NaijaPositive.com

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Foreign Fraudsters USING the Name of "Nigeria" to Commit Crimes

It's about time people realize that the latest scam going around (aka Nigerian Bank scam) is not necessarily being run by Nigerians.
People of all races and from different countries have been and continue to partake in it, and will defraud anyone anywhere WHO will fall for it. [see below article (excerpt from Fortune Magazine)]. - Cxsm
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You've Got Fraud!

Fortune Magazine

FORTUNE Advisor/Technology; Peter Lewis On Technology

You've Got Fraud! The scams aren't new, but con artists are using technology to find fresh victims among the greedy and the gullible.
Peter Lewis

09/03/2001
Fortune Magazine
Time Inc. 227
(Copyright 2001)

Take the Nigerian Bank scam, for example, which recently intrigued our FORTUNE colleague Stanley Bing. It's merely the Internet-era version of the decades-old Congo Oil scam. Tens of millions of dollars are being held in a secret Nigerian bank account, and 15% or more of the fortune awaits the first person to facilitate its transfer to an American bank. Naturally, some good-faith fees must be paid up front.
According to the Missouri Attorney General's office, this scam has tricked greedy but gullible Americans out of an estimated $100 million in the past year.

The Missouri authorities arranged recently to bring felony fraud charges against two Canadian men who allegedly used the ploy to take two Missouri residents for $90,000. Computer records seized from the accused swindlers indicated that another victim was scammed out of $3 million.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

--- In naija-women@y..., "africaservice" <africaservice@a...> wrote:

Thanks Cxsm,

I do not get your point here? Are you saying that because the rest of the world are doing it, you cannot eradicate evil in your society.
Look at those societies that you might be talking about, is Nigeria on the same level with them? We have over 120 million people in that country, our level of unemployment is one of the highest in the world, people refused to invest in Nigeria thinking they will be duped.

Again the document you referred to came out when 419 first rolled out its ugly face on the cyberspace. People are no longer falling into the content of those documents. We will publish some new form of letters on our network may be then people will have a better understanding that this is not NNPC, NEPA, etc affairs.

Let us call a spade by its name. What is bad has no two names, it is BAD! We must promote a transparent society.

Dele

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Dear Dele,

Like I responded to someone else, "I would under no circumstances defend the Nigeria perpetrators of the 419 act or 419ers as we refer to them. My sole intention was to INFORM, so that people will not be misguided into thinking it's solely a Nigerian problem. PROBLEM RECOGNITION IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET RESOLUTION. It's a cancer that has spread and requires aggressive treatment regardless of who the perpetrators are."

I also have rec'd the influx of new 419 letters out there and although the contents might differ somewhat (since the perpetrators are getting more creative), the GIST and INTENT do remain the same and it's a matter of the recipient being aware. I still stand my ground that "Greed begets greed", no matter whether the letter was written by a Nigerian or a foreigner using Nigeria's name to defraud others, and likewise regardless of whether the recipient of the letter is an Nigerian or foreigner informed or previously uninformed.

The level of poverty and lack of infrastructure to absorb the unemployed is DEFINITELY NO EXCUSE for those who CHOOSE to partake in such fraudulent acts. India and some other countries with a high populace of unemployed and poverty stricken citizens do not necessary embark on fraud as an alternative.

The fraudulent character of these individuals regardless of their nationality has to do with the moral fiber of the INDIVIDUAL. In as much as the society has decayed their are still poor people who are morally upright. There are even children of the privileged who CHOOSE to partake in fraudulent scams on various levels, so crime and fraud does not discriminate, but is a decision by each individual.

For instance in the U.S. I can probably assume that almost every adult has received one of those "You have just won $XXX" letters "send $XXX to claim your reward/ vacation package ..." which is probably one of the longest playing scams. There is no country's name behind it and it does not discriminate as to whether you're an American or foreigner receiving it. It's countless how many people, students and seniors alike who have been duped, but it still continues.

My point is that Yes, it's shameful and denigrating to Nigeria and Nigerians alike, but in order to eradicate the problem it has to be recognized that it is not solely a Nigerian problem and the approach to eradicating it should make provision for the fact that the target should be all the 419ers not just a portion of them.

Yes, it may have begun by some Nigerians but that is no longer the case. Yes, most law abiding citizens are super-sensitive to the issue because our National image is at stake, but a worldwide cooperative effort is needed to arrive at a solution. Education is the key to realizing the extent of the problem and informing people so they are not scammed regardless of what kind of fraud is being peddled out there.

Nigeria has to work at cleaning it's own image, because of many ills which are not limited to the 419 scam, which may be its biggest challenge at present, but it needs help from countries which have been combating fraud longer, and the awareness that their own citizens are also perpetrating the same crimes, which is affecting all including their own, can only add to their interest in helping Nigeria to eradicate the problem.

Thanks for your feedback.
Cxsm
22 Apr. '02

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Re: Foreign Fraudsters Using the Name of "Nigeria" to Commit Crimes

Cxsm

Many thanks for this. It's a beautiful article. It is remarkably honest coming from an American. Most Americans simply prefer to blame it all on evil foreigners.

Indeed, one aspect of this struggle which we are waging is to point out that many of the victims are victims of their own greed.

