Nigeria - 419 Coalition 2006 News on Nigerian Scam / 419 Operations

Nigeria - 419 Coalition 2006 News on Nigerian Scam / 419
Operations

31 DEC 2006
From Vanguard, a Nigerian newspaper:

Nuhu Ribadu: The anti-corruption czar
By Ochereome Nnanna

Vanguard Editors, at a meeting a fortnight ago, chose Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the newspaper’s Man-of-
the-Year 2006. It was not a unanimous vote, but the lead was comfortable enough for the
few stragglers to finally concede that indeed, this lanky Fulani-born police officer and
lawyer who likes to dress up in safari suits, touched lives and influenced events, for
better or worse, in Nigeria more than any other person or issue in the past year.
[the article continues]

419 Coalition Note: We thank Messrs. Ribadu and Lamorde and
the rest of the EFCC staff for their efforts, and say "more grease
to their elbows" in 2007.
*************************************

20 DEC 2006
Here is more Nigerian "take" on the recent ABC News 20/20
piece on 419 (see 8 DEC 2006, 11 DEC 2006, and 12 DEC 2006
News). This is from The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper:

ABC News' unfair attack on Nigeria

NIGERIA bashing has become a favourite pastime of American media. First it was the
Cable News Network (CNN) with a story of Nigeria as a den of artful identity theft and
bank fraudsters fleecing Americans. Now the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) -
America 's second largest network - has followed up with a rejoinder in which Nigeria is
perceived as a beehive of 419 activities.

In the same week that Mr. Frank Nweke, the Minister of Information, accompanied by two
other ministers and a host of other notables, was laundering the 'Heart of Africa' image
of Nigeria to an American audience, the ABC News carried an unflattering story on
Nigeria. An ABC reporter came to Lagos and after visiting the rundown metropolis of
Oshodi declared that Lagos is a crime-ridden disgrace of a city. While in Nigeria, the
reporter visited several cyber cafes where he found Nigerians sending mass e-mails
designed to lure greedy Americans into their lair. The reporter even participated in a
fake delivery to a 419 operator.

The minister's entourage must have been thoroughly embarrassed by the merciless
attack on Nigerians at home and abroad. But for many Nigerians in America where the
programme was aired, there was outrage at the adverse characterisation of Nigeria as
a crime-prone country in which all manner of vices have taken root and are flourishing.
They point out that in the United States, there are many Nigerian professionals,
academics and businessmen of sterling quality whose contributions to the great
American enterprise are not in doubt.

Nigerians at home are no less offended. The idea that the activities of a few miscreants
in our midst are being used to stigmatise an entire nation cannot be supported.
Moreover, even the U.S. government admits that the Nigerian government is doing its
utmost to wipe out all forms of corruption including cyber cafe crimes. Criminal activity by
its nature is not the preserve of any one nation or people and all are susceptible to it,
including the U.S.

The so-called 419 Nigerian scam has received unprecedented publicity on the internet,
so that gullible and greedy Americans must have themselves to blame for ignoring a
warning writ large on almost all web sites. We cannot deny that the image of this country
has been soiled by a few miscreants in our midst. Neither can we deny that 419 - a
section under the Criminal Code of Nigeria dealing with obtaining under false pretences
- has entered into the lexicography of the world. But the truth is that most Nigerians are
honest, hard-working people who are doing their best in a difficult environment where
governments have frequently distanced themselves from the real problems of the
people.

It is this condition that leads individuals to a culture of self-help which in some cases
results in criminal activity. But criminality as a concept is condemned by the vast
majority of our people. Most Nigerians are religious and law abiding and must feel
offended at the thought that the world now sees us as habitual criminals. Western
reporters breezing in and out of Nigeria are fond of making assertions based on
insufficient knowledge.

They exaggerate the bad aspects of Nigeria while remaining oblivious of the good
qualities that are in greater abundance. Lagos is much more than the notorious bazaar
of Oshodi. Lagos also boasts of villas and facilities that compare with the best
elsewhere. Moreover the vibrancy and the robust sense of humour of the Nigerian have
earned us the epithet of the happiest people on earth. If Nigeria has a problem, it has to
do with governance or the lack of it and accountability. There is a basic disconnect
between the government and the governed.

Our infrastructure is in a state of decay, there are bad roads everywhere, garbage on
the streets, crises in education, lack of employment for school graduates, a few hours of
electricity per day even for industry, and lack of good drinking water for the majority of
our people. Our law enforcement is not quite up to the mark with too many unsolved
murders and continuing violence in the polity. The gap between the rich and the poor is
now at its widest margin since Nigeria attained independence and yet the country has
more than $40 billion in external reserves. How to use our resources to transform the
lives of Nigerians is the challenge facing our governments at federal, state and local
levels.

Nearly eight years of civilian administration has unfortunately not transformed the lives
of our people. As believers in democracy, we continue to hope for better times. In the
meantime, we remain convinced that no amount of seminars in hotel suites or
advertisements on the airwaves can successfully project the image of Nigeria when we
ignore the basics of good governance. This may well be the point which the ABC
reporter so irreverently tried to bring home to us.

Here is a link to the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/editorial_opinion/article01

419 Coalition Note: We think that the 20/20 "419er Bashed" rather
than "Nigeria bashed". The general situation in Nigeria is what
it is, good and bad, and that was not the focus of the piece. 419
Advance Fee Fraud was the focus of the piece. Not this crime,
not that crime, not crime here, not crime there, but Nigerian 419
Advance Fee Fraud. That is what the piece was about.

We thought the piece made it clear that the vast majority of Nigerians
at home and abroad are hard working, law abiding people (and
we of course agree with that). But Nigeria does indisputably have
a problem with Nigerian criminal 419 Advance Fee Fraud criminals
operating from Nigeria and "branch offices" abroad. The problem
is massive and longstanding. In fact, it is fair to say that Nigerian
419 is one of the longest running and most effective direct mass
marketing campaigns in history, albeit a criminal one. As such.
with 419 solicitations arriving en masse in homes and offices of
people all over the world each day for the last 20 years, it would
be absurd to think that people's opinion of Nigeria and Nigerians
would not be shaped by the deluge, rightly or wrongly.

In terms of the Nigerian authorities doing their "utmost" in combating
419, that they are doing Anything at All is a relatively recent (but very
welcome) thing. The EFF has indeed arrested a couple of thousand
people over the last fest years, and there have been some convictions,
though not many to date. The EFCC also says it has recovered nearly
a Billion dollars in 419ed funds, and claims it has returned most of
that to somebody, that they (the EFCC) have not kept it. However,
the fact is, that very little given the amounts said to have been
recovered has been repatriated to victims, which of course brings
up the obvious question.... where are the recovered funds and
When will they be repatriated to the victims? In short, in terms
of both counter-419 operations and in terms of repatriation of
stolen funds to victims of 419, only the tip of the iceberg has
been dealt with so far there is a long, long, way to go. We think
that the EFCC has made a good Beginning but it will take a
long term, sustained effort over many years to get Nigerian 419
AFF reducted to nuisance levels. But at least the EFCC is
indeed Trying, and that in itself is welcome. We look forward
to a continuation and expansion of their efforts over the next
years, and trust that the lack of repatriation of recovered funds
to victims situation will improve over time.

Finally, here is a comment on the Guardian editorial by
Mr. Rotimi Ogunsuyi, a Nigerian expat living and working
in Chicago which appeared in Nigeria oriented discussion
group called Naijanet, at Googe Groups. He also wrote
an earlier essay on the 20/20 piece, see 12 DEC 2006
News below for that.

Here are his comments, verbatim:

Guardian's jingoisitc "editorial" is full of lies and half truths.

My question to the editor of the Guardian, will he take a check from
me? I bet the dude or dudess will not even take a check from most
people at the Guardian. Yet he pretends the problem is with ABC and
CNN.

If the Guardian and other Nigerian newspapers continue to engage in
massive cover-up of the moral corruption in Nigeria, including the
retail kind called 419, why are they angry that foreign press has taken
over what should rightly be their role?

When was the last time Guardian or any of the other major mainstream
Nigerian newspapers expose any crime or scam in Nigeria? Yet they
continue to try to insulate themselves from what is not really a secret
in Nigeria, especially Lagos, where everybody spends every waking hour
trying to out-smart (scam) the other.

Building fortresses is not the answer to Nigeria's problem. We have to
admit we have a problem, not an image problem.

Very untrue, very biased - if you ask me.

Rotimi Ogunsuyi
Chicago, IL
****************************

13 DEC 2006
Our associates Ultrascan in the Netherlands report that
13 Nigerian 419 scammers have been arrested there, most
for Lottery 419 and Inheritance 419. Their victims were
from the US, Jamaica, and Germany with losses ranging
from 8,000 to 250,000 each, it is reported.
*************************

12 DEC 2006
This is a short essay by Mr. Rotimi Ogunsuyi, a Nigerian
expat living and working in Chicago. It appeared in a
Nigeria oriented discussion group called Naijanet, at
Google Groups (which is an excellent group for anyone
interested in Nigeria, we might add). It just put things
so well, we asked for and received permission to post it
in our News section, so here it is:

Awe(?) Ola,

This debate on how to react to Nigerian scam artists is not new and probably will never
be conclusively resolved. There are some who argue that it is the victim's greed that
ultimately does them in because why would anyone actually believe that some stranger
would send money to another unconnected stranger out of the 6 billion inhabitants of this
planet Earth!

My sympathy is with the victim for three reasons:

1. In any foul situation, we must never ignore who initiated the contact, not just that
two legs were broken. In ALL 419 situations, the Nigerian scamsters initiate the contact.

2. We are not all of equal intelligence and a decent society must always protect its most
vulnerable. That is the mark of a civilized society. All those who blame the victim's
greed only must remember that we all have different thresholds of gullibility. This
happens because of different reasons including education, age and God-given
sensibility. (Mine is very high BTW. Maybe that's why I may never be very rich :)

We cannot on one hand go to churches, mosques and other places of worship and on
the other hand cheer on those who prey on the weakest of nature and call that a fair
game or even a game for that matter.

3. If not sanctioned, the 419ners will come back to haunt Nigerians. In fact, they already
are. There are many of us who have either been scammed or been intended victims.
How many of our older parents have either been scammed or almost scammed with
one story or the other about someone delivering money from their children abroad - on
the payment of a "small" sum?

My eighty-year old father escaped by the whiskers of his sixth sense about ten years
ago. He just had the intuition to order the driver to run for it at Ilesha. As he gets older,
how alert would he be?

The reasons more Nigerians are not victimized right now is a paradigm of bank
robbery. There was a notorious bank robber who was asked why he kept holding up
banks. He smiled and point blank retorted: "Because that's where the money is". The
reason we have largely escaped being victimized by these 419 scoundrels is because
Nigeria is still by and large a destitute country. Unless we really don't aspire to more
prosperity, as Nigeria gets wealthier, more would be just as susceptible to being
scammed as the foreign "muguns".

Lastly, the 419ners hurt you and I in ways we would never really know.

If you have been held up several times by natives of a particular community, would it be
unwise for you to start suspecting anybody from that community when they come to your
store? Would you hire anybody from that community to man your cash register? Would
you hire them for any job of big responsibility at all? Would you invest in that particular
community of all available communities of the world, unless you were from there?

Some would advance that foreigners invest in Nigeria anyway. I argue that we are
getting a small fraction of what we would if our image is not so battered by the crooks
that some so lawyerly cuddle. Even Nigerians would be more enthusiastic about
investing in Nigeria.

As it is now, these criminals are dragging the country back. There is no way of sugar-
coating it and no amount of image laundry by Information Minister Nweke can veil that.

In the end, I argue that these Nigerians are making "muguns" of their sympathizers and
they need to wake up and join the fight to reduce, if not eliminate the scourge of 419 on
our collective image.

Have a nice and productive week working hard and honestly everybody.

Rotimi Ogunsuyi
Chicago, IL
****************************************

11 DEC 2006
Here is a Nigerian take on the 20/20 News piece on 419
(see 8 DEC News below) from The Guardian, a Nigerian
newspaper:

Uproar as American TV airs report on Nigerian scams

LAOLU AKANDE NEW YORK

ON the same week that three Nigerian ministers visited the United States to launch the
Federal Government's new image laundering programme named the Heart of Africa,
the second leading US network TV, ABC described Lagos, "a crime-ridden disgrace of
a city."

In a stinging report on fraud among Nigerians at home and in the United States, the ABC
report-20/20-an investigative programe broadcast on Friday even played parts of a
musical video and soundtrack of the movie "The Master" which depicts how fraudsters
operate.

The report played clips from the film and from the musical video, even drawing from the
words used in the musical that "419" victims are the "muguns", and the "419" operatives
are the masters. The report blamed the film and the music video for celebrating 419 and
treating their kingpins "folk heroes." The report says the film mocks the "muguns."

