@timmy reporting do nothing but get the email shut down. Big deal the scammer open a new account and continues his trade. Playing along cost u nothing u can even get him arrested if need be. But you def waste his time and even money.

@ijebuman I agree with u on that point as to the western hypocrisy concerning 419. They've totally dumped the stinking scamming business at the Nigeria's door steps whereas most of the more dangerous online scams like phising are carry out mostly by Americans.

Hi Guys,

I am happy to say things are getting better, only recently Nigeria is beginning to earn a better image in a source"virgin territory" for new business especially telecoms. Recently, there was a special coverage in the Red Herring magazine (http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14558&hed=Telco%e2%80%99s+Scramble+for+Africa+) talking up the leadership role Nigeria is taking in Telecoms especially mobile telecoms.

www.nairaland.com is a good example of leadership in new trends exploding from Nigeria. It will take time but a better image is possible in our lifetime so lets keep producing opportunities.


Peace.

Hello,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Mail.

In this particular case, we have taken appropriate action against the
Yahoo! account in question that was reported for fraudulent activities,
as per our Terms of Service (TOS). For further details about the Yahoo!
TOS, you can visit:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Please know that Yahoo! is unable to disclose the action taken on
another user's account with a third party. We are not able to make
exceptions to this rule.


Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.


Regards,

Aaron

Reporting wastes a spammer's time because all the people who would have responded to his spam mail would not be able to send their replies to his new address. Reporting takes less than 2 minutes and can cost the scammer several days of "work". Scam baiting costs you as much time as it costs the scammer, and you're putting yourself at risk.

If people start reporting all the scam emails they get, the scammers will not be able to send their emails in bulk again. They will have to open one email address for each potential victim, which would really slow them down.

well guys i just got this mail, well my first of its kind sha, and im goind to report this and send a bible verse to the silly guy, i'm sure he's a nija crook

please my dear reply to me through this my private email address for more detals.(sango_gongolar33@yahoo.fr)please dear write me urgent
From : Sango Gongolar
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
West Africa.
APPEAL FOR URGENT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
Dear ,
Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you. I got to contact you through a pastor friend who is a member of this our site befor he allow me to contact you he fasten and pray over you befor he  recommend you to me  as a reputable and trust worthy person that I can do business with and by the recommendation , I must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business . I am Sango Gongolar the only doughter  of late Mr.and Mrs. Onoh Gongolar. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan , the economic capital of Ivory coast, my father was poisoned to dearth by his business associates on one of their outings on a business trip .My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special. Before the death of my father on oct 2004 in a private hospital here in Abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of seven million,five hundred thousand United State Dollars. USD($7.500,000) left in fixed / suspense account in one of the prime bank here in Abidjan ,that he used my name as his only doughter  for the next of Kin in depositing of the fund. He also explained to me that it was because of
this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates. That I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where i will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose such as real estate management or hotel management .Dear , I am honourably seeking your assistance in the following ways:
(1) To provide a bank account into which this money
would be transferred to .
(2) To serve as a guardian of this fund since I am
only 21years.
(3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a resident permit in your country.
Moreover,dear  i am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as compensation for your effort/ input after the successful transfer of this fund into your nominated account overseas. Furthermore, you indicate your options towards assisting me as I believe that this transaction would be concluded within fourteen (14) days you signify interest to assist me. Anticipating to hear from you soon.

      Thanks and God bless.
Best regards,
Sango Gongolar
N/B please my dear reply to me through this my private email address for more detals.(sango_gongolar33@yahoo.fr)please dear write me urgent

THIS is the prevailing question now in the hearts of all well meaning nigerians as internet crime gets to a very high magnitude now,

Would there be a time that Nigerian image will ceased to be dragged in the Mud? will there a time the whn you see a young man at the cyber cafe , he will be doing something honest?
Is there a time when the real and honest business men in Nigeria will ceased to embarrassed internationally because of these e-criminals

Well, I there is the rumour that EFFC will soon be having more on their hands than the actaul assignment. why its officials are also thinking of making use ofnthe ooportunity to get rich quick.
Pls lets discuss this issue exhaustively here and see how e can help our nation
Meanwhile if anyone knows how I can contact EFCC Ribadu, Or Nigerian Police Ehindero, I will appreciate it here, as there are ways and means I have discovered after so many months of study, that will be of very great help to arrest the sistuation

Please do think of something and lets help Nigeria

God bless you

Keep remaining honest.

Congratulations to Seun for bringing up a rather tricky topic.

Much has been said about how to tackle this problem, some have gone as far as seemingly supporting the scourge!. Yes the former IG has been indicted in fraud cases, yes our governors are shoveling huge sums of money to themselves yes there are high levels of corruption in high places in Nigeria but in spite of all this a lot can still be done.

