WARNING - Don't get caught.

[lalapanzi]

I have received the following e-mail, which although totally non-airline related, would like to share with you to warn don't get suckered into this. :mad:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">
Strictly Confidential

OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN
CONTRACT AWARDING COMMITTE
ECOWAS HEADQUARTERS
LOME,REPUBLIC OF TOGO

Dear Sir,

ACCOUNT PROVISION FOR USD10M

Forgive my indignation if this message comes to you as
a surprise and if it might offend you without your
prior consent and writing through this channel.

I am James Koku, The Chairman, Contract Awarding
Committee of the ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN
STATES (ECOWAS)with Headquarters in Lome,Togo.I
got your information in a business directory from the
Togolaise Chamber of Commerce and Industries when I
was searching for a reliable, honest and trust-worthy
person to entrust this business with.I was simply
inspired and motivated to pick your contact from the
many names and lists in the directory.

After discussing my view and your profile with my
colleagues, they were very much satisfied and decided
to contact you immediately for this mutual business
relationship.We wish to transfer the sum of US$10M
(TEN Million United States Dollars only)into your
personal or company`s bank account.

This fund was a residue of the over invoiced contract
bills awarded by us for the supply of ammunitions,
hard/soft wares, phamaceauticals/medical items, light
and heavy duty vehicles, apperals and other
administrative logistics etc for the ECOMOG in
Sierria-Leone and Liberia during the Peace Keeping
Projects.

This DEAL was deliberately hatched out and carefully
protected with all the attendant lope holes sealed
off. As the Chairman of CAC,I have the cooperation and
mandate of the Financial Director and the Secretary of
the Organisation.We arranged and over invoiced the
contract funds supplied by different companies from
different countries during the crisis.

It was our consensus to seek the assistance of a
willing foreigner to provide us with the facilities to
transfer this money out of West Africa. This
is borne out of our beleif in the non-stable and
sporous political nature of this sub-region.

The original contractors have been duely paid by the
Banque Centrale Des Etats De L`Afrique De L`Ouest
(Central Bank of the West African States)through
our bankers-Societe Generale Banque.This balance is
suspended in the escrow accounts awaiting claims by
any foreign company of our choice. We intend to pay
out this fund NOW as the organisation is winding up
its activities since the aim of returning PEACE to the
countries and the coast has been achieved.

Based on the laws and ethics of employment,we as civil
servants working under this organisation, are not
allowed to operate a foreign account. This is the more
reason why we needed your assistance to provide an
account that can sustain this fund for safe keeping
and our future investment with your comprehensive
advise,assistance and partnership in your country.

It is however agreed, as the account owner in this
deal to allow you 30% of the entire sum as
compensation, 65% will be held on trust for us while
5% will be used to defray any incidental charges and
cost during the course of the transaction.

This transaction will be successfully concluded within
14 days if you accord us your unalloyed and due
cooperation. You should provide the followings;


YOUR COMPANY`S NAME WITH COMPLETE ADDRESS,TEL
AND FAX NUMBERS.(if available)
THE NAME OF YOUR BANK,ITS ADDRESS WITH TEL,FAX
AND TELEX NUMBERS.
THE ACCOUNT NUMBER
THE COMPLETE MAILING ADRRESS OF THE BENEFICIARY
WITH TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS.

Upon the receipt of this informations,the documents
and approval with the texts will be sent to you for
confirmaton and then forwarded to the organisation for
ratification and subsequent payment.

As with the case of all organised (sensitive)and
conspired DEALS, we solicit for your unreserved
confidentiality and utmost secret in this business.
We hope to retire peacefully and lead a honourable
business life afterwards. There are no risks involved.

CALL ME UP RECEIPT OF THIS MESSAGES FOR MORE DETAILS
ON MY TELEPHONE NUMBER 00 228-01-67-51 FOR MORE
DETAILS.

Reply immediately at the receiption of this mail.

With regards,

James Koku
TEL 00-228-01-67-51
</font>
My apologies it's a long one.



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say it with icons!

[InitRef]

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably ....

This scam is identical to the numerous faxes, registered letters etc that originated from Nigeria during the 90's - except they came from the "ministry of petroleum"

[Airways Ed]

I received a beautiful one from Mobutu's widow the other day.

[pigboat]

They have lope holes in Toge?

[This message has been edited by pigboat (edited 15 February 2001).]

[Flight Safety]

If you take this e-mail at face value, and your character is such that you're willing to enter into collusion with these thieves (corrupt goverment officials in this case) who overstate contract prices to creat their own retirement, then you'll quickly find out what it's like to "be among thieves" after you give them all the personal information they requested, including your bank account numbers.

Notice they requested all of your employer's contact information, and at the same time requested utmost secrecy in the "proposed" transaction. You don't suppose that after they pilfered your bank accounts, they would then try to blackmail you with both your home and employer's contact information if you tried to say anything about it, do you?


------------------
Safe flying to you...

[This message has been edited by Flight Safety (edited 15 February 2001).]

[DrSyn]

This scam has been operating around parts of West Africa, as InitRef says, for at least 8 years, if not longer. It has been widely reported in the western broadsheets throughout that period and I doubt that there can be any in the business community who are not aware of it. Perhaps the concept has only just reached Togo.

It is hard to believe anyone could fall for it, but you have to give the originators a few marks for effort!

[Sensible]

I have received several of these letters in the past. The e-mail idea is new though! The letters which I have received have claimed to be from Government officials in Nigeria wishing to transfer excess profits from government contracts to the UK. The letters have requested me to send two sheets of my company's headed paper left blank other than a signature at the bottom !! Presumably, the blank headed paper becomes an instruction to the bank to transfer funds out rather than in.

