Nigeria Background
Nigeria is a developing country in West Africa with widespread corruption, crime and poverty. Political instability, civil unrest, violence and criminal activity, including a worldwide operation of advance fee and Internet fraud, run rampant here. Nigeria has struggled to reform its economy and increase its standard of living with some success.
Nigeria has received international attention for its problems as many visitors have been victim of armed robbery, assaults, burglary, kidnappings and extortion. In some cases, visitors have been the victim of violence, murder and car-jacking. Violent crime can be committed by ordinary criminals as well as persons dressed in police or military uniform. Among the widespread petty theft, credit cards, passports, visas and other personal documents are among items sought after by thieves in Nigeria. In recent years, the number of cases involving advance fee fraud, relationship fraud, international scams, romance or business offers via the Internet have been on the rise exponentially. Some of the scams targeting foreigners may involve questionable transactions involving gold and other precious metals.
The U.S. State Department’s warning on Nigeria as highly applicable and accurate for current scam operations in the region. “Scams typically begin with an unsolicited communication or e-mail from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often by assisting in the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country.” A series of “advance fees” must be paid in order to conclude the transaction, such as fees to open a bank account or to pay certain taxes.
In fact, the final payoff does not exist; the purpose of the scam is simply to collect money from the victim. The US Embassy has also received reports of fraudulent charities soliciting contributions through the Internet. Another type of fraud is committed by persons claiming to live in Nigeria or who claim to be traveling to Nigeria on business, and who profess friendship or romantic interest over the Internet. Once a relationship has been established, the criminal correspondent typically asks the [foreigner] to send money for living expenses, travel expenses, or visa costs. In some cases, a “hospital” or “doctor” telephones to say that the friend has suffered an “accident” and needs immediate financial assistance to cover medical bills. There are [many] variations of the scam, but the common goal are to fraudulently obtain as much money as possible from the victim.
”I WANT TO EMPHASIZE MY PRIMARY RULE: Never send money or personal data internationally to any individual who is not known personally.
Nigeria has received international attention for its problems as many visitors have been victim of armed robbery, assaults, burglary, kidnappings and extortion. In some cases, visitors have been the victim of violence, murder and car-jacking. Violent crime can be committed by ordinary criminals as well as persons dressed in police or military uniform. Among the widespread petty theft, credit cards, passports, visas and other personal documents are among items sought after by thieves in Nigeria. In recent years, the number of cases involving advance fee fraud, relationship fraud, international scams, romance or business offers via the Internet have been on the rise exponentially. Some of the scams targeting foreigners may involve questionable transactions involving gold and other precious metals.
The U.S. State Department’s warning on Nigeria as highly applicable and accurate for current scam operations in the region. “Scams typically begin with an unsolicited communication or e-mail from an unknown individual who describes a situation that promises quick financial gain, often by assisting in the transfer of a large sum of money or valuables out of the country.” A series of “advance fees” must be paid in order to conclude the transaction, such as fees to open a bank account or to pay certain taxes.
In fact, the final payoff does not exist; the purpose of the scam is simply to collect money from the victim. The US Embassy has also received reports of fraudulent charities soliciting contributions through the Internet. Another type of fraud is committed by persons claiming to live in Nigeria or who claim to be traveling to Nigeria on business, and who profess friendship or romantic interest over the Internet. Once a relationship has been established, the criminal correspondent typically asks the [foreigner] to send money for living expenses, travel expenses, or visa costs. In some cases, a “hospital” or “doctor” telephones to say that the friend has suffered an “accident” and needs immediate financial assistance to cover medical bills. There are [many] variations of the scam, but the common goal are to fraudulently obtain as much money as possible from the victim.
”I WANT TO EMPHASIZE MY PRIMARY RULE: Never send money or personal data internationally to any individual who is not known personally.