Firstly our orientation has to change, starting with the youngsters. I live (or lived) in Ogba. The levels of yahoo yahoo there are of phenominaly epic proportions!!! Kids as young as 13 are into the biz. A lot have dropped out of school becos one bros or the other is pushing a hot set of wheels or wearing the latest threads and they too want to be like bros.

I think the argument of them wanting to help the family or reduce the burden is a sackload of shite! Hardwork is the only true key. Karma is also another angle. So many of these yahooists (as we call them) have died in the course of thier schemes a lot of them died in the cars they used said money to buy. One mother even escorted her son to the bank to collect a westee becos one bros had duped her son previously!!

Another angle is in the banks themselves. A lot of these yahooists have inside men who collect the mony on thier behalf as soon as the money arrives. They (the inside man) are given details of the transaction and are told to monitor it. Once the money is collected, the are sure of a cut of the takings per transaction. I know of a guy in a bank (First Bank in Ogba) who refused promotion from the westee desk just becos of this type of arrangement.

Busting into cyber cafes will not work either. I for one have internet access at home as do a few of these yahooists that I know of. Like someone said earlier in this post, doing so will only push them underground further worsening things. The police that are supposed to help are also not helping matters. I know reliably that Area "G" police station in Ogba collects monthly settlement fees from yahooists there. One boy was taken away from Ogba Estate and his car (a BMW 320i dolphin) impounded only for the two to be released after his friends rallied round and paid the said settlement.

I could go on and on. Suffice to say that the solution lies within us, the youth. I promise to continue to update this thread . . .

It's good good to know that some people are thinking about the reputation of nigeria after all. that is where the solution starts. talking about the problem. I guess we are almost late in actually speaking out but sure we can still savage our image if we all do the right thing lest we'll be left behind in the cyber scheme of things.

Report all scammers. That I think is the only feasible solution right now.

I am an African American. I am a victim of a Nigerian romance scam. It is sad but true that Nigeria is quickly becoming an unpopular country. Even though I am a victim I think that it is unfair to condemn a whole country because of the actions of a few. It is also true that at the very mention of the word "Nigeria" the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is "scam". Unfortunately just about every American is beginning to have negative opinions about Nigerians. The word is spreading rapidly throughout America about the 419 and romance scams. I feel so bad for the honest and hard working Nigerians of this country. I really hate to say it but in the end I'm afraid that the internet may not be available for Africa if the scams continue. So many have lost so much. I do pray that your country does not suffer because of a few parasites. I also pray that America will take into account that we have our parasites too. I think that the one's that are to be punished should be the one's that are actually doing the scams.

[color=#000099][/color]I am very happy to hear that someone that is a Nigerian native would like to take control of these very serious matters! These scams are not only through false business proposals or even lottery winner notice but the use of dating sites! As a victim myself of false information on the person that I was to be dating-stating that he was here in the US, I found that there is over 1286 people that have been take by this what we now call the "Romance Scams"! These scam artist have been seeking lonely, older woman and men confessing their love and affection within a matter of weeks. Now I agree, that its totally unrealistic to fall in love within a few weeks, but its not to say it cant happen! The moral of this posting is, there is some people that are afraid to speak with any Nigerian because of the current events but at the same time, there is people such as myself that is not afraid and willing to put the word out there to the public that the scams are real, they hurt not only the victims involved but also the country that it comes from! In best regards!

As a victim of a 419 Fraud scam (online romance) I would like to know what we victims can do to help the honest Nigerians help stop this activity.  I have done extensive research on this matter and am well acquainted with the corruption by local officials that support this activity.  I truly believe that it will take a joint effort by Nigerians and other countries to get this activity stopped.  Tis sad that people think this is the way to make a living.  And, it is sadder to see the mental, physical and financial damage they do to their victims.  Any thoughts and suggestion are greatly appreciated.   

freimont

On line fraud's everywhere and to talk of an "honest Nigerian" men! dat one na Ican o...The country's messed up from the top and until things can be put right i dont see us stop talking about this issue for years to come.The administration's messed up and an honest Nigerian "NOW" is out there trying to make a living by getting involve in all sorts of crime you can ever think of.Now we're talking about EFCC..napping people here and there ..guys all these na film tricks in reality only a miracle can help build the country

The whole thought that someone's feelings are being played with just for the love of money is sicking, but it is worst when it a blind love! Yes, you can report their email yahoo accounts and have them deleted, and yes they utilize models pictures and disposeable phones but when does the buck stop and they are held responsible for their actions? I understand that the government there is corrupt as well as the police and any other authority that is in the country. People are afraid to speak out and to keep peace, just play along but again, when is enough is enough? My husband cant use our credit card there for the fear of our information being used for fraudelant actives, I am afraid to travel there to meet my inlaws, its crazy and I hate it! Nigeria is a beautiful place, and I would love to enjoy its beauty in person but I refuse to live in fear because people are afraid to take a stand for whats right! Not being envolved or not trying to figure out a way to stop this is unexceptable and a sorry excuse. There is people other than myself that is ready and welling to help Nigerian put an end to the drama and start living comfortable and free. Seeing that these scammers are so good with internet data and so on, why not try creating jobs of such nature? Revise your communication systems and so on! Calling there sucks! Your calls get dropped and thats if they even go through. I can go on and on, but its boils down to we are heading back to what once was and I hate saying it because words is power, and God only knows our fate! I am will and ready to help honest nigerians find a way to make it better.