The programme which was broadcast on Friday evening, got US-based Nigerians
worried and troubled. A Nigerian Lawyer in the US said by the next day, he had
received several calls from his clients and partners asking questions about the report
on Nigeria. Others feared that on resumption of work today, their colleagues would
bombard them with all kinds of questions and even negative attitude as a result of the
ABC report.

Presented by Brian Ross, the report which took about 30 minutes including commercial
breaks dwelt on how Nigerian 419 agents in the US lay prey for their American victims,
showing scenes in Washington, DC, Dallas and California where the ABC investigative
teams confronted some of them on camera having disguised as willing victims of fraud.
At first, the "419" operatives were not aware they were being filmed by undercover
cameras. Once they knew they were on films, they turned apologetic and repentant.

The ABC report did not show whether the investigative team turned the 419 operatives to
the police. But the most telling part of the report was the ABC team's visit to Lagos, which
the report say has a population of 20 million. Showing parts of Oshodi, the report
described Lagos as a "crime-ridden disgrace of a city."

Before visiting Nigeria, the ABC news team had played along with the "419" operatives
and promised to send advance cash of $12,000 to Lagos after receiving a letter from the
e-mail that promised them $25m once they send the advance fee. The ABC team
parked monopoly paper money in a DHL box and sent it to Lagos. They arrived with
their teams and proceeded to a DHL office were someone had come to claim the mail.
There, the ABC team confronted the "419" accomplice who had by then picked up the
box mailed by the Americans reporters from the US.

The ABC report also showed how 419 operatives used Internet cafes in Lagos to send
mass e-mails to Americans preying on what the report accurately described as the
"greed" of the Americans themselves. Although the report says there are scams all over
the world from Europe to Nigeria, this report focusses primarily on what it called
"Nigerian scams."

Only last, week Nigeria's Information Minister Frank Nweke, while speaking with the
Nigerian press here in the US, said Nigeria continued to be unfairly profiled. Although he
and Nigerians abroad acknowledged the existence of this "419" operatives at home
and here in the US, they still argued that such Nigerians were being isolated in a world
where criminal minds are not the exclusive afflictions of one country. They point to other
criminal gangs, families and operations all over the world especially in the US and
Europe.

Nweke said the crime committed by ENRON alone in the US, by whatever name it is
called, has a far greater impact on Americans and the entire financial system of the
world than Nigerian fraudsters, but the western press has not focussed on it the way they
focus on the few Nigerians involved in fraud.

The ABC report which also featured EFCC officials including some of their raids on
Internet cafe where the "419" letters are being sent, however showed that the Nigerian
government is now confronting the menace.

419 Coalition Comment: Somebody needs to remind Minister Nweke that
419 Scams are by definition West African, primarly Nigerian, related Advance
Fee Fraud scams, and that, although there are indeed many criminal gangs
of other nationalities all over the world, this news report was on 419 crimes
not those other crimes. And, in truth, the 419 crimes are much more "in the
face" of people all over the world every day as masses of 419 materials
arrive in their homes and offices each day than many other types of crime.
That's one of the most annoying things about 419... the ubiquitouness of
419 criminal operations. And yes, Nigeria has finally done some things
to deal with 419, but the matter is so Huge that only the tip of the iceberg
has been addressed to date, and the effect on Nigerian 419 operations
of Nigerian government efforts remains largely at nuisance levels. Much
more needs to be done, and the effort needs to be sustained for many
years, if the Nigerian government is to get 419 operations minimized.
*********************************

8 DEC 2006
ABC News 20/20 and journalist Brian Ross did an excellent 30
minute piece on 419. It was one of the better educational
pieces we have seen of late, and included descriptions of 419
operations, the stories of several high profile victims of 419,
and sting operations on camera showing Nigerian 419 scammers
caught red-handed in both the US and Nigeria.

There were also excellent descriptions and videos of Black
Currency 419 operations.

It also featured an interview with Ibrahim Lamorde, the Director of
Operations of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) in which he desribed both EFCC counter-419er efforts and
explained the sheer magnitude of the problem.

An arrest by EFCC operatives of a 419 scammer caught signing
for a delivery of 419 materials was shown, as was an EFCC
raid on a Lagos cyber-cafe frequented by 419ers in which a
vanload of 419ers were taken into custody.

The Lagos mansion of a former 419 kingpin which had been
seized by the EFCC was shown, as was footage of the former
Head of the Nigerian police, Tafa Balogun, who has been
convicted of various large scale financial frauds, including,
the program said, of accepting bribes from 419 kingpins (we
had not heard that specific allegation against Balogun before,
though always assumed it was the case).

The piece with the help of the US Postal Inspection Service
did a good job of showing how 419 operations use snailmail and
fax as well as email to troll for targets. Although the trend
has segued into email in recent years, 419 began with snailmail
in the early 80's, then moved to combo snailmail and fax in the
early to mid-90's, and then to both of those Plus email in the
late 1990's.

The only criticisms we have of the piece are that it made
Nigerian 419 operations seem like a 419ers vs Americans
sort of thing, when in fact 419ers steal from victims in
nearly every nation of of the world. 419 is a truly global
phenomenon which transcends all national, cultural, and ethnic
lines - and 419ers have been doing it successfully, large scale,
for over 20 years. 419ers are equal opportunity thieves.

Also, the piece made it sound like the authorities in the US and
in Nigeria are having a major impact on 419 operations,
which is simply not the case. Of course, anything is better
than nothing, but 419 operations are so Huge that the efforts
of authorities to date have been little more than a minor
impediment to 419 operations, and this is especially true
within Nigeria. Though the EFCC is trying, the problem
is so large that it will take years and years of effort to
bring 419 emanating from Nigeria down to nuisance levels.

Here are some URLs to some of the video on the piece,
which was titled "Scamming the Scammers" by the way,
for as long as they are good:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2705157

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2711477

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2710727

You can purchase transcripts of the 12/08/2006 20/20
show, including the segment "Scamming the Scammers"
at this URL, for as long as it is good:

http://www.transcripts.tv/2020.cfm
********************************

4 DEC 2006
Our colleagues at .NExt Web Security say that ABC News 20/20
program will do a piece on Nigerian 419 AFF Friday 8 December.
Supposed to be a good piece with 419 scam complete with 419ers
on camera, fake Nigerian government employees, a sting and bust
of 419ers in Nigeria etc. So tune in Friday evening.

Also, we would like to note that it is the last few days of the
first ever art show and expo dedicated to 419 AFF operations, which
is being held in Vic, Barcelona, Spain through 10 DEC. The show has
gotten good reviews, though the "Spanish Prisoner" subtitle of the show
is a bit of artistic license, and is definitely worth a look if you are
in the area. Here once again is a press release on the show, which
we gave in our 2 NOV 2006 News:

There will an art exhibit on 419 Sala H, Vic, Spain under the
auspices of the Barcelona Cultural Studio. Here is the press
release for the event:

###
419, or 'THE SPANISH PRISONER' , at the Sala H

The cycle "Where Far Ends Meet" finalizes with a project on the Nigerian e-mail scam
known as the 419, developed by myself [Jeffrey Swartz, Canadian exhibitions curator
and art critic, residing in Spain] and Catalan artist Pep Dardanyà, opening on Friday
November 10.

Part of the space will be dedicated to a documentary portrait of the 419 advanced fee
fraud, including an analysis of the internet culture that facilitates its success, its legal
ramifications, the world of anti-scam activism and scam-baiting, as well as a view into
present day Nigeria and the cultural dynamics of Lagos where the scam originated.

Pep Dardanyà contributes the video installation "Co-relation 1.1", which astutely points
up the contradictions and ambivalences of culture contact between post-colonial
Nigeria and the First World.

Full overview of the documentation to be exhibited and internet links related to the show
will be posted here soon. A more complete press release is available here .

Project produced in collaboration with Centre d'Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona, where it
will be shown in Sala Consulta in October, 2007.
###

Here is another press release on the show:

###
Press release: 419, or ´THE SPANISH PRISONER´

419, or ‘THE SPANISH PRISONER’

a project by Pep Dardanyà and Jeffrey Swartz

Sala H, Vic

Opening: November 10, 2006, at 8 PM

Open until December 10, 2006

419 is the name of one of the best known types of e-mail scams, activated by means of
the massive sending of spam. Originating out of the Festac neighbourhood in Lagos,
Nigeria, the typical 419 tells a story out of present-day Africa featuring dictators, military
coups, fatal accidents, murders and offers a large sum of money to the person willing to
assist in freeing up a fortune blocked in a bank account in Nigeria or another African
country. This scam has been so successful over recent years that it is considered to be
one of the main sources of income in Nigeria, rivalling the oil industry, with estimates of
billions of dollars moved each year.

The number ‘419’ refers to the article of the Nigerian criminal code dealing with postal
fraud. In the English-speaking world this type of fraud was already known in the
seventeenth century as"the Spanish prisoner", a term which inspired the film of the
same name by David Mamet, from 1997. It is now commonly referred to as ‘advance
fee’ fraud. [419 Coalition Note: In reality, the notion that the roots of 419 are somehow
in the Spanish Prisoner scam is a bit of a canard, as the roots of 419 are actually in
centuries old traditional West African scams like the "red mercury" scam, whereby
one must wash something valuable in "red mercury" for it to be usable, and one
must of course first buy the red mercury solution to do it with etc. But, after all,
this is an Art show and a little "artistic license" is therefore quite understandable
that being the case :) Also, the term 419 comes from an obsolete section of the
Nigerian criminal code (and before that the criminal code of Lagos State in
Nigeria), concerning the obtaining of monies by false pretence, and was not
limited to only postal fraud. But once again, this is a small detail, and
this is of course an Art show not a dissertation or somesuch. ]

419, or ‘THE SPANISH PRISONER’ is conceived as an exhibition on the multiple facets
of this type of digital scam. One part is a documentary display analyzing the culture of
Internet interaction, the business of e-mail scams and resultant criminal investigations
and anti-fraud activism, the context of modern Nigeria - vibrant, source of Afrobeat
music, frequently corrupt, though the place where Nollywood has emerged, the third
largest movie industry in the world in numbers of films produced, which often deal with
419 - and attempts to draw closer to the world of the 419 from different perspectives,
including websites on 419 culture and humorous scam baiting.

The exhibition also features a work in the format of a TV ad created specifically on the
theme by Barcelona visual artist Pep Dardanyà. Dardanyà has developed an
audiovisual installation, Co-relation 1.1, that deals with the complex relationships of
power and money between post-colonial Africa and the globalizing First World.

Produced in collaboration with the Centre d’Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona

For more information:

Sala H

Associació per a les Arts Contemporànies

www.h-aac.net

93 889 1056

Jeffrey Swartz

(+34) 655 116 250

studio@barcelonaculture.com
###

Here is the URL of the first above English language article for as long as it is good:
http://www.barcelonaculture.com/principal.asp?0=1&1=276990

Here is the URL of a Spanish language article on the show for as long as it is good:
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/fraude/nigeriano/elpeputeccib/20061123elpcibpor_3/Tes/

Here is another URL of a Spanish language article of the show for as long as it is good:
http://www.vilaweb.cat/www/noticia?p_idcmp=2173298
***************************************************

6 NOV 2006
From The Sun, a Nigerian newspaper:

Obasanjo’s aide in money laundering mess
- Plus the Otta farm connection

A United States District Court of Portland, Oregon, has seized money believed to have
been laundered from Mr Andy Uba, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Senior Special
Assistant on Domestic Affairs.

Accrding to investigation by the U.S secret service, the sum of $170,000 (about N25
million at the time) was smuggled into New York on September 22, 2003, by Andy Uba
aboard the Nigerian presidential plane, without a report to U.S customs and border
protection as legally required.

The investigation report says Uba (full name, Emmanuel Nnamdi (Andy) Uba) handed
the money to one Loretta Mabinton, who claimed in court documents that the
presidential aide is her fiancé, and that he gave her the money to take care of his affairs
in the U.S.

Another curious side to the money laundering scandal is the disclosure in the U.S secret
service report that a portion of the money, $45,487.28 (about N6.5 million) was used to
pay Mabinton’s MBNA credit card account, which was deployed to purchase assorted
farm equipment that were shipped to Obasanjo farms in Otta, Ogun State.

The report equally says $91,262.50 (about N12.9 million) was used to purchase a
Mercedes Benz car SL500 for Uba, which was to be shipped to Nigeria.

The car, and the remainder of the laundered funds, have now been ordered seized by
the U.S District court of Oregon, being proceeds of bulk cash smuggling, violations of
currency and monetary instrument reporting requirements, currency transaction
reporting requirements, and money laundering.

