June 28, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 27: The Nigerian high commissioner, Senator Umer El-Gash Maina, warned Pakistani nationals to be ware of any unsolicited or suspicious-looking correspondence purportedly emanating from Nigeria, in the form of e-mails and letters offering jobs.

These e-mails or letters falsely convey offers of contracts and appointments from governmental organizations, business proposals and joint venture offers from companies, oil lifting contracts, the Nigerian high commissioner said in a meeting at the High Commission on Tuesday.

Despite repeated warnings from the Nigerian High Commission, people continue to fall for such scams as they appear to be highly tempting.

The high commissioner stressed that despite their warnings, certain people fell for the tricks of the perpetrators. He termed such fraudulent crimes as “bogus” and solely intended to defraud the recipients and tarnish the good name of Nigeria.

The high commissioner clarified that any job offer involving the Nigerian government or legitimate business concerns in the country was usually channelled through the Nigerian High Commission in Islamabad.

He said that individuals and corporate entities all over Pakistan should clear any suspicious proposals with the Nigerian High Commission prior to making any commitment.

The multi-stage fraud starts when one receives a “confidential business proposal” through fax, e-mail or letter. One first receives a letter, fax or e-mail from an insider or an “official” representing a present or former foreign government or agency.

The letter, while appearing transparently bogus and even ridiculous to most people, is unfortunately growing in its effectiveness and reach. Initially targeting businessmen, the scam has now expanded to include the average citizen due to the low cost of email transmission in relation to potential gains.

New variations of the scheme are being developed all the time but the most common forms of these fraudulent business proposals include transfer of funds from “over-invoiced” or “over- estimated” contracts relating to resources, medical equipment, Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) or assistance in escaping from the country with accumulated wealth, conversion of hard currency or money laundering, sale of crude oil or other commodities at below-market prices or transfer of accounts of now defunct companies.

Those who agree to the proposal for sheer greed for money are asked to provide certain documents, including their bank account information. Upon receipt of the requested documents, they are then politely asked to transfer money to pay for “newly- discovered” transfer taxes and contract fees demanded by the Central Bank of Nigeria and fees for the attorneys acting on your behalf, if you choose not to come there in person.

Soon some other problem concerning the “inside man” will arise or an official will demand that an up-front bribe be paid before the money can be transferred.

The demand for more money continues and each fee that is paid is described as the very last required but invariably these “oversights,” “errors,” “complications” or “temporary difficulties” keep on cropping up, necessitating additional payments and delays, which allow the process to be stretched out over many months until you either run out of money or gullibility. The collection of these ‘advance fees’ is the real objective of the scam.