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Gnasher
Baiting Guru
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 2849
Location: Centre Stage in the Theatre of Cruelty
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:56 am |
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This is in today's The Age newspaper.
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Scammers defraud Aussies of $36m a year: police
Asher Moses
August 20, 2008 - 9:55AM
Australians lose at least $36 million a year to so-called Nigerian scammers who continue to fleece naive internet users because victims fail to report incidents.
Detective Superintendent Brian Hay, part of the Queensland Police fraud squad, said Australians sent about $3 million a month to Nigeria, at least 80 per cent of which was fraud related.
But he said the problem was "far more extensive" than that because police were "well aware" that millions of dollars were going to other countries as part of the same fraud process.
Detective Superintendent Hay said NSW was the biggest victim group "by a mile". He said police struggled to get a handle on the issue because many incidents went unreported.
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MashUp Blog: Are you a victim of a Nigerian scam?
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Nigerian scams, also known as 419 frauds, are typically conducted via email and centre on the target being persuaded to advance significant sums of money in the hope of realising a much larger windfall some time in the future.
There are many variations. In one version, the scammer poses as a government worker who has embezzled millions of dollars and offers victims a percentage if they help retrieve the money by providing a relatively small amount for bribes or other fees.
The victims believe they are investing to make a large profit but, after receiving the money, the scammer disappears or, for the most gullible of victims, continues to ask for more advances.
Some Nigerian fraudsters go as far as setting up fake profiles on dating sites using pictures of attractive men and women. They string along potential targets for months before organising to meet them, but first ask for money to, for instance, help pay for a plane ticket.
Queensland Police recently contacted 139 people who had sent money to Nigeria and found 135 were fraud victims. Some romance scam victims lost $35,000, while businesses who fell prey to Nigerian investment scams - such as the construction of a fictitious oil pipeline - lost up to $5 million.
"I get phone calls very regularly from concerned relatives saying, 'Look, I think my mother or my father is a victim of a scam, they won't listen to us. Could you please contact them and explore this situation for me?' " Detective Superintendent Hay said.
But to the amazement of police, when victims are informed of the fraud they often continue sending money to the scammers out of sheer pride or embarrassment.
"Here they have this dream that their life is going to turn around, all their money problems are finished and they'll be able to have a future ... and we're smashing it against a brick wall. We're saying, 'Sorry, you're a victim and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that you've parted with has been lost,' " Detective Superintendent Hay said.
A 2006 study by research firm Chatham House found Nigerian scams cost the British economy £150 million a year. But the cost to society goes beyond just losing money, police say.
Some victims had attempted suicide while others saw their marriages end and their businesses go bankrupt.
Award-winning poet Anne Fairbairn - the only granddaughter of Australia's fourth Prime Minister, Sir George Reid - has fallen prey to a different version of the Nigerian scam.
She is a perfect example of the type of person targeted by internet fraudsters. See her story here.
To understand the scope of the Nigerian fraud problem and co-ordinate a response, Victorian Police teamed up with the University of Melbourne to investigate 1400 Victorians who had transferred money to Nigeria recently. The results of the survey will be published this year.
Victoria Police Detective Acting Inspector Paul Weller and Detective Superintendent Hay both said most victims were educated professionals and self-funded retirees.
"Many elderly people cannot financially recover once they have been defrauded," Detective Acting Inspector Weller said.
Queensland Police was the first Australian law enforcement agency to put Nigerian scammers on the agenda.
Late last year it brought law enforcement officials, governments and affected industries from around the world together for the National Nigerian Fraud Symposium. In October it will hold the National Advance Fee Fraud Symposium in Brisbane to build on strategies developed at last year's conference.