As a victim of a 419 Fraud scam (online romance) I would like to know what we victims can do to help the honest Nigerians help stop this activity. I have done extensive research on this matter and am well acquainted with the corruption by local officials that support this activity. I truly believe that it will take a joint effort by Nigerians and other countries to get this activity stopped. Tis sad that people think this is the way to make a living. And, it is sadder to see the mental, physical and financial damage they do to their victims. Any thoughts and suggestion are greatly appreciated.

freimont

I think you can help Nigerians by spreading the word about these scammers and their tricks. By reducing the number of victims we can launder our image real quick.

@Seun, this is definitely a step in the right direction. We have to be openly intolerant to any kind of fraud and corruption. Fight it whever we encounter it. Open discussion on the subject. Stay honest ourselves.

well its really going to be a hard task to stop 419, ive tried getting into arguments with some fraudsters about it but they use examples of our leaders and no job as an excuse. and to an extent you cannot blame them, i was involved in an argument with an old school mate who is into it and lo and behold a teacher who once taught us passed by and he his case looked pathetic. also when u consider the money they make its quite tempting, a guy just hit 45million last week this is a guy i knew who graduated 3yrs ago and had been having it hard and he entered into it early this year after lots of furstration.
so the argument opens up how do you eradicate the scourge of 419 with this facts?

well its really going to be a hard task to stop 419, ive tried getting into arguments with some fraudsters about it but they use examples of our leaders and no job as an excuse. and to an extent you cannot blame them, i was involved in an argument with an old school mate who is into it and lo and behold a teacher who once taught us passed by and he his case looked pathetic. also when u consider the money they make its quite tempting, a guy just hit 45million last week this is a guy i knew who graduated 3yrs ago and had been having it hard and he entered into it  early this year after lots of furstration.
so the argument opens up how do you eradicate the scourge of 419 with this facts?

Yea nice posting seun and good contributions from joftech, timmy, brightk etc, but what i think is relevant in the contributions is that this scammers or yahoo guys should be shown or introduced to internet oppotunities as i guess there are enough, so instead of doing illegal internet business. there are internet business i read in some magazines< success digest> etc our problem in this country in `information` most of us lack information about how one could create wealth legally using the internet.
So please anyone that knows any of this internet opportunities should please post it so it will be of benefit to this scammers and even ourselves in the board who are ignorant of this.
`dapo

honestly this is very difficult to stop at once but can be drop down a Little.currently a spammer detecting server is on the pipeline with the cooperation of nation information technology development agency (NITDA) and that of economic and financial crime commision (EFCC).the project is been supported by CIA.gov and FBI.gov why microsoft and yahoo are also team players in this project.
at the end of this project, all life IP will be collected with the help of this foreign agents and some will also be registered directly to the server and E'commerce company can also register too. when this is done, illegal traffic that contain spaming content will be detected and blocked on till the server gets approvers to send down to the destination that is if the authority See's it as not harmfull or it keep blocking till an investigation is been traced down to the user/sender's ends why necessary action will be taken by the authorities.

i just pray that Nigeria factor's will not be played into this project after the complition,to allow it function the ways it as been design in performance, so as our effort to serve our father's land with love, strength and pain will not be in vain.

koloman

Hello all.

There is much that CAN be done to stop the disease that is 419.
Many websites fight them, yes its true that many members of these sites are indeed from Nigeria.
They send information to the "baiters" (if they do not want to wrisk baiting directly) this information is not only used to waste the scammers time but also to find out the true identitys so the scammer can be reported to the authoritys. (even better is to get there photos with the intention of shaming them to others. )

Proof, yes plenty. it does work but much more can be done

A massive thanks to all the Nigerians who help in fight.
The information they supply not only helps the fight at home but is has lead to arrests all round the world.

419s do not just come from Nigeria, traces show that they come from all around the world BUT the vast majority are indeed Nigerian in origin
There is a massive difference in "scamming" than "spamming" the first is to de-fraud by illeagal means , the second is simply annoying unwanted advertising..

If you would like to see hundreds of 419 please look here http://www.urgentmessage.org/ this site is used to "catch" the email adresses

I will watch this thread with interest

What must I do to become a scammer? I do not like working, so please do not preach to me about work, Ok magas?