Loretta Mabinton had confessed to U.S law enforcement agents that she flew into New
York on September 22, 2003, and received $170,000 from Uba while he was at the
United Nations Plaza Hotel. The latter had accompanied President Obasanjo to New
York to attend a meeting of the United Nations.

U.S law enforcement agents also indicate that the Service Atlanta field office
had listed Andy Uba as a previous subject of an Advance Fee Fraud (419)
investigation, and that the $170,000 was not wired into Mabinton’s accounts
because it would have brought attention to numerous other past suspicious
transactions. [highlight by 419 Coalition]

The implications of all these, according to diplomatic sources, is that President
Obasanjo’s plane may be impounded over illegal importation of bulk cash into the U.S
the next time it lands on any American territory, while Uba himself remains under
surveillance whenever he steps into the U.S.

The forfeiture order of the remainder of the cash ($26,000) as well as the Mercedes Benz
SL 500 car was signed by United States District Judge, Malcolm F. Marsh, on
September 27, this year.

In an affidavit deposed to by special agent, Guy Gino, who investigated the case from
2003 when the money was reportedly ferried into the U.S aboard the presidential plane,
"$45,487.28 was utilized to pay Mabinton’s MBNA credit card account. The credit card
was utilized by Mabinton to purchase farm equipment (that was shipped to Obasanjo
Farms Nigeria Ltd. The farm is owned by Nigerian President Obasanjo)."

The affidavit also stated that throughout 2003, "Mabinton’s statements show numerous
high-dollar transactions including funds wired into and out of her account from multiple
and suspicious sources. The financial analysis of these bank accounts showed that
throughout 2003, Mabinton was living well above her means."

Below is full text of affidavit of special agent Guy Gino, which eventually led to forfeiture
of the car and money reportedly belonging to Andy Uda to American authorities:
[the article continues and the entire Affadvit in this case]

Here is the URL of the entire piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2006/nov/06/national-06-11-2006-01.htm
*************************************************

4 NOV 2006
From the Portland Press Herald, Portland Maine:

Victim who fell for scam pulls his own

By GREGORY D. KESICH, Staff Writer

A Westbrook man who lost $60,000 of his own money in a fraudulent Internet scheme run
out of Africa now faces a federal prison sentence for using $78,600 of other people's
money after his funds ran out.

Todd Denson, 46, told investigators that he received an e-mail that convinced him he
could get an inheritance worth more than $9 million from a murdered man in Ghana by
sending $1,000 overseas.

Denson sent the money, followed by another $59,000. Eventually he ran out of his own
money and told a variety of stories to get money from other "investors." He convinced
one victim to invest in patented window-washing inventions and another to invest in an
international construction company.

On Thursday, Denson pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud in U.S. District Court in
Portland and faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and will owe restitution to his
seven victims.

His case offers a cautionary tale for people who think they can get rich quickly, said
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Clark.

"The old saying is true: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is," Clark
said.

Denson, who owned a window-washing business, and his victims are among an
unknown number of Americans who have fallen for Internet scams that are estimated by
the U.S. Secret Service to cost the public millions every year.

The scams have become so popular that state attorneys general have enlisted the help
of Western Union offices to warn people before they send money overseas. Maine
banks are looking into ways that employees can, without violating customer
confidentiality, intercede on behalf of customers who look as though they are about to
lose their money.

"Maine financial institutions are wrestling with this problem," said Will Lund, director of
the state Office of Consumer Credit Regulation. The schemes are sometimes known as
"Nigerian frauds" because many of them originated in that country. They operated
through mailed letters and fax machines for decades before they moved to the Internet
in the 1990s.

They usually start with a letter from someone claiming to be a former government
official, a general or a dead dictator's widow who needs a small amount of money to
access a huge fortune. But once a victim starts sending money, snags occur and
require another payment.

According to court records, Denson, who had the window-washing business and was
going through a divorce, received an e-mail saying he was entitled to $9 million if he
paid a $1,000 transfer fee.

After he spent $60,000, he was told he had to send an additional $36,000 to collect the
money. Since he had no more money, Denson said, he had to find other "investors."
Denson is out on bail while awaiting sentencing and could not be reached Friday for
comment. His lawyer, Joel Vincent, did not return a phone message left at his office
Friday.

In the summer of 2005, according to court records, Denson placed a classified ad in the
Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram under the headline "Investors
Wanted." A local man, who is not named in court records, responded to the ad. Denson
convinced the man that he had earned millions from his window-washing inventions, but
needed the cash to access his money without paying taxes.

He said he needed $40,000 for 48 hours and promised a $20,000 return on the loan. The
money was never repaid.

Denson told another investor that his father had died and left him $9 million in an
overseas account, and that he needed $11,200 to pay the inheritance tax so he could
collect it.

Denson sold his Mercedes-Benz to a friend for $4,000, and then never delivered the car
or title.

Studying Western Union records, investigators determined that Denson did not keep
the money. He wired it overseas instead.

Maine Assistant Attorney General Jim McKenna said he regularly receives solicitation
e-mails forwarded to his office, but has only heard from one person who says he was
fooled in a scam.

It is difficult to say how many people fall for them, McKenna said, because most of the
scams enlist the victim into an illegal activity, such as tax evasion. When people get
stung, they usually don't report it to law enforcement, he said.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/061104plea.html
**********************************

2 NOV 2006
There will an art exhibit on 419 Sala H, Vic, Spain under the
auspices of the Barcelona Cultural Studio. Here is the press
release for the event:

419, or 'THE SPANISH PRISONER' , at the Sala H

Pep Dardanyà contributes the video installation "Co-relation 1.1", which astutely points
up the contradictions and ambivalences of culture contact between post-colonial
Nigeria and the First World.

Full overview of the documentation to be exhibited and internet links related to the show
will be posted here soon. A more complete press release is available here .

Project produced in collaboration with Centre d'Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona, where it
will be shown in Sala Consulta in October, 2007.

Here is a link to the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.barcelonaculture.com/principal.asp?0=1&1=276990
****************************************

24 OCT 2006
From ThisDay, a Nigerian newspaper:

Fraudsters Hijack N/Assembly Website

From Chuks Akunna in Abuja

The National Assembly has raised alarm on the activities of fraudsters who allegedly
use the Assembly’s official websites to defraud unsuspecting persons, including
foreigners.

In a warning message posted on the Assembly’s websites, the legislative arm said it
found the activities of "dishonest and disreputable Nigerians" who pose as either
Senators or members of the House of Representatives to defraud very embarrassing.
The Nigerians involved in the activities, the statement said, "are mainly perpetrators
of the reprehensible e-mail scamming practices that have become a national
embarrassment."

According to the National Assembly, the scammers usually pose as chairmen of
committees in either arm of the Assembly and offer juicy business deals and contracts,
including offering to transact business on behalf of the Nigerian government.

The statement advised persons who get such messages to contact the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on info@efccnigeria.org, the U.S. Secret
Service Financial Crimes Division on 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov, or its webmaster on
webmaster@nigeriacongress.org.

The statement with the caption "Warning", reads: "It has come to our notice that
dishonest Nigerians are using the Nigeria Congress Web site for despicable activities.
These Nigerian are mainly perpetrators of the reprehensible e-mail scamming
practices that have become a national embarrassment."

The officials warned "disreputable Nigerians who would want to use the Nigeria Cong-
ress Web site http://www.nigeriacongress.org; http://www.nigerian assembly.com and
http://www.nigerian-assembly.org as reference of validity for their mail scamming and
criminalpursuits.

The officials cautioned that fraudsters "will either claim to be a Senator or a
representative in the Nigerian National Assembly, heading a committee involved with
some foreign contract, foreign payment or foreign currency disbursement on the behalf
of the Nigerian Government."

The usual offer the statement disclosed, "is to use a foreign account to transfer monies."

If you receive any such mail messages, the warning said "please contact
webmaster@nigeriacongress.org You can also report to the Nigerian Economic and
Financial Crimes Commi-ssion info@efccnigeria.org or the U.S. Secret Service
Financial Crimes Division 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov "

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=61399
*********************************************

19 OCT 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper Daily Sun:

Yahoo boys in police net

Three young men have been held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) after they swindled a foreigner of 3,600 dollars.

The suspects, who are now undergoing interrogation at the EFCC office, in Ikoyi, Lagos,
are identified as Kareem Lateef, Temitope Sola Disu and Hassan Abiodun David.

The suspects were said to have met their waterloo on August 21 when Lateef walked
into a bank at the Ikoyi area of Lagos and tried to cash the 3,600 dollars through
Western Union with an international passport bearing Lateef’s name and identity card.

But the eagle eye bank official, sensed foul play when Lateef walked into the banking
hall with Disu and David. One of the bank officials was said to have asked Lateef his
date of birth and the boy simply crashed like a pack of cards and sent his gang into
police net when he gave a date different from the one on the International Passport. The
suspects revealed that they usually get their victims through the Internet by telling
horrifying, sorrowful stories to the victims to elicit sympathy.

Disu admitted that he had been extracting money from people for long. According to
him, he said: "I have been chatting with the woman (victim) for long. I told her that I
was an abandoned child from separated parents. My mother left me with my father
and traveled to London. I had an ambition to further my education, but my father
refused to sponsor me."

He said this has not been the first time of defrauding her. According to Disu, he had
collected 100, 300 and 150 dollars respectively from the same person. But he was
apprehended this time when he went with his partners to withdraw the sum of 3,600
dollars. Also, he had collecting money from the bank with different fake names and had
always claimed that they were sent to him by his father. When EFCC got to his house,
American cheque of 40,000 dollars suspected to be fake, was also found.

David, who is a third year student of Mass Communication Department, Lagos State
University, on his own part claimed that he went to the bank to deposit some money
given to him by his father for his project and a laptop when he met the duo of Lateef and
Disu who he said live in the same neighbourhood with him. They told him that they came
to collect money sent to Disu by his brother in USA.

EFCC has discovered David owns a Honda car, which he claimed he bought three
years ago but could not give a satisfactory account of how he got the money used in
buying the car.

Lateef, on his part, said that Disu has approached him for international passport, so as
to receive money which was sent to him through the Western Union Money Transfer with
it, but did not tell him how much he was to cash. He however, promised to give him the
sum of 200,000 dollars if he accepted to give him the international passport and go to
the bank with him.

Daily Sun also learnt that Disu is a kingpin of internet fraud. It was discovered that he
had spent nine months in Kirikiri Prison yard for Internet scam

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/crimewatch/2006/oct/19/crimewatch-19-10-2006-002.htm
******************************

12 OCT 2006
From the Nigerian Tribune, a Nigerian newspaper:

3 Internet fraudsters held for duping Swiss national

By ROTIMI OMOLE

Three Internet fraudsters who connived with an employee of a courier company to
dupe a Swiss national have been held by the police in Oyo State.

The suspects, Jeremiah Elijah, Bukola Adefisayo and Bawa Monsur, were alleged to
have defrauded one Mrs. Goedner, through Adefisayo who worked with the company.

Bawa Monsur was alleged to be the receiver of the laptop computers and one DVD
player, acquired through Internet fraud.

A police source who pleaded anonymity told the Nigerian Tribune that Elijah, while on
the Internet, posed as one Carl Edward in Canada and ordered Goedner to release the
items to one Jeremiah Elijah in Ibadan after fake money transfer through Royal Bank,
Switzerland, was allegedly done.

Items recovered from the suspects were three laptop computers...
[the article continues on to cover a non-419 related matter]
*****************************************

12 OCT 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper Daily Sun:

Foreigner recounts bitter encounter with 419 kingpin

By OLUWATOYOSI OGUNSEYE

A man, who was duped of several millions of dollars, has slammed the Economic for
Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over the handling of the matter.

Shaarlene Lightbourne, a citizen of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, claimed to
have received less than six per cent of the total sum of money that was alleged to have
been fraudulently collected from him by one Igwe Madu, who presented himself as
Mustapha.

According to him, out of the $1.5 million he gave to the suspect, he had received $88,000
from the EFCC after two years of investigation.

He said: "While I am happy to have received some money from EFCC, the amount
received is less than six per cent of N1.5 million paid to Mustapha. I would have
expected to receive a better return after some two years of investigations by the EFCC. I
am greatly encouraged by the excellent news that the EFCC has recovered some
$800,000 and if it is so, I am very concerned that only small amount of money has been
sent to date."

"I am hoping that there would be some major recovery within the next few days which
would be an indication that the EFCC is serious about recovering and returning the
money that was fraudulently taken," he said.

Lightbourne further explained how he got himself into a deep mess, adding that the
whole incident started when he visited South Africa.