NSW Police did not respond to requests for comment on this story, while the Australian Federal Police, which houses the Australian High Tech Crime Centre, referred queries to state police. |
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_________________ x21
"you have to pay because he need to submit this form to the Federal Ministry Of Fancies" Barrister John/Mike/Richard Okeke
"they are in deed the swinders rotating about in the net and searching for whom they will stylishly defraud your belongings" A. Moron
"Please pray harder for God to guide and protect us during our travelling because flight airplane i observe is a very big risky" Abdul Karibu
"WE DOESN'T LIKE HOW DISOBIDIENT YOU ARE!" Coco Law Chambers
"BE INFORMED THAT YOU WILL INCUR DUMMERAGE AFTER 9 DAYS FROM TODAY" Burkina Faso Air Secure Air Service.\ |
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harrya
Elite Baiter
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 1489
Location: Not Happy
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:42 am |
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Just saw that on the SMH front page. I hope the print it in the hard copy. |
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Wright B Hindyou
Elite Baiter
Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 1795
Location: Bangkok
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:05 am |
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Quote: |
Queensland Police recently contacted 139 people who had sent money to Nigeria and found 135 were fraud victims |
That's what we in the risk-analysis business call "statistically significant".. |
_________________ "YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO HUMANITY" - Douglas Minning
"bastard like you, I will kill you with my hand, son of nobody. May your soul rust in help." - Titi Andrew
"I trusted you very much without knowing that you are a drug addit person" - Emma Bambara
"THIS YOUR BEHAVIOR IS IRELEVANT AND CROSPOLOS CARACTER" - Madam Clarrise Keita.
"you must speak beter because we dont train mad people in this company." - Incredible Self-Baiting Pastor Joe |
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Red
Baiting Guru
Joined: 25 May 2007
Posts: 2543
Location: 6°27′11″N 3°23′45″E
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:11 am |
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Article wrote: |
But to the amazement of police, when victims are informed of the fraud they often continue sending money to the scammers out of sheer pride or embarrassment.
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I saw this in The Age today as well, beat me to the punch, but terrible stuff, $36m?
As if we ever needed any more justification for baiting lads. |
_________________ x36 x6 x2 x10 x5 x4 x6 x8 x2 x2 x11 x3 x3 x13 x3 x2 x3 x3 x2 x4 x2 x2 x2 x4 x3 x3 x2 x2 x2 x2 x2
1k3: West African Tour
Ben: Lagos (Nigeria) - Accra (Ghana)
x10 |
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PsycheDelia_Smith
Baiting Guru
Joined: 30 Oct 2004
Posts: 3577
Location: Devon, UK
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:44 am |
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We all know why we do this, but reading stuff like that still helps. After all, we aren't just sadistic buggers. We need a certain amount of motivation. |
_________________ SATISFIED CLIENTS:
"I was forced to sell off my designers black suit to be able to return back to Ouagadougou and on my coming back here my wife
took me to the cyber cafe and showed me the site where my photographs of circumcision was put on the net."-'Tosser' 0gugu0
"I am now completely twatted and shagged and will obey all your instructions to the fullest."-"Tosser" Oguguo
"Frankily speaking,I wouldn't want to travel to the far east again."-Edward Smith, Lagos-Singapore (14600 miles round trip via Dubai)
9x 4 x Lagos-Accra , 3x Port Harcourt - Ibadan, 1x Lagos-Singapore, 1x Burkina-Bamako
'Ed', 3 yrs 8 mnths 'Oguguo',6 years and 4 months |
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harrya
Elite Baiter
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 1489
Location: Not Happy
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Posted:
Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:35 am |
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SMH has a blog with the article.
It's worth a read however most of them blame the victims
I did put a plug in for eater and scamwarners. |
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Reaper
Hello I'm New here!
Joined: 06 May 2007
Posts: 0
Location: Travelling in a fried-out combie. On a hippie trail, head full of zombie...
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Posted:
Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:16 am |
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Educating is just as important as those huge safaris. |
_________________ 110+
x15 x18 50+
Shola - 4.3k miles Lagos - Abidjan | Lagos - N'Djamena, Chad | Lagos - Sokoto "i have not eaten anything except water"
Mr Floyd - Lagos - N'Djamena, Chad | Lagos -N'Djamena --> Abeche, with RS (7 days in hell ) "we are dieing here"
Art Trophies: <a href="http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=129502">Eva Bust</a> - <a href="http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=135167">Reaper's Art Gallery</a>
- I am the King of Rome, and above grammar
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pablo
419Eater is my life
Joined: 10 Jul 2008
Posts: 366
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Posted:
Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:52 am |
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This is part of the link in the original article which descibes a sinister phishing scam
Quote: |
Award-winning poet Anne Fairbairn - the only granddaughter of Australia's fourth Prime Minister, Sir George Reid - has fallen prey to a different version of the Nigerian scam.
She is a perfect example of the type of person targeted by internet fraudsters.
