Nigeria - 419 Coalition 2010 News on Nigerian Scam / 419 
Operations

28 JUL 2010
CNN has been showing all morning a piece describing scammers
who are using real photos of alive and dead US servicemen on internet
dating and romance sites, along with fake profiles to accompany the
real photos, to defraud women.  Buried in the piece, it mentions that
many of the scammers are from 'West Africa".  Let's see, these are
cases of Advance Fee Fraud, and many orginate from West Africa,
that by definition makes them 419 Advance Fee Fraud - although
CNN does not use the proper term for this, which is Romance 419.
Romance 419 is nothing new, of course, been around for many years.
It is an uptick of Romance 419ers use of photos of dead and alive
US servicemen that has apparently gotten the attention of the media,
though the use of such photos is not new either.  Nevertheless, we
at 419 Coalition are grateful to CNN for getting the story out there
in a Big Way - Thanks CNN.

Here is the URL to the video of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/07/28/am.boudreau.army.impersonators.cnn?iref=allsearch
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27 JUL 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper, The Punch:

US to help Nigeria fight cybercrime 

Dayo Oketola 

The United States of America has offered to help Nigeria to tackle cybercrime in the country 
owing to its embarrassing high rate and negative impact on the country's image. 

The Acting Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Bashir 
Gwandu, who spoke with our correspondent over the weekend, noted that the commission 
met with representatives of the US government two weeks ago and a deal to train selected 
Nigerian officials on how to curb the menace was struck. 

He said, "Cybercrimes are still widely being committed on the Internet and Nigeria's name is 
being spoilt every day. To address this problem, I have discussed and got full cooperation 
from the US government to train our people in dealing with cybercrimes. I had a meeting with 
representatives of the American government and we concluded on the matter. They will 
support us." 

Gwandu also said the NCC would encourage Internet Service Providers in the country to buy 
Internet Protocol blocks from indigenous providers to help curb the ugly menace. According 
to him, many of the cybercrimes were not even committed in Nigeria but because the country 
cannot monitor activities by the ISPs, it is often held liable for many cybercrimes 

He said, "Not until we have ISPs getting their IP blocks from indigenous providers like 
Afrilink, it becomes very difficult to trace them. If an ISP gets its IP block from America or 
Isreal, how do you know where they are and what they do? We will talk to operators to ensure 
that they get their IP blocks, going forward, from Afrilink, so we can trace illicit activities on the 
Internet." 

Meanwhile, a report by the Internet Crime Complaint Centre, in February, named Nigeria as 
number three in the world and the top African nation in the US agency's cybercrime rankings. 

The ranking means that Nigeria has the highest number of cybercrime incidents in Africa and 
is right behind the US and the United Kingdom, which have larger populations. 

The publicity surrounding Nigerian cybercrime, according to the report, is raising fears that 
the country may face a slowdown in international investment in the telecom as well as the 
financial sectors. 

As more Africans use the Internet for their banking needs, the number of fraudsters eyeing 
people's bank accounts and online financial transactions have also multiplied. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimated that Nigeria had lost millions of 
dollars through cybercrime. 

The Federal Government had issued warnings about the vulnerability of the country's ICT 
infrastructure to cyberattacks. Following the warnings, the government had indicated that it 
wanted to work with other African countries to increase warning and decision time on 
cybercrimes. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes representative, Dagmar Thomas, who 
spoke at the recent conference of African leaders meeting in Nigeria, was quoted as saying 
there was need to get both the Nigerian government and nongovernmental organisations to 
back the fight against cybercrime and eradicate it. 

Thomas said there was need for political awareness, multilateral cooperation, and 
commitment to build capacity for scalable and sustainable solutions. 

The Chairman, Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri, 
had said that anticrime measures put in place by the Federal Government had already 
blocked scams that would have fleeced users of an estimated $500m. 

She said, "By working with vendors like Microsoft, several e-mail scams have been stopped. 
Microsoft has also helped launch a song, composed by prominent Nigerian musicians, 
aimed at fighting the menace of cybercrime." 

419 Coalition note:  We've been reading pretty much this same article
since the late 1990's it seems (page back through past news years on
the site if so inclined).  Sometimes something does seem to get briefly
accomplished by these "cooperations" but mostly not - as most would
agree, it as been business as usual for the 419ers fort decades now,
the Nigerian government's claims of controlling 419 notwithstanding.
And in terms of the Nigerian Government seeking out NGO's to cooperate
with them in counter-419 operations, let us say right here that neither the
419 Coalition's phone, nor the phone of any other counter-419 NGO 
that we know of has been exactly ringing off the hook with calls in from the 
Government of Nigeria - Ever  :)  Who knows, maybe this time things will 
be different, and this latest US - NIgerian cooperation and outreach to 
counter-419 NGO's will actually produce some tangible results.  Hope 
springs eternal  :)

Here is an URL for the article for as long as it is good:
http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jul/27/816.html
***************************************************

9 JUL 2010
From the online Nigerian news site, The Will brought to our
attention by our friends at Ultrascan AGI:

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned a Nigerian, Mr. 
George Nwokonko, 48, before a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly 
defrauding Mr. Parkin Ali, a German national of the sum of $904,550. The accused was 
arraigned on a 6 -count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery. 

Nwokonko pleaded not guilty to the 6- count charge when it was read to him. However, 
Nwokonko’s counsel attempt to move for bail was vehemently opposed by counsel to 
EFCC, George Adebola who said he was statutorily entitled to time to respond. The trial 
judge, Justice L. A. Okunnu ruled that EFCC counsel was entitled to time to respond to the 
bail application and, consequently adjourned the matter to July 13 for ruling while fixing 22/23 
September 2010 for trial. The judge also ordered that the accused person be remanded in 
Kirikiri prison. 

Nemesis caught up with Nwokonko when on September 10, 2008, EFCC received a petition 
from Mrs Frieda Springer-Beck on behalf of Mr. Pakbin Ali. The petitioner alleged that 
George Nwokonko and others defrauded Pakbin Ali of about $1 million in a scam in 1995. 
She added that though the matter had been investigated in the past by the Special Fraud 
Unit of the Nigeria Police, nothing concrete was achieved. EFCC operatives then went into 
action.

Investigation shows that sometime in 1995, George Nwokonko and two others at large had a 
business discussion with Ali Pabkin at No. 4 Oweh Street Yaba, Lagos to supply chemicals 
to the complainant for the sum of $150,000 which they never did but collected the money from 
the complainant in 4 installments of $60,000, $45,000, $25,000 and $20,000. 

In a similar development, EFCC also arraigned one Folayemi Oloye at the Ikeja High Court 
presided over by Justice L. A. Okunnu for obtaining money by false pretence. Oloye was 
arraigned on a 10-count charge of obtaining $133,000 from Nousshin Hart under false 
pretence. Oloye, alias Cole Whannel claimed that the money represents fees for storage, 
shipping charges and taxes for exportation of coconut for Bio fuel to the United States of 
America. 

In a petition by Ronald Nolan, a legal attaché of United States Consulate on behalf of one Dr. 
Nousshin Izadifor Hart of Houston, Texas, Oloye was said to have fraudulently obtained the 
sum of $133,000 under the pretence that the money would be used to export coconut to 
America for Bio Fuel which he never did. 

