Nigerian or 4-1-9 Scam

Have you ever recieved an email telling you that someone from a foreign country is on the run and needs your help? All you are asked to do is take a wire transfer from them or some other monetary exchange, and they will give you a large percentage for your efforts.

The idea behind this is to get you to exchange money with them, but all you are really doing is handing them a check. Their information is bogus. It is also known as the advance fee scheme, and many people have fallen for it. Don't be one of them.

Some of the most common points to watch for fraud are:

• In almost every case there is a sense of urgency;
• The victim is enticed to travel to Nigeria or a border country;
• There are many forged official looking documents;
• Most of the correspondence is handled by fax or through the mail;
• Blank letterheads and invoices are requested from the victim along with the banking particulars;
• Any number of Nigerian fees are requested for processing the transaction with each fee purported to be the last required;
• The confidential nature of the transaction is emphasized;
• There are usually claims of strong ties to Nigerian officials;
• A Nigerian residing in the U.S., London or other foreign venue may claim to be a clearing house bank for the Central Bank of Nigeria;
• Offices in legitimate government buildings appear to have been used by impostors posing as the real occupants or officials.

Always avoid "too good to be true" messages sent to you. To learn more try this government sponsored site.