The Nigerian Scam

---

The Nigerian Scam letters - I'm sure you've received them in your mail andyour inbox.
This scam has been running for decades, and by now I would ... most people in the United States have receive The Nigerian Scam letters - I'm sure you've received them in your mail andyour inbox.
This scam has been running for decades, and by now I would thinkthat most people in the United States have received it or heard about it inone form or another.Often an official-looking letter arrives in the mail. It is postmarked fromNigerian, has a hand-written address and the letter appears to be handtyped.
It begs for help and offers a handsome return for your time. And I domean a handsome return - typically it offers over a million dollars for thesimple favor of using your bank account to transfer some money.
Don't even think about responding - this is a scam of the worst sort. Thereare people who have lost their entire life savings because they called thephone number and let their greed kick in and left their brains at home.Sometimes this scam arrives in your email - an example email is includedbelow (note this is a scam - do not try and respond to it).--------------------------------------------------------LADY MARYAM ABACHA ABACHA COURT GIDADO ROAD KANO-NIGERIATHE PRESIDENT/CEODear Sir,STRICTLY CONFIDENTIALI am Lady Maryam Abacha, wife of late General Sani Abacha, Ex-military Headof states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who died on 8th June 1998 ofheart problems.
l contacted you because of my need to deal with persons whommy family and l have had no previous personal relationships. Since the deathof my husband, my family had been subjected to all sorts of harassment's andintimidation with lots of negative report emanating from the government andthe press about my husband.
The present government has also ensured that ourbank accounts are frozen and all assets seized. It is in view of this that Iseek your cooperation and assistance in the transfer of the sum ofUS$30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million United States Dollars only) being the verylast of my family fund in my possession and control.
An earlier attempt inthe physical movement of the sum of US$47,000,000.00 was to avail as themoney was confiscated and my International passport impounded at theMuritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos in August 1998.The FederalGovernment has seized all our properties and frozen all our accounts bothlocal and International, but my only hope now is theavailableUS$30,000,000.00 which l carefully packed and deposited with asecurity company as photographic materials where my brother-in-law isworking as a General manager when my husband died. If you are willing toassist us in receiving this money on our behalf, please contact mybrother-in-law Alhaji Buba Abacha immediately on the following TelephoneNumber DELETED or [email protected] to discuss the details andnegotiate your reward, which l can assure you, will be very substantial.Please, ensure to keep this proposal very secret and confidential.
We awaityour immediate response. Maa Salaam.
Sincerely, LADY MARYAM ABACHA. --------------------------------------------------------Wondering why I have deleted the email address and phone number.
Because,believe it or not, people call these numbers and send email to theseaccounts and lose their money - fast. What happens? A nice guy or gal picks up the phone at the other end andstarts pulling you into the scam.
At first they need a thousand dollars,perhaps, for postage or some small official fee. They are fast talkers whodo this all of the time - and of you do give in and give them the money youdon't have a chance.
You are hooked and you are hooked bad.They depend upon greed and prey on the weak. You think, "wow, I can get amillion dollars", and "well, it's a risk but I'm only going to risk thatfirst thousand".
Foolish person.Once you've given them your thousand (the amount varies) they start to reelyou in. They will call to tell you they need another $10,000, perhaps, forbribes to customs officials.
You'll pay because you've already paid athousand, and because it sounds like the money is just about to betransferred into your bank account.So you'll pay. Then you'll call and you'll have to give them another amount,bigger this time, and deliver it in person, perhaps.
You'll do it - you'vealready spent a lot of money and you don't want to lose it. You'll deliverthe money and then be given a story - only to get another call.This time you will be very suspicious, and you might be told they need to"wash" all of the money.
You want to see, they'll meet you and indeed, theywill have a handful of black money. They'll use some solvent and like magicthe money is clean.
They will explain that the money was hidden and got "dirty" and now theyneed perhaps $50,000 to clean it. Some people have paid as much as half amillion dollars at this point.
The stories are sometimes different,sometimes the same, but you'll pay. Because now the greed is mixed with fearand a little more greed - you've actually had the money in your hands now.How long does this go on? Until you won't or can't pay anymore.
Then youjust get thrown away. People disappear, calls aren't return, and if you doget hold of someone they deny knowing you or give you some excuse.Report it to someone? Who? The FBI? Sure, they know all about this scam.Yes, they will take your data and add it to their database - but the scam isnot operated on United States soil and there is no one to catch - at leastno one who can be found.
There is also little or no evidence - it's verydifficult to catch this kind of thief.So what do you do?Use your brain.Don't under any conditions give money to scammers. How do you spot a scam?Simple.
The offer is too good to be true. It's that simple.
Get a millionfor doing nothing? Come on. Doesn't happen (unless you win the lottery).Don't even respond.
Just delete the emails or throw away the letters. Be smart.
Article Tags: Nigerian Scam, United States, Maryam Abacha Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .