THE EMBASSY OF NIGERIA, WASHINGTON, USA
STATEMENT ON 419 SCAMS

The Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC, U.S.A and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria has noted with deep concern the increasing wave of 419 scams perpetrated by a clique of unscrupulous Nigerians in collaboration with their foreign counterparts.

They, have through their actions, given the country a very bad image. The scam even though of international scope but because of alleged "preponderance" of Nigerian perpetrators have come to be associated with the country and has negatively imparted on government efforts to attract investment into the country.

MODUS OPERANDI

The mode of operations involve the contact of an individual or organization with an obviously irregular, illegal and frivolous business proposals many of which are in contravention of Nigerian and American laws as well as modes of transactions across international borders.

For example, in some proposals, the perpetrators admit to have in their possession "alleged stolen money" albeit through outright illegal and criminal activities such as inflated contract or outright looting of public funds and requesting their victims to provide them their bank account numbers through which they can transfer these "looted funds" to America with a promise to give a share of the stolen funds to their collaborators. (victims).

In other instances the collaborators (victims) are awarded mouth-watering (too good to be true) fake contract for lifting of crude oil or laying of pipelines, in all cases with fabulously great profit margins.

Yet in other instances, a non-existent dead relative is alleged to have bequeathed a fabulously large chunk of money in his/her estate to their victims.

In all cases the victim/collaborator is enjoined to maintain the utmost secrecy over the transactions.

Central to these proposals is an undisguised attempt by the perpetrators to play on the GREED, CREDUILITY and CRIMINAL INTENT of his/her victims.

The fleecing of their victims start when they are requested to send small amount of foreign exchange for the initial administrative expenses involved in the transactions. The perpetrators return for more funds this time bigger than the first time ostensibly for the procurement of "fake" documents to facilitate the transactions.

The fleecing continues under an agreed condition of secrecy between the perpetrator and the victims until the latter eventually comes to his/her senses in most cases after closing substantial amount of money to the perpetrators.

At this late stage the victim now realizes the need to verify some of the information supplied by the perpetrators with the Embassy in Washington or its two other Consulates in New York and Atlanta.

In most cases the victims do not directly relate their experiences until prodded by the Mission officials. This stem primarily from their feeling of shame and guilt at being collaborators in an ostensibly criminal venture.

NIGERIA'S EFFORT TO COMBAT THE SCAM

1. The government of Nigeria regularly publish in major international publications media advisory informing the international communities of the modus operandi of these 419 scam operators and how to avoid being victims.

2. Prompt response by the Embassy and its two Consulates to business enquiries on Nigeria. Many of such scams have been foiled through such confirmation request of bogus and illegal business proposals. All the Missions' websites carry warning advisories on 419 scam.

3. The government had closed all business/internet cafes when many of them were found to be the haven through which most of the 419 scam proposals were e-mailed or faxed abroad.

4. Apart from spending lots of money to advertise warning advisories in the international media, the government of Nigeria has organized international seminars on 419 scams. As recent as September 17, 2002 the government of Nigeria organized an International Conference On Advanced Fee and Related Frauds in New York at which representatives of Justice Department, FBI, senior government officials from Nigeria including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and experts from the universities and business sector presented papers. The recommendations of that seminar have since been incorporated into the recently promulgated law on terrorism and financial crimes including 419 scams and money laundering. The seminar itself was presided over by Nigeria's President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who graciously agreed to stay an extra day after his United Nation's assignment to illustrate government commitment to the eradication of the scam.

5. The recent promulgation of the "Anti-terrorism economic and financial crimes and allied matters" law by the National Assembly (legislature) of Nigeria last December.

6. The law provides for the establishment of a standing commission known as the "Anti-terrorism, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission" whose primary responsibility is to confront this hydra-headed malaise of terrorism and financial crimes which of course include 419 scams. The law make provisions for stringent punishment for convicted offenders. Such provisions include confiscation of the properties and passport of convicted offenders as well as long jail terms.

7. The Commission recently achieved some success in their effort to confront the scam. They recently paraded some alleged perpetrators of 419 scam as well as publish a directory of the telephone and fax numbers, as well as e-mail addresses used by the scam perpetrators.

8. Nigeria recently entered into a treaty with the US to deal with the twin problem of money laundering and financial scams.

At the New York Seminar the government through the Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed to the audience some of the remarkable achievements it had recorded in its war against the 419 scam.

Among these successes was the case of the Ghasemis - an American couple - whose money were recovered and deposited with the American Embassy in Nigeria for onward transfer to them.

The Embassy had insisted on investigating the couple for possible breach of U.S. laws before releasing the money to him.

DIFFICULTIES

The war on the 419 scam has not been easy because it is a faceless war with no enemy in sight. All it takes is a person or group of persons with a laptop and a mobile telephone to commit the havoc. Most of the perpetrators use disposable mobile phones and false identities to carry out their nefarious activities.

The secrecy surrounding most of the transactions also make things difficult for government to apprehend these criminals. By the time the victims realized their follies and contact the Missions, the damage had already been done.

CONCLUSION

The government of Nigeria roundly condemns these assaults on our national image and solicit the co-operation of the American media in enlightening their citizens about the need to exercise utmost caution and report for confirmation with Nigerian missions any business proposal which sounds too good to be true. After all the popular FBI slogan says "when a deal is too good to be true take another look."

Most of these 'bogus business proposals' are written in such badly constructed English language and many with obvious criminal intent that one wonders at times how any morally responsible and law-abiding citizen would fall victim to such a scam.

There would be no 419 scam if there are no greedy credulous and criminally-minded victims ready to reap where they did not sow. It is the case of people with more ambition to get rich quick than commonsense.

On our part, Nigeria would continue the aggressive war against the scam because we are a respectable member of the international community and ask the support of American media houses to expose scammers on both sides so that the law can take its course.

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA
WASHINGTON, D.C.
U.S.A.
FEBRUARY 10, 2003