His words: "I visited Johannesburg, South Africa, sometime in February 2002, on a
business trip. During my stay, I met a man who introduced himself as Mustapha, a
Nigerian, who had come to visit the Nigerian ambassador to South Africa and some of
his muslim brothers from Iraq."

"He claimed that Ambassador Shehu Malami was his cousin. Coincidentally, my
mission in South Africa was to examine the possibility of investing in Nigeria in
collaboration with a South Africa-based company because I had been informed by my
associates in the USA that it was easier and fraud-free to invest in Nigeria if you operate
from an office in South Africa. Therefore, I saw my meeting with Mustapha as timely and
we discussed likely areas of business that I would be interested in. He told me of his
past relationship with the late Nigerian Head of State,General Sani Abacha and his
nephew, who was Chief Security Officer and of the troubles he was having with the
present government".

"He talked of Ambassador Shehu Malami’s intervention and other matters. He
concluded that his nephew’s problem was with the government particularly Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo the incumbent president. He also claimed to be the Emir of
Gwandu, a first class traditional ruler in Nigeria. He produced a photograph in support of
his claim."

"He boasted of his wide influence in some African countries including Nigeria, Ghana,
Mali, Togo, etc and the widespread influence of his holding company, Goddyson West
African Ltd. We parted ways but agreed to keep in touch. Mustapha called me from
Nigeria and informed me that he had already made a successful arrangement with
some top government officials to award a big contract to my company from Nigeria
National Petroleum Company (NNPC)."

"In the summer of 2002, Mustapha suggested a meeting between me, himself and some
Nigerian government officials. I agreed to meet with them in Nigeria and requested an
official invitation to enable me to obtain a visitor’s visa to travel to Nigeria. He disagreed
citing bureaucratic bottleneck but suggested Ghana instead. I agreed since at this point
I had already committed substantial amounts of money into this venture. During my
meeting with him and his group in Ghana, we had a supposedly fruitful discussions on
how best to actualize the contract which, he said, was valued at $30 million."

"Mustapha informed me that he was successful in negotiating a contract on behalf of my
company with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). “He sent me some
documents purported to have originated from the said corporation. In my honest effort to
get mobilized for the supposed contract, money was remitted by me to him through
various accounts as requested and nominated by him. I have copies of evidence of
remission."

"Funds were transferred to Mustapha’s bank accounts in Ghana, Nigeria, London,
Taiwan and Wales. It became evident that Mustapha had associates in all these
countries, including Ireland. Subsequently, he began to make more and more demands
for money to enable him to facilitate the award of the contract. When his demand for
money in respect of the supposed contract became endless, I was disenchanted and
developed cold feet around September 2003."

"Surprisingly, sometimes during the late 2003 and early 2004, I was contacted by
someone who claimed to be Chief Joseph Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, who informed me that he had been given a mandate from Mustapha to contact
me. The supposed Central Bank of Nigeria Governor said he was in sole position to
transfer part of the contract sum to my nominated account but the vicious circle of
demand for money continued unabated until the supposed governor sent me some
documents showing that my company did a job for Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation Company."

"I was surprised and showed it to a friend who confirmed to me that I was a victim of the
famous Nigerian 419 scammers. This was after I had again transferred substantial funds
to meet various charges, fees and commissions as demanded by Mustapha who had
now resurfaced as Chief Joseph Sanusi, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria."

When Daily Sun contacted EFCC, a source said: "We have arrested Madu again and
we are making more progress towards recovering the money."

419 Coalition Comment: Yes, there are major problems in getting
monies recovered from 419ers repatriated to the victims. Except
for one case in which something like a million and a half dollars
was returned to a Chinese woman in Hong Kong, large scale
repatriations of recovered funds are rare. For example, Shahla
Ghasemi is still waiting for hre recovered monies to be returned
Years after the recovery was announced by Central Bank of
Nigeria at a major function attended by President Obasanjo
in New York. In short, in the area of repatriation or recovered
funds, the Government of Nigeria's counter-419 efforts remains
inadequate at this time. From the point of view of many victims,
it doesn't seem to make much difference Who has their money,
the 419ers or the Government of Nigeria, all they know is that
They don't have it.... A pretty practical point, we think. Let
us hope that Nigerian Government performance in these matters
gets better quickly and stays better long term.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it stays good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/crimewatch/2006/oct/12/crimewatch-12-10-2006-003.htm
******************************************

11 OCT 2006
From ThisDay, a Nigerian newspaper:

EFCC returns N128bn to fraud victims

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EF-CC), said yesterday, that it had
returned about N128 billion to victims of advanced fee fraud, also known as 419.

EFCC Chairman, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, made the disclosure in Abuja, at a National
Brand and Economic Development Conference: tagged "Mind the Gap," adding that
the money was returned to victims in various countries.

He promised that more money would be returned, as the commission catches up with fraudsters.

Ribadu said the Commission still had 90 cases against fraudsters and corrupt public
officials pending in courts, adding that some lawyers, judges and policemen serve as
accomplices to fraudsters, collecting money from them to stall cases.
[the article continues with matters not related to 419 AFF]

419 Coalition Comment: We'd like to see a list of those to whom monies
have been returned, as in most of cases of which we are aware, like the
Ghasemi, Khan, and Blick cases we are not aware of any monies being
repatriated. Additionally, we have seen in the news only one large
repatriation of recovered funds to an individual, to a Chinese lady from
Hong Kong. So to whom did EFCC repatriate all these other monies
cited in the above article? Enquiring minds want to know :) And even
if all the funds cited above were in fact repatriated, it still amounts to
only a fraction of the monies recovered, and only a minisucle portion
of the amounts stolen, so there still remains a huge amount of work
to be done on recovery and repatriation efforts.
***************************************

8 OCT 2006
Here is an amusing (sortof) and cautionary piece
from the Daily Sun, a Nigerian newspaper:

Taking 419 one step higher

by Mike Jimoh

Chima was rather surprised one day last month when friends and relations began
trooping in to his house to see in person their brother and friend who had been in
detention. One by one they all came wearing long faces, not saying much but
sympathising with the just-released detainee from a notorious detention facility in the
Centre of Excellence.

It could have been worse, some said. You may have been killed or sodomised even,
others voiced out aloud. But weren’t you lucky, others insisted, not a scratch on you!
Thinking that a great joke was being played on him, Chima asked where in the world did
they get to know he was ever detained?

And they proceeded to narrate, one by one, how they got a text message from Chima
some days before. After all, didn’t Chima’s number appear on their screens asking them
to quickly come to the sender’s aid? The sms stated it so clearly: Chima, it read, was
being held for an unspecified offence in one of the most feared detention centres in
town. So, could the receiver be kind enough to send as little as N1500 voucher to
process his bail?

Of course, who can forsake his brother/ friend at a time like this? Who does not know
what detention centres are like in Lagos? And, by the way, isn’t this a particularly
notorious one?

The short but precise sms was enough to galvanize all of them to action. After all, what is
some naira worth of vouchers to a brother/ friend in distress?

All of the recepients quickly arranged something sharp, sharp, as they say, and
immediately despatched it to their man in trouble. Those who could sent half of what was
requested. Some sent the exact sum while a few others doubled their effort, supposedly
to Chima so he can use them to secure his release. In the end, approximately a hundred
people had responded to Chima’s SOS.

Which explains why Chima woke up on that day to literally find his sitting room
overflowing with sympathisers. Of course, by now, you would’ve guessed that Chima
was never in jail. He wasn’t. In truth, he was detained in a much more sober way. Tired
and work-weary, Chima decided that very day in question to prop up his feet on his
desk, fold his hands across his belly and just nod off. His handset was nearby on the
table.

The clearing and forwarding agent was thus reclined when some smart alecs, seeing a
way to make some change, quickly took their chance. Presto, they proceeded to send
the sms to nearly all the numbers in Chima’s phone, knowing full well that many or all of
them will respond positively long before Chima gets up. They were dead on the beam!

By the time Chima woke up later, his handset was where he left it but unknown to him it
had helpfully served to defraud some of his friends/ relations - at his expense of course.

Here is a link to the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sauceofsun/2006/oct/08/sauce-oct-08-2006-001.htm
*****************************************

8 OCT 2006
From the Sunday Times (online) UK:

Ireland hosts online scams

Liam Clarke

AT least six west African gangs, involving up to 117 people, are operating internet
swindles from Ireland, according to an expert on advance-fee fraud.

Frank Engelsman, an investigator in Amsterdam, says his figures are based on
information gleaned from scammers’ e-mails. He has offered to give the details to
gardai.

Advance-fee fraud, referred to as 419 fraud because of the section of the Nigerian penal
code which forbids it, is traditionally operated by Nigerians from the Ibo or Igbo tribal
group in the south of the country. Other groups have become involved in the swindle in
recent years.

Scammers ask for fees in return for the release of an object of value, such as a lottery
jackpot or an inheritance. It can also involve fake jobs, with a victim being asked to bank
cheques and forward the proceeds in return for commission. The cheques later bounce
or turn out to be fraudulently obtained, leaving the victim liable.

One Japanese woman known to Engelsman claims to have paid £50,000 (€74,000) to an
Allied Irish Bank account in Blanchardstown. The AIB has refused to comment.

The largest number of scam rings, 24, operate in the Netherlands, according to
Engelsman. There are 20 in the UK and 18 in Spain.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2393803,00.html

There is also a longer companion piece on this story in the
Sunday Times (online) Ireland. Here is the URL of that piece:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2393725_1,00.html
******************************************************************

13 SEP 2006
From the Nigerian Tribune, a Nigerian newspaper:

EFCC takes war against crimes to cyber cafes

by SEUN AYANTOKUN, Lagos

IN its bid to curtail cyber crimes in Nigeria, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) has ordered all Internet Service Providers
(ISPs) and operators of internet cafes, popularly called cyber cafes, in
the country to register their businesses with it.

Cafe customers are also mandated to register their various cafes with
all details about them. The registration is, however, free.

The commission had earlier put a stop to the operation of the cafes in
the night believing that cyber criminals spent the period to perpetrate
crimes.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the operators of internet cafes were
initially not well disposed to the idea of not operating in the night,
saying it would reduce their revenue.

Some of them, as a result, began to increase their tariffs by 100 per
cent, claiming that the EFCC encouraged them to take the step. In most
parts of Lagos, the Nigerian Tribune gathered that the cost of internet
browsing per hour is now N200 as against the N100 that was previously
charged, while 30 minutes now attracts N100 or N120 as against the
previous N50 or N60.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.tribune.com.ng/13092006/news/news7.html
************************************

18 AUG 2006
Here is the URL of a BBC News video of a counter-419 raid
by the Nigerian EFCC on a Cyber Cafe, for as long as the link
is good. About a 5 minute video:

http://www.feedthegoose.com/page.php?7

Here is another URL of the same material, furnished by a
concerned Nigerian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fLn86Q4wSM
*****************************************

12 AUG 2006
From the Daily Graphic, a Ghanian newspaper:

Five Nabbed Over Fake Dollars

Story by Albert K. Salia

The police have arrested five persons believed to be members of an
advanced fee fraud gang, popularly known as ‘419’, at a house in
Community 18 in Tema.

The five, made up of two Nigerians, two Ghanaians and a Canadian,
are Joseph Ohia, 35, Eze Kalu, 52, both Nigerians; Alex Ampiah, 35, a
taxi driver, and David Adjei, 31, both Ghanaians and Bill Chase, 55, the
Canadian.

A trunk full of fake dollar bills was retrieved from the home of the
suspects.

Two other Nigerians, identified only as Philip and Sony Achiba,
escaped arrest and have been declared wanted by the police.

The Officer in charge of Operations at the Criminal Investigations
Department (CID), Chief Superintendent Amadu Salifu, told the Daily
Graphic yesterday that the police had information that there was an
advanced fee fraud gang operating in a house at Community 18.

He said the information indicated that the gang had been inviting
unsuspecting foreigners, particularly whites, to come and help them
transfer treasures they had inherited from their deceased relatives.

Chief Supt. Salifu said following the tip-off, the police monitored the
activities of occupants of the house for sometime and became
convinced that there was some unusual business being transacted
there.

He said that was because the police detected that a lot of people,
including whites, frequently went in and out of the house.

According to him, it also came to light that David Adjei was the
custodian of the trunk full of the fake dollar bills and brought it to the
house each time there was a victim to exploit.

Chief Supt. Salifu said the police swooped on the house last Tuesday
and arrested the suspects.

He said subsequent investigations also revealed that Ampiah, was
always in court to stand surety for suspected 419 criminals.

Here is the URL for as long as it is good:
http://www.graphicghana.info/article.asp?artid=13559
***********************************************

7 AUG 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian:

EFCC to register cybercafes, others
By Sonny Aragba Akpore Asst. Communications Editor

INTERNET Service Providers (ISPs) who intend to remain in business have up till
September 7 to register with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Cybercafe operators have up till November 30 to do so.

