STEMMING THE ADVANCE FEE FRAUD a.k.a. 419 FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
The Consulate-General of Nigeria, Atlanta is concerned about the disturbing nefarious activities of a few disgruntled Nigerian elements and their partners who write letters and post other forms of communication with a view to defrauding the unsuspecting business men and women in the United States of America. These letters and correspondences which are clearly based on an elusive advance fee fraud, otherwise known as 419, are not to be entertained as the writers/authors are not genuine entrepreneurs or have any power to represent public or private organizations in Nigeria.
The writers who are in league with international syndicates in major commercial and capital cities of the world supply business directories and related information which are used to attract their victims and subsequently exploit them. It is necessary to underscore the fact that it takes two to tango in any crime of this nature. Gullibility of the victims, in reaping where they did not sow, encourages and reinforces the guile of the fraudsters to ensnare the entrepreneur.
Having regard to the above, the Mission has, decided to issue a comprehensive advisory on the concept, modus operandi, and ways of preventing the scam. The alert has become necessary in order not to allow the inordinate ambition of few misguided elements in our midst to stand on the way of genuine and growing bilateral economic co-operation and trade between our two countries.
Advance Fee Fraud also known as 419 means the brokerage, commission, tax and bribe etc, under the pretence that such is needed to consummate a business deal. The term 419 derive from section 419 of the Nigeria Criminal Code which dealt with this offence before the promulgation of the Advance Fee Fraud Decree No. 13 in 1995. Advance Fee Fraud is introduced, as noted above, through scam letters containing false information on:
- millions of dollars from one over invoiced contracts in Nigeria;
- millions of dollars from funds left by deceased person;
- contracts for the purchase of vehicles, equipment, accessories, etc; and the sale of crude oil.
The letters, particularly on the sale of crude oil, appeared to have gained currency and regularly the bait commonly used by the con-men to deceive their victims. This is so, given the exploration, and sale of crude oil and other petroleum products in commercial quantity in Nigeria.
The mode of operation operandi of 419 Fraudsters includes:
- initial accomplishment of requests and the opening of a line of communication through scam letters, e-mails etc which contain the sort of information mentioned above. The letters are tempting as they tend to illustrate the ease with which money can accrue to the addressed and unsuspecting victims. Often, and as a rule, particulars of bankers, company letterheaded stationeries and blank pro-forma invoices are asked for, and usually received;
- to boost their personalities or social status, the fraudsters and writers of scam letters ascribe to
themselves prefixes and titles such as Doctor(Dr) Prince, Engineer, Alhaji, Chief, HRH (His Royal Highness). These persons also lay spurious claims to positions as being Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Chairmen, Executive Directors, etc. These positions, in addition, are claimed to be held in government offices such as the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and often even the Presidency, the seat of power; and symbols such as coat of arm are employed.
- The fraudsters deploy enticing proposals through the
scam letters promising the reward of huge monetary gains to the victim without minimal efforts. In the case of transfer of non-existent funds, there is the inducement of a commission of substantial and staggering percent of the total amount involved to the benefit of the addressed; and,
- it is also noteworthy that the advance fee fraud is made out of the victim following the establishment of communication, and thereafter un- ending demands for money is continued under several guises until the victims is unwilling to make further payment in the apparent realization of deceit in the whole transaction. These tricks come in form of remittance fee, legal charges, job completion certificate charges, National Economic Recovery Fund Tax, Inheritance tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and revenue tax, etc. Note that these demands do not exist in normal and actual government contracts and procurements. It therefore, remains the usual trick to extort money from unsuspecting and un-informed victims. It is simply a hoax!
What To Do (Steps To Take On Receipt of Scam Letters)
Upon the receipt of any letter, e-mail, etc suggesting the inference that it could be fraudulent going by the above analysis, the addressed, and indeed members of the public, and private entrepreneurs should take any of the following actions:
- report to the Consulate-General of Nigeria,
8060 Roswell Road
Atlanta Ga 30350.
- respond, or reply negatively and terminate communication, or;
send back the scam letter to any of the following addresses in Nigeria:
- The Chairman
Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Coral Bay Close
Wuse 11 Abuja
- Inspector General of Police
Louis Edet House
Nigeria Police Force
Shehu Shagari Way,
Asokoro, Abuja.
- The Assistant Inspector General of Police
‘D’ Department
Nigeria Police Force
Alagbon Close
Ikoyi, Lagos
- The Commissioner of Police
Special Unit, ‘D’ department
13 Milverston Road
Ikoyi, Lagos.
Finally, on a visit to Nigeria, and especially in connection with a business transaction not transparent or gone awry promptly report your presence giving details of flight, hotel accommodation and other relevant information to any of the offices listed above, or the nearest police station or the US Embassy for security reasons. The American business community, is therefore, enjoined to give this message widest publicity to reach its members.
Consulate General of Nigeria, 8060 Roswell Road, Atlanta Ga. 30350