Why do most sammers call themself barrister? why not doctor or arsehole or anything else?

This is the finest and most interesting post I ever came across on this page, well thanks to Seun and other contributors....what can I tell you..its a huge problem and one that is very shameful, I mean for the name Nigeria.One of the contributors did say scam emanates from other places as well, sure thats very true,but even as he also opined, the bulk comes from Nigeria.I just got done by reading a link from this thread that details the lifestyle of a scamer. The kids think its a game, but sure not.The name Nigeria is even become scary to international investors.Personally I have suffered being a nigerian.Twice at a conference in Frankfurt and the other at a business meeting in Luxemburg.A business conference with a special tag, that no one should do any online business with the phrase/cluase "nigeria" and you being a nigerian seated there, would do nothing but sob.
Bank of America has a special training for their employees on Nigerian scam...go figure.Finally, I'm glad something is being done at the least, we have commissions trying to do something. few yrs ago I walked into my bosses office and saw a fax coming from Nigeria and from the Central Bank of Nigeria. I looked behind me and saw the coast was clear to safe my face, I took the fax went in to my office, read it thru. and tore it into countless pieces.Please lets all pray for that country and our brothers and sisters doing this mess.

its a 2way thing. we shuld educate outsiders who think they can get 60% of 100 million dollars by just paying 1000 dolars or something similar. its greed, pure greed.

"e ma shi mi gbo", i am not saying 419 is good but d fight has been taken home, we need to take d other part to d appropriate quarters.

another example, u r selling online and a request is mad from suspicious quarters (notify some authority) abd delay pending d confirmation

Having considered your thoughts I feel the problem lies with our get-rich-quick mentality.The only way 4wd is for we , the honest Nigerians to keep doing good.I am of the opinion that being honest to a foreigner will have a great effect on how they view us and in turn such people will spread the good gospel abt us.

I agree with you that the "get rich quick" mentality is our problem, but what is the solution?

Encourage them all to go into HYIP schemes.

well everyone has his point on the issue. but do we realise the whole thing boils down to government putting the right infrastructure on ground. the basis still remains power , then you can talk of enabling policies. if there was steady light a jobless youth can sit down at home and fiddle wit his pentium 1 computer to understand it, he can save hsi money and pay for internet connection 5000 a month and do research online, a cyber cafe owner like me can drop my price down drastically and he can have an option of browsing cheap and longer to enable his research.
very few honest online job is gotten as quick as 419 is, so its more alluring to them. ive been in the business for quite a while and we always hear the same ol'story, 'wetin man go do', and when you know them from their background and their travail you tend to sympathise wit them.and the issue some one wrote and specified an ibo guy meeting him, lets not be tribal the only issue is that lotsa nigerians from all tribes are into i see them everyday, but an ibo man makes his money and becomes arrogant and flamboyant. so lets stop this tribal name callings.

You can't do anything. Just learn how to be smart about it so that they don't get you. If everyone knows about them then they got no job again.

Hi I am Len I'm from Australia and yes I have had my fair share of Scam mail, and have often wondered if there was really any Honest People in Nigeria. However My first question is, how can someone be in Nigeria and when I look up there IP address on there email its telling me they are from Lebanon?, she tells me she is with Starcom but the IP address tells me its Cobranet and the IP address is 80.89.176.35 If someone can help me out please and I will also tell you more about Scam Mail. Cheers Len

well you have to realise all service providers in nigeria have their hubs in other european and middle east countries. most cafes are using shiron which would point their ip addresses to isreal. i use CNC in the US with my hub at holland so definetly when tracing or viewing my ip addresses dats where you would be pointed to. to with what AfriNic is planning on doing via blos ip addressing to isp's in africa it might be easier to trace ip addresses to particular regions

I really don’t know what the answer is but Nigeria unfortunately leads the way in Internet Scams, I have been getting them for about 12 months and the majority does originate from Nigeria. I have sent some to abuse at Yahoo and MSN and when I can I send them to there Provider, not sure that it s doing any good as I have done the same to some of the Nigerian girls or guys on yahoo messenger and there profile is still on there and operating so do they really shut them down? Most on yahoo messenger are using pictures of models from Focus International Hawaii and in some cases more than one girl is using the same picture, LOL I have message them back and told them what I have found and they don’t seem to care except for one who told me where to go, lol. I feel sorry for those who are honest and live in Nigeria or anywhere else. I have often wished I could have Nigeria deleted from accessing my internet provider but that’s being racist and I know hats not fair on those who are honest, but it does make me think after all the Nigerian girls have contacted me if any one is honest in Nigeria. So if I feel like that imagine how many others are feeling the same all because of those who create sorrow for the Victims
I have read all the Post and congratulate those who are trying to do some good keep up the good work.