Similarly, GSM service providers and Private Telecommunications Operators (PTOs)
which offer skeletal Internet services on their networks have till the same September 7 to
register with the anti-graft body.

The foregoing conditions are contained in a new law to combat cybercrime and fraud-
related offences.

Christened "Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006," the law was
signed recently by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

It prescribes, among others, ways to combat cybercrime and other related online frauds.

But while in previous laws the onus was on the government to carry out a surveillance on
such crimes and alleged criminals, the new law vests this responsibility on industry
players, including ISPs and cybercafe operators, among others.

While the EFCC becomes the sub-sector regulator, the law prescribes that henceforth,
any user of Internet services shall no longer be accepted as anonymous.

Through what has been prescribed as Due Care Measure, cybercafe operators and
ISPs will henceforth monitor the use of their systems and keep a record of transactions
of users.

Such details include, but not limited to, photographs of users, their home addresses,
telephone numbers and next-of-kin.

This means that to register as a user, the user's name, address, telephone, e-mail
address and photograph should be available, according to the Act.

The President signed the law on June 5, 2006.

And for the purposes of identification, three key data should be provided, from the
following: national identification card, drivers licence, international passport, utility bill
and/or certificate of incorporation if need be.

The onus is on the service provider to define an anonymous or known user.

The act complements the EFCC Due Care Committee guidelines, which among others,
stipulate that:

the new advance fee fraud law requires service providers to keep and maintain a
record of all customers and users:

the records to be kept are detailed in Part II, Section 12 of the law, which concerns
identity of users;

upon request by the EFCC, of the details of a customer who has allegedly committed a
fraud, the service provider will oblige such details of the customers;

that service providers must guard against the use of their network for criminal activities.
But ISPs and Cybercafe operators say that due to the nature of technology, it may be
difficult to completely eradicate cybercrimes and to properly identify the criminals.

The new Act says all ISPs have up till September 7, 2006 to register with the EFCC while
the cybercafe operators, have up till November 30, 2006 to do the same.

President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, and his Association of
Cybercafe and Telecentre Operators of Nigeria (ACTO Nigeria) counterpart, Mr. Lao
Omotola, confirmed the development.

Ajayi explained that the EFCC has been on this subject for quite some time and "has
tried to carry everybody along. His words: "We were aware of this before the policy or
law came out. The EFCC wants to know who is in business and how it is being done."

Ajayi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pinet Informatics Limited, an ISP-
based firm in Lagos said: "We want to rise to the occasion and the challenges
therefrom."

He explained that electronic commerce (e-commerce) thrives on trust and "if it must be
realistic here, we must put in place rules to checkmate online crimes."

"We share the views of the EFCC but in carrying out the process of authentication, we
must be careful so that we don't infringe on the user's rights," Ajayi advised.

Omotola spoke in a similar vein, saying the idea is not novel in Nigeria since, South
Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and to some extent, Brazil have adopted similar
approaches to chock the cybercrime scourge.

Omotola, who is the CEO of Next Technology Limited, further explained that even
upstream operators, like Intelsat, Gilat, New Skies, among others, will also have their
services registered with the EFCC for their products and services to be sold locally.

The reasons for this, according to EFCC officials, is that "in the past, we ran into difficulty
in prosecuting these upstream operators "because our laws did not cover their
jurisdictions."

So far, over 20 cybercafes have been raided by the EFCC in the last one month.

The operators appear set to comply with the law by notifying users of the relevant
portion of the law, corporate user policy, firewall recommendation, protection procedure,
indemnity and right of disclosure among others.

According to the Act, telecommunication operators, including GSM service providers
and PTOs, which now offer skeletal Internet services on their networks, also have up till
September 7, 2006 to register such services with the EFCC.

They are also to show evidence of Due Care and Surveillance System, which they have
installed in their networks for the purposes of the monitoring of cybercrimes.

All operators are to develop and put in place compliance standard, certification
procedure to monitor certification compliance.

They are also expected to put in place a filter technology to determine the expectations
and standards for a filter to be deployed at the service provider's gateway.

Restrictions of Spam mails and other letters that may be letters of threats are also to be
monitored by the filter technology. All such reports should be available online for a
period of three months and archived for up to one year.

The EFCC will see to the enforcement of the laws.

The registration of all users and operators will subsist, despite the existence of the
Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

Offenders would be tried by the Federal High Court or the High Court of the Federal
Capital Territory or High Courts in the states.

Every cybercafe operator must expose all computers used in browsing because the
era of hidden computers is over, according to Omotola.

He explained that this was one of the highpoints of the agreement his association
reached with the EFCC.

According to him, each cybercafe will henceforth be a watchdog to others and if any of
them is found indulging in cybercrime "we will dialogue with the operator and if dialogue
fails, after three attempts, we shall have no option than to expose the cybercafe to the
EFCC."

Besides, there will be a monthly meeting between the EFCC and cybercafes to review
progress and new ways to uncover new tactics, he added.

419 Coalition Comment: Sounds great in in theory, we also hope it
works great in practice.
*******************************************

4 AUG 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper ThisDay:

Terrorism: EFCC Confirms Arrests of 14 Suspects

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a terrorism
suspect in a raid on a cybercafe, NetXpress, located on Road 51, Festac town, Lagos.
The commission disclosed that 13 other suspects caught in the act of sending scam
mails to Europe and America, were also arrested.

The suspect who claimed to represent a faceless terror group, Terrorist International
was caught demanding payoff from a multinational oil company to forestall the kidnap of
its expatriate staff in the Niger Delta. The other suspects were caught sending scanned
documents purportedly issued by Chief Executives of Nigerian government agencies
such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC.

During the operation which lasted for two hours, several documents and equipment
being used by the fraudsters to commit advance fee fraud were confiscated. Among
these were more than 30 computer units.

The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigation, which is still ongoing, is
concluded.

The Commission has in recent weeks stepped up the arrest of Internet fraudsters
following the enactment of the new Advance Fee Fraud Act, which empowers EFCC to
close down any cyber- cafe being used to send 419 letters. Apart from the scam artist,
both the owner of the cafe and the landlord of the building where it is located are also
held liable for the crime.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=54850
**************************************************

15 JUL 2006
There is an excellent article in the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard on
the history etc. of 419 in Nigeria but it is too long to be posted here.
However, here is a link to the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/cover/july06/15072006/f615072006.html
*******************************************************************

6 JUL 2006
From the Ghana News Agency:

Three computer fraudsters arrested

Accra, July 6, GNA - Three Nigerians have been arrested for attempting
to dupe a bank by using fake Western Union authorisation notes to
withdraw monies.

They are Alexander Nwabueze; Joshua Alamu Thomas, 29, and Kelvin
Oziri, 22.

Mr Patrick Ampewuah, Deputy Director-General of the Criminal
Investigations Department (CID), told the Ghana News Agency in Accra
that a pen drive was found with the suspects on which letterheads of
both national and international institutions used for fraudulent activities
were found.

He said most of these computer criminals, who were mainly foreigners,
were now into attempts to defraud banks by trying to access their
computer systems.

Police said on June 20, Nwabueze went to the Western Union branch at
Prudential Bank at Makola in Accra to cash 950 dollars. However, on
verifying the authenticity of the note for the claim it was identified to be
faked. He was, therefore, handed over to the Police.

On June 28, two of the suspects, Thomas and Oziri also came to cash
5,500 Euros through the same methods but their inability to know, who
was remitting the money and where it was coming from led to suspicion,
upon which it was discovered that the note they were using was faked.
Information on the pen drive retrieved from the suspects revealed that
they included forged documents of Bank of Ghana; Barclays Bank;
ECOWAS Financial Monitoring Union; Swiss Financial Trust Bank;
Federal Reserve Bank of the United States; Supreme Court certified
affidavits and a United Arab Emirates passport.

The others are Ghanaian passports with the same picture but different
names, pictures of gold mines and workers working in these mines.
*********************************

4 JUL 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard. This was a 2 subject
story, we have edited out the subject not relevant to 419:

EFCC swoop on Lagos cyber cafes

From Chuks Akunna in Abuja

... the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has started the enforcement of the new Advance Fee Fraud Act,
signed into law last month by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Operatives of the commission, last week, swooped on cyber cafes in Orile and Festac suburbs of Lagos and arrested cyber
crime suspects aged between 18 and 25 years, caught in the act of sending scam mails to Europe and America.

Arrested along with them, were the owners of the cyber cafes and landlords of the buildings in which they were located.

A total of 74 computer systems were confiscated in the operations and would be tendered as evidence in court.

According to EFCC spokesman, Osita Nwajah, "the Commission wishes to draw the attention of Nigerians to the provisions of
the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006, which imposes a sentence of up to 15 years without an option of fine for anyone who permits
his/her premises to be used for 419 activities. The law also prescribes a jail term of up to 20 years without the option
of fine for convicted 419ers."

419 Coalition Comment: More grease to the EFCC's collective elbow!
*******************************

24 JUN 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard:

Advanced fee fraud: EFCC indicts NCC

By Chinyere Amalu, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has indicted
Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) for being responsible for all
related electronic telecommunication offences. Speaking at a one day
meeting aimed at finding lasting solution to end ISPs/ Cybercafe’ crime
related issues, with all ISP/Cybercaféés providers yesterday in Abuja,
the Executive Secretary of EFCC Mallam Nuhu Ribadu said that NCC
has failed in its regulatory roles in curtailing fraud emanating from
telecommunication service. His words, "I think NCC should take the
blame for all the advanced fee fraud cases emanating from the ISPs/
Cybercaféés service providers."

"This is because they issue license to all service providers without
taking the required measures. NCC has failed in its regulatory role and
should stand up to their responsibilities. It has failed the nation, it is its
duty to monitor all telecommunication service providers and sanction
the erring ones."

"We have not heard a number of them being sanctioned. Yet cyber
crimes keep increasing every day", he said. The EFCC Chairman
whocriticised ISPs/Cybercafe’s providers urged them to stop all
fraudsters from using their cybercafe or any of their telecommunication
service in carrying out their 419 businesses. "We must stop all 419 in
our country, we must stop fraudsters. I know that you are making money
from the business, but that should not be to the detriment of the entire
nation. We will not allow you to keep on destroying Nigeria simply
because you are making money. It is not fair," he said. "You will go to
jail if you continue. And we will confiscate all your facilities and lock
them up. We called all of you here so that we can reason together and
find out the lasting solution to stop all these, 419."

"Fraudsters must stop. If not we will close all cybercaféés and their
sources of income," he emphasized. Ribadu stated that proliferation of
cybercafe in the recent past has led to an upsurge in Internet
commerce, dating, employment, scholarship, and lottery, inheritance
scams. According to him, "Activities of customers must be monitored,
while all night browsing now common among young Internet scammers
should be discouraged."

"Deployment of basic text categorization filtering software by ISPs and
Cybercafe operators will prevent abuse of facilities by criminals." He,
however, warned that systems at public cybercafes must be configured
to block access to popular hackers’ websites from where fraudsters
download free credit card details and obtain hints on cyber fraud
techniques.

419 Coalition Note: Sounds good to us, denying the use of
cybercafes in Nigeria to the 419ers would indeed be a major
positive step towards getting the problem under control.
***************************************************

22 JUN 2006
From the Dutch newspaper Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant
English translation followed by Dutch original:

Dutch police hunts internet gangs
By Ferdi Schrooten PZC

The Hague- In the last quarter of 2006 the Dutch police will start an
attack on West African fraudster rings. Thereto a super regional team of
investigators is founded. Chambers of Commerce, telephone
companies, internet providers and banks are supposed to help on
fighting these gangs, who world-wide harm people with losses of
millions of euros.

"The ‘West-Africans team’ consists of the three regional police forces of
Haaglanden, Kennemerland and Amsterdam" explains an Amsterdam-
Amstelland police spokesman. The three police forces work with
investigators who are specialized and experienced in scams by
primarily Nigerian gangs. By means of e-mail these gangs let potential business
partners believe that they are gaining millions because they
have inherited a big sum of money or because they have won a lottery.
At the end of the day the investors lose money (most of the time
thousands of euros).

The attack will last six months and is meant to make the Netherlands
less attractive for these West African gangs. At this moment it’s too
easy for them to set up their 419 (the relevant section in Nigerian
criminal law) scams in the Netherlands. The Netherlands are an
international well known centre of West African networks. In due time the
Dutch ministry of internal affairs will start deliberations with companies
and institutions which are being abused by these gangs.

It’s the intention that internet providers will block the accounts of those
who send malign e-mails. Telephone-operators will block the
telephones of fraudsters.