In July she received an email, purportedly from her email provider Yahoo, asking her to confirm her account details including her username and password. Unaware the email was bogus, she gave over her details and her account was hacked.
The scammer, posing as Fairbairn, then emailed all of her contacts saying her money had been stolen and she was stuck in Nigeria, urgently requiring $2500 to be transferred via Western Union. |
Phishing requires a lot more organization than advanced fee for lottery winnings. All phishing scams have the potential to defraud a lot of money. Most have multiple levels of indirection that often involve using insecure websites whose owners are unaware of the addition of a phishing web page. Data collected is immediately sent elsewhere. Phishing schemes often link to the real site for most of their pages. An IRS modality scam for example was designed to obtain credit card information and passwords pointed to an IRS page on fraud to enhance its legitimacy. The first hop was a bicycle club a continent away whose owners had no knowledge of an extra page.
The important thing about phishing schemes is minimizing time before it is defeated. A bunch of emails are sent out and responses have poisson time distribution. Killing it within a few minutes is important. The IRS one took about 15 minutes assisted by the scammers link to the IRS fraud reporting.
Unlike scambaiting their isn't much of a game involved. I started by following the phishing links and then taking the scripts apart on the spoofed website. If undetected for 3 or 4 hours the scammers can remove the page on the intermediate website and be essentially undetectable. The phishing link for late victims comes up as 404 they are the lucky ones.
p. |
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harrya
Elite Baiter
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 1489
Location: Not Happy
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Posted:
Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:17 pm |
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Wright B Hindyou
Elite Baiter
Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 1795
Location: Bangkok
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Posted:
Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:29 pm |
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^
I've highlighted a few snippets from that reply.
Quote: |
THE Nigerian high commissioner says people who are ripped off by so-called Nigerian scams are just as guilty as the fraudsters and should be jailed. |
Yes, how about the people who thought they were donating to tsunami victims, then?
Quote: |
He said media coverage of fraudulent activity stemming from Nigeria had given the country "a bad image" and "those who want to transact business with us are always very suspicious". |
Gee, man, I wonder why
Quote: |
"It is not in the character of Nigerians to be engaged in this kind of scam." |
Well, apart from the 300,000 people in Lagos who do nothing else but scam.
The man is either an outrageous liar, a complete fool, an accomplished conman, or all three. |
_________________ "YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO HUMANITY" - Douglas Minning
"bastard like you, I will kill you with my hand, son of nobody. May your soul rust in help." - Titi Andrew
"I trusted you very much without knowing that you are a drug addit person" - Emma Bambara
"THIS YOUR BEHAVIOR IS IRELEVANT AND CROSPOLOS CARACTER" - Madam Clarrise Keita.
"you must speak beter because we dont train mad people in this company." - Incredible Self-Baiting Pastor Joe |
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Murry Guru
Baiting Guru
Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 5561
Location: Turned into Ralph
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Posted:
Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:11 am |
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He probably has a go at the odd scam himself
I am a little surprised it is only $36 Mil per year, I would have thought it would be higher but then I am sure it is higher as I am certain that many vics do not report it to police.
It is good to see the police acting on this, even if too late, of course it was Qld, they appear to be the only state that is proactive, even if only to find people who have already lost money |
_________________ "I want to hold your hand and let you scream at me while you bring our child into this world"- Linda Lopez
Bait with Frumpy on the hitman "i though we are partners in this and now u turn around to stub me on the back"
Click to learn how to romance bait Click to get your name in mugu gold
Got info on a scam vic? PM a mod Recieved a scam warning? Say "thank you, I am a baiter"
Ruin your pets day, post their details at scamwarners
<- I run like a girl
x12 ? not enough
<- this one belongs to Ralph. |
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Titania
Hell on wheels
Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 2442
Location: Rollin' rollin' rollin'
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Posted:
Fri Aug 22, 2008 12:24 am |
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Did they only check WU? What about MG and bank transfer? And what about fake check scams?
the total lost probably far exceeds $36 mil.
