Fraudulent Business Deals - How to Recognize the Scams and What to Do

False Business Proposal Email Scams - Sample Emails - How to Recognize Them and How to Report Them

The Advance Fee Fraud (AFF) email is also known as "419" after the section of the Nigerian penal law that deals with this type of fraud. Below is a real example of a fake business proposal from Nigeria.  A rule of thumb: "It if is from Nigeria, it MUST be a scam" .  Nigeria ought to use a new slogan for their tourist office: "Nigeria: Land of Scams, Thieves and Scumbags - Don't come, just let us steal your money!"  But now there are plenty originating in the Far East and other areas.

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Reporting a Fraudulent Business Proposal

In the United States contact:

U.S. Secret Service
Financial Crimes Division
1800 G Street, NW
Room 942
Washington, DC 20223

Phone: (202) 435-5850

Fax: (202) 435-5031

Or contact the local U.S. Secret Service Field Office.

Overseas,

Contact the Foreign Commercial Service (FSC) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If there is no FCS office, contact the American Citizens Services Unit of the Consular Section or the Regional Security Office.

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.

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How to Recognize a "Nigerian" Business Scam

Let's look at some actual emails people received and see how we can spot that they are scam.

In general, notice the awesome amount of misspellings, poor grammar and run-on sentences.  Even if they weren't scams, would you go into business with someone who writes like that?

Sample Scam Emails by theme, subject or key phrase:

1. "We require competent representatives who can help us establish a medium of getting to our customers in the USA, Canada and Europe as well as making payments through you to us."

2. Anhui Guofeng Plastic Industry, Mr. Peter Duka

3. "Looking for an American partner" another Anhui Guofeng scam

4. "I am the Barrister Frank Onye, representing the late..."

5. POSCO  Corporation, 3f Komca Bd, 647 Naebalsan, , Seoul 157280, Korea.
6. HUAMAO ART AND CRAFTS NEEDS A HONEST PARTNER, Xiao Jun
7. MR.CHONG SU FATT - Death of the Macedonian president.
8. Ben Hulk scam - The death of David Hagen in a car accident! The entire sequence of emails is included; you find this one entertaining, as well as informative! There are several fake documents to see, too.

    

 

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