-: Introduction: Is this e-mail real?
-: History: Learn how and where this type of e-mail scam originated
-: Sample: One such variety of the e-mail scam for comparison purposes
-: Aliases: Some names and countries used in the e-mail scam
-: Warnings: Top 10 things to help identify this type of e-mail scam
-: More Information: News, alerts and additional information regarding the above

Is this e-mail real?  In a word, NO!  It is an age old Con perpetrated mostly by foreign crime syndicates who have honed and crafted it to make it sound and appear very believable. The offer of imaginary millions is very tempting to most. Dreams of new homes, cars, boats, exotic vacations, and the making of a better life often swirl in people’s heads. However, most people use common sense and remember what their parents taught them, “If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is.”   For those not so lucky, the consequences of this Con can be devastating, both financially and emotionally.

     A “Con” is short for a “Confidence Game” and consists of a scam or swindle perpetuated by fraud or deceit, and involves at least one victim (the Mark) and at least one con man (the Grifter). The highly regarded Black’s Law Dictionary defines a “Con” as “The intentional misrepresentation of an existing fact or condition, or the use of some other deceptive scheme or device, to obtain money, goods or other things of value.”  In most instances, the Grifter will propose a deal to the Mark that sounds too good to be true (the Bait) in order to set the stage for the Con.

The more enticing and tempting the Bait, the better and easier the Con. When a Grifter becomes truely talented at parting a Mark with their money or property, they are refered to as a “Con Artist.”      How does it work?  This particular type of e-mail fraud is perpetuated by the recieipient of the e-mail (the Mark) contacting the sender (the Grifter) and expressing an interest in the money being offered (the Bait). After the Mark sends the Grifter their bank information, and if the Grifter is unsuccessful in emptying the Mark’s bank account by virtue of a fraudulent bank transfer, the Mark is then contacted by the Grifter and told that a problem has developed and that the Mark will need to cover the costs of tranferring the offered millions. Most commonly the up front fees or costs are allegedly needed to pay taxes, administrative or legal fees, or bribes.

These advance fees or costs can be anywhere from a few hundred, to a few thousand, to tens of thousands of dollars. A small sum compared to the millions being dangled in front of them (the Con). Some Marks are even offered a visit to Nigeria (or other foreign country) to meet with the Dignitary aka the Grifter. This trip, should the Mark be so inclined to accept it, can have no good results and could quite possibly create a very dangerous situation. Since 1995, it has been reported that 16 foreigners, including two from the United States, have been murdered after traveling to Nigeria in pursuit of these mythical millions.

Over the same said time period, the U.S. Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria, has also been made to repatriate the return of no less than 18 other Americans who had been kidnapped and held against their will in Nigeria. On July 2, 1996, a Swedish businessman, having been lured to Nigeria as a result of this scam, was kidnapped directly from his hotel room. The kidnappers, believed to be Nigerian criminals, demanded $500,000 for his safe return.      Mr. Duncan McKelvie, from the West African Organized Crime Section (WAOCS) of the U.K.’s National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), said in a recent interview:rqdn

This particular type of Con is referred to as an “Advance Fee Fraud,”  “Four-One-Nine” or “419 Fraud” after the revised and expanded Section 419 of the Criminal Code of Nigeria which relates to fraud and internet activity. Most commonly, however, it is simply refered to as a “419 scam” and comes in many different forms, the Nigeria scam being just one of them.

The U.S. State Department states that the Nigerian E-Mail Scam first surfaced in the mid-1980’s, around the time when world oil prices collapsed. Oil exports represent 20% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 95% of its foreign exchange earnings, and about 65% of its budgetary revenues. This sudden loss of income and jobs throughout the region caused many university-educated, English-speaking professionals to turn to a life of crime. One ingenius Con Artistendeavored to put this Con on paper and send letters out to certain businesses and professionals in the hopes of getting a response. Obviously, it worked.

The U.K. postal service soon became overwhelmed with letters carrying this scam to its residents and businesses, which it attempted to legally withdraw before reaching a prospectiveMark (78,000 having been withdrawn in the London area alone). The scammers later began sending their letters in larger envelopes and even boxes to circumvent the watchful eyes of postal inspectors. With the advent of the facsimile machine, the scam immediately began to flood fax machines worldwide. Enter the Internet. With the millions of people having and using e-mail on a daily basis, the scam naturally transformed itself to e-mail which now makes up its bulk. Lists of e-mail addresses are bought, sold and traded everyday.