The Nigerian Commissioner is trying to do a PR job. He needs to realize that when a large group of citizens are interacting with the world's population in a negative and criminal manner, said population will take a dim view of the country as a whole. The rest of the citizens had better start being more pro-active in their goodness if they want to erase the bad taste the scammers have put in everyone's mouths. |
_________________ i do not know you.you need to expanciate more - C0llins W3aver
those words really made me felt completely bad..and i had to dust my ass and wipe tears Micheal David
x 8
Stanley's Christmas Adventure 2008 - Lagos to Abuja - massbait |
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harrya
Elite Baiter
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 1489
Location: Not Happy
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Posted:
Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:44 am |
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^^^ Qld government as I remember used a figure of $160Million for QLD alone in a report last year. |
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Wright B Hindyou
Elite Baiter
Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 1795
Location: Bangkok
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Posted:
Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:44 am |
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^
Quite likely.
The only way to stop suckers falling for scams in QLD is to issue a whole load of beer coasters saying "You've just won $20m in a lottery..turn over for details" and on the other side saying "...actually you just got scammed. Beware Internet fraud."
I wonder what the going price of beer coasters is.... |
_________________ "YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO HUMANITY" - Douglas Minning
"bastard like you, I will kill you with my hand, son of nobody. May your soul rust in help." - Titi Andrew
"I trusted you very much without knowing that you are a drug addit person" - Emma Bambara
"THIS YOUR BEHAVIOR IS IRELEVANT AND CROSPOLOS CARACTER" - Madam Clarrise Keita.
"you must speak beter because we dont train mad people in this company." - Incredible Self-Baiting Pastor Joe |
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harrya
Elite Baiter
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 1489
Location: Not Happy
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Posted:
Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:08 am |
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^^^ funny you ask that question. I often get people ringing up trying to get you advertise on beer coasters. They always clam they are local then when it comes to payment they are in Fortitude Valley QLD.
Is that Australia's scammer central ? Many years ago I signed up over the phone for a Blue Light Disco book about drugs etc. Single page advertisement. It was to be issued to every child in the local schools. I got sent a copy of the book which they wanted returned I checked with the local schools and they never got it. After not paying the bill I was sent a legal letter from a solicitor at the same address as the original invoice
Fortitude valley of course. They never got that $130.00 |
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Mr Tambourine Man
Baiting Guru
Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 3398
Location: Magic swirlin' ship
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Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:27 pm |
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"Professor Olu Agbi said there were almost 140 million people in Nigeria and fewer than 0.1 per cent were involved."
Fewer than 140,000 scammers then. How many exactly? 139,999? |
_________________ is always Good when you have the zeal to be a hitwoman when you out of school,it makes you bold and reall and it makes you more high than any other of your friend.
NOW AMBACK FOR YOU AGAIN STURBORN SHIT
you dont have a phone.that makes makes you joe butt
Fuck you and go find something to do man. Stop disturbing me please.
This is definitely why you will remain and die in poverty, ignorant of good things and easy acknowledgment of bad things and words. Shame on you, you wicked generation children.
i went you to no that this is not a cheld pray. i went you to get back to me
we are not scammer,we hate scammer as you do.scammer make out life harder and harder,a lot of people think we are scammer,in fact,we are not!! please trustt us |
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Murry Guru
Baiting Guru
Joined: 11 May 2007
Posts: 5561
Location: Turned into Ralph
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Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:39 pm |
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^^^ I would like to see where he got those statistics from, obviously not the local internet cafe |
_________________ "I want to hold your hand and let you scream at me while you bring our child into this world"- Linda Lopez
Bait with Frumpy on the hitman "i though we are partners in this and now u turn around to stub me on the back"
Click to learn how to romance bait Click to get your name in mugu gold
Got info on a scam vic? PM a mod Recieved a scam warning? Say "thank you, I am a baiter"
Ruin your pets day, post their details at scamwarners
<- I run like a girl
x12 ? not enough
<- this one belongs to Ralph. |
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juju4u
Master of Master Baiters
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 727
Location: Yes, absolutely!
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Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 3:16 pm |
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^^Actually the same question had come up in another topic recently, something like: "How many are there?"
