ASSISTANCE FOR MUTUAL BENEFITS

[Nicholas Bohm]

At 15:06 30/07/2001 +0100, Anthony Naggs wrote:
>In message <3B654F4E.A8B3B626@algroup.co.uk>, Ben Laurie
><ben@algroup.co.uk> wrote
>>
>>BTW, I've been trying to figure out how these scams actually work - my
>
>I've been getting quite a lot by email in the last month or so,
>particularly via some email lists, which I just bin.  I've also, a long
>time ago, seen the telexed and faxed ones.  
>
>>assumption is that if you are stupid enough to bite, they will then hit
>>you for some money required to process paperwork or some such - but is
>>there anything more cunning going on?
>
>The proposal as far as I remember is that you should pay some amount (a
>few thousand pounds) into a foreign bank account.  This will then be
>used to facilitate (fees/bribes) the transfer of a large amount of money
>out of, most often, Nigeria, and you will get a big slice of this (e.g.
>ten times as much as you originally paid).
>
>The message also asks for details of your bank account, (to transfer the
>money into, of course), and a copy of your company letter paper.
>
>If you transfer the money requested you will certainly not see it again.
>If you give out your company's bank details with all the signatures and
>letter paper that usually enough for your bank to take their
>instructions.

But the bank carries the risk of forgery, so has to reverse the debit when
challenged.  I suspect that the banks' exposure is one of the reasons these
scams get a fair amount of publicity from time to time.

>There was dozy old chap from Norwich (I think) a couple of weeks ago,
>who obviously thought at the time he was being clever in going out to
>South Africa to meet someone who had sent such an email.  He was
>kidnapped, held for ransom for several days and rescued by the SA
>Police's Flying Squad.  Not an experience I would wish on anyone, but it
>is hard to believe that a former business owner and town mayor could be
>so credulous that a complete stranger in a foreign country could really
>offer 100 or 1000 times return on 5000 pounds in a few days.

Many would say this is par for the course in East Anglia.

Regards

Nicholas

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