Email Scams Part One
The Nigerian Letter Scam
By Senior Spin Staff
I received an interesting email in my inbox this week. The author claimed to be the son of Zimbabwe's President Mugabe and in it, he requested that I assist him in saving his father's fortune by taking into my own bank account the sum of 25.7 Million Dollars. For this small service, I would receive a 20% commission. Hmmm. Not a bad way to become a millionaire. That's easy, I could do it....
There is only one slight problem: this is a variation of the infamous "Nigerian Letter" or "419" scam which has bilked people from around the world of millions of dollars. If I had responded to this email, I would eventually be informed that in order for the millions to be transferred, I would have to put up some of my own cash in advance. Should I have fallen for this, requests for more and more "advance fees" would follow until finally it would become clear that not only would I not become a millionaire, I would never be able to retrieve the money that I lost.
This scam has been circulating for years, and had its origins in Nigeria with letters sent by regular post. There are now hundreds of variations originating from many different countries with requests ranging from help with real estate or business ventures, announcements that you have won a large reward, and outright bequests from a deceased stranger who decided to leave everything to you despite the fact that you have never met. Those who respond are often met with a very slick and professional presentation, including official-looking papers and documents and sometimes even invitations for personal meetings in other countries.
No matter how well written and plausible a letter might sound, no matter what the country of origin, even if it is your own country, and no matter how desperate you are to believe that there is a fortune waiting at the other end of an email, do not fall for it. If you respond it might lead you into financial ruin or even actual physical danger. Many of the people running these scams are dangerous criminals. A woman who attempted to get justice when she was cheated out of 350 thousand dollars was traced to her home in Germany and threatened at gunpoint by three Nigerian men. There are also reports that some of those who were lured into personal meetings to "conduct business" were subsequently kidnapped and held for ransom by these criminals.
If you receive unsolicited email from strangers, the best practice is to delete it unread. That way you won't even be tempted to become tangled in this or any of the myriad other webs of deceit that proliferate on the internet.
