In spite of the publicity and warnings about 419 advance fee scams, estimates are that $100 million is scammed every year from Americans alone.
What is Advanced Fee Fraud or a 419 Scam?
Advance fee fraud also known as a 419 scam is an international phenomenon, although it has its roots in West Africa in Nigeria. Today, there are advance fee fraudsters operating in many countries although most of the advance fee fraud still seems to be concentrated in a number of countries in West Africa, especially Nigeria.
Because of our globalized world, the criminal gangs who are involved in this 419 fraud often have international connections. An unsuspecting victim might receive an email from a scammer located in an internet café in Nigeria which might then be transferred to his accomplice in Holland or Spain.
This type of scam, originally known as the "Spanish Prisoner Letter," has been in operation in some form since at least the sixteenth century. Volume is the key to its success. 419 scams have come to be associated in the public mind with Nigeria due to the massive proliferation of scams from that African country since the mid-eighties.
Victims' monetary losses can range from the low thousands into multi-millions. True figures are often impossible to ascertain, because many embarrassed victims do not report the crime to the authorities
How does the 419 scam work?
The advance fee fraud is also named a 419 scam after the relevant section in the Nigerian Penal Code that deals with fraud. It usually involves a scammer offering his victim a large amount of money. In order to access the money, the victim must pay a fee in advance. And then another fee because something has gone wrong. And then another one… until he/she realizes it is a scam.
419 scammers get the victim to arrange a bank account in their name which will be used to transfer the millions of dollars. For this simple service they promise the victim a percentage of the millions.
The victim, hooked by greed, is eager to pay up and when unexpected glitches occur like a reluctant lawyer “Advance Fees" or "Transfer Taxes," he/she eventually realizes that there has never been a fund of millions of dollars – it only exists in the scammer’s story to persuade victims to part with their money. Mostly it is too late. The variations of Advance Fee Fraud (419 Scams) are very creative and virtually endless. Lottery Scams are also common.
The Nigerian government is not particularly sympathetic to victims of these schemes, since the victim is actually conspiring to remove funds from Nigeria in a manner that is contrary to Nigerian law.
Characteristics of a 419 Nigerian Scam letter:
- The letter is often written in UPPERCASE.
- Religious phrases are usually used.
- Scammers claim to be the wife, son, assistant, attaché or banker to some famous (possibly dead) person.
- The 419 writer claims to be a Chief, Prince, Doctor, Minister, Barrister etc.
- The sum of money is always millions of dollars and the victim will from a stake of at least 10%, simply for setting up an overseas bank account to receive the funds.
- Their e-mail address is always from a free internet mail service and it may change frequently.
- Nigerian scammers are concerned that victims maintain total secrecy about the deal and that they are "an honest person".
What to do if you receive a 419 scam letter:
- Do not respond to the 419 scammer.
- Notify law enforcement about the Nigerian scam email or letter.
- If the contact from the 419-ers was via email: write to their email service provider at the "abuse" address (abuse@yahoo.com, abuse@onebox.com etc.) and include the 419 message with its headers; complain about the 419 message; and ask that the account be shut down.
Organizations and individuals dealing with 419 scammers:
Fighting back at Nigerian 419 Advance Fee Fraud Scammers is a British website. Follow his long correspondences with 419 scammers and get into their minds.
scambuster419.co.uk is a website that gives you an insight into the world of the 419 advance fee fraudsters. This website contains a wealth of useful information on 419 scams and advance fee fraud, but it looks like “Gilbert” the website owner has gone missing in Nigeria.
419 eater has a hall of shame, propaganda and scam-baiting tips.
419 coalition - is the most comprehensive site with links to everything you'll want to know.
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