Oloye and Izadifor Hart, a Radiation Oncologist met online through a dating service called e- 
harmony that matches single men and women based on compatibility. Oloye was introduced 
to Hart as a 49- year old, Mechanical Engineer and widower based in Houston, who lost his 
wife some years ago. In the course of their interaction, the suspect informed the complainant 
that he has a company and was in Nigeria seeking to purchase raw coconut to be used in 
the US as bio-fuel. He claimed he needed money and had no access to his account in the 
US, and was basically stuck in Nigeria. Persuaded by the love she had for Oloye, Hart wired 
$133,000 to him at different times.

But Oloye pleaded not guilty to the 10 count charges July 7. Justice Akunnu, has fixed ruling 
on the bail application for 19 July while ordering that the accused be remanded in prison 
custody.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://thewillnigeria.com/business/5144-EFCC-Docks-Nigerians-For-Swindling-German-American.html

419 Coalition comment:  Congratulations and thanks to Frieda Springer-Beck 
for orchestrating the attention of the EFCC to this matter, and to the EFCC for
taking action.  We trust that the EFCC will also move rapidly to locate and
freeze the assets of the alleged 419er for the duration of the legal proceeds 
against him, with the view of promptly reimbursing the victims for their losses 
should the alleged 419er be convicted.  In another such case, the Odiawa
case, in which the 419er was convicted Years ago, the victim has yet to
receive a dime of recovered and repatriated funds.... that sort of thing
simply must cease should the EFCC wish to regain credibility with the
counter-419 community...  convicted 419ers must not be allowed to hide
their assets - they must have their assets quickly and efficiently stripped 
and liquidated, and the recovered funds and assets repatriated to their
victims promptly.
****************************

7 JUL 2010
From the Connecticut Post, Bridgeport, sent in by a friend of
419 Coalition:

Nigerian scammer's sentencing delayed

Michael P. Mayko, Staff Writer

BRIDGEPORT -- A federal judge Wednesday postponed the sentencing of a Nigerian e-
mail scammer after determining she needed more information regardng ccccczcccathe 65 mostly 
elderly victims from whom the prosecution claims he helped grab more than $2.5 million.

U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall delayed Okpako Mike Diamreyan's sentencing until Sept. 1. 
In the meantime, she ordered Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang to provide more 
detailed information on the loss amount victims sustained after their first known contact with 
the defendant. Additionally, she asked for evidence detailing what the government 
determined the words "old work" and "new or fresh work" meant in e-mails Diamreyan sent to 
fellow scammers.

Chang, over the objection of Jonathan Einhorn, Diamreyan's court-appointed lawyer, 
contends that "old work" refers to individuals who previously sent money to scammers and 
could be victimized again. The prosecutor added that many of the people victimized are 
senior citizens.

Diamreyan, a native Nigerian, constitutes a rare breed. He is the only person caught and 
convicted in Connecticut in the past two decades for involvement in advance fee scams, 
known as the 419 scam. It's named after a section of the Nigerian criminal code. 

A federal jury convicted him earlier this year on three wire fraud charges all involving Michael 
Panedelos, a 78-year-old Shelton man.

Panedelos transferred at least $72,987 between October 2004 and June 2007 to schemes 
involving Diamreyan and others, according to court documents.

Chang told the judge Diamreyan boasted he and his team were clearing "$5 million a year."

"It sounds to me like every scam that originated in Nigeria or Ghana is being laid at this 
defendant's feet," Einhorn argued.

E-mails seized by Richard Lauria and Christopher Mehring of the Defense Criminal 
Investigative Services disclose that Diamreyan has portrayed himself as government 
secretary, a doctor, an airport director, a diplomat and even a prince in the schemes. 

They offer to share millions in oil contracts, inheritances or boxes of stolen money. All the 
victim has to do is provide upfront fees to help process the movement. Except after the initial 
payment is made, the fee request never end. There's money needed for transportation, 
lawyers, documents, custom costs and more.

DCIS became involved because one of the scams involved money allegedly stolen by U.S. 
soldiers in Iraq. 

That scam victimized Richard D. Smith, an 82-year-old Colorado resident to the tune of 
$72,987, according to the DCIS investigation.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Nigerian-scammer-s-sentencing-delayed-568320.php

Scroll down to 5 JUL 2010 and 3 MAY 2010 for more info on this case.
*****************************************************

5 JUL 2010
From 1010 WINS radio, New York, sent in by a friend 
of 419 Coalition:

Nigerian Citizen Faces Sentencing for Wire Fraud in Bridgeport

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP/1010 WINS)  -- A Nigerian citizen faces sentencing for a scheme 
in which authorities say he promised millions to his victims in return for advance fees to help 
transfer the money to the United States.

Okpako Mike Diamreyan is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in federal court in 
Bridgeport after he was convicted of three counts of wire fraud in February.

Prosecutors say the 31-year-old Diamreyan should be sentenced to more than 12 to 15 
years in prison. They say he and his accomplices ripped off 67 victims around the world, 
most of them older people. Prosecutors say many victims suffered losses of hundreds of 
thousands of dollars.

But Diamreyan's attorney said there was no proof Diamreyan caused the losses, except for 
four people involving about $30,000.
 
Here is the URL of the story for as long as it is good:
http://www.1010wins.com/Nigerian-Faces-Sentencing-for-Wire-Fraud-in-Bridge/7617771

[For more history on this case scroll down to 3 MAY 2010 News]
*************************************

24 JUN 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper Daily Sun:

Super crook: Convict serving jail term inside Kirikiri dupes banker N12m 

By MATTHEW DIKE 

A prisoner, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, 
(EFCC) and sentenced to 15 years inprisonment in 2008 over advance fee fraud related 
offences (aka ‘419’), has defrauded a banker of N12million from his cell at the Kirikiri 
Maximum Prison, Lagos. 

The prisoner, Ikechuwku Ogbu (alias Prince Eze), investigations reveal, created a 419 
syndicate from inside the inner recesses of the prison, with which he had been duping 
unsuspecting members of the public. His forte is what is known in advance fee fraud as love 
scam. He advertised himself as an eligible bachelor who desperately needs a wife. 

Those who responded to adverts, ended up adding to the long list of his victims. However, 
the riddle which EFCC operatives are trying to resolve is how a prisoner managed to place 
an advertorial in the love links page of the Vanguard Newspapers of March 7, 2009. In the 
advertorial, Ogbu wrote: “I am Prince Eze, 46, from Anambra State, live in Lagos. Genotype 
AA, Blood Group 0 needs a working class business lady between 39-45 to settle down with 
on 07057928637 or 07085350598. Several women that were desperately looking for husband 
called these numbers. 

One of them is a lady, who works with the National Assembly in Abuja. After making contacts 
with her proposed spouse, she flew to Lagos, to ensure that others didn’t beat her to her 
prospective husband. 

She received the shock of her life when she landed at the domestic wing of the Murtala 
Muhammed Airport, Ikeja and no one was there to pick her. 

This prompted her to call Ogbu, who now told her that he wained in Kirikiri 
Prison by the EFCC over money laundering matters, whereas he is serving a jail term. He 
told the woman to come over to the prison to meet him. She did. On getting to the prison yard, 
she was accorded VIP treatment by the warders and this gave her the impression that Ogbu 
was an influential personality who was detained over a minor issue. 

