Nigerian Scam - How Does it Work

The beginning of the scam is an e-mail, fax or letter. The target receives an unsolicited fax, email, or letter from Nigeria (sometimes other countries) containing either a money laundering or other illegal proposal OR may receive a legal and legitimate business proposal by normal means. Common variations of the scam include "over invoiced" or "double invoiced" oil or other supply and service contracts where the Nigerian operators want to get the overage out of Nigeria; crude oil and other commodity deals; a "bequest" left in a will, diamonds lying with a security agency, huge un-claimed money in bank account of plane crash victim etc .. the variations are very creative and virtually endless. The target will be asked to forward his/her bank details and office stationery to the contact in Nigeria for preparing legal documents required for money transfer.

Sweeten the Deal... Slowly

Once the gullible falls for the story, correspondence starts and an impression is created that everything is in order and the target is about to pocket the lifetime deal. The goal of the scam artist is to delude the victim into thinking that he or she has been singled out to participate in a very lucrative although questionable -- arrangement. The intended victim is reassured of the authenticity of the arrangement by forged or false documents bearing apparently official Nigerian government letterhead, seals, as well as false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts. The scam artist may even establish the credibility of his contacts, and thereby his influence, by arranging a meeting between the victim and "government officials" in real or fake government offices.

Then suddenly the victim is asked to pay up front an Advance Fee of some sort, be it an "Advance Fee", "Transfer Tax", "Performance Bond", or to extend credit, grant COD privileges, whatever. If the victim pays the Fee, there are many "Complications" which require still more advance payments until the victim either quits, runs out of money, or both.

Finance risk extends to Life Risk

If it goes still further and they manage to get the target traveling to Nigeria (or wherever), the person is in serious danger. Many Americans and Europeans are said to have ‘disappeared’ once in Nigeria. Victims are almost always requested to travel to Nigeria or a border country to complete a transaction. Victims are often told that a visa will not be necessary to enter the country. The Nigerian scam artists may then bribe airport officials to pass the victims through Immigration and Customs. Because it is a serious offense in Nigeria to enter without a valid visa, the victim's illegal entry may be used by the scam artists as leverage to coerce the victims into releasing funds. Violence and threats of physical harm may be employed to further pressure victims. In June of 1995, an American was murdered in Lagos, Nigeria, while pursuing a 4-1-9 scam, and numerous other foreign nationals have been reported as missing.

Conclusion

Avoid these scams like the plague! Don't let promises of large amounts impair your judgment. If you are already a victim or looking for legal remedies, check the websites listed under Useful Links. They contain information on whom to contact for reporting the scam and lots more.