Hi,
Yes, please note it is not only from Nigeria. But you may receive mails from
UK & USA as well.
One thing one must remember "There is nothing FREE in THIS WORLD".
vishnu ramchandani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The Nigerian email scam
By: Hemal Ashar
It is so widespread that it is a mini-industry in
Nigeria. Hemal Ashar traces the history of the scam
email that asks for your attention and your money
The Nigerians put technology to great misuse when it
comes to making money.
The thriving Great Nigerian email Scam coroborates the
claim.
The scam is carried out through emails, an example of
which has been given below.
Even as you read this; the conmen are improvising and
coming up with new versions which have also been
listed.
Lagos, Nigeria.
Attention: The President/CEO
Dear Sir,
Confidential Business Proposal
Having consulted with my colleagues and based on the
information gathered from the Nigerian Chambers Of
Commerce And Industry, I have the privilege to
request your assistance to transfer the sum of
$47,500,000.00 (Forty seven million, five hundred
thousand United States dollars) into your accounts.
We are now ready to transfer the funds overseas and
that is where you come in. The total sum will be
shared as follows: 70% for us, 25% for you and 5%
for local and international expenses incidental to the
transfer. We need your bankers name, telephone,
account numbers.
Best regards,
Howgul Abul Arhu
Something about the emails:
* Names of prominent politicians, including Nelson
Mandela are included in the scam emails.
* Another favourite is: A family member who is dying
of cancer needs your help to transfer funds out of
Africa to your country. This email falls into
the bracket of forgotten accounts, wills and
inheritances, death-bed claims of wealth.
* "Your charity has been named as a beneficiary in the
will of a wealthy Nigerian. You just need to send the
necessary "proofs of identity."
* At times, it is not the promise of cash but gold and
diamonds that are used to lure the victims.
* "We just sold a bunch of crude oil in Nigeria, but
we have to bribe the banker to get it out."
What is the Nigerian email scam?
The fraud is also known as the West African Advanced
Fee Fraud or the 419 fraud 419 being the section
of the Nigerian criminal code under which such
cases are booked.
A typical Nigerian scam mail promises rewards for
helping transfer of funds from one location to
another.
History of the scam
The scam started as early as the 1920s when it was
known as the Spanish Prisoner Con.
Back then conmen trying to smuggle the scion of a
wealthy family out of a prison in Spain contacted
businessmen.
The wealthy family heaped riches on anyone who helped
in the rescue operation. In the 1980s it was carried
out through letters and then by fax.
This practice evolved with time and took the shape of
the Nigerian email Scam in the time of the Internet.
One helpful website
A site called scamomatic.com may give you an
indication of whether what you have received is a scam
mail or not.
All you have to do is cut and paste the suspicious
email on to the text box on the site and the site
tells you whether it is safe or not.
- So frequent and widespread was this scam that the
Nigerian government actually put an advertisement in
an US paper that warned people against such scams
and dissociated itself from claims in these emails.
- Several websites have sprung up warning persons
against such scams.
- Be alert and avoid being conned by such fraud
emails. You should:
* Never give out your bank account number or any
sensitive information.
* Not agree to travel anywhere to meet people who want
you to help them transfer funds.
* Remember these arent petty thieves... they are
hardened criminals.
Recommended reading
www.fraud.org
&
www.bizeurope.com
list prototypes of Nigerian email scams and how one
can guard against them.
Also see: Nigerian Fraud Email Gallery at
http://potifos.com/fraud/
Why delete messages? Unlimited storage is just a click away. Go to
http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html
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