When Ogbu finally met her, he told the lady that theirs was love at first sight. He painted the 
picture of a blissful marital experience for the couple once he gets out of prison. The woman 
couldn’t believe her luck for getting a husband, a rich one at that, so cheap. While the woman 
was thanking God, Ogbu moved to the next stage of his plan to pull off a massive scam. He 
told her that he was a drug baron and that someone was sending $25 million to him from the 
United States, but that he was afraid of lodging the money in his own account for fear that it 
could be seized by EFCC. 

The woman fell for the bait, and suddenly made it her business to look for an account for the 
fraudster. Instead of returning to her station in Abuja, she flew to Port-Harcourt to meet her 
brother-in-law, a manager with one of the new generation banks and told him about the 
business. The banker immediately flew to Lagos and met Ogbu. And the story changed. He 
said the person bringing the money from the US said he would not release it until he came 
out of prison. 

The challenge now was for the banker to arrange his release which, supposedly entails 
bribing key officials of the prison service and the EFCC as well as the judge. He gave the 
bankers number to fake EFCC officials who were members of the syndicate. 

They started calling the banker, demanding for all sorts of money (in millions). And he paid. 
At the end of the day, he lost over N12million to the fraudsters, yet Ogbu was not released 
neither was any payment in dollars received. 

At this juncture, he realized that he had been fleeced and reported to the EFCC. The 
commission’s investigations revealed that Ogbu lives like a king in Kirikiri Prison. Although 
he was not supposed to have access to telephone, five cell phones were recovered from the 
unrepentant prisoner when EFCC stormed the prison last Thursday, June17. It was also 
discovered that he had been receiving huge sums of money in the presence of warders. 

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/june/24/national-24-06-2010-003.htm
*********************************************

16 JUN 2010  
From Haaretz.com Israel:

Court: Israelis suspected in 'Nigerian scam' can be extradited to U.S. 

Seven Israelis are suspected of scamming tens of millions of dollars from U.S. pensioners in 
a so-called Nigerian scam over the course of four years. 

By Liel Kyzer and Haaretz Service 

The seven Israelis suspected of scamming tens of millions of dollars from U.S. pensioners in 
a so-called "Nigerian scam" can be extradited to the United States to face trial there, the 
Jerusalem District Court ruled on Wednesday. 

The seven, arrested by Tel Aviv police in July 2009, have been charged by American 
prosecutors for a serious of legal violations, including conspiracy to commit fraud. Some of 
the defendants also face money laundering charges. 

The defendants are suspected of building a sophisticated crime network to defraud elderly 
American pensioners. Over four years, the network netted tens of millions of dollars in ill-
gotten gains. 

The defendants, all in their 20s and 30s, allegedly phoned American pensioners, told them 
they had won the lottery and asked them for a fee of several thousand dollars for the transfer 
of the prize money, which in fact never existed. 

The investigation that uncovered the network was conducted in conjunction between Israeli 
and U.S. law enforcement agencies. 

Here is the URL of the piece for as long as it is good:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/court-israelis-suspected-in-nigerian-scam-can-be-
extradited-to-u-s-1.296597

419 Coalition Note:  419 Advance Fee Fraud (419) is defined as Advance
Fee Fraud with a West African (primarily Nigerian) connection.  While the
above case is certainly Advance Fee Fraud, it is unclear from the article
whether there was a West African involvement or not.  If so, it is indeed
Lottery 419, if not, it is indeed Lottery Advance Fee Fraud, but not 419.

We post this story here, since there are comments being made on
Nigeria-centric sites blaming Israelis for the 419 problem, like these 
two from the NaijaIntellects google group:  Israelis use Nigerian identity 
to 419 Americans!" and "I always knew they were the ones behind some 
of the 419 frauds." 

This gives us a good opportunity to clarify, once again, what is 419
AFF and what is not, and unless this case does indeed have a Nigerian
or West African connection, it is Not, by definition, 419 Fraud.  In short.
folks need  to realize that while All 419 is Advance Fee Fraud, All Advance
Fee Fraud is NOT 419.
********************************************

26 MAY 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper The Punch:

EFCC raises special team to probe 'ill-gotten' properties 

by Emma Anya 

A special team has been constituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to 
investigate properties and assets whose owners cannot explain how they acquired them. 

The commission's Chan, M. Farida Waziri, who made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, 
also flayed multinational companies for encouraging and deepening corruption in Nigeria in 
their bids to win huge contracts. 

However, Waziri neither disclosed when the team was constituted nor its membership; but 
she explained that it (team) was a part of the intensified efforts of the agency to stem 
"corruption and money laundering in the country." 

She spoke when Senator Smart Adeyemi visited her at the EFCC head office in Abuja. 

A statement by the anti-graft commission's Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Babafemi, 
after Adeyemi's visit, quoted Waziri as having stressed the need for the passage of the 
EFCC Asset Forfeiture and the Freedom of Information bills by the National Assembly to rev 
up the war against graft in the country. 

The commission's boss said, "While we expect the passage of our asset forfeiture bill by the 
National Assembly, we have decided to make use of Section 7 of the EFCC Establishment 
Act to go for the assets of the corrupt. 

"As a result, I have just constituted a team that will, henceforth, go out to identify properties 
which means of acquisition cannot be explained by their owners. We promise they will forfeit 
them to government." 

Section 7 (1b) of the EFCC Act states that the commission has the power to "cause 
investigation to be conducted into properties of any person if it appears to the commission 
that the person's life style and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of 
income." 

Waziri said that the level of corruption in Nigeria and the urgent need to develop the country 
deserved drastic actions. 

She said, "This is why it is expedient for the National Assembly to reconsider and pass our 
assets forfeiture bill, the freedom of information bill and other pending bills that will aid the 
fight against corruption in our country. 

"Fighting corruption needs drastic actions and here at the EFCC, we have been trying to do 
something." 

She "bemoaned the situation where multi-national firms encouraged corruption in Nigeria 
through bribes in their bid to win huge contracts." 

According to her, "Nigeria has suffered a lot in the hands of some of these conglomerates 
who use the excuse that Nigeria is a corrupt country to perpetuate same by offering bribes 
before contracts are awarded." 

She reminded such firms that "both the givers and receivers of bribes are guilty and must 
answer charges." 

She inferred to the multi-million dollar bribery scandals involving American and German 
multinationals, Halliburton and Siemens. 

Some former top Nigerian government officials fingered in the United States and Germany 
for receiving bribes from the companies to facilitate the awards contracts to them in Nigeria 
are being interrogated by the EFCC. 

Waziri hinted that the scope of investigations into the Siemens scam was being expanded as 
some past managing directors of Power Holding Company of Nigeria and Nigerian 
Telecommunications, would soon be invited for questioning. 

Responding, Adeyemi said his visit was to commend the commission for its commitment to 
the war against corruption and to also exchange views with Waziri on issues bordering on 
good governance. 

He said that the Senate was disturbed by the level of corruption in the country. 

The senator said, "As our nation is going to be 50 years as an independent nation on 
October 1, 2010, it is time to take stock. You (Waziri) should count yourself privileged that you 
are part of history to make a turning point for Nigeria. 

"We should not let this opportunity to make history positively to slip away from us." 

Adeyemi promised to contribute towards the passage of the Asset Forfeiture and the 
Freedom of Information bills, 

The senator also lamented that "in spite of the abundant natural resources in the country, 
there is so much unexplained poverty caused by corruption." 

He said, "All over the land, you see our girls that are into prostitution and our youths 
wallowing in joblessness despite our abundant resources. This is because there are many 
people in government who are not supposed to be there. They loot public treasury with 
impunity and allow the generality of the people suffer.

