WARNING

Brian Ludwig said:

Hi everyone
Just to let you know I've been trying to sell my MAP76S on Amazon.co.uk and
today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the fraud.
It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and said the
would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen like
this.

Any chance of you giving it to me then?? ;-)

Brian Ludwig said:

Hi everyone
Just to let you know I've been trying to sell my MAP76S on Amazon.co.uk and
today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the fraud.
It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and said the
would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen like
this.
Regards to all

Brian

I'll look after it and give it a good home if you like. I promise I won't
take it to Nigeria either!

Quoted message said:

today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the fraud.
It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and said the
would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen like
this.

I've never tried to sell anything on t'internet, so I've never been
tempted to believe anything like that, and assume almost all is fraud
if it aint got amazon in its title.
but what do you mean "like this" ?
Is BidPay something dodgy ?
or is Nigeria dodgy ?
I know its got something of a reputation for those "help us get 100
billion dollars out of the country" scams.
what was the actual "scam" here beyond just asking you to mail
something to them.

"Brian Ludwig" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi everyone
Just to let you know I've been trying to sell my MAP76S on Amazon.co.uk
and
today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the
fraud.
It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and said the
would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen
like
this.
Regards to all

Brian

The address didn't start with 419, by any chance?

Jhimmy

"Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Brian Ludwig" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi everyone
Just to let you know I've been trying to sell my MAP76S on Amazon.co.uk
and
today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the
fraud.
It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and said
the
would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I
almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen
like
this.
Regards to all

Brian

The address didn't start with 419, by any chance?

Jhimmy

I believe it did - why ?

Brian

Brian said:

"Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The address didn't start with 419, by any chance?

Jhimmy

I believe it did - why ?

Brian

The it was probably a joke, not a scam. "419" is the number of the law
in Nigeria's penal code dealing with internet scams.

Andy

"Andy Champ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian said:

"Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The address didn't start with 419, by any chance?

Jhimmy

I believe it did - why ?

Brian

The it was probably a joke, not a scam. "419" is the number of the law
in Nigeria's penal code dealing with internet scams.

as in www.419eater.com

--
Duncan Gray

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk

"Duncan Gray" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Andy Champ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Brian said:

"Jhimmy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
>The address didn't start with 419, by any chance?
>
>Jhimmy
>
>

I believe it did - why ?

Brian

The it was probably a joke, not a scam. "419" is the number of the law
in Nigeria's penal code dealing with internet scams.

as in www.419eater.com

--
Duncan Gray

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland
www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk

Thanks guys !
Anyone want to buy a Garmin MAP76S GPS for £200 as new ! - UK only :-)

Brian

Carl bashed at the keyboard and came up with:

Quoted message said:

is Nigeria dodgy ?

Is the pope catholic?

Carl bashed at the keyboard and came up with:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

today received a scam message which I replied to before realising the
fraud. It asked me to send the machine to Nigeria for a Xmas present and
said the would pay by BidPay agent.
DO NOT believe anything like this if you ever sell over the net. I almost
lost a perfect GPS. I would rather give it away than to have it stolen
like this.

I've never tried to sell anything on t'internet, so I've never been
tempted to believe anything like that, and assume almost all is fraud
if it aint got amazon in its title.

Even then do not just trust it if it is out of the blue, many scammers
monitor ebay, amazon et all and work off the back, look at the message
headers, they will tell you it is a fraud.

Quoted message said:

but what do you mean "like this" ?
Is BidPay something dodgy ?

Not as such, but scammers will use it as a fraud front, same as PayPal.

Quoted message said:

or is Nigeria dodgy ?
I know its got something of a reputation for those "help us get 100
billion dollars out of the country" scams.

Information quoted from the US Secret Service Web Site.

