Issue Date:  -  Tuesday, 14 November 2000

Nigerian Money Scams Still Active

Western Australian consumers and business people have again been hit with a wave of faxed messages, promising big pay-outs from a person (this time) claiming to be the director of the Federal Aviation Ministry of Nigeria.

A Doctor Timothy Ajala starts his faxed message telling the recipient that he is sure they will be surprised to be hearing from him, but he has received their details from a reliable friend at the foreign affairs office in Lagos. The message is of course marked strictly confidential.

The offer on this occasion is a 35% share of $28.5 million U.S. in exchange for personal or business bank details and blank copies of company letter-head and invoice stationery. Dr Ajala also asks for private telephone and fax numbers.

Fair Trading Commissioner Patrick Walker warned Western Australians to stay away from these schemes.

"In many cases, victims are asked to pay advance fees to the perpetrators to help them out with incidental costs in arranging the transfer of money, including the supposed payment of bribes to Government officials. Once a fee is paid, however, the perpetrators continue to milk their victims for whatever they can get. There is no windfall of money at the end of the day" Mr Walker said.

Victims are chosen by a variety of methods including trade journals, newspapers, community directories and libraries, with letters/faxes normally being sent out en masse. They are often addressed generically to the Managing Director, CEO etc.

"In 1999 the United States Secret Service ran an official alert on its web-site in response to the numerous Nigerian scams sweeping America", Mr. Walker said.

"Although Fair Trading passes on information and co-operates with foreign authorities, it is virtually impossible to assist anyone caught in overseas swindles and people should keep well clear of them", Mr. Walker said.