Here is the URL of a press notice on the EFCC website that also covers
this news:
http://efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=931&Itemid=34

419 Coaltion comment:  In terms of 419 matters, this all sounds very positive, and we
would Hope that this means aggressive seizure of 419er assets and repatriation of
funds to victims of 419.  The EFCC constently states that it has seized huge amounts
of 419er assets and monies to date already, but the repatriation of funds rate is
dismally slow, even in cases where the 419er has been convicted and is in jail.
like the Odiawa case.  From the victims of 419 view, it does them no good 
whatever if the EFCC seizes 419er assets and funds and then does not
repatriate them promptly (if ever).  An occasional victim has been heard to
mutter in such cases, that unrepatriated seized 419er funds merely amount
to the effective equivalent of one thief being exchanged for another....  that
certainly is not a public image the EFCC wants to project, we are sure......
***********************************************

25 MAY 2010
There is an interesting essay on the Nigeriaworld website written by
Mr. Alfred Obiora Uzokwe, a Nigerian expat Civil Engineer who has 
lived in the US since 1987.  Mr. Uzokwe is a frequent columnist on the
Nigeriaworld website, which features Nigerian news, discussion,
and analysis on matters concerning Nigeria.  His article is titled
 "Beware - 419ers Still on the Prowl"

Here the the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/uzokwe/052510.html
*************************************************

20 MAY 2010
From The State (newspaper , Columbia, South Carolina, sent in
by a friend of 419 Coalition:

Rental scam hits Columbia

FBI says "Nigerians utilizing Craigslist" to cheat people

By KRISTY EPPLEY RUPON -  krupon@thestate.com  Buzz up!

Summer Bennett was looking for a rental home in Columbia this week. Instead, she found 
what is believed to be a Nigerian scam that officials say is running rampant through South 
Carolina and has caught the attention of the FBI.

Bennett spotted two ads on Craigslist for nice homes in good school districts that were 
renting for about $700 a month, utilities included. Both people listing the ads sent her nearly 
identical e-mails, saying they had to go out of the country and they would send her a key and 
leasing documents - after she wired them a $500 deposit to Nigeria.

Bennett didn't fall for the scam, but others have, real estate officials and consumer advocates 
said. And the problem that started in Hilton Head Island last year is now affecting all areas of 
the state and is growing as scammers take advantage of a down economy, they said.

"They're getting more sophisticated. It’s harder and harder just on the face of it to realize 
they're con artists," said Byron King, general counsel for the S.C. Realtors trade group, which 
has provided information about the scam to the FBI.

The FBI issued a warning about the scam last year, advising homeowners to be cautious "of 
a new scheme being perpetrated by Nigerians utilizing Craigslist." But the federal agency 
won’t open an investigation until the amount of money stolen reaches a certain threshold, 
investigators have said. 

Wendy Dufford, an FBI analyst, said the number of complaints about the housing scam 
nationwide declined slightly after the FBI’s warning but has been rising this year. She did not 
have S.C. statistics Wednesday.

The scammers copy advertisements for actual homes that are for sale or rent and lure 
renters with discounted offers. The hucksters then flee with deposit money and often 
personal information from a rental application. 

In the past year, they have increased the rents to make them more believable, King said. 
Gone are the days of ads to rent a six-bedroom beachfront house on Hilton Head Island for 
$500 a month, he said.

The problem got so bad along the coast last summer that renters were surprising 
homeowners by showing up with boxes and suitcases ready to move in, thinking they had 
legitimately rented the home, said Brandolyn Pinkston, executive director of the S.C. 
Department of Consumer Affairs.

The economic meltdown has helped spread the scam, she said. 

"(Potential renters) are thinking that the home prices have dropped, which creates these too 
good to be true rents," she said.

In Bennett’s case, she became suspicious after getting the second e-mail and Googled the 
address. She called Columbia real estate agent Lisa Davey, who had her property listed for 
rent on Zillow.com for $1,300.

Davey said she received about half a dozen calls Tuesday and Wednesday from people 
who suspected the Craigslist ad was a scam. She contacted the site to have it removed and 
also filed a report with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

"They stole it from my ad," she said. "They just cut and paste it with my pictures of my house. 
What concerns me is who is sending money. There’s nothing I can do other than try to get the 
word out. Homeowners need to be aware of it."

One of the e-mail responses to Bennett from the Craigslist posters was written in imperfect 
English by someone claiming to be a pastor who had to go to Nigeria for work and didn’t 
have time to find someone to handle renting the house for him. 

"There is no landlord in Nigeria who has a cute three-bedroom house for rent in Columbia", 
Pinkston said.

Davey said it is not unheard of for people who are not from the area to rent a home without 
seeing it first because they want to save money on travel expenses. But she always speaks 
directly with them on the phone and does not encourage the practice.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.thestate.com/2010/05/20/1294760/rental-scam-hits-columbia.html
***************************************************

3 MAY 2010
From the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, CT) brought to our atttention by
Ultrascan AGI:

Nigerian scams still net victims

Michael P. Mayko, STAFF WRITER

Over the years, Mike Okpako has been a secretary, a doctor, an airport director, a diplomat 
and even a prince.

Now he has a new title, convicted scammer, courtesy of a federal jury.

Okpako, whose birth name is Okpako Mike Diamreyan, is one of those people, according to 
investigators, responsible for sending those annoying, grammatically incorrect, misspelled 
e-mails that clutter your computer. The e-mails plead for your help in moving millions from an 
African bank, company, custom office or warehouse into your bank account.

All you have to do is pay a few thousand up front in "document fees."

Unfortunately, for 52 people, the only money that moved was $1,306,533 from their wallets to 
his operation, according to a federal court document compiled by investigators.

Diamreyan's take of the $1.3 million was $68,681, the document states.

More importantly, Diamreyan is the rare breed. He is the only person caught and convicted, 
at least in Connecticut, during the past two decades for involvement in advance fee scams, 
more commonly known as a 419 Scam. It's named after a section of the Nigerian Penal Code 
that criminalizes these acts.

Diamreyan now faces a Friday sentencing before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall for his 
conviction on three counts of wire fraud all involving an elderly Shelton resident. Each of the 
charges carries a maximum 10 years in prison followed by deportation and restitution.

The ship is not coming in

Henry Schissler, who teaches sociology and criminology at Housatonic Community College 
in Bridgeport and Quinnipiac University in Hamden, labeled this conviction as "awesome" 
and "a feather" in Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang's cap. But he believes Hall should 
send a strong message with a severe sentence.

"One message certainly is not enough, but it is a start," he said. "It's not going to be a magic 
wand. But it will cause someone to pause and think maybe I'm not really that safe."

By no means is Diamreyan working alone.

In Internet cafes in Africa, scammers routinely fire off e-mails from their laptops. The 
scammers know the believers, or suckers, are out there. It's just a matter of locating them. 
And there are many. Since the 1970s, it's estimated victims lost more than $41 billion 
worldwide to these scams. 

Despite the global economic collapse, last year was the scammers' best year. Victims 
handed more than $9.3 billion, up $3 billion from 2008, according to Ultrascan Advance 
Global Relations, a Dutch-based criminal research association. The biggest losers? 
Americans, who lost $2.1 billion in 2009.