Your banking institution, your magazine subscription, your Internet provider or hosting company, and any other company that has politely asked you for an e-mail address – all may be selling or renting your e-mail address unless you have specifically asked them not to. Still many require this request to be in writing (opt out), mostly because they know few will take the actual time to write and mail such a request. Even though many states have adopted strict anti-spam laws this, however, doesn’t seem to deter the spammers and scammers.

It certainly wouldn’t deter someone in Nigeria who is immune from our laws. Sending this Con via e-mail is far cheaper than sending via the post office or by fax, which makes it ideal for aGrifter.      While the use of Nigeria is relatively new (circa 1980) as compared to the overall life of the Advance Fee Fraud scam, it is said to be a replacement of that certain lucrative turn of the century Con known as the “Spanish Prisoner.” The Spanish Prisoner Con (circa 1920) is based, in part, upon actual historical events. In medieval times (circa 1100-1400), royal family members and important members of society were often captured in battle or kidnapped outright. While not kept in dark, damp, dungeons as we all have been lead to believe, prisioners were actually treated like kings and often had the run of the castle. Honor and pride keeping them prisioner instead.

The prisioner would remain in captivity until such time as their kingdom or family paid the demanded ransom. Sometimes this tooks several years to accomplish. In the Spanish Prisoner Con, the Mark, usually a wealthy businessmen, would be contacted by a Grifter who would explain that he has been contacted by, or informed of, a wealthy Spanish family who has had their dear relative imprisioned in a foreign land. Not wanting to create an international incident, this wealthy Spanish family has a standing offer of millions of dollars to anyone who can help secure the release of their dear relative. The Grifter explains that he has negotiated a bribe with a certain high ranking prison official who, upon receiving payment, would allow the imprisoned relative to freely escape.

Unfortunately, the Grifter has no money to pay the bribe and cannot cash in on the reward himself without financial assistance from a partner. That’s right! The Mark has been selected, among millions of people, to be the Grifter’s new partner. The Mark is promised a share of the reward if he comes up with the bribe money. The Mark pays the bribe money to the Grifter but the Grifter is unable to secure the freedom of the prisoner due to an over-greedy prision official, who now wants more money.

The Grifter will continue to milk the Mark for money with excuses of greed, failed prison rescue attempts, fees for travel documents for the prisoner, etc. Once the Mark is taken in by the scam, the next payment always seems one step away from the millions of dollars that await which is what keeps the Mark from walking away. Change Spain to Nigeria, and the prisioner for over-paid millions on a government contract, and you have the Nigeria E-Mail Scam.      Nigeria spent most of the 1980’s and 1990’s under military rule with corruption and crime running rampant, everywhere from the capital to the inner city streets.

With 60% of its citizens living below the poverty level and its 28% unemployment rate, it’s little wonder why Nigerians resorted to crime – and resort they did. Conservative estimates are that an astounding 30-40% of all heroine that is trafficked throughout the world is either moved directly, or its movement is stricly controlled, by Nigerian crime syndicates. With democracy in Nigeria restored and a formal Constitution adopted in 1999, the crime syndicates have been forced to return to the darkend cracks of the country. Almost all of them participate in some sort of 419 or Nigeria E-Mail Scam, as there is no travel involved, no product to move and the rewards can be substantial.

While a majority of these scams seemingly come from exiled Nigerian government digitaries or Nigerian corporate board members who need your assistance in transferring millions of dollars, the Grifters have developed newer techniques to get your money. One new form of this scam includes the Grifter representing they are an foreign attorney/barrister and the Mark has become heir to someone with the same sir name and no other heirs can be found abroad and, thus, the Mark stands to inherit the entire estate (always in the millions of dollars).

This inheiretence scam specifically refers the Mark to by name in the e-mail or letter, which makes it sound more legitimate. Other forms of this scam include bogus winning lottery tickets, real estate ventures, stock futures, precious metals or jewels, and crude oil investments. The list is endless.