November 21st, 2006
Nigeria scams ‘cost UK billions’

In spite of government’s effort to curb financial crime, a report claims that such crime in the United Kingdom stemming from Nigeria is not abating.
The Chatham House report concludes that not enough is being done to stop the financial crime, which involves "billions of pounds".
Internet scams, credit card fraud and money laundering are going unchecked by governments in both countries, the research group says.
The crimes are not given priority but have become a "large and pressing problem".
Nigeria has become especially linked with "advance fee" or "419 scams" that involves sending emails or faxes to potential victims around the world, and offering a highly attractive but false financial deal.
Commonly the criminal says they need help in getting money out of the country with promises to share the rewards with the victim.
The scale and scope of Nigeria-related financial crime highlights critical wider failures in the way the British authorities tackle fraud, corruption and money laundering
The criminal uses information they trick from the gullible victims and commonly strips their bank account. These style of incidents alone cost the UK economy £150-million a year - with the average victim losing £31,000, the report said.
Other examples of crimes included in the Chatham House report include more than £20-million forged cheques and postal orders couriered from Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos being found in one day at Heathrow Airport.
In another incident, a handbag containing more than £1-million worth of false cheques was found at a parcel centre in Coventry.
"Criminal activity is carried out by a small minority of Nigerians, relative to the size of the country and the number of nationals resident in Britain or visiting it," the report said.
"But the numbers of people involved are still significant and their successes reflect wider political and logistical shortcomings with the way the British authorities deal with financial crime." Poverty in Nigeria had helped spark the growth of criminal networks, the report said.
But while the number of people involved was "vague", the sums of money were "significant" and "have almost certainly run into billions of pounds over the past 10 years", it added.
Nigerian passport holders deported for their role in scams often return to Britain and again get involved in the crimes, the research found.
Report author Michael Peel said action needed to be taken by both governments.
"The scale and scope of Nigeria-related financial crime highlights critical wider failures in the way the British authorities tackle fraud, corruption and money laundering," he said.
"Despite important, but limited reforms, criminal networks and corporate bribery still flourish.
"This raises questions about how sincere the governments in both countries are in their talk of change, particularly when significant political, commercial or energy interests are at stake."
The report urged Britain to set up a way of co-ordinating reports of Nigeria-related fraud. It also called on law enforcement agencies and the Financial Services Authority to build better links with counterparts in Nigeria to cooperate in fraud and corruption cases.

PS: How can Nigeria ever become an investor-friendly country if these things still happen? These fraudsters are elements of "EVIL"!!!! They harm every single Nigerian and shatter the image our country abroad as a whole! NIGERIA HAS TO GIVE UP THOSE TACTICS FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE FOR THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY!!!! PLEASE

I can't believe how stupid some people are though.

I can't believe anyone falls for these. I know they do, but really, if they are that dumb how come they can use a computer in the first place 

It is a shame. Everyone in the UK thinks 'conman' or 'scammer' when they meet a Nigerian. When I tell people my boyfriend is Nigerian everyone sort of rolls their eyes and groans a bit and makes some stupid joke about scams. It has ruined your reputation internationally.

Next time they roll their eyes, ignore them.
Anyone who decides to reap where s/he didn't sow doesn't deserve any pity. They are greedy lots.

it takes 2 to tango,no clients no biz. uk govt.should carry out an aggressive campaign to educate their people about scam,not just pointing fingers.our government has done and still doing a good job in that aspect. naija welcomes only geniue investors and not stupid dumb asses who wants to come in through the window.(serves them right for being greedy). the uk govt.should also consider sending back all the stolen funds in there banks,that will help us create jobs and fresh grads.will have something to do and not be lured into the stupid get rich quick attitude not just 419 only. idle mind remains the devils workshop.

reputation,who cares? more important to us is what we think of ourselves and not what others thinks about us.there is no saint nation out-there.no matter what u do there will always be haters in the world.

Oh I have no pity for the people that fall for the scammers. You are right, they are just as bad in wanting to be greedy and being tempted into trying something they know would be illegal even if it were not a scam. Serves them right.

sometimes i cant believe that white people despite all their sophistication and intelligence would be failling for this childish stuff ,
but apart from this the victims are mostly greedy and corrupt lots,if not ,tell me why someone would want to help a so called government official or someone to move money from his country ,the fact that person doesn't want to use his name to move the money shows its illegal money ,yet oyibo people want to help them move those money cos they are promised some part of it ,they don't care weather the money is stolen from our government or not ,they just want to help the criminals and get their share ,but when they get burned from such greedy and criminal conspiracies then they shout 419,damn them ,they are just as same as the scammer ,its just that the scammer is smarter than them and played with their greedy and corrupt minds ,i have no single pity for them cos they have no pity for Nigerian people ,if they do they would not in the first place try to help someone who stole from nnpc ,Central bank and other tricky institutions that the scammers use to nab them .
a good citizen if he wants to be good should first report such biz deal to the right department in the UK or wherever and they would advice them if the deal is genuine or not ,but no they don't cos they by themselves that its not ,when 419ners say they have money they stole from nnpc or they are the son of late general sanni abacha and all this greedy mugus them still want to work with them ,then they deserve what they get ,
as i as any right thinking person could see ,UK and other western government fight against fraud from 419ners is nothing but one sided ,they still don't see that itstwo way problem ,as far there is demand (the greedy and corrupt mugus ) there there will be temptation to supply them .
most oyibo people don't say exactly the whole details of the transaction they had with the 419ers,they tell only the side that would presently them as innocent,and them government buy it just like that .
bring any westerner that have fallen for this kind of scams and let me interview him or her and i will tell u that at one time in such deal he must have know that so called money involved is stolen money from Africa and they still would want to help the scammers ,this should be punished by the Western governments .

Not all white people are sophisticated or intelligent! And quite a lot are dishonest too.

Nigerian scams is really bad news for nigeria.i never really knew how bad it is spoiling our image till i left nigeria.The scammed too are very greedy people with little or no exceptions.

well its really bad for these scammers to put nigeria in a bad picture,but i still don't pity the scammed cause they are also greedy peeps.

Only a small percent of the population in the UK are being scammed. That does not change the fact that millions of Westerners see these scams know they are scams and form and image of Nigeria because as they keep deleting these emails, the scammers keep sending them. Even if zero people in the UK fell victim to the scammers, they would still continue to receive the scam emails. Hence, the image of Nigeria and Nigerians will continue to go downhill.

We are basically allowing the deeds of a few idiots to cripple the options of the majority of Nigerians. Somethings not right there.

This is what you get when you are greedy. I personally believe that both parties are guilty. I really don't believe why someone should fall for a dumb email. I don't have pity for anyone that falls for it.

How Can some one start the art of 419, My friend need a cough, Pls Help

Now they should use companies like www.escrowngieria.com