"That's astonishing," said Rachel Ranis, an adjunct professor of sociology at Quinnipiac 
University, when told of the numbers. "It's just crazy that people would allow themselves to fall 
for this. But they prey on ignorance, the elderly and good, old-fashioned American greed; 
people want to believe their ship is coming in."

Ultrascan warns 2010 could be even bigger as scammers turn their attention to the emerging 
market nations like China, India, South Korea and Vietnam where prosperity is growing. 
While Nigeria may be the birthplace, Ultrascan uncovered teams working in 69 other 
countries.

The `sucker list'

The scammer teams, according to Supervisory Special Agent Charles Pavelites of the FBI's 
Internet Crime Complaint Center, include an organizer who manages the operation, people 
who write the spam as well as any malware or virus attached to it. Others send out e-mails 
and play the roles. Runners pick up the money and a person collects the funds and arranges 
for its transportation.

He said once a person is victimized their name lands on "a sucker list," which can be traded 
among groups.

Lately, Pavelites said, the scammers are asking money to be sent to places like England, 
Canada and even within the U.S. because victims will "feel more comfortable then sending 
money there than to Nigeria."

The schemes involve "anything that gets attention." He recalls scams related to Hurricane 
Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti and anticipates one involving the Louisiana oil spill. There 
are tax rebate scams, work-at-home scams, re-shipping scams and escrow scams -- all 
requiring advance fees. 

"As long as people are making money and feeling no fear of prosecution, why would they 
stop?" said Ranis, the sociology professor. "All you need is a letter, an e-mail list and a send 
button. Send out 100,000 requests get one or two bites and you're in business."

HOW ONE SCAM WORKED

Not much is known about Diamreyan's background. His visa papers claim he was born in 
Warri, Nigeria, on March 19, 1978. He attended Prestige Gateway Academy in Accra, Ghana, 
where he lived until coming to the U.S. in 2008 to marry Martine Janvier in Massachusetts. He 
has parents and siblings in Africa.

His actions caught the attention of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service. On July 
31, 2009, agents had his belongings inspected at Boston's Logan Airport upon his return from 
Africa. Michael Carbone, an agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, found cell 
phones, SIM cards and a thumb drive which provided evidence for the prosecution. 

It also gave Richard Lauria and Chris Mehring of DCIS evidence to secure a search warrant 
for Diamreyan's apartment in Mattapan, Mass.

The e-mails they obtained indicate Diamreyan enlisted help from relatives and friends to 
work the scams.

SHELTON FAMILY LOSES $71,587

Three senior citizens felt the sting of the scams, according to Chang.

Michael Pandelos, a retired international exporter from Shelton lost $71,587; Richard D. 
Smith, a retired heavy equipment operator from Colorado lost about $59,695 and Mitchell 
Bender, a retired music teacher from Virginia, lost $51,835.

But all Chang needed to convict Diamreyan on the three wire fraud charges were a phone 
call from Ghana to Pandelos and two payments totaling $150 wired from Pandelos to 
Diamreyan, all of which occurred in Connecticut in August 2009.

Pandelos, who has suffered two strokes, the last of which left him with a short-term memory 
problem, did not testify at Diamreyan's trial.

But Antje Pandelos, his wife, did.

Chang asked her why they stopped sending money.

"Because ... we were broke ... we just didn't have anymore money," she testified. "I said 
enough, enough. I have not seen any results from anything."

Still Antje. Pandelos said the scammers kept writing and calling.

"So we disconnected the e-mail. We disconnected the phone lines, everything, so they could 
not contact us anymore ... I have no more computer."

Antje Pandelos angrily recalls the days of e-mails filling their computer; phone calls ringing 
early in the morning, interrupting lunch and dinner before stopping around midnight and the 
numerous rubber checks arriving in the mail and bouncing at the bank costing the family 
even more in fees. 

Yet, Michael Pandelos always thought the next one would pay off. He once even traveled to 
Spain as part of the scam. "We fought constantly about this," Antje Pandelos said.

Now, she suspects this stress led to her heart attack and contributed to her husband's health 
issues. It also drained their savings accounts and affected their lifestyle.

Scammer strikes again

Bender, who operates a music publishing company and suffers from a hearing loss, had 
numerous conversations with people he believes are Diplomat Dala and Dr. Michael Koffi, 
the supposed director of Provident Insurance and Security Co. 

"I had many, many conversations with Diplomat Dala," he said. "I dealt a lot of the time 
through Dr. Koffi."

Investigators suspect Diamreyan played those roles.

Bender got caught up in a scam e-mail claiming to be from Amos and Mary Gomogo, two 
displaced Sudanese children. They wanted his help to access boxes containing $18.5 
million and a quantity of diamonds left them by their late father Vincent. The boxes are in 
America and they need someone to act as "beneficiary."

Diamreyan as Koffi writes Bender in June, 2007 and tells him:

"...those kids are Sudanese ... and they have no other person here. They are here 
alone...They are the people who chose you and appointed you to be their beneficiary. They 
also have to stand in your behalf here to testify before the court that you are their beneficiary 
to obtain the power of attorney document on your behalf, giving you the legal right to receive 
the boxes for them, so be wise and casual who you are dealing with."

Koffi asks Bender to send $250 to Mike Okpako, an alias Diamreyan uses, "to obtain the 
power of attorney document."

"That's the emotional tug," said Schissler, the sociologist and criminologist. "It tends to work 
nicely, particularly with senior citizens."

By Oct. 5, 2007, a financially distraught Bender e-mails Mary Gomogo (Diamreyan) "You 
probably know by now that another document that will cost $3,000 is needed. I do not have 
the money and will not have the money ... I am totally broke."

Of the approximately $51,836 Bender sent, Diamreyan's take was nearly $11,000, according 
to a federal court document.

Smith, a retired heavy equipment operator in Colorado, was fleeced of $59,695. That bought 
him a multicolored United Nations clearance certificate determining the $18.5 million is "drug-
free, terrorist-free and laundry-free" money; a notice from the Bank of New York that $18.5 
million is moving from the Bank of Ghana to them and then to Smith's Centennial Bank of the 
West account. Then a month later, there was another certificate from the Bank of New York 
advising him he needs to send an immediate payment of $800 for "the final signing of the 
funds release order documents to release out the Activation Code for the confirmation of the 
account to confirm the presence of the funds by your bank."

"I believed I was going to receive money or I would not have sent any," Smith testified.

The scammer's future

On Friday, Chang is expected to urge Hall to send the message Schissler believes is 
necessary and the Pandeloses want by imposing a lengthy sentence.

The prosecutor may ask for restitution, but the chances of any payback are rare. DCIS can't 
subpoena records from Diamreyan's bank account because it has no affiliation in the United 
States.

Jonathan Einhorn, Diamreyan's court-appointed defense lawyer, will urge the judge to be 
lenient pointing out that the conviction only involves the $150 fleeced from Pandelos and not 
the $1.3 million taken from 52 others.

"We believe the government is stockpiling victims without proving injury related to Mr. 
Diamreyan's conduct," he said. "There's no question people fall victim to e-mail scams, rich 
people, poor people, but the government must prove Mr. Diamreyan is responsible for their 
losses."