Better checks by the chambers of commerce must make it more difficult
for gangsters to register ghost companies under a false name with
which they can open bank accounts to launder money. The ‘West-
Africans team’ will trace these accounts. For this purpose they can use
the Dutch "Meldpunt Ongebruikelijke Transacties (MOT)", where
unusual financial transactions are being registered. The MOT works in
close co-operation with the Dutch banks.
===============

Dutch version
PZC
Politie jaagt op internetbendes
door Ferdi Schrooten

DEN HAAG - De politie begint dit najaar een offensief tegen
oplichtersnetwerken uit het westen van Afrika. Drie korpsen vormen
daartoe samen een bovenregionaal opsporingsteam.
Kamers van Koophandel, telefoonmaatschappijen, internetproviders
en banken moeten helpen bij het bestrijden van de bendes, die
wereldwijd mensen voor miljoenen euro’s duperen.

Het ’West-Afrikanenteam’ wordt gevormd door de regiokorpsen
Haaglanden, Kennemerland en Amsterdam, zegt een woordvoerder
van de politie Amsterdam-Amstelland. In de drie korpsen hebben
gespecialiseerde rechercheurs al vaak te maken met oplichting door
vooral Nigeriaanse bendes. In e-mails spiegelen die potentiële
zakenpartners miljoenenopbrengsten voor uit niet bestaande
erfenissen en loterijprijzen. Investeerders zijn hun geld - meestal vele
duizenden euro’s - kwijt.

419-fraude

Het offensief dat een half jaar duurt, moet Nederland onaantrekkelijk
maken voor de vanuit het westen van Afrika opererende oplichters. Die
kunnen hier nu veel te makkelijk hun gang gaan met hun ’419-fraude’,
vernoemd naar het artikel over oplichting in de Nigeriaanse strafwet.
Nederland staat internationaal te boek als ’knooppunt’ van netwerken uit het westen van Afrika. Het ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken
overlegt binnenkort met bedrijven en instellingen die door deze
bendes worden misbruikt.

Het is de bedoeling dat internetproviders afzenders van malafide e-
mails blokkeren. Telefoonbedrijven moeten de telefoons van
oplichters blokkeren.

Betere controles bij de Kamers van Koophandel moeten het moeilijker
maken voor bendes om onder valse naam dekmantelbedrijven in te
schrijven, waarmee ze bij banken witwasrekeningen openen. Die
rekeningen spoort het West-Afrikanenteam op met het Meldpunt
Ongebruikelijke Transacties, dat nauw samenwerkt met de banken.

Here is a link to the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.pzc.nl/internationaal/binnenland/article434434.ece

419 Coalition Comment: The recent actions of the Dutch authorities
against 419 are very welcome, as the Netherlands is a hotbed of
419 operations, particularly Lottery 419. However, we must note that
the problem there is so large that a six month operation, though welcome,
will only superficially inconvenience the 419ers.... What is needed is
an extended, ongoing operation, coupled with Centralized Reporting,
if 419 is to be controlled in the Netherlands (and that is also true
elswewhere for that matter).
***************************************************

3 JUN 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper The Punch:

EFCC traces N18.7 million to school leavers’ accounts

Sesan Olufowobi

Two secondary school leavers are currently explaining to the operatives of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on how they managed to accumulate a
total sum of N18.7 million in their accounts at Access Bank.

Officials of the Onikan, Lagos branch of the bank initially arrested Stephen Uwem Silas
(25) and Kennedy Aifuwa Umweni (23), who were bosom friends, before handing them
over to EFCC.

Saturday Punch was told that they were alarmed that the young boys, who also
confessed that they were unemployed, could have such large amount of deposit in their
accounts. It was learnt that while Silas had N13. 7 million in his account, Umweni had
over N5 million.

Interestingly, Silas’ younger brother, Aniekal, unwittingly caused the duo’s journey to
trouble. An official of the EFCC told our correspondent that Aniekal had gone to the bank
in the morning to make N5,000 withdrawal, but could not do so as he had just N522 in the
account. A few hours later, he returned to the bank, but this time clutching Umweni’s
cheque book. Luck ran out on him as the signature was discovered to be forged. He
was subsequently arrested.

Aniekal had then mentioned that the owner of the account was a family friend, which
prompted the bank official to call Umweni, inviting him to come and identify Aniekal.

However, when Umweni arrived in company with Silas, the officials of Access Bank
found it difficult to believe that such a young man, who had earlier said he was
unemployed and applying to the university to study, could command a large sum as N5
million in his account.

In the course of their investigation, it was also discovered that Silas was a customer of
the bank. After discreetly checking his own account, the bank officials found
N13.7million. They subsequently invited the EFCC.

An official of the commission told Saturday Punch that the team that investigated the
case discovered that there was a pattern in the deposits of both suspects. "We
discovered that they usually deposit their funds on the same day and almost the same
amount."

He said that initially, the boys claimed that their fathers and relatives deposited the
money in their accounts, "but now they are singing different tunes. Silas said he got just
N300, 000 of the amount from Internet fraud, the rest was from two unknown friends in
Nigeria and England. But for Umweni, he said those who gave him the money are all
Nigerians from the Internet. We have however, gone through their E-mail and
discovered a lot of scam letters. They are Internet fraudsters," the official said.

Spokesman of the commission, Osita Nwaja who confirmed the case said the three
boys involved in the scam had cases to answer, adding that they would face trial as
soon as investigation was completed.
**********************************************

28 MAY 2006
From the Washington Post:

Even Smarties Get Swindled on the Net
New Twists on an Old Scam Are Circulating

By Don Oldenburg

Who falls for this stuff?

Who's so greedy or naive to get suckered by those Nigerian scams that litter inboxes
and spam filters with rubbish so clearly a ruse you'd have to be a knucklehead or on
drugs not to just delete 'em?

That's the question people ask. Readers raise it all the time. Whenever the column or
talk turns to swindles and the Nigerian e-mail nonsense in particular, they want to know:
Who could possibly fall for this?

You might be surprised.

Sami Klein received an e-mail a few months ago from someone named "Susan Bryant,"
purportedly an art dealer in London who needed a representative in the United States to
"facilitate money exchanges" with her U.S. customers. Something about Americans who
buy her artwork always paying with money orders that are difficult to cash in London.

Thinking it was legit, and maybe an interesting opportunity, Klein replied with her name
and address as requested.

"I didn't worry about sending it to her," says Klein, 66, a retired science librarian from
Columbia, who knows better than to give out her Social Security number, credit card and
banking information to strangers but figured sending her name and address wouldn't
hurt.

A week later, Klein received an envelope containing five Wal-Mart money orders made
out to her, each for $925. As instructed, she cashed the money at her bank, kept 10
percent and wired the remainder via Western Union to "Bryant's" husband who just
happened to be in Nigeria collecting wood for art work.

"I never knew that money orders could be recalled, but that is what happened," says
Klein, whose bank deducted the $4,000 she wired to Nigeria from her own funds. Never
mind the $462 commission she thought she earned -- that was as bogus as the
counterfeit Wal-Mart money orders.

But that didn't end the scam. Even as Klein was making out the police report and putting
her bank on notice, she was still receiving e-mails from Bryant prepping her for more
transactions. She messaged back that she wanted the $4,000 restored to her account
and wasn't doing any more work until it was.

Bryant sent an apologizing e-mail to Klein, filled with lousy grammar and misspellings,
blaming the "delay" on the U.S. customer. She promised to wire 20 percent
commissions directly to a Wells Fargo bank account for Klein's future help. Oh, and she
said she'd happily instruct Klein how to open that account.

Klein declined. "I could be a sucker once, but I'm not stupid," she says. "Lesson
learned."

Look, Klein doesn't qualify as a greedy or naive person. Other than being retired, she's
not standard scam-victim material. She has traveled the globe and lived in Japan, Italy
and Malta. Since retiring, she has stayed active -- she gardens, reads extensively, does
computer database work, knits hats for cancer patients and even serves as president of
her temple. If she could fall for it, so could lots of people. And they do.

Last March, it was Louis A. Gottschalk, the respected founding chairman of the
psychiatry department at the University of California at Irvine. He wired $3 million to
Nigeria. In April, there was an Idaho financial planner. Last year, a Los Angeles record
producer. How about the Massachusetts psychotherapist profiled in New Yorker this
month?

"There are some highly educated people who for whatever reasons fall victim to this,"
says Tom Mazur, spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, which investigates such
scams. "I don't know their motivation for getting pulled into one of these schemes.
Certainly these types of criminals prey on the emotions and on people's sympathies
sometimes. But somewhere in the back of their minds, the victim's got to be thinking
about getting rich quick."

Nigerian fraud scams (aka "419 scams" after the Nigerian penal code addressing
fraud) have been around since the '70s when money was swindled the old-fashioned
way -- con artists had to lick stamps and send letters. The Internet changed all that,
making it easy to spam millions of potential victims with classic 419 scam e-mails,
purportedly from the daughter of a deposed African dictator or a former finance minister
of an African nation who seeks your help in transferring millions of dollars to the United
States -- and promises a tasty percentage for your help!

Too absurd to work? Ultrascan Advanced Global Investigations, a Dutch private
investigation firm that has been studying 419 scams worldwide for a decade, released
its latest damage estimates in March. Companies and individuals in the United States
were scammed for $720 million in losses in 2005, it estimates. Total losses from 37
nations to these scams is almost $3.2 billion. The United Kingdom has the second-
highest losses at $520 million, and Spain and Japan tied for third at $320 million in
losses.

Tens of thousands of victims worldwide fall victim to the scams each year -- and while
the losses per victim are decreasing due to more scammers working the lower-amount
swindles (like phony money orders, lottery fraud and auction overpayment schemes),
the number of victims are increasing, UAGI reports on its Web site. The Internet Crime
Complaint Center (IC3) estimates that, based on complaints it received, the average
loss to a 419 swindle last year was $5,000. According to the Federal Trade Commission,
Internet-related fraud complaints involving a "wire transfer" of money as the payment
method -- typical of 419 scams -- more than tripled from 2004 and 2005.

Mazur says that since the explosion of the Internet, these criminals can spam a whole
group of individuals at home and at work and have gained wide access to an
unsuspecting public. "If they put out 100,000 e-mails and two people bite," he says, "it
would be a successful day."

Adding to the success of these scams is the number of sophisticated variations. The
"London art dealer" ploy in Klein's case was a relatively new twist that started showing
up in January. In late March, a rash of e-mails targeted bed-and-breakfast inns
nationwide. Scammers made reservations, purportedly for a UNICEF representative in
Ghana. Payments arrived as cashier's checks for too much money and the scammers
asked that the difference be returned. Last August, the 419 scammers stooped so low
as to take advantage of the London terrorist bombings, informing e-mail recipients
they'd been left money by one of the victims.

"These schemes run the gamut of sounding very lucrative, but there is that questionable
arrangement," warns Mazur.

Rich Siegel has a word of advice. "No one is going to give you $12 million. . . . You don't
have a long-lost uncle who died in a car accident on Sagbama Road in the jungles of
Nigeria. You never purchased the winning ticket in a Sub-Saharan international lottery,"
he writes on his Web site.

Siegel received just such an absurd e-mail, supposedly from a Mr. Ibrahim Mantu, who
promised him more than $10 million from a Nigerian monetary fund. All Siegel had to do
was assist the transfer of funds to the United States.

Weary of receiving scam spam, he decided to scam the scammer. Using a fake name
(that when articulated slowly in English is obscene), Siegel began an e-mail exchange
that lasted seven months.

"I knew about the scams but I thought writing back to them was kind of a lark," says
Siegel, author of the book "Tuesdays With Mantu: My Adventures With a Nigerian Con
Artist."

Siegel thinks it isn't fair to say people are victims of their own greed. "That's an easy
way out, to attribute this to greed," he says. "Surely greed may be part of it. But a lot of
the e-mails target retirees with inheritance scams that seem feasible. And they target
sympathetic victims who figure they'll help someone out of a jam. For them, this is in the
realm of possibilities."

By the way, law enforcement authorities have mixed feelings about "scam-baiters" like
Siegel who string along criminals and sabotage their scams for amusement or revenge
-- no matter how many precautions they take. Scammers have been known to turn
threatening and dangerous.

"My advice is to ditch it," says Siegel. "The minute you recognize it for what it is, just ditch
it -- unless you have nothing better to do like I did and want to have to fun. But you have
to be careful."

Mazur recommends deleting the suspect e-mails. "Let standard business practices take
place -- that's the message," he says. "Nothing is free in our lifetimes. If it is too good to
be true, it probably is."

