Copyright 2002
Copyright 2002
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THE GREED FACTOR

The success of a '419' (scam) letter is mostly dependent on its ability to appeal to the greed of the recipient. All those who have fallen victim to '419' scams simply gave in to the allurements of greed and the idea that they can quickly make some easy money or property that they did not earn in the first place. They have wanted to reap where they have not sown. Some of these victims concede to the greed factor after they have been suckered, while others continue to deceive themselves claiming that they have been ripped off or victimized, instead of addressing their greed, which led them into temptation.

Greed has become a common characteristic amongst people of today, encouraged by the get-rich-quick syndrome. People want to accumulate as much wealth as possible without caring about who gets trampled upon, deprived, or cheated in the process. Such is the breed of a society that prefers to look the other way and rather sing praises than question how an individual became a millionaire overnight. An environment where people ask  "what is in it for me?" rather than "is it fair?"

THE REWARD
Of course, actions against a '419' scam hardly ever succeed because of the rule of law that says - no legal action can arise from an illegal contract. The greedy victim gets paid in his own coin as he looses his fabulous but fraudulent investment. On the other hand, the 'successful' scam artist gets away from the justice of society, which is easily influenced by his wealth. Men even glorify these scam artists. They get installed as Chiefs or elected to high offices in society, while others get the first seat in the church where they donate lump sums from their fraudulent coffers claiming that they have repented. So they think they are home safe. Not too fast. God cannot be deceived, for "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap." The justice of life will eventually take its pound of flesh at the right time, whether it be in this life or the next, it matters not. The price will be paid.

THE LETTERS
I have copied and pasted the bodies of the said letters here below. They came from two different e-mail addresses, but note the complete similarity in the context and arrangement of ideas that they are selling. It does not take a lawyer or seer to catch the trick. These letters have no charm/juju/voodoo as many have speculated. Simply note that both letters almost compel the recipient to swear an oath of secrecy about the transaction. That is the 'charm/juju/voodoo.' It is therefore not of any wonder why greedy victims quietly play along and only report the crime when it is too late to catch. This is one of those situations where every individual has the choice to be or not to be a victim.

LETTER 1
THE DESK OF:
DR----------(PRINCIPAL AUDITOR) NIGERIAN
NATIONAL
PETROLLEUM
CORPORATION
(NNPC) LAGOS, NIGERIA

ATTN: DIRECTOR

COMPLIMENT OF THE DAY TO YOU. I WISH TO EXTEND THIS MUTUAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU WITH THE HOPE THAT YOU WILL GLADLY ACCEPT. I AM THE PRINCIPAL AUDITOR OF THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION. A POST I HAVE HELD FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. IN THE COURSE OF DISCHARGING MY DUTY LAST YEAR, I DISCOVERED THAT SOME GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN THE PAST, COMMITTED SOME IRREGULARITIES IN THE FORM OF OVER-INVOICED CONTRACT VALUES WHICH EVENTUALLY GO INTO THEIR PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNTS. WHAT  INTEREST ME MUSTAND FOR WHICH REASON I AM WRITING YOU IS THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT WHICH WAS AWARDED TO A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR, IT WAS OVER ESTIMATED BY THE TUNE OF US$5 M (FIVE MILLION U.S.DOLLARS). THIS CONTRACT
HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND COMMISSIONED AND THE CONTRACTOR FULLY PAID, BUT THE US $ 5M OVER ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE  CONTRACT IS STILL LYING AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN). BECAUSE OF THE HASTE WITH WHICH THE LAST GOVERNMENT WAS REMOVED FROM OFFICE, THESE MEN HAS NO CHANCE TO COLLECT THIS MONEY BEFORE LEAVING THE OFFICE. BUT AS A RESULT OF UPDATED PAYMENTS ADVISE AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA (CBN), IT HAS BEEN AWAITING TRANSFER TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT. IN MY REPORT, I RECOMMENDED THAT THIS MONEY SHOULD BE PAID BUT ON THE CONDITION THAT THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE INFORMED. MY RECOMMENDATION WAS ACCEPTED AND I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD ORDER TO GET IN-TOUCH WITH THE FOREIGN CONTRACTORS, BUT SINCE THE CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN FULLY PAID FOR THE JOB HEDID, I WANT TO DIVERT THIS MONEY TO ANOTHER FOREIGN ACCOUNT. HAVING DONE ALL THE NECESSARY GROUND WORK, THIS MONEY IS IN MY POSSESSION AND I AM LOOKING
FORWARD FOR A TRUST WORTHY PERSON INTO WHOSE PRIVATE OR COMPANY'S ACCOUNT THIS MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO. I WISH TO RETIRE FROM SERVICE AFTER THIS TRANSACTION AND GOINTO BUSINESS IN YOUR COUNTRY THROUGH YOU AS MY AGENT. YOU ARE THEREFORE REQUESTED TO KINDLY ALLOW ME TOTRANSFER THIS MONEY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT PRTHAT I CAN WITHS DRAW THIS MONEY WHEN I WANT TO. UPON THE TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY, 65% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE FOR ME AND MY COLLEAGUES WHILE 30% SHALL BE FOR YOU THE ACCOUNT OWNER AND THE REMAINING 5% SHALL BE SET ASIDE TO REFUND EXPENSES MADE IN THE COURSE OF THI TRANSACTION. BE ASSURED THAT THIS BUSINESS IS RISK-FREE BUT THE KEYWORD IS THE CONFIDENTIALITY DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE TRANSACTION AND MY POSITION IN THE MINISTRY. KINDLY TREAT AS URGENT AND CONTACT MEIMMEDIATELY THROUGH MY E-MAIL ADDRESS, YOU WILL BE FULLY DETAILED WHEN I HEAR FROM YOU. YOUR BANKING PARTICULARS, I.E ACCOUNT NUMBER, TELEX, BENEFICIARY, AND YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS ARE VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS TRANSACTION FOR UPDATING AND REMITTANCE PROTOCOL.
BEST REGARDS
Dr --------------