Interestingly, this particular lad wrote (just recieved today):
Quote: |
WHY CAN'T YOU CALL ME ON MY MOBILE DIRECT LINE SO THAT WE WILL TALK MAN TO MAN, AND I WOULD LOVE TO LEAVE THIS DIRTY GAME THAT AM INTO, IT HAPPENS THAT OUR COUNTRY NIGERIA DO NOT CARE FOR US AND WE DO ALL THIS TO SURVIVE FOR LIVING. |
...I think he is saying that a lot of them do it. |
_________________ you have disappointed me for GODS sake ok // YOU SEND MONEY TO A FRAUDSTER AND SWINDLER STOP DEALING WITH THOSE IMPOSTERS AGAIN YOU ARE WARNED // if I finally find out that you did not send any money john I will send the FBI after you max, because I don't play dirty games ok - Captain Morgan
i cant stress my self any more.I now have a back pain cos of this // western union puzzle // rather stressfull as i spent the whole weekend trying to unravel it - M T C N s3cure
2,633 miles: Peterson/Gomer/fbi/Tina Mike/MrMicheal: Lagos.Doula.Yaounde.Limbe.Mundemba.ChimpCamp.[SSC Cameroon].(2weeks Jail).Baffousam(across Nigeria).Cotonou.Parakou.[SSC Benin] C/B Master & 5imba et al "i am coming to safari my self" "he is at chimpazine camp" "go pick him at the police station" |
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Captain Pike
Baiting Guru
Joined: 08 Dec 2005
Posts: 2579
Location: Starbase 11
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Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:26 pm |
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Wright B Hindyou wrote: |
to issue a whole load of beer coasters saying "You've just won $20m in a lottery..turn over for details" |
I thought for sure the other side of that beer coaster was also going to say "You've just won $20m in a lottery..turn over for details". |
_________________ x13 x5 (393 days)
"On the 21st of April 2001, my client? His wife and their three children were involved in a plane crash of Union Transport Africans Flight Boeing 727 in Cotonou, Benin Republic on the December 26,2003" Barrister Olorunshogo Williams, 25 October 2004.
"I am in reciept of your mail,i want you to know that you are really getting on my nerves." Burt Hardley, Wellkang International, 20 November 2007
"Please worry, we have already advice the FBI and they don't need to call you. They are very brianliant and intelident. They will get you soon. " Mr. Paul Rogers, Global Medical Equipment, 20 November 2007
As of 26 February 2009, $2,231,983.53 of fake checks and money orders have been intercepted and removed from circulation. |
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GomerPyle
Baiting Guru
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 8875
Location: Wherever I lay my hat
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Posted:
Mon Aug 25, 2008 9:45 pm |
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Quote: |
He said media coverage of fraudulent activity stemming from Nigeria had given the country "a bad image" and "those who want to transact business with us are always very suspicious" |
.
In 25 years of handling international trade and finance for a major UK bank I have never seen a Nigerian document or payment that wasn't a forgery or fraudulent.
In the most careful way I could, I always told my staff and customers said that any document bearing the word Nigeria was most likely forged or fraudulent. The alternative would be to lie and put people at risk. I saved several small companies from being wiped out by Nigerian fraud, and that's not fat cats losing money, it's workers being made redundant and people facing major debt or losing their homes.
Some years ago an old school friend who was working for an accountant, asked me about an offer he had to go and recover some goods from Nigeria that had been obtained by fraud. My advice to him may have saved his life.
They have no prospect of improving their reputation until they admit the scale of the problem. |
_________________ Fake sites killed 1 x 9 x 3 x 168 X
- the 'Asparagus Kid' - Accra to Lome - You Must surly Die in The Name Of Jesus Christ
- Steve - Lagos to Accra
- Frank - Lagos to Cotonou - co-bait with the vampire
- Shorty - Lagos to Cotonou - My Agro Base farming where i rearing chicken and other animals was set ablazed overnight and we do not know who is actual behinde all these evils! -
I and my crew was locked up for 3 good days….They wanted to charge us to court but later we are fined an huge amount of money…I asked them why did they arrest the men, they started laughing and saying all sorts mockering words! -
…because now, am left with nothing and remember i told you my Guy (Joe) gave up earlier this morning |
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sgreenstreet
Master of Master Baiters
Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 659
Location: Upstate New York
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Posted:
Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:29 am |
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Quote: |
"The Nigerian Government frowns very seriously on these scams … and every day tries to track down those who are involved," he said. "It is not in the character of Nigerians to be engaged in this kind of scam." |
I'm grateful to hear this. I wonder if the commissioner would like for us to help him find scammers. |
_________________ Life is worth tried,as all lizard lay postrated unknowing the one that has a stomach itch. -Al hassan salisu
x15 |
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