Advance Fee Fraud

AKA, The Nigerian Scam

The mechanics of the con: The Mark (victim) receives correspondence, typically an email from a supposed wealthy foreigner who promises a big something-for-nothing to the Mark. All the Mark has to do is provide a bank account into which the foreigner can move a vast sum of money from his country for safe-keeping. For just doing that, the foreigner is willing to share a hefty share of the money with the Mark.

A current version of this long-running con is known as the Nigerian Scam. An email scam of this type typically begins with such phrases as:

"THIS LETTER MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE BUT IT IS OUT OF MY DESIRE TO SHARE THIS MUTUAL PROPOSAL WITH YOU, I GOT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS THROUGH THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN NIGERIA.

MY NAME IS DR.PATRICK MEZUE A GENERAL SECRETARY IN FINANCIAL TRUST SECURITIES COMPANY HERE IN NIGERIA THERE IS A CONSIGNMENT CONTAINING A SUM OF (30,000,000.00USD)THIRTY MILLION UNITED STATESDOLLARS DEPOSITED IN OUR COMPANY FOR SAFE KEEPING BY ONE MR. GUEI WALTER BEFORE HIS DEATH, NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM THIS CONSIGNMENT AS A BENEFICIARY TILL DATE.I AM HONORABLY SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AS FOLLOWS:

(1) I WANT YOU TO ACT AS A BENEFICIARY

(2) I WANT YOU TO PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED I WILL PROVIDE YOU THE ENTIRE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR THIS CONSIGNMENT TO PROVE THE CONSIGNEE AS ABENEFICIARY TO THE COMPANY.

Of course, the Mark will not only set up the bank account but will be asked to deposit front money, allegedly needed for paying fees and processing costs, etc. These so-called fees, however, will actually end up in the con artist's pocket.

This scheme is actually a modern adaptation of a famous old con game Spanish Prisoner con of the 1920's where a handsome reward awaited the Mark for his help in freeing a wealthy prisoner languishing in a dungeon-like Spanish prison.

The fictional story, The Spanish Prisoner, written in 1910 by Arthur Train, served as the M.O. for this scheme. The con-man spins a tale to the mark that a wealthy person is imprisoned in Spain under an assumed identity. The wealthy prisoner cannot reveal his true identity, but for a certain sum of money, the prisoner can be freed. The con main has supposedly been raising such funds and only a small sum is now needed from the mark to secure the prisoner's release. In return the mark will be financially rewarded on the prisoner's release and maybe even marry the prisoner's beautiful daughter.

Herb Holeman