LETTER 2
The Desk Of:
Dr --------------- (Principal Auditor) Nigerian National
Petrolleum
Corporation (Nnpc) Lagos, Nigeria

Attn: Director
Compliment of the day to you. I wish to extend this mutual business proposal to you with the hope that you will gladly accept. I am the principal auditor of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. A post I have held for the past three years. In the course of discharging my duty last year, I discovered that some government officials in the past, committed some irregularities in the form of over-invoiced contract values which eventually go into their private bank accounts.
What interest me must and for which reason I am writing you is this particular contract which was awarded to a foreign contractor, it was over estimated by the tune of us$5 m (five million u.s.dollars). This contract has been completed and commissioned and the contractor fully paid, but the us $ 5m over estimated value of the contract is still lying at the Central Bank of Nigeria (cbn). Because of the haste with which the last government was removed from office, these men has no chance to collect this money before leaving the office. But as a result of updated payments advise at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), it has been awaiting transfer to a
foreign account. In my report, I recommended that this money should be paid but on the condition that the contractor should be informed. My recommendation was accepted and I have been given the go-ahead order to get in-touch with the foreign contractors, but since the contractor has been fully paid for the job he did, I want to divert this money to another foreign account. Having done all the necessary ground work, this money is in my possession and I am looking forward for a trust worthy person into whose private or company's account this money will be transferred into. I wish to retire from service after this transaction and go into business in your country through you as my agent. You are therefore requested to kindly allow me to transfer this money into your account so that I can withdraw this money when I want to. Upon the transfer of this money, 65% of the total sum will be for me and my colleagues while 30% shall be for you the account owner and the remaining 5% shall be set aside to refund expenses made in the course of the transaction. Be assured that this business is risk-free but the keyword is the confidentiality due to the nature of the transaction and my position in the ministry. Kindly treat as urgent and contact me immediately through my e-mail address: ----------------@hotvoice.com You will be fully detailed when I hear from you. Your banking particulars, i.e account number, telex, beneficiary, and your private telephone and fax numbers are vital to the success of this transaction for updating and remittance protocol.
Best Regards
Dr ------------
FALLING VICTIM TO '419' (SCAM) LETTERS: The greed factor

Recently I received a couple of unsolicited letters bothering on invitations to engage in secret remittance of some funds arising from over-invoiced contracts in Nigeria. For my confidential contribution in the transaction, I was supposed to get some generous percentage of the whopping millions of dollars involved. More importantly to the writer(s) I was required to transfer my bank account information and to TREAT THE MATTER WITH CONFIDENCE. Well, my writer(s) now knows that the letter to me did not achieve its desired goal. That is, to convince me to fall to the temptations of greed and thereby get defrauded. '419!'

Simply put, Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code deals with the offence of obtaining by false pretence (false representation). It is from there that the popular coinage '419' is lifted to refer to the activities of some individuals who obtain properties and money from others through fraudulent representations or misrepresentation. Unfortunately, the practice have now gone beyond the borders of Nigeria as it has invaded the web and internet which allows these individuals to use the convenience, anonymity, and universality of internet technology from anywhere and against anyone anywhere.

Obviously, the writer(s) knew very little about me (which is usually the case with such letters). Otherwise, the writer(s) would have realized that I am just an ordinary civil servant who does not have much money to throw around, and that I am rather contented in what I earn than in bogus investments that promise fantastic rewards that are unearned. My tempter(s) also failed to realize that (assuming his/their offers were genuine,) to go along with his plan would amount to a criminal union with him to defraud the people and government of Nigeria

At first I wanted to ignore these letters, since I always believed that life eventually takes care of these things. However, since the writer(s) has continued to write, I owe it a duty to the public as a public commentator to treat these letters as requiring a public response or commentary. I will therefore make two of such letters available to readers with the intention of (1) asking the writer(s) to please stop soliciting my attention as I am not interested in such tantalizing offer of immediate wealth, and (2) alerting other readers who agree with my view, to be wary of such letters, and not fall prey to the temptations of greed. Before we get to the letters, permit me to briefly address the issue of greed.