Nigerian Bank Scam
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1138 hrs
If you've used the Internet for any length of time, you've probably been exposed to, or at least heard of, the Nigerian Bank Scam (even if you already know what it is, you might want to follow this link and read the article. Trust me, it's worth it). I get these e-mails on a regular basis and, after hearing how they work, finally replied to one.
What happens is you express an interest to help the poor Nigerian peasant/immigrant/prisoner/former prime minister/whatever transfer ridiculous sums of money (usually in the millions of US dollars) to your bank account, then you give it back to them (less 10% for helping them out). Sounds like a great plan, right? Too bad it never works out that way.
My understanding of how it works is that after you reply, they send you a cashier's cheque for millions of dollars, you deposit the cheque and send another one (for the millions of dollars less 10%) back to them (I'm not sure what this is supposed to accomplish, but it's what you do). Then, a couple of days later, your bank calls you to tell you that the original cashier's cheque (the one they sent you) was no good and now you owe the bank millions of dollars.
You may be asking yourself, "Thomas, if you know this is a scam, why are you doing this?" Well, I want one of those cashier's cheques. Call it a trophy, of sorts. "But they'll never stop spamming your e-mail address." I replied using a hotmail account I created for this exact purpose. "But they'll know your home address!" That's why I'm going to have them send it to my post office box in Cheney. "You have a post office box in Cheney?" Yes. "When did that happen?" Recently, can we stay on topic? "Yeah, sorry." It's okay.
Here's a copy of the e-mail I received:
[SNIP]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 7/28/2003 3:55:26 AM
To: davekone2
From: "davekone2@libero.it"
Subject: FROM DAVE KONE URGENT PLEASE
--------------------------------------------------------------
FROM: Dave kone
ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
WEST-AFRICA
greetings,
IT IS MY HUMBLE PLEASURE AND TRUST, I WRITE THIS VERY IMPORTANT
LETTER TO YOU, CONSIDERING YOU ARE CAPABLE AND KIND ENOUGH TO ASSIST
ME IN THIS SITUATION I AM INTO NOW. I AM JUST TRYING TO KNOW IF
YOU CAN BE OF HELP,IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NOT KNOWN
EACH OTHER BEFORE OR MET FOR THE THE FIRST TIME IN LIFE. I CAME
ACROSS YOUR CONTACT VIA INTERNATIONAL PROFILE IN MY ARNEST SEARCHING
FOR A TRUTHFUL AND HONEST PERSON TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION FOR
ME, WHO WILL BE MY BUSINESS PARTNER, TRUSTEE OF MY FATHER'S FUND .
I AM Dave kone, THE ONLY CHILD OF LATE MR AND MRS.Kone, MY FATHER
WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT BASED IN ABIDJAN, THE ECONOMIC
CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS
ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS.
WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1984, MY FATHER TOOK ME
SO SPECIAL BECAUSE I AM MOTHERLESS.
BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH JUNE 2002 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL
HERE IN ABIDJAN. HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME
THAT HE HAS A SUM OF US$ 9,000,000 (NINE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS)
LEFT IN A DEPOSIT ACCOUNT IN A BANK HERE IN ABIDJAN, THAT HE USED
MY NAME AS HIS ONLY SON FOR THE NEXT OF KIN IN DEPOSIT OF THE FUND.
HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT
HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR
A FOREIGN ARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER
THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE, (SUCH AS REAL ESTATE
MANAGEMENT).
SIR, I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.
1)TO PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO
2)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM A BOY OF 19 YEARS
3)TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY AFTER
THE MONEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED.
MOREOVER, SIR, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 10% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS
COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER
OF THIS FUND TO YOUR NORMINATED ACCOUNT OVERSEAS.
FURTHERMORE, YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS ASSISTING ME AS
I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHIN SEVEN
(7) DAYS YOU SIGNIFY INTEREST TO ASSIST ME
ANTICAIPTING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
THANKS AND GOD BLESS
Dave kone
[/SNIP]
Note that he sent the e-mail to himself. This is probably to hide the fact that he BCCed a ton of people. And really, would you honestly fall for this? I wouldn't read past the first couple of sentences due to how bad the spelling and grammar are. And look at the case of the names compared to the case of the rest of the e-mail. It's obvious that he either added the name himself or had a program do it. Otherwise, why wouldn't they match?
So I replied:
[SNIP]
Mr. Kone,
Truly a heartbreaking story. I would like to help, but you can understand
my reluctance in giving access to my bank account to a person I have never
met. Is there some way the transaction could be completed without giving
you direct access? I would very much like to help.
[/SNIP]
And I signed it Max Fischer.
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2 Comments
On 2 December 2004, Kris Boustedt said:
Reading this, I was forced, via my own curiosity to contact a bank and find out exactly how this scam works.
Normally, with cashier's checks, the funds *must* exist in an account before such a check is issued by a bank--this is why cashier's checks are routinely safer than normal checks (which, as I'm sure we all know, can be written for money that does not exist).
The "Nigerian" is, of course, forging the cashier's check--making fake checks from banks that may or may not exist (I was told a story about a not-too-distant scam regarding forged cashier's checks from Washington Mutual).
When you take the "Nigerian" cashier's check to your bank, and ask for them to make you a cashier's check for 90% of the original value, why would the bank issue one without first verifying that the funds exist in your account (the guiding principal behind cashier's checks, after all)?
Well, banks, after the scam first presented itself, decided to simply place a hold on their check until the incoming one cleared.
Unfortunately, that was illegal. Banks cannot place holds on cashier's checks--there seems to be a very strange, all-to-confident trust in these magical paper talismans.
So, now the policy of most American banks is this: if you go to your bank and give them a cashier's check to deposit and then ask to withdraw funds into a cashier's check to be sent elsewhere, your bank will make you sit and wait while they call the original bank and confirm the existence of money (unless, of course, you happen to already have enough money in your account to cover the cost of your withdrawal--in which case, you're screwed).
So, to recap: don’t be a dumbass. And, if you are a dumbass, don’t be a rich one.
EDIT: This is a "rescued" post, so the date is wrong.
On 2 December 2004, Thomas J. Brown said:
Contact a bank? You mean ask Lindy?
For readers who don't know, at the time of this comment, Kris's fiancée works at a bank.
EDIT: This is a "rescued" post, so the date is wrong.
On 6 January 2009, said: