There are hundreds of variations to this scam, but more or less the way it is always the same: a stranger would not be able to unlock a bank account of millions of dollars, and because he is a famous person would need a nominee who would fulfill the discrete task in its place. He offered him some users by giving them this opportunity in exchange for a promised share of the spoils. The scam is also called the 419 scam (419 is the reference number of the Nigerian law, casually ignored by Nigerians, making these illegal calls).
Why is it a scam
It is easy to see that this is just an attempt to defraud. Beyond the ordinary common sense, the operation would take place if it were not true e-mail, and certainly would not use a complete stranger as an intermediary. There are also many elements that attempt to expose the scam:
The same invitation was sent to many other people (million), always using the same formula.
The text of the message uses often (but not always) a generic and imprecise language (such as Dear Friend, Dear currents, etc. ...). Technological advances have reduced this aspect, however.
Online literature is full of these cases and documented.
The opportunity is too good to be true, and the sender puts pressure on the victim to end it.
MECHANISMS
The 'investors' are usually contacted with an offer like this: "In this poor country there would be a very rich person who would need to move money abroad with the utmost discretion, could use his account?".
The sums involved are usually in the millions of dollars, and the investor is promised a large percentage, often 40%. The proposed agreement is often presented as a harmless crime, in order to dissuade participants from contacting the authorities. In Nigeria, the operation is professionally organized, with offices, fax numbers, and often working with contacts in government offices. Investors who try to find out what is in front of the offer, they often find an organized system, in which all the pieces are combined.
At a time when the victim agrees to participate in the deal, the fraudster sends some first fake documents stamped with stamps and official seals of the government, or alternatively send some mail to inform the member of "progress." Soon, however, begins to talk of delays, related to corruption or bureaucratic requirements that require a large cash advance. The deadlines are extended and gradually increase costs, but is kept alive the promise of the imminent transfer of money. The psychological pressure is kept high, to stimulate cheated to conclude quickly without involving other people.
In some cases the victims are invited to meet with government officials in Nigeria, often false. Some are victims once they have reached even taken hostage until a ransom, or are brought into the country illegally without a visa and then blackmailed to be able to get out. In extreme cases the victim may also be killed.
In any case, the vaunted money transfer never happens, of course, since the money or gold does not exist.
VARIANT
A variant of the scam can be carried out by a fake lawyer who represents the heritage of distant relatives never knew the victim of the scam. The relatives were killed in a car accident or plane.The fake lawyer revealed the victim went to meet to be insurmountable problems but they can find it. It only needs that the victim forwards the information of his bank account to send potergli of the millions of dollars they deserve. (Mechanism taken almost entirely from an episode of the famous films TOTO
Another variant is sold as 'winning notification' of a lottery company, especially in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which requires payment in advance to raise the money that the victim has 'won'.
Still, the scam is revived several times in hotels with more plausible amounts of money. In this version, the con artist offers to book a large number of rooms, gala dinners etc.. and promises to pay hefty advances, but for different reasons (from the Revolution to the credit card blocked) calls for the landlord to pay a certain sum initially in its favor.
SCAM OF THE SALE OF GOODS
More modest but no less profitable, is another scam perpetrated in the sale of used goods. The attempt of fraud is especially (but not exclusively) for goods rather rare, niche, or exclusive. The typical situation is where a real person (the potential cheated) sells an asset (car, motorcycle or other goods) by placing ads on the most popular sales channels. The scammer is almost always available immediately to pay the full price, without haggling. At this point there are different versions:
Is sent a check for more foreign bank to the seller the agreed price, and after a few days is required to return the excess. The international counterfeit check is difficult to verify, and banks themselves may have difficulty in verifying the authenticity.
Are required by the fraudster payment details, and, once received, you are informed that for various reasons he can not make payment until he is sent to a small sum of money (for example, if the country is African, prompted for a sum of money as payment of a fee for phantom purchases abroad, and promises to repay the amount with the final payment).
The scammer / buyer claims to be in a country, but had packed up in another country, and almost always have a contact in Italy, and creates one thousand subterfuges to get to send some money.
SALE OF PROPERTY FRAUD
More modest but no less profitable, is another scam perpetrated in the sale of used goods. The attempt of fraud is especially (but not exclusively) for goods rather rare, niche, or exclusive. The typical situation is where a real person (the potential cheated) sells an asset (car, motorcycle or other goods) by placing ads on the most popular sales channels. The scammer is almost always available immediately to pay the full price, without haggling. At this point there are different versions:
Is sent a check for more foreign bank to the seller the agreed price, and after a few days is required to return the excess. The international counterfeit check is difficult to verify, and banks themselves may have difficulty in verifying the authenticity.
Are required by the fraudster payment details, and, once received, you are informed that for various reasons he can not make payment until he is sent to a small sum of money (for example, if the country is African, prompted for a sum of money as payment of a fee for phantom purchases abroad, and promises to repay the amount with the final payment).
The scammer / buyer claims to be in a country, but had packed up in another country, and almost always have a contact in Italy, and creates one thousand subterfuges to get to send some money.
There is a community, Artists Against 419, which collects reports of sites that perpetrate this scam to report it to the host and the police and have it removed or make deiflash mobs to exhaust the available bandwidth. Other communities, such as 419eater, organize themselves to fool the scammers pretending to believe their message to make him lose time or even money (for example, asking to rent a hotel room for the trip to Nigeria).