About My Experience
Description of the Incident
Nelson Scott who doesn’t exist; contacted me via match.com on 1/26/09; we started writing using his e-mail account nelson_scott9@yahoo.com and I gave him my personal e-mail.so we communicated via IM, he then gave me his cell number in the UK 011-44-7045-743039 and we communicated daily. He asked for my pics and pics of my 6 year old child, which I sent but he never sent me any pics of him or his daughter and his wife was killed in a car accident in Birmingham, UK in 2005. Then on 1/31/09 he told me he got a contract to work in Benin, Nigeria and supposable he left on 2/4th with his 14 y/o daughter Sara on a flight to Nigeria. On 2/1 I asked personal information DOB he told me he was born in Tel Aviv on 3/4/64 and his daughter on 2/14/94, he gave me his mother name Christiana Scott but she is also called Melisa who supposedly lives in Israel, his father Joshua Scott who passed away 15 years ago and the name of the wife you passed Alice Christiana Miriam Sanchez originally from Athens, Greece DOB 4/9/67 and passed 9/18/05. He claimed he worked for a company in the UK called Costain Taylor Woodrow Drilling Limited that doesn’t exist. He wrote several e-mails and gave me the hotel name in Benin as the Pendulum Crown Hotel ph-234-52-885760 and I couldn’t find this hotel anywhere. On 2/8 he wrote to me via IM to tell me that the equipment had arrived but customs in Nigeria was asking for $10.000 since it was Sunday I had $600.00 that I wired to him via Western Union and on Monday first thing I went to the bank and got $10,000 and sent it in the name of 4 different custom agents but thankfully WU stopped the transaction, Nelson called me desperately and I called WU and was transferred to the Fraud Department, where they told me not to send the money, so I stopped it. He called me crying etc. etc. and I asked for a copy of his passport and Sara and he never ever sent it, there was ALWAYS an excuse, I asked for Sara’s Birth Certificate and he never sent it, so I contacted UK Vital records, paid a lot of Money and they called me to let me know that there was no Birth Certificate for Sara, no Death Certificate for Alice, no Marriage Certificate and when I questioned him he was very upset. So I contacted an International Investigation company to investigate and they sent me a report telling me that there was no Nelson Scott that he never entered Nigeria in the last 6 months that he never graduated as a Civil Engineer from Oxford and the Hotel in Nigeria didn’t exist.
Nelson Scott who doesn’t exist; contacted me via match.com on 1/26/09; we started writing using his e-mail account nelson_scott9@yahoo.com and I gave him my personal e-mail.so we communicated via IM, he then gave me his cell number in the UK 011-44-7045-743039 and we communicated daily. He asked for my pics and pics of my 6 year old child, which I sent but he never sent me any pics of him or his daughter and his wife was killed in a car accident in Birmingham, UK in 2005. Then on 1/31/09 he told me he got a contract to work in Benin, Nigeria and supposable he left on 2/4th with his 14 y/o daughter Sara on a flight to Nigeria. On 2/1 I asked personal information DOB he told me he was born in Tel Aviv on 3/4/64 and his daughter on 2/14/94, he gave me his mother name Christiana Scott but she is also called Melisa who supposedly lives in Israel, his father Joshua Scott who passed away 15 years ago and the name of the wife you passed Alice Christiana Miriam Sanchez originally from Athens, Greece DOB 4/9/67 and passed 9/18/05. He claimed he worked for a company in the UK called Costain Taylor Woodrow Drilling Limited that doesn’t exist. He wrote several e-mails and gave me the hotel name in Benin as the Pendulum Crown Hotel ph-234-52-885760 and I couldn’t find this hotel anywhere. On 2/8 he wrote to me via IM to tell me that the equipment had arrived but customs in Nigeria was asking for $10.000 since it was Sunday I had $600.00 that I wired to him via Western Union and on Monday first thing I went to the bank and got $10,000 and sent it in the name of 4 different custom agents but thankfully WU stopped the transaction, Nelson called me desperately and I called WU and was transferred to the Fraud Department, where they told me not to send the money, so I stopped it. He called me crying etc. etc. and I asked for a copy of his passport and Sara and he never ever sent it, there was ALWAYS an excuse, I asked for Sara’s Birth Certificate and he never sent it, so I contacted UK Vital records, paid a lot of Money and they called me to let me know that there was no Birth Certificate for Sara, no Death Certificate for Alice, no Marriage Certificate and when I questioned him he was very upset. So I contacted an International Investigation company to investigate and they sent me a report telling me that there was no Nelson Scott that he never entered Nigeria in the last 6 months that he never graduated as a Civil Engineer from Oxford and the Hotel in Nigeria didn’t exist.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
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