy or gal picks up the phone at the other end and<br>starts pulling you into the scam. At first they need a thousand dollars,<br>perhaps, for postage or some small official fee. They are fast talkers who<br>do this all of the time - and of you do give in and give them the money you<br>don't have a chance. You are hooked and you are hooked bad.<br><br>They depend upon greed and prey on the weak. You think, "wow, I can get a<br>million dollars", and "well, it's a risk but I'm only going to risk that<br>first thousand". Foolish person.<br><br>Once you've given them your thousand (the amount varies) they start to reel<br>you in. They will call to tell you they need another $10,000, perhaps, for<br>bribes to customs officials. You'll pay because you've already paid a<br>thousand, and because it sounds like the money is just about to be<br>transferred into your bank account.<br><br>So you'll pay. Then you'll call and you'll have to give them another amount,<br>bigger this time, and deliver it in person, perhaps. You'll do it - you've<br>already spent a lot of money and you don't want to lose it. You'll deliver<br>the money and then be given a story - only to get another call.<br><br>This time you will be very suspicious, and you might be told they need to<br>"wash" all of the money. You want to see, they'll meet you and indeed, they<br>will have a handful of black money. They'll use some solvent and like magic<br>the money is clean. <br><br>They will explain that the money was hidden and got "dirty" and now they<br>need perhaps $50,000 to clean it. Some people have paid as much as half a<br>million dollars at this point. The stories are sometimes different,<br>sometimes the same, but you'll pay. Because now the greed is mixed with fear<br>and a little more greed - you've actually had the money in your hands now.<br><br>How long does this go on? Until you won't or can't pay anymore. Then you<br>just get thrown away. People disappear, calls aren't return, and if you do<br>get hold of someone they deny knowing you or give you some excuse.<br><br>Report it to someone? Who? The FBI? Sure, they know all about this scam.<br>Yes, they will take your data and add it to their database - but the scam is<br>not operated on United States soil and there is no one to catch - at least<br>no one who can be found. There is also little or no evidence - it's very<br>difficult to catch this kind of thief.<br><br>So what do you do?<br><br>Use your brain.<br><br>Don't under any conditions give money to scammers. How do you spot a scam?<br>Simple. The offer is too good to be true. It's that simple. Get a million<br>for doing nothing? Come on. Doesn't happen (unless you win the lottery).<br>Don't even respond. Just delete the emails or throw away the letters. <br><br>Be smart.