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/27/AR2006052700079.html
***************************************

20 MAY 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper The Punch:

Internet fraud syndicate held over botched $31m scam

Sesan Olufowobi

Four Internet fraudsters, aka ‘Yahoo boys’ and the proprietor of a cyber café in Lagos,
have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over their
alleged involvement in a potential scams worth $31 million.

Saturday Punch gathered that the EFCC took interest in the cyber café, located in
Surulere, Lagos, after it received an anonymous e-mail about economic crimes which
were allegedly being committed at the business centre.

A senior EFCC official told our correspondent during the week that the petition alleged
among other things that the café was being used by fraudsters. The letter also indicated
that the centre was run on a 24-hour basis, while the proprietor was actively involved in
the operations of the fraudsters.

The official said EFCC operatives carried out a covert check on the business centre to
verify the allegations before swooping on its operators on Wednesday.

"We got there around 2.30 pm and discovered that about 40 people were there. Some
of them managed to escape but the rest that were caught were made to undergo
screening and at the end of the day, we caught four of them in the middle of different
scams," the EFCC operative said.

The four suspects as well as the proprietor were taken to the EFCC’s office in Lagos.

Saturday Punch gathered that one of them was in the middle of a $10.5 million scam
using a fake company, Heritage, as a front. Another was allegedly in the middle of $15.2
million fraud, using the October 22, 2005 Bellview plane crash as the ground for the
extortion of a potential victim while the third was involved in a $5.5 million scam.

The official said the suspects signed documents relating to their foiled scams after the
operatives had printed them out, adding that 85 computers were taken from the café.

"The M.D. said his server is in the United States, that he was being served directly from
the US but we are still looking at that," he said.

When contacted, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Osita Nwaja, said the
case was being investigated to ascertain the involvement of the suspects in the scams.
***********************************************

8 MAY 2006
The New Yorker magazine has published a good article
on a Classic 419 and Check 419 case, which is too long to be
published here. Here is the URL of the piece for as long
as it is good:

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060515fa_fact

******************************************

1 MAY 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper The Punch. Several
other Nigerian newspapers also carried the story:

419: S'Court confirms ex-bank chief's conviction

Tobi Soniyi and Oluyinka Akintunde, Abuja

The Supreme Court has confirmed a three-and-a half-year jail term slammed on a
former Chairman of the defunct Ivory Merchant Bank Limited, Dr. Edwin Onwudiwe, by
the Failed Bank Tribunal.

Onwudiwe was convicted of theft, obtaining money by false pretence and corrupt
enrichment on November 11, 1998.

He was charged with eight-count offences, but was convicted on four counts only.

The tribunal sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment or N50,000 fine in count three
where he was charged with fraudulent conversion of the proceeds of a Crystal Bank of
Africa Limited certified cheque issued in favour of Ivory Merchant Bank in the sum of
N16.56 million. The offence is punishable under section 390 (7) of the Criminal Code Act.

The tribunal also convicted him of defrauding Partnership Investment Company Limited
by making a false representation to the company that Ivory Merchant Bank Limited had
$345,000 for sale, thereby inducing the company to deliver to him a Crystal Bank of
Africa Limited certified cheque for N16.5 million issued in favour of Ivory Merchant Bank
Limited.

He was accused of diverting the proceeds, which he dishonestly obtained and
appropriated, to his own use.

The offence is punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act. On this count, the
tribunal slammed a two-year-jail term on Onwudiwe without any option of fine.

He was dissatisfied with the tribunal's judgment and appealed to the Court of Appeal for
an order discharging and acquitting him.

His arguments did not find favour with the Court of Appeal's justice and he finally
appealed to the Supreme Court.

Justice Dahiru Musdapher, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed Onwudiwe's
appeal on the grounds that it lacked merit.

He was supported by Justices Umaru Kalgo, Niki Tobi Mahmud Mohammed and
Walter Onnoghen
**************************************

13 APR 2006
From the Daily Sun, a Nigerian newspaper:

Nigeria's anti-graft war excites US
Dept of State rates EFCC high
From Collins Edomaruse in Abuja

The United States of America has expressed satisfaction with Nigeria's strides in the
fight against corruption and related offences and says it will continue to encourage the
country (Nigeria) in her efforts to eradicate corruption.

The US also said it was excited by the successes recorded so far by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which it described as an organisation that had
performed creditably in the discharge of its duties.

In its latest report on Nigeria, the US Department of State said of the EFCC: "In 2005, the
EFCC marked significant successes in combating financial crime. During 2005, the
EFCC seized money laundering-related assets worth $1billion, more than a 100 percent
increase from 2004."

Giving a historical overview of Nigeria's demonstration of determination to wage war
against corruption, money laundering and related activities, the United States said in the
report, which was released few days ago, that in spite the federal government's steps at
eradicating the scourge, "Nigerian criminal organizations have proven adept at
devising new ways of subverting international and domestic law enforcement efforts and
evading detection.

"Their success in avoiding detection and prosecution has led to an increase in many
types of financial crimes, including bank fraud, real estate fraud, identity theft, and
advance fee fraud. Despite years of government effort to counter rampant crime and
corruption, Nigerians continue to be plagued by crime.

"The establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and of
the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the improvement in training
qualified prosecutors in Nigerian courts has yielded some successes in 2005."

It also said that: "In addition to narcotics-related money laundering, advance fee fraud is
a lucrative financial crime that generates hundreds of millions of illicit dollars annually for
criminals. Initially, Nigerian criminals made advance fee fraud infamous; more recently,
nationals of many African countries and from a variety of countries around the world
have begun to perpetrate advance fee fraud.

"This type of fraud is referred to internationally as "Four-One-Nine" fraud (419 is a
reference to the fraud section in Nigeria's criminal code). While there are many
variations, the main goal of 419 frauds is to deceive victims into payment of an advance
fee by persuading them that they will receive a very large benefit in return.

"These 'get rich quick' schemes have ended for some victims in monetary losses,
kidnapping, or murder. Through the Internet, businesses and individuals around the
world have been and continue to be targeted by perpetrators of 419 scams. The EFCC
has tried to combat 419-related cyber crimes, but there have only been a few recorded
successes as a result of their cyber crime initiatives."

The report also underscored the role of the legislature in passing laws that in the main
enhanced the effectiveness of the EFCC and the desire of the Federal Government to
wipe out corruption.

Specifically, it noted that: "In 2004, the National Assembly passed the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act (2004), which applies to the proceeds of all financial crimes.
It also covers stock brokerage firms and foreign currency exchange facilities, in addition
to banks and financial institutions.

"The legislation gives the CBN greater power to deny bank licenses and freeze
suspicious accounts. This legislation also strengthens financial institutions by requiring
more stringent identification of accounts, removing a threshold for suspicious
transactions, and lengthening the period for retention of records.

"In November 2004, the EFCC reported that the great majority of Nigeria's banks were
not in compliance with the new law, typically by not adhering to the know-your-customer
and know-your-customer's-business provisions of the law and by neglecting to file
suspicious transactions reports (STRs). The EFCC promised a new initiative to educate
bank personnel and the general public about the provisions of the law before imposing
sanctions for non-compliance."

The laws and their amendment the report added, paved the way for the EFCC and its
sister organisations to make huge hauls of seizures and arrests of criminals, including
their prosecution.

"Two fraudsters in a Brazilian bank scam involving a total of $242 million in assets were
successfully prosecuted and convicted for terms of 25 and 12 years in prison,
respectively.

"Their assets were seized, and they were ordered to give $110 million in restitution to the
bank. Last in 2005, the EFCC returned $4.481 million to an elderly woman swindled by a
Nigerian 419 kingpin in 1995.

"The kingpin was arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and is serving his prison sentence. A
former inspector general of police (Mr. Tafa Balogun) was arrested and prosecuted for
financial crimes valued at over $13 million. His assets were seized and bank accounts
frozen. He served a prison sentence of six months and still faces 92 charges of money
laundering and official corruption.

"Two sitting state governors are currently the subject of money laundering
investigations.

"The EFCC, working with the FBI, also has an active case involving a group of money
brokers using banks in the United States to launder money. The money laundering
legislation of 2004 has given the EFCC the authority to investigate and prosecute such
cases.

"The EFCC also has the authority to prevent the use of charitable and non-profit entities
as laundering vehicles, though no such case has yet been reported. There were 23
money-laundering convictions in 2005. The trial court process has improved after
several experienced judges were assigned specifically to handle EFCC cases; this has
motivated EFCC officials to bring more cases to court. During 2005, the EFCC seized
money laundering-related assets worth $1billion, more than a 100 percent increase from
2004."

The US government, therefore, rated Nigeria high in the prosecution of the corruption
war, saying:" The Government of Nigeria has done a better job preventing and pursuing
money laundering both within and outside the country in 2005.

"It should continue to engage with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to ensure that
Nigeria's remaining anti-money laundering deficiencies are corrected. The Nigerian
Government should continue to pursue their anti-corruption programme and support
both the ICPC and EFCC in their mandates to investigate and prosecute corrupt
government officials and individuals, while at the same time maintaining the
independence of those entities from the realm of politics.

"The supervision of banking and non-banking financial institutions should be
strengthened and moved from the Ministry of Commerce. Nigeria should construct a
comprehensive anti-money laundering regime that willingly shares information with
foreign regulatory and law enforcement agencies, is capable of thwarting money
laundering and terrorist financing, and conforms to all relevant international standards.

Most major Nigerian newpapers also covered this story.
**********************************************

8 APR 2006
From the Nigerian newspaper The Punch:

103 Sri-Lankan job seekers fall prey to Nigerian dupe

Sesan Olufowobi

No fewer than one hundred and three Sri- Lankans, who had hoped to work in the United
States of America, are currently licking their wounds after they discovered that they had
been conned by Nigerian fraudsters.

Also, about eight of the Sri-Lankans are currently serving jail terms in their home country
for attempting to use forged passports and visas that emanated from Nigeria to travel to
the US.

Besides, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), in an attempt to get at
the bottom of the scam has beamed its searchlights on the Nigerian Immigration
Service to fish out two officials of the commission that allegedly aided the fraudsters in
their crime.

Saturday Punch learnt that the fraud started with a notice that was posted on the internet
by one John Franken, who was supposed to be the Executive Director of King Fishers,
Sea Food Charter, operating from Alaska USA.

The notice requested for people from Bagladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippine,
Algeria, Sri-Lanka, Malaysia, India among other countries, who could work as a lobster
parkers, Sea food labourers, parkers and delivery drivers.

An official of the EFCC told our correspondent that a Sri-Lankan, P.S Obali, got in touch
with Franken and later Atuegbu Kelvin, who told Obali that his people, would need to get
passports, Nigerian Visas, US visa among other documents. "The arrangement then
was that the people would first come to Nigeria before moving to US. And all these
documents cost $400 each," said the official.

It was learnt that at a point, it was agreed that the people would come in batches, "that
was how four came to Nigeria not too long ago. But they were arrested and detained for
15 days for using fake documents."

The fraudsters, however, managed to pacify Obali, and when Obali visited Nigeria,
another man, Stanley Atuegbu, who claimed to be the son of Kelvin, met him. It was then
agreed that visas would be acquired in Nigeria and sent back to Sri-Lanka. Also a
Nigerian Immigration official would go to Sri-Lanka to clear the people so that it would
seem that they were truly in Nigeria to get the visas.

"Obali agreed and arrangement were made to send 20 people in first batch while the
documents for the others would be undergoing processing. In all, there were 103
passports," an EFCC officials said.

The official added that two immigration officials based in Lagos and Abuja collected
money to clear the people in Sri-Lanka but failed to appear.

He continued that, however, the new arrangement with Obali fell through when eight
people Obali placed on an aircraft for onward journey to USA were arrested for using
forged documents. It was then that it dawned on Obali that he had been taken for a ride.

He subsequently came to Nigeria and contacted the EFCC, which arrested Atuegbu.
"We are still looking for Franken. But for now, we have managed to recover $35,892.81."

EFCC spokesman, Osita Nwaja said the investigation was continuing.
**********************************************

6 APR 2006
From the Nigerian newpaper The Daily Sun:

Court orders sale of 419 convict’s buildings

It was a double tragedy for a fleeing 419 convict in Lagos, as a court
ordered that his multi-million naira property be disposed of and the
proceeds given to his victim as restitution.

Bright Ezekuse was convicted eight years ago by Justice Eyamba
Idem of the Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal for defrauding a German
national, Marinder Bajwa, to the tune of 353,900 dollars in a hoax
business transaction.

Ezekuse has, however, evaded serving 15 years prison term, having
been granted questionable bail in 2000.

He was found in his house when the prosecution took steps to cost the
value of his building in Ikotun to raise money to pay the victim. Sensing
danger at the discovery of his presence in the country, Ezekuse
developed wings and has since not been seen. However, the judge,
who gave him the bail was sacked following a petition sent to the
National Judicial Council (NJC) by the complainant.