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Nigerian-scams-still-net-victims-472312.php
**********************************************

25 APR 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper, The Daily Sun:

Lagos: Fraudsters fleece woman N1.3m 

By PRECIOUS IGBOKWE 

The quest to get rich quick has landed Mrs. Sylvia Tony in the hands of fraudsters as she 
was defrauded of N1.3 million. The perpetrator of the fraud, 28-year-old Mrs. Chinyere 
Okpara who was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for conspiracy, fraud and 
stealing, was said to have obtained the sum from Sylvia around Ayobo-Ipaja area of Lagos 
state. 

According to the prosecution report, the accused person was said to have collected the 
money from the victim under the pretext of using it to purchase some chemicals and olive oil, 
which would be used to wash out charms on the US dollars (amount withheld) to be given to 
Sylvia by Mrs. Okpara Chinyere and others who are now at large. 

The accused person was arraigned on a three-count charge. In the charge sheet, Chinyere 
and others at large were alleged to have conspired among themselves to commit the 
offence punishable under section 516 of the criminal code cap C.17 Vol. II Laws of Lagos 
State of Nigeria, 2003. 

They were also alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.3 million cash by false 
pretence which is an offence punishable under section 419 of the criminal code, cap, C.17, 
Vol. II Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003. 

Thirdly, Chinyere was accused of stealing the sum of N1.3 million, property of Mrs. Sylvia 
Tony and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390(9) of the criminal code 
cap, c17, Vol. II, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003. 

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge. 

The presiding magistrate Mrs. O.A Adegbite in her ruling adjourned the case to April 27, 2010 
and granted her bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties who are gainfully employed.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/apr/25/national-25-04-2010-008.htm
****************************************************************

19  APR 2010
Ultrascan AIG sent this in sourced from the Ghanian Times:

Crime, 419 scams rise in Western Region

The Western Regional Police Command, has warned the public about the
influx of criminals and increased activities of 419 scams in the region
since last year when the oil and gas activities got to its peak.

He assured that the police and the other security agencies are up to the
task and would deal firmly with the fraudsters.

The Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, gave
this warning when he presented an overview of the crime situation in the
region from the first quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of2010 at end
of year (WASSA) programme here on Friday.

Advance Fee Fraud known as 419 which hitherto was little known in the
Western Region has suddenly emerged due largely to the recent oil find
in the region.

"Unsuspecting individuals are stripped off their hard won fortunes by
these miscreants", DCOP Alhaji Mahama told the gathering.

He said that, in the first quarter of 2009, 375 fraud cases were
reported as against 562 in the first quarter of 2010 saying that the
percentage increase for the period was 33.3

"Even though we had a difference of plus 187, we have arrested all of
them and dealt with them".

The Police Commander further explained that some of the 419 fraudsters
told their victims that they had special drilling pipes meant for sale
to Tullow Oil Company to sell to them (victims) at $1,500 per pipe so
they can sell them to Tullow at $2,700.

Others too, he said, claimed that they had charm diets which if fed to
marine life, could multiply fishes in the sea.

"They also ask you to pay $1,000 in advance for a total cost of $3,000,"
he said, adding, "all these are lies".

According to DCOP Alhaji Mahama, the oil find had attracted to the
region people of diverse nationalities who are desperate "to hit the
jackpot" adding "But we're on the ground to get them.

"People are coming to see what's happening. But whoever comes with ill
motive will be not succeed.

The Navy, the Air Force, the Police and the other security agencies have
arrested a number of them and put them before the courts," he stated.

He further warned, "They can ran, but they cannot hide"...  [the rest of 
the article covers non-419 matters]

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201004/44911.asp
*****************************************************

24 MAR 2010
Brought to our attention by Ultrascan AIG:

Nigerian National Found Guilty for Role in Advance-Fee Fraud Scheme

A federal jury in the Western District of North Carolina convicted Ugochukwu Enwerem 
yesterday on charges stemming from an advance-fee fraud scheme, announced Assistant 
Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and Deputy Chief Postal Inspector 
Zane M. Hill.

Following six days of trial and four hours of deliberation, Enwerem was found guilty on one 
count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and 14 counts of wire fraud charged in a 
July 2007 indictment stemming from an "advance-fee" scheme. Forfeiture of more than $9.5 
million has also been ordered. In September 2009, co-defendant Kent Oserumen Okojie 
pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and two counts of wire fraud. He is awaiting 
sentencing. Okojie and Enwerem, Nigerian citizens who resided in the Netherlands, 
originally were charged in a June 2007 complaint and were subsequently extradited to the 
United States from The Netherlands, where they had been in custody on Dutch charges.

According to evidence presented at trial, between at least September 2002 and April 2007, 
Okojie, Enwerem and their co-conspirators solicited individuals by sending spam e-mails 
informing potential victims that they had either won a foreign lottery or inherited a large sum of 
money from a long lost relative. When individuals responded to the e-mails, the defendants 
or their co-conspirators, posing as lawyers, bankers and European government officials, 
solicited fees from victims ostensibly to pay for things such as "anti-terrorism certificates," 
"EU bank clearances" and legal fees in order to secure their lottery winnings or inheritance. 
Trial evidence established that Okojie and Enwerem instructed U.S. and international victims 
to wire funds through Western Union and other money transfer services to the defendants 
and their designees in The Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Western Union 
servers are located in the Western District of North Carolina. According to trial testimony, at 
least 18 U.S. and international victims lost more than $9.5 million as a result of this scheme.

At sentencing, Enwerem faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 
fine for the conspiracy count and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the 14 wire 
fraud counts.

The case was investigated by a team of U.S. Postal Inspectors working with the Criminal 
Division’s Fraud Section and the Amsterdam Politie. The case was prosecuted by Trial 
Attorneys Laura Perkins and Nicole H. Sprinzen of the Fraud Section. Significant assistance 
was provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/March/10-crm-306.html
*******************************************************

8 MAR 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper ThisDay:

Nigeria, UK, US Partner on Cyber-crime Legislation

From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja

Experts in anti-cyber crimes and terrorism from the United Kingdom,
United States of America and other parts of the world will soon converge
on Nigeria as part of efforts to boost the capacity of the Nigerian
parliament in fighting the increasing menace of internet fraud and
terrorism across the globe.

Coordinator,   National Assembly Anti Money Laundering and Cyber
Security Coalition, Hon. Bassey Etim,  who disclosed this at the weekend
said  the experts will be meeting with strategic agencies such as the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , Independent   Corrupt
Practices and other Related Offences commission (ICPC), Nigeria
Communication Commission (NCC), Education Tax Fund (ETF) as well as the
National Universities Commission (NUC)   to explore the extent of  the
problem in Nigeria  and map out strategies to combat it.

The choice of Nigeria for this event, Bassey said, was informed by the
preliminary statistics taken on the increasing level of cyber-crimes
across the world which revealed an alarming trend in Nigeria.
Bassey blamed the Nigerian situation on the absence of adequate
legislations on the subject but expressed hope that soon the story would
change for he better.

He disclosed that the experts in collaboration with the National
Assembly Anti Money Laundering and Cyber Security Coalition will assess
the electronic payment system recently adopted by the Federal Government.

This, he said, is  with a view to ascertaining the strength  and
weaknesses of the system  and ensure that remedial measures were put in
place to safeguard public funds  through a strong auditing platform for
the new payment system and other online transactions.

The  proposed conference on Anti Cyber crimes and Terrorism, he
disclosed,  is to educate Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on
how to protect government investment as well as government official
secrets stored online," he said.

