SCAMMED BY THE 419 FRAUD / NIGERIAN SCAM? DON'T CALL US.

The Nigerian scam (also known as the 419 Fraud) has been around now for over two decades.

Falling for this or similar scams shows an unbelievable naivete and total lack of reality.

Here is a sample copy of one of the many letter variants out there:

FROM THE OFFICE OF DR. RASHEED OLAOLUWA
UNITED BANK OF AFRICA (UBA),NIGERIA.

Based on the meeting we had with United Nations and IMF officials on your payment, I am writing to inform you that your file appeared on my desk to pay you a partial payment of $7.5million US Dollars of your funds for this second quarter of the year.

But we are having misunderstanding as one Miss.Carman Bryant called yesterday that she is your next of kin that you instructed her to receive the funds on you favor saying you are totally sick and you cannot work or answer any calls.

But we were so confused and that is why the authority instructed me to contact you for us to know if she is telling us the truth or not. She even forwarded us her account details and after that, she instructed us not to inform you and we should transfer the funds into her bank account directly because she is your next of kin. Kindly check this and get back to us as soon as possible.

We wait to hear from you soon.

Dr. Rasheed Olaoluwa
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO UNITED BANK OF AFRICA LAGOS NIGERIA
Email: [withheld]

What’s more fascinating is when the people who have fallen for this scam call us for investigative services, in order to get their “money back”.

If you want to hire our investigative firm either before you send money to Nigeria, or after you have sent your hard-earned money, please don’t contact us.  We will not take your case.

As Kevin says on the television show Shark Tank, “Please stop the madness.”

If you actually think someone is going to send 10 million dollars to your bank account after you pay a “transaction” or “notarization” fee, then you do not need investigative services – you need psychiatric services.

Here’s a great interview with a couple of the Nigerian con artists, and the nice lifestyle they’ve afforded themselves by scamming people out of their money.

If you get one of these emails, don’t respond to it.

Don’t call one of my offices and ask us to investigate to determine if your claim is valid. It isn’t.

Don’t send people money and then ask us to investigate and bless your blunder with our investigative efforts.

We won’t take your case, no matter how much money you have.

Falling for this scam, one wonders how you have any money left at all.

Next week:
A worker’s compensation case and bicycle caper.