Crime Online

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This message should have been sent in HTML format. For some reason my mail client could not show the code correctly. I put the code into a HTML editor and got the following message out of it. The INEC logo was embedded into the message.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: MR. CYPRIAN U. UMUNCHEZI
Date: Thu, May 1, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Subject: Project Assistance
To:

P. M .B .0184 Garki
FCT, Abuja
NIGERIA
Season’s Greetings!!!

ATTN: THE CEO./PRESIDENT.

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I GUESS THIS LETTER MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE SINCE I HAD NO PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOU.

INTRODUCTION:
I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF TENDER BOARD OF THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC).I GOT YOUR CONTACT IN THE COURSE OF MY INTERNET SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE PERSON WITH WHOM TO HANDLE A VERY CONFIDENTIAL TRANSACTION INVOLVING THE TRANSFER OF FUND VALUED EIGHT MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS TO A SAFE FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT.

THE ABOVE FUND IN QUESTION IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ARMS, DRUGS OR MONEY LAUNDERING. IT IS THE PRODUCT OF OVER INVOICE ON CONTRACT AWARDED IN 2007 BY INEC, TO FOREIGN COMPANIES FOR THE SUPPLY OF ELECTORAL MATERIALS THAT WAS USED FOR CONDUCTING 2007 ELECTIONS.

THE CONTRACT HAS LONG BEEN EXECUTED AND PAYMENT OF THE ACTUAL CONTRACT AMOUNT MADE TO THE FOREIGN Contractor’s), LEAVING THE BALANCE OF EIGHT MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT WHICH MY COLLEAGUES AND I NOW WANT TO TRANSFER OUT OF NIGERIA INTO A RELIABLE FOREIGN ACCOUNT FOR OUR PERSONAL USE. AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY FOREIGN ACCOUNT MACHINERY TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION.

THEREFORE IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO SOURCE FOR A FOREIGN COMPANY WITH THE CAPABILITY TO ACT AS THE ORIGINAL BENEFICIARY OF THE CONTRACT.

MY DEAR, IT IS A GOOD THING THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS ENDORSED THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE SENATE THAT ALL FOREIGN CONTRACTORS OWED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA SHOULD BE PAID, WE WILL SEIZE THIS GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO PURPORT YOU AS ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES TO BE PAID.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO ASSIST US IN THIS PROPOSAL, KINDLY EMAIL ME YOUR LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
1; YOUR NAME:——
2: YOUR ADDRESS:——–
3;YOUR AGE ——
4: YOUR OCCUPATION:—-
5: YOUR TELEPHONE NO:——

BUT IF FOR ANY REASON, YOU CAN NOT BE ABLE TO ASSIST ME, I SHALL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN INTRODUCE IT TO A RELIABLE AND TRUST WORTHY PERSON TO ASSIST US.

MEANWHILE, MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE DECIDED TO OFFER YOU 25% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR YOUR KIND COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE IN TRANSFERRING THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT, WHILE 75% WILL BE FOR ME AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE OFFICE FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE SUBSEQUENT CORRESPONDENCE.

THIS TRANSACTION WILL BE TREATED WITH UTMOST CONFIDENTIALLY TO AVOID SCANDAL ON OUR PART AS WE ARE STILL SERVING.

WITH YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS TRANSACTION, THE FUND WILL BE RELEASED AND TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 16 WORKING DAYS. WE SHALL BE EXPECTING YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE SOONEST.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
MR. CYPRIAN U. UMUNCHEZI
NB: PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO: inectb@excite.com

Tags: Abuja Nigeria, Attn, Beneficiary, Ceo President, Civil Servants, Cyprian, Fct Abuja, Federal Government Of Nigeria, Government Of Nigeria, Html Editor, Hundred Thousand, Independent National Electoral Commission, Internet Search, Mail Client, Money Laundering, Personal Use, Project Assistance, Subject Project, Suspense Account, United States Dollars

Most Africans succumb to corruption in their every day lives. They either suffer at the hands of people who relieve them of their money or they are the ones who want the cash.

Corruption does start at the bottom. When a person has an advantage, for example he gets a job where he or she has a certain level of decision making or they provide a service. That is the basis for them to start using this to extort money from fellow countrymen who require a positive decision or service.

This could be anything from a civil servant, for example, who’s job entails issuing any sort of permit or certificate. If they are not paid a fee, the person requiring the permit does not get it. Period.

I know of other cases where Europeans working in Africa have been accosted by local office workers wanting money. If you give them any money, you can be sure they will be back soon for more.

Of course, the higher one gets the more lucrative the corruption opportunities become. Just reading the African press often gives insight as to what so called politicians and high ranking civil servants are doing in countries like Nigeria.

The journalist Sorious Samura shows exactly how corruption forces poverty on Africans in his documentary called “Living with Corruption”. Posing as a local, he shows how corruption rules every part of peoples daily lives. Regardless of what you need or want to do, you have to pay someone for the privilege to get or do what you want.

It’s this deeply ingrained corruption in African society which is the source of 419 and other types of fraud perpetrated by Africans.

In comparison the US, Europe and Asia are seen as being rich. On top of this the 419 scam as such, preys upon the gullibility of us “Westerners”, using greed or the wish of a better financial situation to make normal people into victims.

In my opinion, 419 fraud is not going to disappear any time soon. Corruption is so deeply ingrained in African society, that stopping it will be impossible.

Tags: 419 scam, Advance Fee Fraud, Africa, Africans, Asia, Civil Servant, Civil Servants, Corruption, Europeans, Fellow Countrymen, Financial Situation, Fraud, Greed, Gullibility, Journalist, Life Image, Local Office, Nigeria, Office Workers, Politicians, Prey, Preys, Privilege, Samura, Sorious Samura, Way Of Life, Westerners, Wikipedia