Doug from Upland will be interviewing David Schippers tonight on Radio FreeRepublic! This is a DON'T MISS SHOW!
> Dear sir, > > Private And Confidential.It is with heart of hope that I write to seek your help in the context below. I am Deji Abiola, the first son of the late Mko Abiola, A political philantropist and the alleged winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential election, Who died in custody of the Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar the former military president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I know you will be surprise on how i got your contact, but it was after a careful search in my late father achives that i saw your contact, I have no doubt on your good will to assist me in receiving into your custody (For Safety) the sum of Forty Eight Million, Five hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$48.5M) willed and deposited in my favour by my Late father. The fund is with a security/finance company in GHANA waiting to be collected from the clearing house. As legally required in the administration of my Late father, properties are under authority of the family Lawyers name (MUSTAPH & ASSOCIATES). You are also informed that the security company does not know the content of the consignment with them because of security reasons. I, therefore solicit co-operation and assistance us to collect this fund on behalf of my family and then deposit it in your account so that my family Lawyer could come over to meet with you for the sharing. As soon as you indicate your interest to travel to the Security/Finance Company ,i will instruct the Security company to transfer the money to your account, my Lawyer shall also be with you there. Remember that this affair is purely based on honesty and sincerity and hence, shall not want it to be blown up or exposed to the international community. All legal documents shall be sent to you before you travel for the collection. The government had earlier placed foreign travel embargo on all our family members and seized all knows local and international outfit of our business empire. The situation has been so terrible that we are virtually living on the assistance of well wishers. I will agree to compensate your sincere and candid effort in this regard with 20% of the fund when finally received in your Bank account after clearing the consignment from the security firm. Please, all contacts must be made through my Lawyer Barrister MUSTAPH JUBRILL of(MUSTAPH& Associates). I look forward to your quick response. May Allah bless you. > Regards, > > Mr.Deji Abiola > > NOTE*If you want to know more about my father,you can click on the link below for more details. http://www.thisda yonline.com"target="_new">http://www.thisdayonline.com>saturday/20010707cov01.htmlhtt p://www.mg.co.za/mg/za/feat/8jul-abiola.html"target="_new">http://www.mg.co .za/mg/za/feat/8jul-abiola.html> > > I have taken time to explain all these because I want you to understand me very well. I don't want to hide anything from you so I expect you to do the same. If there is anything you don't understand, please feel free to tell me so. I will be quite glad to explain.Finally don't forget that this is in most confidence
PUBLIC AWARENESS ADVISORY REGARDING "4-1-9" OR "ADVANCE FEE FRAUD" SCHEMES4-1-9 Schemes frequently use the following tactics:
If you have already lost funds in pursuit of the above described scheme, please contact the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C. at 202-406-5850 or by e-mail. Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud OverviewThe perpetrators of Advance Fee Fraud (AFF), known internationally as "4-1-9" fraud after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses fraud schemes, are often very creative and innovative. Unfortunately, there is a perception that no one is prone to enter into such an obviously suspicious relationship. However, a large number of victims are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses to share in multi-million dollar windfall profits for doing absolutely nothing. It is also a misconception that the victim's bank account is requested so the culprit can plunder it -- this is not the primary reason for the account request -- merely a signal they have hooked another victim.