Justice Yetunde Idowu gave the order directing the deputy sheriff of the
court to dispose of the convict’s property located in Ikotun, Ejigbo and
Isolo areas of Lagos, following the applications by the prosecution and
the victim.

The applications, among others, sought the court’s order authorizing the
sale of Ezekuse’s buildings located at 16, Oludotun Shobunkola street,
Ikotun, valued at N5 million, a hotel complex at 56, Association Avenue,
Ikotun, valued at N52 million and the one at 35, Yusuff street, Ejigbo
valued at N4.5 million.

Before granting the order to sell the property, Justice Idowu took time to
review the history of the case and steps taken by her court to ensure
that justice was done to the parties involved.

To ensure that the course of justice was not sacrificed, the court
ordered that the defendant be served the substituted service, by
pasting the court processes on his house and through advertisement in
a national (daily) newspaper.

The judge also directed that a professional valuer be contracted, to
ensure proper and correct value of the property, listed in the suit.

But in order to stall the sale of the property, the defendant brought
application, which, among others, sought an order to stay the execution
of the consequential order for payment of restitution, through the sales
of his property as ordered by Justice Eyamba in the November 26,
1998, judgement.

Specifically, the defendant contended that he was not the owner of the
property listed in the suit.

However, the claimants insisted that the defendant had fully exercised
his right of appeal, which he lost in the Court of Appeal, which re-
affirmed his conviction and the 15-years sentence earlier passed on
him.

Besides, the claimants argued that efforts were made by the deputy
sheriff and the prosecution to ensure that defendant’s counsel
witnessed the sale of the property, but because of the defendant’s
status as a fugitive convict, nobody was willing to be associated with
him.

After reviewing the case, Justice Idowu dismissed Ezekuse’s
application seeking to perpetually stall the execution of the
consequential order of restitution, as contained in the judgement of the
Miscellaneous Offence Tribunal in 1998.

The trial judge noted that throughout the proceedings, the defendant did
not appear in court, adding that no reason was given for his absence.

Besides, the court also noted that no explanation was given for the
delay in bringing the application for stay of execution despite that it was
served on time.

Consequently, the court held that there must be an end to litigation.
"Courts are not to deprive a successful litigant the fruits of its success
and the machinery of justice is not to be used such as to amount to an
abuse of the process of court."

In her reaction to the judgment, victim’s representative, Freida Springer-
Beck, expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the trial.

She said: "though, it may be a bit late, the most important thing is that
justice has been done and of course, the message that Nigeria is no
longer a haven for fraudsters is also implied by the out come."

Here is a link to the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/crimewatch/2006/apr/06/crimewatch-06-04-2006-004.htm
**************************************

30 MAR 2006
From BBC News:

'Scammed by my internet lover'

Ghanaian Robert Adda, 35, told the BBC News website how he got
scammed on the internet while searching for love.

I was scammed two years ago, via the internet, by a woman I thought
was pushing me into love.

Initially she wasn't too ambitious to meet me. She just wanted to build a
friendship, it seemed and so we exchanged photographs and
communicated by email.

A few months went by and as time passed our intimacy increased. Not
a day went by without us being in contact.

I was single at the time and was looking to have a relationship.

Preyed upon

I didn't think it would lead to what it did. I believe that she preyed upon
my wish to find love.

She started talking to me about us being together, physically. She was
living in the US and I in Ghana. But I explained that I didn't have
immediate plans of travelling, and because I was working, it would be
difficult for me to travel any time soon.

She understood but then as time went by she started being pushy -
continuing to say that if I loved her then I would find a way to be with her
so that we could stay together.

She then introduced me to a programme called WRAHA which I think
she said stood for West African Refugee and Humanitarian Authority or
something like that.

Initially I objected. I didn't want to be a part of it. It was devious and
dishonest and purely, I really didn't want to travel abroad - that was my
major thing.

But as I discussed it with friends they encouraged me to try.

There were actually a lot of people who wanted to give it a go. Even
someone I know who had been previously been a victim to a similar
scam wanted to try.

Tricked

He told me that these matters were all down to luck and if you were
lucky then you would succeed.

For months afterwards I had to manage on very little money. I had to
use all my savings

We were not lucky, my friends and I.

We were tricked into making advance payments for emigrating to the
US.

We paid a number of fees ranging between $110 and $346 as our
applications progressed from one stage to the next.

Each time we were told that time was limited, because of deadlines,
and so there were only a few hours to get our payment through.

This deadline rush ended up being our trigger to suspect that
something was not right.

Disappointed

Sitting together and thinking and we all concluded that we'd been
scammed. My friends were disappointed, like me, but they were not
angry with me.

They knew that I was not the one who collected their money and they
knew that it had been a risk.

I never heard from my so-called friend in the US once I told her that it
was not going to be possible to continue making all the payments. That
was when our relationship came to an end.

I wonder if she ever even existed.

I was really disappointed in myself for having got involved in such
things. I couldn't be angry though. Instead I took as a lesson and put it
down to a bad experience.

For months afterwards I had to manage on very little money. I had to
use all my savings and start again from scratch.

If she actually existed and something more had happened then I would
have felt heartbroken, instead I felt as though someone had played with
me.

I am sorry that I allowed someone to play with me like that.

The reason these terrible scammers get away with their troublemaking
is because people are not satisfied with what they have.

Unfortunately, people's wish to travel abroad keeps these groups
going. I know some people who have fallen for these tricks not just once
but twice, even thrice.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4860864.stm

419 Coalition Note: Although part of this 419ers "tale" was
that she was a US resident, in reality she could have been
operating from anywhere. If there is Real evidence that
she was operating from the US, then this gent needs to
give it to the US Secret Service immediately and file
the necessary complaint.
**********************************************

24 MAR 2006
Here is a piece from consumeraffairs.com on the
recent arrests of 419ers in the Netherlands (see
news items for 23, 24, and 26 FEB below):

Feds Indict Four in Nigerian Advance-Fee Scam

Four people have been indicted on federal charges of running an "advance-fee"
scheme that targeted U.S. victims with promises of millions of dollars, including money
from an estate and from a lottery, according to federal prosecutors.

Three of the defendants named in the 11-count indictment -- two of whom were Nigerian
citizens residing in the Netherlands -- were arrested in Amsterdam by Dutch authorities
on February 21, 2006, based on a criminal complaint filed in the United States. They are
being held by the Dutch authorities pending extradition to the United States. The fourth
defendant, also a Nigerian citizen, is a fugitive.

The charges include one count of conspiracy, eight counts of wire fraud, one count of
mail fraud and one count of bank fraud, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney General
Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf of the
Eastern District of New York.

As part of a massive advance-fee scheme, the defendants allegedly sent spam e-mail
to thousands of potential victims in which they falsely claim to have control of millions of
dollars located in a foreign country that belongs to an individual with a terminal illness.

They are said to have then allegedly solicited the help of the potential victims to collect
and distribute the funds to charity.

In exchange for the victims' help, the defendants allegedly promised the victims a share
of a large inheritance, and inform the victims that they must pay a variety of advance
fees for legal representation, taxes or bogus documentation. After the victims wire-
transfer funds to pay the "required fees," the defendants do not deliver the funds as
promised. The victims lost more than $1.2 million.

"The defendants in this scheme allegedly fleeced many unsuspecting American victims
with promises of charitable contributions and personal riches," said Assistant Attorney
General Fisher. "We cannot allow these scam artists to prey on innocent victims in this
country, and we will work across the globe to knock out these fraudulent get-rich-quick
schemes."

"Global fraudsters need to know that we are determined to find and prosecute them,"
said U.S. Attorney Mauskopf. "Potential victims need to know that any email offering
millions of dollars that requires that they send money to receive this windfall is a
scheme. Delete it."

The investigation was initiated by Dutch authorities. After identifying victims in the United
States, Dutch authorities notified the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which opened its
own investigation. Dutch authorities, as part of "Operation Dutch Treat," arrested three of
the defendants on a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York.

The maximum penalty for mail and wire fraud is 20 years in prison, and the maximum
sentence for bank fraud is 30 years in prison. The conspiracy charge carries a
maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/03/us_nigerian_scam.html
***********************************************

23 MAR 2006
Here is a piece from IDG News which appeared in infoworld.com on
the US indictiments of the four recently arrested Dutch based 419ers:

New York City grand jury return 10 and 11-count indictments against four in Nigerian e-
mail scam

By Grant Gross

Four people have been indicted and could face 30 years in prison for a variation on a
popular scam in which e-mail senders claim they're trying to transfer money out of
Nigeria, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

A grand jury in New York City on Wednesday returned a 10-count indictment against
three of the defendants and an 11-count indictment against the fourth. Alleged victims of
the four individuals lost more than $1.2 million, the DOJ said.

Three of the defendants were arrested in Amsterdam by Dutch authorities on Feb. 21,
based on a U.S. criminal complaint. They are being held by the Dutch authorities
pending extradition to the U.S., the DOJ said. The fourth defendant, a Nigerian citizen, is
a fugitive.

The four are Nnamdi Chizuba Anisiobi, also known as Yellowman, Abdul Rahman,
Helmut Schkinger, Nancy White, and other aliases; Anthony Friday Ehis, also known as
John J. Smith, Toni N. Amokwu and Mr. T; Kesandu Egwuonwu, also known as KeKe,
Joey Martin Maxwell, and David Mark; and an unnamed defendant known as Eric
Williams, Lee, Chucks and Nago.

The four are charged with one count of conspiracy, eight counts of wire fraud and one
count of mail fraud. Anisiobi is also charged with one count of bank fraud.

The defendants allegedly sent spam e-mail messages to thousands of potential
victims, and they falsely claimed to have control of millions of dollars located in a
foreign country that belongs to an individual with a terminal illness, DOJ said.

These aren't the first charges in the e-mail advance-fee scam, popular with Nigerian
criminals. In January 2004, Dutch police arrested 52 people allegedly involved in
Nigerian e-mail and related scams, and in May 2002, South African police arrested six
people on related charges. U.S. authorities have also brought charges against other
Nigerian scammers.

The defendants allegedly solicited the help of the potential victims to collect and
distribute the funds to charity. In exchange for the victims' help, the defendants promised
the victims a share of the large inheritance, but told victims they must pay advance fees
for legal representation, taxes or bogus documentation.

After the victims wire transferred funds to pay the "required fees," the defendants did not
deliver the funds as promised, DOJ said.

"Global fraudsters need to know that we are determined to find and prosecute them,"
U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf of the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.
"Potential victims need to know that any e-mail offering millions of dollars that requires
that they send money to receive this windfall is a scheme. Delete it."

Here is a link to the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/03/23/76750_HNnigerianscamindictments_1.html
********************************************

21 MAR 2006
From the MetroWest Daily News, Framingham,
Massachussetts:

Toying with scam artists
By Andrew J. Manuse

A Framingham-based software engineer decided to play along with
some Nigerians who were attempting to steal his money, and released
a report yesterday detailing his experience.

"If you've had an e-mail account for even a short period of time, there's
an excellent chance that you've received at least one spam message
that's (known as) a 419 (Nigerian) scam message," wrote Michael
Lamont, a senior software engineer for Process Software LLC in his
report, "Exposing Nigerian Email Scams."

The 419 scam is named after a Nigerian law that addresses this type of
scheme, prevalent in the poverty-stricken West African nation. The
unsolicited e-mail messages usually come from an alleged Nigerian
"official" who "urgently" needs to unload his millions, and promises
recipients a cut of the spoils if they provide safe haven in their bank
account.

They actually come from "serious criminals" who are usually in Nigeria
and try to get gullible Westerners, often senior citizens, to send them
money "when they're not otherwise engaged in murder, kidnap, narco-
trafficking and armed robbery," the report says. They may also have
ties to criminal organizations closer to home, it says.

"I was personally curious what these guys do," Lamont said yesterday.
"The main thing I wanted to accomplish was to educate people."

Process Software also makes anti-spam software, called PreciseMail
Anti-Spam Gateway, which blocks 419 messages.

Lamont, who responded to several 419 scam e-mails using the alias
"Michael Hawk," said the e-mail form of the scam dates back about 10
years. The "advance fee scam" is also detailed on the U.S. Secret
Service's Web site, and can be traced back to even earlier times in fax
and regular mail form.

The Nigerian scammers send forged bank documents and other
identification to build trust, most recently via e-mail. Then they ask the
victim to send their bank account numbers, not to steal money, but to
make sure they have a willing victim on the other end, said Lamont, who
tested the idea by sending fake bank numbers. His Nigerian
"benefactor" did not flinch, he said.

Then they ask for several thous