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Advance Fee Frauds

West African 419 Advance Fee Fraud

Advance fee fraud or '419' fraud (named after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code) is a popular crime with the West African organised criminal networks. There are a myriad of schemes and scams - mail, faxed and telephone promises designed to facilitate victims parting with money. All involve requests to help move large sums of money with the promise of a substantial share of the cash in return.
 
This type of scam, originally known as the "Spanish Prisoner Letter", has been carried out since at least the sixteenth century via ordinary postal mail. These scams have come to be associated in the public mind with Nigeria due to the massive proliferation of such confidence tricks from that country since the mid-eighties, although they are often also carried out in other African nations, and increasingly from European cities with large Nigerian populations, notably London and Amsterdam.
 
The laws from Section 419 and laws in place in other jurisdictions criminalising the offences do not scare away the criminals who profit from these crimes. The stakes and profits are simply too high and many government officials are believed to be involved with the criminal gangs.
 
Victim's individual monetary losses can range from the low thousands into multi-millions. True figures are often impossible to ascertain, because many victims, embarrassed by their naiveté and feeling personally humiliated, do not report the crime to the authorities. Others, having lost so much themselves, become "part of the gang" recruiting more victims from their own country of residence. There are tragic cases of victims being unable to cope with the losses and committing suicide.
 
This is an example of how Advance Fee Fraud operates:
 
Gonet & Cie Private Bank Fraud
 
Gonet & Cie Private Bank and La Roche Banquiers & Co have made it known as fact that their names are being used to perpetrate 419 style advance fee frauds.
 
Victims or potential victims have received written communication purporting to be from:

• Joseph BUSUTIL, GONET & CIE (Private Bankers, Geneva)
    
• Thomas EDBERG & Phits BARNERD (sic)LA ROCHE & CO BANQUIERS
    
• William SHULTZ , W.SHULTZ & CO 100 Fleet Street, London EC4M 2JK 

Joseph Busutil does not work for Gonet & Cie. In fact, Joseph Busutil probably does not exist in any form other than the fraudsters imagination.
 
Gonet & Cie is an established private bank regulated by the Swiss Authorities. It has no connection with these letters and alerted us to the fact that their name is being used to commit fraud. These fraudsters will often use or copy the letter headings of genuine companies to add weight to their deception.
 
W.Shultz & Co does not exist. In fact, 100 Fleet Street is a Cobblers.
 
Thomas Edberg & Phits BARNERD have no connection with La Roche & Co Banquiers. Again, La Roche & Co Banquiers is an established regulated bank and alerted us to the fact that their good name is being used in this way.
 
As police and members of the public become aware of the different styles and methods used in these frauds, the fraudsters themselves have to invent new ways to sell an old theme, i.e. something for nothing which always ends up as nothing for something.
 
The current trend (as used in this instance) is for a victim to receive a letter from a bank or firm of lawyers to the effect that a previously unknown member of your family has been killed in a highway accident overseas (or some similar scenario).
 
You are the only other person left who may be related to the deceased, and you may be the sole inheritor of the millions of dollars left in an account. The person contacting you will have details of lawyers and genealogical research to show that, indeed, you are the one.
 
It doesn't matter what the scenario is, except that it will end in tears and a financial loss for whoever is tempted to respond to such a communication and gets sucked into a negotiation with these people.
 
If you would like more information regarding these types of fraud, here is a useful link: www.scambuster419.co.uk

Click here to see an example e-mail from a 419 scammer.

See also:

• Money Transfer Fraud 

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