Nigerian email scam: How to avoid being a victim
Have you heard of the Nigerian email scam?
Dear friend: I’m asking for your help. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am unable to directly withdrawal my money due to problems with the Nigerian government. I can, however, send it to an account in the United States. If you will give me your account number I will deposit it in to your account and you will send it to me. In exchange, I will give you a portion of it. You can keep $20,000. Just reply with your bank account information and I will transfer it right away.
Here is a real example of a letter that came to my e-mail:
“Good Day,My name is Mr. Jerry Ntai, I am the Head of Operation in Mevas Bank, Hong Kong. I need your assistance in effecting a transaction worth $21.5m I intend to give 30% of the total funds as compensation for your assistance.”
Now that we have two examples of the Nigerian e-mail scam, let’s take a look at what it is. Most of these e-mails originate in Nigeria. The perpetrators of this scam purchase e-mail lists and send out large amounts of e-mail hoping to find somebody who will respond. After a few exchanges, the victim often provides their bank account information. From there, the thief empties the person’s bank account.
Certainly, there aren’t people who fall for such a story. According to statistics, more than 100,000 million dollars has been lost by Americans falling for this scam. It is listed as the #1 most successful e-mail scam, and with thousands of variations of this letter in existence, it continues to con people each and every day.
Why do people fall for this? Because it appeals to the get rich quick attitude that runs rampant in our country. Can you imagine if it were true? All I have to do is give Mr. Jerry Ntai above my bank account information and I’m going to have more than 7 million dollars simply for allowing my bank account to be used.
The Nigerian email scam has been around for many years but until people understand that nothing comes free, these thieves will continue to find victims in the greedy people of the world looking for quick riches.
Let this be another lesson to all of us. The way to not fall victim to this is quite simple. Use your head! How could anybody think they could become a millionaire in such a manner and even if it were real, wouldn’t these people think that it may be illegal somehow?
If you did lose money, you should call your local secret service branch office to report the crime but it will be very difficult to recover your funds.
Don’t let your greed make you a victim. When you get a Nigerian email scam correspondence, delete it right away.
In case you are still wondering whether people actually fall for the old Nigerian 419 scam – or are wondering just who would fall for the old Nigerian 419 scam – wonder no more, and instead learn from the story of Thomas Katona, of Harrisville, Michigan. That would be Thomas Katona, the county treasurer for Alcona County, Michigan.
Because authorities in Alcona county in Michigan have reported that their Thomas Katona – their elected treasurer of thirteen years – a good old boy from a long-standing Alcona County family – has lost more than $1 million of treasury funds to a Nigerian scammer.
How could this happen?
Well, apparently Katona started by using his own funds. But, as is always the case, the target (in this case Katona) gets in deeper and deeper as the scammer draws the victim in. And as the scam deepens, you need to send more and more money in order to “help get your money” (the promised payoff) out of the country.
I’m not sure which aspect of this situation is the most hurtful for Alcona County – the fact that the money he took from the county represents more than 25% of the entire county budget, or his betrayal of Alcona County voters’ trust.
Said a spokesman for the Michigan Attorney General’s office, “Every part of this makes you wonder, ‘What was he thinking?’ ”
Actually, it makes us wonder “What, was he thinking?”
This story breaks my heart entirly, not only do I live in Michigan but I to almost fell for the scam. It was my mother that actually saved me from falling for this scam, when I recieved the email from the scammer it seemed to be so real, he gives you a name, an address, that seems to be legit, pics of his family a “copy” of his work place “badge” and it is very easy to get sucked in if your not carefull, after I decided to change my mind and not go through with it, I looked up the name Jerry Ntai, and I was in total shock and disbelief that this name was all over the net warning people to watch out for this scammer, that is why I am very thankful to websites, such as this one, that give people warnings about such scams! Thanks for opening my eyes to the truth you truely saved me and my family from losing a lot of money and our identies!!! 🙂
Connie Williams
This is even rampant here in my country. I always receive this kind of emails atleast twice a month and I understand why many fall prey for this. The promised amount is really huge!Thanks for the reminder.