Here is the URL of this article for as long as it is good:
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=168045

419 Coalition comment:  We have always found it interesting that while
all the Governments involved in confabs like this always claim that the
cooperation and support of Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's)
are essential to counter-fraud and counter-419 efforts, we and many
other prominent NGO's (like Ultrascan, Fraudaid, 419eater) etc. are
never invited to these events.... much less sponsored to attend by
the governments and agencies that say they Need us and Depend
on us....  At least in terms of counter-419, many of the NGO's and their
personnel have been dealing with 419 Longer and more continuously
than many of the  governmental delegates to such conferences, and 
have amassed a considerable amount of expertise over such extended 
periods.  For example, here at 419 Coalition, we have been dealing with
419 on a daily basis since 1996, with some staffers direct daily work
on 419 matters going all the way back to 1992.  Surely that rates us
(and other prominent counter-419 NGO's) an invite to these confabs  :)

Additionally, just think of all the money 419 Coalition alone has saved 
the Nigerian, US, and other governments over the years in educating 
potential targets away from getting involved in 419 scams - on our 
Own dime, Free of charge to the Nigerian, US, and other governments.  
Pretty cost effective, that, for the taxpayers.  One would think that
the grateful Nigerian, US, and other governments could use some
of those saved dollars to sponsor us (and other NGO's) to attend 
these counter-419 conferences etc. 

But nooooo.... when the Governments of the world preach Cooperation
with the NGO's in counter-419 matters, what they really mean is that
We are to cooperate with Them, while they don't have to make any
tangible efforts to cooperate with Us :)  Did we hear someone out
there say... "Tunnel Vision"  or "counterproductive"  :)
*******************************************

2 MAR 2010
From the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian:

EFCC detains American over $760,668 fake cheques

A twenty-four year old American lady, Sharon Denis Thorpe, has been 
detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for her 
alleged involvement in a scam valued at $760,668.

A statement by Femi Babafemi, head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, said 
yesterday that Thorpe, a resident of Raleigh North Carolina, was arrested at 
the  Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Saturday, February 20,
2010, while about to board a Qatar Airways flight to Washington DC.

The suspect, who has an American passport No. 457647779 issued at North 
Carolina, United States, on December 30, 2008, had been in Nigeria since 
November 2009, ostensibly on vacation with her fiance, who is believed to 
be the mastermind of the crime.

Thorpe has, however, told her interrogators that the counterfeit cheques 
were given to her by a friend of her fiance who is at large.

Thorpe, arrested by officials of the State Security Service (SSS), was handed 
over to the EFCC on February 24, 2010. The suspect is being interrogated.

This story also appeared in the Nigerian newspaper Daily Independent,
and in the Raleigh, North Carolina News Observer - here is the URL
of that article for as long as it is good:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/01/364799/nc-woman-arrested-on-fraud-accusation.html?storylink=misearch
************************************************

21 FEB 2010
From 234next.com online Nigerian news:

Gunmen kill former aide to Nuhu Ribadu 

By Tunde Eludini

A former senior investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 
(EFCC) Danjuma Mohammed was yesterday shot dead in the Gwarimpa area of 
Abuja. He was ambushed by gunmen as he returned home from a trip from Minna, 
Niger State.

Mr Mohammed, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and top aide of the former 
EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu, was responsible for several high profile cases during
Mr Ribadu’s leadership of the EFCC leading to landmark conviction of some 
corrupt government officials. He was until his assassination yesterday a deputy 
investigator at the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Mr. Mohammed was one 
of the first casualties of the power play in the EFCC when Farida Waziri took 
over the agency three years ago.

His assassination is the second against financial crimes investigators. 
In November 2009, Abubakar Umar, a lawyer and special assistant to 
Ahmeed Al-Mustapha, registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), 
was killed and burned in his car in Abuja.

Police investigations are yet to yield any result.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5530276-146/gunmen_kill_former_aide_to_nuhu.csp
************************************************************

18 FEB 2010
From the Ghana Business News:

Nigeria at brink of another civil war, nation dragged down by 419 scams.  Intelligence report:

Nigeria is said to be at the brink of another civil war as clear and present danger signals 
show. The country went to war in 1967 in what is known as the Biafran war in which the Igbos 
sought to secede from the federal state.

An intelligence report by the Netherlands-based Ultrascan, which was emailed to 
ghanabusinessnews.com by its CEO Frank Engelsman says there are clear signs that 
Nigeria is gradually moving towards a major crisis.

In the report released Tuesday February 16, 2010 Ultrascan, a global investigation and 
intelligence organization which also focuses on corporate identity theft, credit, debit card theft 
and so on listed the following as the basis for the conclusion in the report: The report 
indicates that the crisis arising from President Yar’Adua’s absence has brought to the fore 
“the political battle over the delicate power balancing act in Nigeria.

According to the report the Chief of Army Staff Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazzau has 
alerted the nation of overt and covert moves by military adventurists to interfere in the politics 
of the country.

The report cited the resurgence of violence in the Niger Delta, despite ceasefire agreements 
between the government and militia groups adding that the CIA and other European 
Intelligence Agencies have mentioned Africa as a large center of “recruitment” for the Al 
Qaida terror network.

The report links the 419 scam to Al Qaida and terrorism in Africa. It says between 2003 and 
2007 there was evidence of a terrorist connection in the slipstream of 419 Advance Fee 
Fraud networks (AFF), supporting attacks. In 2008 and 2009 there was evidence directly 
linking 419 AFF networks to (attempted) attacks.

In 2009 profits from 419 AFF organizations financed arms deals and the cross border crime 
networks were used to support transports.

During 2009 we received regular reports about extremist infiltrating southern Nigerian 
mosques as well.

Portraying the events in Nigeria as sectarian, tribal or economic it doesn’t really matter 
because AQ will portray it as massacre against Muslims only, it added.

The report pointed out how money laundering gangs also pose a threat to the most 
populous nation in West Africa. Nigeria has a population of over 150 million people.

Citing members of the Saraki family, the report said the younger of the Saraki sons, is a 
special assistant to President Yar’Adua. Though still not officially into politics, Laolu, 
according to insiders, was part of the team that toured the country with President Umaru Musa 
Yar’Adua. Many believe Laolu is being groomed for a top political office come 2011 like his 
elder siblings, Senator Gbemi Saraki and Dr. Bukola Saraki, governor of Kwara State, it said.

It seems that the friends Laolu Saraki, Obaro Ibru (son of the troubled former MD/CEO of 
Oceanic Bank Plc, Chief Mrs. Cecilia Ibru) and Kojo
Annan (the son of ex-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan) are having their best of party time in 
South Africa and The Netherlands, the report said.

It however noted that intelligence sources report the real purpose of their travels to 
Johannesburg, Cape Town, The Hague and Amsterdam. As a key player, Laolu Saraki is 
linked to money laundering, drugs trafficking to South Africa and the purchase of arms 
shipments for extremist groups, AQ Africa.

According to the report, further intelligence surveillance started in July 2009 in Johannesburg, 
Amsterdam and The Hague established that their Personal Assistants and girlfriends are in 
fact cohorts for Laolu Saraki in 419 frauds and prostitution.

It revealed that in July 2009, surveillance was instigated by interceptedn communications 
and suspicious events and activities of both Laolu Saraki and Kojo Annan in Amsterdam 
during the summer of 2008.