The most common forms of these fraudulent business proposals fall into seven main categories:
The most prevalent and successful cases of Advance Fee Fraud is the fund transfer scam. In this scheme, a company or individual will typically receive an unsolicited letter by mail from a Nigerian claiming to be a senior civil servant. In the letter, the Nigerian will inform the recipient that he is seeking a reputable foreign company or individual into whose account he can deposit funds ranging from $10-$60 million that the Nigerian government overpaid on some procurement contract. The criminals obtain the names of potential victims from a variety of sources including trade journals, professional directories, newspapers, and commercial libraries. They do not target a single company, but rather send out mailings en masse. The sender declares that he is a senior civil servant in one of the Nigerian Ministries, usually the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The letters refer to investigations of previous contracts awarded by prior regimes alleging that many contracts were over invoiced. Rather than return the money to the government, they desire to transfer the money to a foreign account. The sums to be transferred average between $10,000,000 to $60,000,000 and the recipient is usually offered a commission up to 30 percent for assisting in the transfer. Initially, the intended victim is instructed to provide company letterheads and pro forma invoicing that will be used to show completion of the contract. One of the reasons is to use the victim's letterhead to forge letters of recommendation to other victim companies and to seek out a travel visa from the American Embassy in Lagos. The victim is told that the completed contracts will be submitted for approval to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Upon approval, the funds will be remitted to an account supplied by the intended victim. The goal of the criminal is to delude the target into thinking that he is being drawn into a very lucrative, albeit questionable, arrangement. The intended victim must be reassured and confident of the potential success of the deal. He will become the primary supporter of the scheme and willingly contribute a large amount of money when the deal is threatened. The term "when" is used because the con-within-the-con is the scheme will be threatened in order to persuade the victim to provide a large sum of money to save the venture. The letter, while appearing transparent and even ridiculous to most, unfortunately is growing in its effectiveness. It sets the stage and is the opening round of a two-layered scheme or scheme within a scheme. The fraudster will eventually reach someone who, while skeptical, desperately wants the deal to be genuine. Victims are almost always requested to travel to Nigeria or a border country to complete a transaction. Individuals are often told that a visa will not be necessary to enter the country. The Nigerian con 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 fraudsters 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. Victims are often convinced of the authenticity of Advance Fee Fraud schemes by the forged or false documents bearing apparently official Nigerian government letterhead, seals, as well as false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts. The fraudster may 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. In the next stage some alleged problem concerning the "inside man" will suddenly arise. An official will demand an up-front bribe or an unforeseen tax or fee to the Nigerian government will have to be paid before the money can be transferred. These can include licensing fees, registration fees, and various forms of taxes and attorney fees. Normally each fee paid is described as the very last fee required. Invariably, oversights and errors in the deal are discovered by the Nigerians, necessitating additional payments and allowing the scheme to be stretched out over many months. Several reasons have been submitted why Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud has undergone a dramatic increase in recent years. The explanations are as diverse as the types of schemes. The Nigerian Government blames the growing problem on mass unemployment, extended family systems, a get rich quick syndrome, and, especially, the greed of foreigners. Indications are that Advance Fee Fraud grosses hundreds of millions of dollars annually and the losses are continuing to escalate. In all likelihood, there are victims who do not report their losses to authorities due to either fear or embarrassment. In response to this growing epidemic, the United States Secret Service established "Operation 4-1-9" designed to target Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud on an international basis. The Financial Crimes Division of the Secret Service receives approximately 100 telephone calls from victims/potential victims and 300-500 pieces of related correspondence per day. Secret Service agents have been assigned on a temporary basis to the American Embassy in Lagos to address the problem in that arena. Agents have established liaison with Nigerian officials, briefed other embassies on the widespread problem, and have assisted in the extrication of U.S. citizens in distress. If you have been victimized by one of these schemes, please forward appropriate written documentation to the United States Secret Service, Financial Crimes Division, 950 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, or telephone (202) 406-5850, or contact by e-mail. If you have received a letter, but have not lost any monies to this scheme, please fax a copy of that letter to (202) 406-5031.
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Emails and phone recordings were posted on the net with the story.
At the time I was impressed someone would spend that much money in such an obviously transparent scheme.
All of my letters have asked me to supply my bank number so they could "park" money in it in some kind of money laundering scheme. After I sent two of them to the local Secret Service they said not to worry about it anymore.
You have to wonder about the cost/benefit ratio for this operation. Obviously if it didn't work they wouldn't keep doing it.
Best regards,
Doug from Upland will be interviewing David Schippers tonight on Radio FreeRepublic! This is a DON'T MISS SHOW!
So do I. Just send me the e-mail and a check for $200.00, and I will fight these bastards for you.
One of my Australian friends taught me how to have fun with these jerks. Negogiate with them by email, telling them you think your share of the cash/diamonds/gold/whatever is far too small for the risk and effort you're putting into the enterprise. I'll post the reply he got from one of them if I can find it but it went along these lines:
"You are a greedy and dishonorable person, you are too selfish and I can no longer correspond with you!"
Like you, I've received my share of these emails (several EXACTLY like yours). I get a kick out of responding with "Sure!!!! Simply wire the funds to The Left Bank, account # YDONTU EAT S**T. I look forward to helping."
General rule of thumb -- if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
One through five should be:
"NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH NIGERIA!"