I did hear from my bank that there are instances where people have responded and had their bank account cleared out.

[Boss Raptor]

A classic 'Nigerian style 419'...between us and our associates we receive about 6-10 of these a year. They can also originate from the Far East...

It is the greed of the recipient that gets them caught as well as their stupidity...the 'scam' mechanics being blatently obviously in all the so called 'deals'

[RVR800]

Hey aren't we being a little hard on James,
he appears to be a model of financial jurisprudence

[Ceppo]

Excellent....Call them, or even better write back to them with the suject title...cyber patrol or something. Tell them they could be arrested and fined a huge amount,

that'll be a laugh.
:)

[swashplate]

It should be obvious that this is a SCAM.

If they were genuine, they'd ask you to sign a document saying you'd only keep the 30%, and then send you a cheque/bankers draft.

NEVER give your Bank details to someone you don't know!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After all, you wouldn't just give your credit/debit card number over the phone/web to an organisation you'd never heard of, would you???

Or how many of us would!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[What_does_this_button_do?]

This will probably come up in the next episode of EastEnders with Barry doing another "Deal" that ends in disaster for the cab firm!

[OldAg84]

In 1996 I was running a small (and I do mean small)group within a worldwide conglomerate- I received a similar letter. Not much you can do about it!!!

[The Guvnor]

I have had dozens of these '419' scam letters from Nigeria - both emails and physical letters.

The best one I ever got was a letter that even had a forged (colour photocopy) postage stamp!! :)

As [b]InitRef{/b] says - if it sounds too good to be true, that's coz it is!

[The Guvnor]

I have had dozens of these '419' scam letters from Nigeria - both emails and physical letters.

The best one I ever got was a letter that even had a forged (colour photocopy) postage stamp!! :)

As InitRef says - if it sounds too good to be true, that's coz it is!

[This message has been edited by The Guvnor (edited 15 February 2001).]

[F/O Speaking]

I believe you have all got this wrong!

I believe it is an excellent business opportunity!!!!

With the raised revenue my new little company I`ve started could have all the aeroplanes painted in pretty colours. Pinks and yellows and blues, all in nice patterns.

Signed Bobby Ale-ing

:)

(Fictional Character)

[Champagne Lover]

I have virus trapped in a bottle. Maybe I should send this to him, labelled as prank-account detais ?

[Boss Raptor]

Many of the Nigerian '419's' use the identities of organisations like Central Bank of Nigeria and NNPC...as both are our customers we usually pass on the letter to them.

The perpetrators can be easily traced via their phone numbers which they always seem to provide...most now are amateurs who have heard that it used to work, the pro '419er's' have moved on to other things...

Usually the same day they get a visit from 20 armed NPF police...I still get a real kick out of going along and watching the raid with the 'chaps' being dragged out and cuffed...and handled oh so roughly as well!

[OverRun]

Funny though the subject is, for the 1% of us that take these messages seriously and can see themselves getting richer overnight, courtesy of the nice gentleman in Togo or Nigeria, there is an underlying element of seriousness.

Apart from clearing out one's bank account, the end game of this scam is to get hold of a warm body (yours) for the purposes of further financial gain. If one has been caught by the scam, be advised that the very last thing to do it is to go to Togo or Nigeria in order to further facilitate any transactions. Once inside the country, you will be coerced into some remote area from where you will quietly disappear until your family or colleagues have paid a ransom. Then you might re-appear, or perhaps not re-appear at all.

[Scimitar]

So what's wrong with me then? I've never had one of these nice letters. How do they know I'm broke?

[A320 SFO]

Got one of these via e-mail this morning.

---------------------------------------------
ENGR SULE MOHAMMED
LAGOS - NIGERIA
TEL/FAX 234-1-2644574

Dear Andy,

Briefly, may I take this opportunity to introduce myself; I am the former Director of Project and Engineering, Federal Ministry of Defence. Also I am privileged to perfect the under mention with my present office as Federal Government Auditor.

I came across your name during my search for a reliable person that can assist me in the transfer of (US$36.4 million) Thirty Six million Four Hundred Thousand United Stated Dollars confidentially into his foreign Bank account outside Africa.

Recently, I headed an International Audit Panel with the ministry of Defence as instructed by the new Democratic Government and discovered the sum of
US$36.4 million floating in the records. I contacted the Accountant General whose duty is to oversea all contract payment and we agreed to use this opportunity
to ensure our future by diverting this $36.4 through a trusted person that can provide us with a Foreign Bank Account that can receive this huge amount of money.

As public servants we are not allowed to maintain Foreign Bank Account, hence my contacting you for this assistance, all modalities as a matter of fact has
been worked out for a hitch free transaction within 14days.

All we require right now is your Banking information and a meeting with you to discuss your commission for this assistance.

I have chosen to contact you directly for this assistance hoping that you will handle the transaction perfectly, while I await your urgent response through this Telephone/Fax number 234-1-2644574
Yours faithfully,


ENGR. SULE MOHAMMED


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Low Energy..Low Profile

[Boss Raptor]

Over the last few years the Nigerian Government has made quite serious efforts to stop the '419er's' as they have become such an embarrassment...

Most large Nigerian High Commissions/Embassy's have a security officer who will pursue the case if you inform them...as per my earlier posting with the phone/fax number it doesn't take much to trace and raid them.

It does happen!

[WX Man]

Interpol are interested in these people... I think you need to contact HM Customs and Excise. They have a special division for dealing with this exact scam.

[Nearly Man]

Cor, you've got to be seriously stupid to fall for that one! Even I, great tit that I is, wouldn't hand out my bank details to anyone......mind you, there was this chick boy in Bangkok that I......