Nigeria Scams

I am sure that most of us have at least heard of the Nigeria scams, also known as the 419 scam, at least once. But not many people really understands what it is. So what is this Nigerian scam? Is it really that bad? What does it do and what are they after? I will answer all of these questions, but first, let me just iterate this, the Nigeria scam is probably one of the most scary and dreaded scams out there.

First let me explain what it is. Do not be shocked by it, but the Nigerian scam is actually a kidnapping case. Yes, a kidnapping case! This scam is widely used by con mans from several African countries. To help you understand what it is, I will explain how the entire process work.

First of all, one of those con man will pretend to be either a businessman or someone in need. But one things is always the same, they will pretend to offer you a fantastic opportunity. Most of the cases have been about those con man acting as businessman, looking for foreign investors. They will either claim to have a large piece of land that is going for very cheap, or that there is an incredible business opportunity, but they lack the financial resources.

It is also the same for them acting as someone in need. They might want to sell their land, house or even business for an incredibly cheap price, as they are in financial trouble. Basically, they will offer you a business proposal that will be incredibly beneficial for you. They will use all types of mediums to find people who are interested. Most of them spread their offer through the Internet, but there has been many cases where they use middleman to spread it across different countries as well.

Once those con man finds someone who is interested in their proposals, the Nigeria scams start. Please note that the Nigerian scam usually involves victims from other continents, such as the Americas, Europe and Asia. While there have been a few cases of victims from the African continent itself, most of their victims come from the other three continents.

They will show you all sorts of official documents to prove that they are legit. It would seem that forging false documents in Nigeria is something that is easily done by many of them. After convincing you that the deal is legit, they will ask you to fly to Nigeria to sign the deal. Some of them might even pay for your flight fees. once you reach Nigeria, they will meet you at the airport. But instead of bringing you to a hotel, they will actually bring you to their hideout.

Here, your nightmare begins. They will give you a phone and ask you to contact your family members or anyone else to prepare a ransom money for you safe release. They will usually ask for an amount around the tens of thousands. They are after your money, so they will be realistic and ask for an amount they feel you will be able to pay. Once your the ransom money has been paid, you will be released unharmed. In most cases, the victims are treated well and almost never abused.

But still, the Nigerian scam will leave a scar so deep that it will haunt the victims for life. The trauma itself is life changing. And many of the victims do not tell of their experience as they feel ashamed of it. Although the number of victims to this Nigeria scams is reducing due to awareness, there are still victims that do fall to those con man. Please make sure that you and everyone you know, never fall for this scam. Please also read the next page, to learn some of the new variations to the Nigeria scams that have been happening nowadays.

Nigeria Scams: Return to the Online Danger main page
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