Haiti: BBC traces scam computer to Nigeria

By Agency Reporter, Published: Wednesday, 17 Feb 2010

Criminal gangs have defrauded people out of funds intended for Haiti earthquake victims by setting up bogus charities and seeking contributions online, according to a British Broadcasting Corporation investigation published on Tuesday.

Scam emails began appearing online within days of the January 12 earthquake, including some with logos for genuine charities. One for the British Red Cross was traced to a computer in Nigeria, the BBC reported.

Another group, calling itself the M E Foundation, emailed the BBC photos of Haiti projects it said it was involved with, but which turned out to be those of disaster relief activities from the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

British charity, SOS Children, said the photos were cut and pasted from their website.

“The problem is it’s not just about exploiting a donor or a charity, really they’re exploiting the victims.

“They’re taking money people want to give to the victims of these natural disasters and they’re stealing it. So, I don’t feel that they’re robbing me; I feel that they’re taking from the mouths of children we’re trying to help and that is something which is very difficult not to get angry about,” the charity’s boss, Andrew Cates, said.

Another scam email was sent by a charity calling itself Help the World. When the BBC called the mobile number it gave, its reporter was told it focused on repairing schools.

trueword:

why is BBC trying to single out nigerians. The U.S. media a long time ago told people to beware of scammers on the haiti stuff. It's not just nigerians, if the story is even true. Nigerians are always villified with the scammer stuff as if they are the only ones that do it. Aren't there americans, europeans that create these fake websites that look like the real company so that they can steal your information and go on shopping spree with you name and info? What about all the identity theft that happens?   They need to just stop trying to purposefully blame nigerian all the time

texazzpete:

Perhaps it's only the Nigerian group they were able to trace effectively? I mean, how many scammers do you know with any sort of acumen in online security?

Colombians aren't the only ones in the drug trade, but they are now the poster child of drug traffickers. I'm pretty sure when you think organized crime, your mind goes to the italian mafia. So too is Nigeria now the poster child for 419 scams. heck, the name '419' comes from Nigeria!

If you people spent 1/10th the energy you spend on whining on actually going after these 419ers here in Nigeria, this problem will not exist.

Rooneyboy:

This europeans wouldnt allow us to eat and drink, y is it that Nigeria is tagged along every evil did ?

newmaster:


Scam emails began appearing online within days of the January 12 earthquake, including some with logos for genuine charities. One for the British Red Cross was traced to a computer in Nigeria, the BBC reported.

honeric01:

the level of internet fraud in Nigeria has dropped significantly. . . . .

texazzpete:

Colombians aren't the only ones in the drug trade, but they are now the poster child of drug traffickers. I'm pretty sure when you think organized crime, your mind goes to the italian mafia. So too is Nigeria now the poster child for 419 scams. heck, the name '419' comes from Nigeria!

If you people spent 1/10th the energy you spend on whining on actually going after these 419ers here in Nigeria, this problem will not exist.

kay9:

Dropped significantly my hairy behind! When last were you in naija cyber-cafe?? Mr. Whiteman just wised-up to the gimmicks is all. And i'm not talking about Lagos; that place isn't conducive for yahoozee boys anymore (those still there now have their work-from-home arrangements - thanks to MTN, glo and Zain 3G dongles). If you wanna know how serious internet scams still is, travel to Owerri, Onitsha, Enugu, Abuja and P.H, and visit the cafes there.

Just scroll up and read texazpete's comment, it aptly summarizes why Nigerians are always mentioned whenever internet fraud is being discussed globally.

kay9:

@honeric01: Your claim is the recent cybercrime rankings; fair enough (even though you didn't say WHO did these rankings). My claim, however,  is the evidence of MY OWN EYES! I happen to live in Port Harcourt; i visit Owerri almost every 2weeks; my parents stay in Onitsha; i was in Enugu about 2 months ago and one of my close collegues also has folks there (you may notice that i didn't mention any other town i haven't really been to). So please don't try to convince me of things i actually KNOW otherwise about.

I said earlier that the likely reason for a SEEMING reduction naija scams is cos white folks have wised-up; i still stand by it, cos the population of active maga guys in naija hasn't reduced - they sure as hell still fill up cybercafes.

honeric01:

now, let's make a small research, if white folks have wisen up, what then is propelling the increase of Nigerians to the cyber world to commit crime? in a normal circumstance, you only continue doing what you are doing if it's paying you, but since the white folks aren't as gullible as before, why then is the number of Nigerian scammers not reducing? can you answer this?

secondly, you are basing your claim on the fact that you see alot of people in cafes doing fraud in PH, Owerri and Onitsha, now tell me, how many people in these places know how to use the internet except the students there? Lagos internet users alone should beat these 3 cities put together. how many fraudsters have you caught red-handed defrauding whites in these 3 cities you claimed you have been to?

Lastly, you are not using any official ranking to ascertain your claim, yet you want me to believe you? how many eyes do you have? and how many cafes have you been to? and do you sleep in these cafes watching and monitoring everyone that comes to browse the internet?

texazzpete:

Perhaps it's only the Nigerian group they were able to trace effectively? I mean, how many scammers do you know with any sort of acumen in online security?

Colombians aren't the only ones in the drug trade, but they are now the poster child of drug traffickers. I'm pretty sure when you think organized crime, your mind goes to the italian mafia. So too is Nigeria now the poster child for 419 scams. heck, the name '419' comes from Nigeria!

If you people spent 1/10th the energy you spend on whining on actually going after these 419ers here in Nigeria, this problem will not exist.

asha 80:


You must be having a laugh .Only students in these towns know how to use the Internet You think other people are computer illiterate .U really need ttovisit these towns before you make judgement.Also kay9 is right is his assertions.Most guys that thrived in lagos that use to use the cafes there relocated to the east (especially those that are of eastern origins) because the heat in lagos was getting much.

Also in the same manner some guys also relocated to places like ibadan,ife and ijebu ode

honeric01:

that's not what i meant, what i was trying to say is that [b]most [/b]of the people using the internet in these places are students. does it mean everyone that goes to the net is to commit fraud?

now, are you saying the number of fraud coming out of Nigeria hasn't reduced?, Kay9 said it hasn't reduced and that it has increased but i said otherwise because i know (with fact) that it has reduced.

maybe you should answer the question for him, since the number of gullible white people has reduced due to them wising up, how then is it possible that more Nigerians are going into the same cyber crime that's not as flourishing as before?

asha 80:

You really have to ask anyone that you know that just came to lagos after sometime of staying in owerri(at least this place i know of very well being my town) if the cafe's there are not always populated by maga seekers.Quite good lot of those guys are not students but career fraudstars even though some of them just get chicken change from their activities.

What is the reality howevr is that the rate of 'confirmation ' or maga dropping has actually reduced but it still has not yet dettered these guys from trying there luck.Also want to chip in here that a lot of youths from that end especially in owerri which i know quite well are computer literate even some guys that just arrived from villages.Na just learning how to use the system

MrCrackles:

Nigeria will definitely be at the forefront of fraud and corruption. . . . at this rate!!!

ElRazur:

I thought we won the Gold medal several times that we are now official bearer of those titles? In fact, Nigeria comes up in the dictionary when you look up the definition of those words.

asha 80:


You must be having a laugh .Only students in these towns know how to use the Internet You think other people are computer illiterate .U really need ttovisit these towns before you make judgement.Also kay9 is right is his assertions.Most guys that thrived in lagos that use to use the cafes there relocated to the east (especially those that are of eastern origins) because the heat in lagos was getting much.

Also in the same manner some guys also relocated to places like ibadan,ife and ijebu ode