We don't have to go through life apologizing for being Nigerian. After all, the Italians, [la Cosa Nostra] the Russians [ the biz'nez' men], the Chinese [the Triads] and the Japanese [the Yakuza] all have their won organized criminal networks, some of which are centuries old whereas Nigerian 419 only began within the last 20 years.
No one makes the people of these countries apologize for their nationality.

Ndubisi

3/31/02

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Sydney Man Arrested for Nigerian Fraud Scam
(see Tips to avoid being scammed below.)

It's not surprising that another one of the many foreign masterminds behind the "Nigerian fraud" scam has been nabbed.

The news report states that "People are conned into believing they can claim millions of dollars so long as they first send off money for "expenses". This is nothing new, as I can recall several similar types con offers right here in the U.S. As a student on the East coast, I and a lot of college mates were often victims of scams offering us holiday packages on the West Coast which we paid for but never got to take, neither were we successful in recovering our money, since the businesses usually closed shop once we made efforts to track them down to take our vacations or retrieve our money.

Then there are numerous useless con offers that saturate one's mailbox daily, including those 'You've won $Xmillion, but you need to send $Y00 to collect your prize" which are some of the biggest scams that the U.S. govt. should have clamped down on long ago. How many naive people, students and elderly people have been conned of their savings?

Much hasn't changed and scams exist all over the world. It's just unfortunate that this particular one is labelled the 'Nigerian Bank scam" and as thus it misleads a lot of people into believing that the perpetrators are solely Nigerians, which definitely is NOT the case, as evidences continue to reveal.

This assumption has also led to loss of good jobs and opportunities for some Nigerians who were denied equal opportunities due to paranoia about Nigerians.

The major difference though is that in this particular type of scam, the perpetrators are upfront about who they are and what exactly they seek to accomplish, and without mincing words the person invited is clearly informed as to the what they are being invited to participate in, an illegal act to defraud some organization or government.

The person who chooses to participate does not have to worry about having to read some fineprint or undisclosed fact, and the only thing that can quickly suck him/her into the scam is usually their greed and their increasing level of it. As a result both perpetrators and participants should be found guilty. One for initiating the illegal act the other for knowingly and willing participating in the act to defraud the named govt., organization, or bank.

Tips to Avoid Being Scammed
http://naijapositive.myfastforum.org/about332.html

Cxsm
11/8/03

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Sydney Man Arrested for Nigerian Fraud Scam
[Nigerian Fraud Arrest in Sydney]

OCTOBER 30, 2003

A 39-year-old Sydney man was today arrested in relation to a multi-million dollar scam commonly known as "Nigerian fraud".

NSW Police said today's arrest was believed to be the first in the world involving a key Australian figure in Nigerian fraud, which involves sending out numerous letters as email spam.
People are conned into believing they can claim millions of dollars so long as they first send off money for "expenses".

Detectives from the State Crime Command Assets Confiscation Unit (ACU) arrested the man during a search of a property in Nyngan in the state's central west. They also raided two homes in Cecil Hills and Lurnea, in Sydney's south west, seizing a number of computers and documents.

ACU Commander Jennifer Thommeny today said the ACU had uncovered a Sydney-based international syndicate that had targeted hundreds of victims in Australia and overseas.

Today's arrest by Strike Force Dixies follows a four month investigation into a syndicate carrying out frauds such as lottery scams. The investigation was triggered by complaints from a Hungarian company and a Canadian citizen, police said.

"West African type frauds such as lottery scams and 'business investment opportunities', have netted millions of dollars from thousands of unwitting victims around the world," Inspector Thommeny said.

"Traditionally police have found it difficult to apprehend offenders who carry out these frauds because victims usually live overseas and in most cases are too embarrassed to come forward."

"We have identified victims who have been approached in NSW, South Australia, Victoria, Cyprus, Malaysia, Japan, Norway, Greece, Indonesia, Hong Kong and England and in many cases have been conned into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The man arrested this morning is yet to be charged.
_________________
May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Mistaking Double-Crossing for Fraud

The 419 cases involving Nigerians have been sounding out very loud, while the dubious dealings that led to what is now reffered to as 419 is always neglected and no one ever bothers to investigate the core of the matter. Nigeria seems to be mistaking double-crossing for fraud.

If armed robbers successfully carted away some money and one of them decided to double-cross the others, I wonder if the rest of the armed robbers could come to the law to report/state or make case against their double-crosser except of course if he is a white man dealing with Nigeria.

Most of those who come to Nigeria to lodge complaints of having been
defrauded, are themselves fraudsters and the brains behind frauds and masters of same, look into the case through which they ended up defrauded and you will but get them arrested and jailed.

Ironically, Nigerians are pushed to the wall by the so called foreigners and their policies because of cases like this.

Nigeria need to study, understand and learn how to answer the foreign dictators, for instance; American appetite for drugs is the only reason Nigeria is in the trade. Nigeria can as well, answer with that when faced with drug issues, the war should be two ways, Nigeria cannot bear all the blame, while some president who is not able to keep his house in order is only looking for some one else to blame.

Many of these 419 complainants are collaborators who got double-crossed along the line, its never fraud, it is always double-cross, the foreigners should be jailed, if their Nigerian partners are found, let them be jailed also, not for defrauding the foreigner, but for an attempt to laise with the foreigner in defrauding the Nation.

If the Nigeria press could address this, and the government too, the blame for what is referred to as fraud will no longer be upon our shoulder as a nation.

God Bless Nigeria.
Jay
<kjchinedu@y...>