More details can be found on Ultrascan’s site.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2010/02/18/nigeria-at-brink-of-another-civil-war-nation-dragged-down-by-419-scams-%E2%80%93-intelligence-report/
**************************************************************

17 FEB 2010

From PC World magazine, brought to our attention by
Utrascan and also by a concerned Nigerian:

US Jury Convicts Nigerian on Wire Fraud Charges

Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service

A 31-year-old Nigerian man could face up to 20 years in prison after being convicted 
Tuesday of charges related to running advance free fraud scams for five years, according to 
the U.S. Department of Justice.

Okpako Mike Diamreyan lived in Nigeria, Ghana and the U.S. between August 2004 and 
August 2009, running scams that involved sending e-mails and making phones calls in order 
to perpetrate advance free fraud (AFF).

The scams try to entice victims into sending money with the false promise they'll receive a 
greater sum of money in the future.

Diamreyan posed as a government or bank official, sending fake documents to victims in 
order to persuade them to send money via money transfer services such as Western Union. 
Prosecutors alleged "numerous" victims sent money to Diamreyan, both directly and 
indirectly.

Diamreyan is scheduled for sentencing in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on 
May 7. He could also face a fine of $250,000 for each of three wire fraud counts, the DOJ said.

Advance fee fraud scams have existed for many years, but fraudsters have been able to 
canvas an ever-increasing number of people using spam e-mail. The type of scam is also 
known as 419 fraud, named after part of the Nigerian criminal code that deals with fraud. 

Advance fee frauds are believed to be a multi-billion dollar industry, but prosecutions are 
rare. Technology companies such as Microsoft and Yahoo have filed some lawsuits due to 
the use of their brands in a version of the scam that falsely informs potential victims they've 
won a lottery run by the companies.

The top three countries for AFF losses in 2009 were the U.S. at $2.1 billion, U.K. at $1.2 billion 
and China at $936 million, according to figures released last month by Ultrascan, a Dutch 
private investigations company. The figures are estimates based only on the cases 
Ultrascan has seen, and the actual fraud figures are likely much higher, according to 
Ultrascan.

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/189541/us_jury_convicts_nigerian_on_wire_fraud_charges.htm
********************************************************************

21 JAN 2010
From the Saskatoon (Canada) StarPhoenix newspaper:

Fraud nets 30 months in jail 

By Betty Ann Adam, The StarPhoenix

A Montreal man who brought a satchel full of fake money to Saskatoon was 
sentenced to 30 months in jail after astute bank employees warned a local 
woman to call police instead of handing over $30,000 in cash. 

Yiuiti Hugues Tomdio, 31, will also be deported to his home country of 
Cameroon after pleading guilty Jan. 14 to the indictable offence of fraud 
over $5,000. 

The woman, who is in her mid-50s, fell "hook, line and sinker" for the 
what's known as the Nigerian e-mail scam, Crown prosecutor Paul Goldstein 
told Judge Doug Agnew. 

The woman had come to believe a distant relation she had met once years 
before had died and bequeathed her a legal briefcase containing $12 million 
in American $100 bills. 

All she had to do was pay a courier $50,000 from the bag when he brought it 
to her at the Saskatoon airport, Goldstein said in an agreed statement of 
facts. 

The attempted fraud was perpetrated starting in May 2009 and continued 
through the summer with phone calls and written correspondence that 
culminated in the Sept. 15 arrival of a man, later identified as Tomdio, at 
the John G. Diefenbaker Airport. 

The woman met him there and used a lock combination she had previously been 
given to open a legal briefcase carried by Tomdio, who used the alias 
Hamilton Marden, she later wrote in a statement to police. 

The combination was 0000, Goldstein said in an interview. 

The man allowed the woman to open the case and look inside, but did not 
allow her to touch the contents, which appeared to be bundles of $100 bills 
in American currency that were wrapped in cellophane, Goldstein said in 
court. 

The man withdrew one of the bills and gave it to the victim, who was then 
allowed to take it to an airport business to verify it was genuine. 

The man told her there had been a change of plans and rather than her paying 
him in cash from the bag, she was to give him $30,000 in Canadian funds. 

She was instructed to get the cash and bring it to him the next day. 

The woman went to her bank and tried to withdraw the money, but an employee 
became suspicious and advised her to notify the police. 

"Why do they suddenly need the money up front?" the woman wrote in her 
police statement that day. 

"At this point, I can use your help to check this out if it is real and get 
the package away from Mr. Marden," she wrote. 

Police obtained a search warrant and arrested Tomdio, who was carrying the 
briefcase, at the airport the next day. The bundles of cash turned out to be 
bundles of blank paper with real currency on the top and bottom of each. 
There were 19 $100 bills in the bag. 

By that time, the woman had already received phone calls from another person 
who said the "courier fee" had been reduced to $11,000. 

"There's at least one other person involved in this," Goldstein said. 
"Essentially, right now they're pretty desperate to get the money and get 
out of there before Mr. Tomdio was arrested." 

The Crown was not able to say who else was involved. 

Police searched Tomdio's room at a nearby hotel and found a roll of 
cellophane. They also found a ledger book with the handwriting of at least 
three different people. There was a list of names with large sums beside the 
names. The victim's name was the last on the list. 

The e-mail scams no longer originate in Nigeria, Goldstein said. Most now 
originate in the Netherlands, where "relatively lax laws" make it difficult 
to prosecute such frauds, he said. 

"(The victim) unfortunately was the subject of her naivete and her greed," 
Goldstein said. 

"After the police showed her the fake money, the cut paper, she asked, 'Do I 
still get the $1,900?' " 

Defence lawyer Nicholas Stooshinoff asked the judge to impose a sentence of 
six to 12 months, time served, for the crime. He said Tomdio was also the 
victim of a man he met in a Montreal bar who offered him $2,750 to carry a 
package to Saskatoon. 

"He made a very foolish decision to go along with it," Stooshinoff said. 

Agnew rejected Tomdio's claim of ignorance. 

"This was not a mistake. This was a cold-blooded decision to prey on a 
gullible, unsophisticated person and it was purely through the vigilance of 
the bank employees that the scheme failed," Agnew said. 

Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Fraud+nets+months+jail/2466665/story.html

419 Coalition Note:  Kudos to the Canadian authorities and especially to the
alert bank employee who brought the matter to their attention!  However, it
is important to note that the Prosecutor is in error when he says that most
419 scams now originate in the Netherlands due to lax laws and counter-
419 efforts there...  this is simply not the case.  All 419 has, by definition,
a West African (primarily Nigerian) connection, and there are 419 cells in 
most countries, including the Netherlands.  Most 419 syndicates remain
based in West Africa (primarily Nigeria) regardless of the location of 
their cells.  Additionally, over the last several years the Netherlands has
done much better in combating 419er cells there, as shown in their project 
Apollo push of several years ago in which there were raids on and mass 
arrests of 419er cells operating from there.

Quite frankly, we see more evidence of 419 cells operating at least in
part out of the UK than from the Netherlands over the last few years,
at least in terms of the telephone numbers used in 419 solicitations,
though more Nigerian numbers remain used than any other.

On another point, It is also always important to remember that 419 
is a Subset of Advance Fee Fraud and is defined as advance fee 
fraud with a West African, primarily Nigerian, connection.  There 
is untold advance fee fraud that is Not 419, as if there is no West 
African connection, then it is not 419.  But all 419 is advance fee 
fraud.  Once again, 419 is a subset of advance fee fraud, rather than
vice-versa, sometimes there seems to be some confusion on that 
important distinction.