Nigerian E-Mail Scam Redux--Now with FBI Letterhead!

By Sam Bakken in News on Nov 18, 2004 8:34PM

If you're one to give out your bank account number over e-mail to unknown Nigerians, Libyans or Cote d' Ivoirians in exchange for a cut of their father's $28 million fortune, watch out you gullible sucker because now they have FBI letterhead.

Though there are variations of this sort of scam (known as "Advance Fee Fraud" or the "419" scam) dating back to the 1920s, it has worked well over the Internet in recent years. It starts with an unsolicited e-mail message written in quite spectacular prose. The authors tell of dead family members that have set aside million dollar fortunes that they need help moving overseas or some sort of variation on that theme. Of course that money is currently hidden from the authorities and you have to keep it quiet. They don't address you by name, but say they got your e-mail address from a business directory of prominent world business men or from a top business leader you both know. They just need your bank account number to cover some taxes and fees to begin the transfer of funds. But without fail complications will arise and they'll need more money to bribe officials and

The e-mail messages are interesting (for a collection of them go here) and funny. When Chicagoist first received one we laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it. How could someone ever fall for it? While the actual number of suckers is hard to come by, officials say some victims are too embarrassed to admit it, Chicago FBI Spokesman Ross Rice told WBBM780 that they get at least a half dozen reports a year in the Chicago area from people who have given these scammers their money.

The FBI fears that the use of their letterhead could reassure victims and persuade them to give the scammers money. Chicagoist says, "Stay out of overseas business deals if you didn't initiate the transaction."

(Check out this web site to see the scammers get a taste of their own medicine.)