Nigerian 419 scam

Nigerian 4-1-9 fraud usually involves the fraudsters claiming themselves to be Nigerian or foreign government officials in possession of a very large sum of money - usually millions of dollars. They will send e-mails, faxes or letters informing the recipient that they want to transfer their money into overseas bank accounts.

These scam operators will claim that they need to pay taxes, legal fees or bribe officials before being able to get the funds out of the country. For that purpose they will ask for financial help from the recipient. In return, the victim is promised a share of that money that will be transferred. The victim will also be asked to disclose his/her personal information such as name, address, bank account details, etc.

The scam operators may also persuade the recipient to travel overseas to complete the transaction. The victim will be told that no visa is required to enter Nigeria. Once they manage to smuggle their prey into the country without a visa by bribing airport/government officials, they will then threaten the victim into giving up more money, as the penalties for being in that country without a visa can be severe. Some people may also be held for ransom.

Money transfer is just one of the several variations of this scam. Other business proposal may include -

• disbursement of money from wills, lotteries, etc
• real estate business
• currency conversion
• sale of crude oil at below market prices, etc

The number "419" refers to the violation of Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. Many of these 419 scam operators will go to great lengths to make the scheme appear legit. They will provide genuine looking documents, working phone numbers, etc. They may even arrange a meeting between the victim and supposed government officials in real or fake government offices to gain trust. The Nigerian 419 scammers rely on successfully convincing the victim to part with a small amount of money in the hope of getting a large return later. If required they will use violence or threats of physical harm.

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