4-1-9 Schemes frequently use the following tactics:

* An individual or company receives a letter or fax from an alleged
"official" representing a foreign government or agency.
* An offer is made to transfer millions of dollars in "over invoiced
contract" funds into your personal bank account.
* You are encouraged to travel overseas to complete the transaction.
* You are requested to provide blank company letterhead forms, banking
account information, telephone/fax numbers.
* You receive numerous documents with official looking stamps, seals and
logo testifying to the authenticity of the proposal.
* Eventually you must provide up-front or advance fees for various
taxes, attorney fees, transaction fees or bribes.
* Other forms of 4-1-9 schemes include: c.o.d. of goods or services,
real estate ventures, purchases of crude oil at reduced prices, beneficiary
of a will, recipient of an award and paper currency conversion.

Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud Overview

The perpetrators of Advance Fee Fraud (AFF), known internationally as
"4-1-9" fraud after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses
fraud schemes, are often very creative and innovative.

Unfortunately, there is a perception that no one is prone to enter into such
an obviously suspicious relationship. However, a large number of victims
are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses to
share in multi-million dollar windfall profits for doing absolutely
nothing. It is also a misconception that the victim's bank account is
requested so the culprit can plunder it -- this is not the primary reason
for the account request -- merely a signal they have hooked another victim.

* In almost every case there is a sense of urgency.
* The victim is enticed to travel to Nigeria or a border country.
* There are many forged official looking documents.
* Most of the correspondence is handled by fax or through the mail.
* Blank letterheads and invoices are requested from the victim along
with the banking particulars.
* Any number of Nigerian fees are requested for processing the
transaction with each fee purported to be the last required.
* The confidential nature of the transaction is emphasized.
* There are usually claims of strong ties to Nigerian officials.
* A Nigerian residing in the U.S., London or other foreign venue may
claim to be a clearing house bank for the Central Bank of Nigeria.
* Offices in legitimate government buildings appear to have been used by
impostors posing as the real occupants or officials.

The most common forms of these fraudulent business proposals fall into the
following main categories:

* Disbursement of money from wills
* Contract fraud (C.O.D. of goods or services)
* Purchase of real estate
* Conversion of hard currency
* Transfer of funds from over invoiced contracts
* Sale of crude oil at below market prices

The most prevalent and successful cases of Advance Fee Fraud is the fund
transfer scam. In this scheme, a company or individual will typically
receive an unsolicited letter by mail from a Nigerian claiming to be a
senior civil servant. In the letter, the Nigerian will inform the recipient
that he is seeking a reputable foreign company or individual into whose
account he can deposit funds ranging from $10-$60 million that the Nigerian
government overpaid on some procurement contract.

The criminals obtain the names of potential victims from a variety of
sources including trade journals, professional directories, newspapers, and
commercial libraries. They do not target a single company, but rather send
out mailings en masse. The sender declares that he is a senior civil
servant in one of the Nigerian Ministries, usually the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The letters refer to investigations of previous contracts awarded by prior
regimes alleging that many contracts were over invoiced. Rather than return
the money to the government, they desire to transfer the money to a foreign
account. The sums to be transferred average between $10,000,000 to
$60,000,000 and the recipient is usually offered a commission up to 30
percent for assisting in the transfer.

Initially, the intended victim is instructed to provide company letterheads
and pro forma invoicing that will be used to show completion of the
contract. One of the reasons is to use the victim's letterhead to forge
letters of recommendation to other victim companies and to seek out a
travel visa from the American Embassy in Lagos. The victim is told that the
completed contracts will be submitted for approval to the Central Bank of
Nigeria. Upon approval, the funds will be remitted to an account supplied
by the intended victim.

The goal of the criminal is to delude the target into thinking that he is
being drawn into a very lucrative, albeit questionable, arrangement. The
intended victim must be reassured and confident of the potential success of
the deal. He will become the primary supporter of the scheme and willingly
contribute a large amount of money when the deal is threatened. The term
"when" is used because the con-within-the-con is the scheme will be
threatened in order to persuade the victim to provide a large sum of money
to save the venture.

The letter, while appearing transparent and even ridiculous to most,
unfortunately is growing in its effectiveness. It sets the stage and is the
opening round of a two-layered scheme or scheme within a scheme. The
fraudster will eventually reach someone who, while sceptical, desperately
wants the deal to be genuine.

Victims are almost always requested to travel to Nigeria or a border country
to complete a transaction. Individuals are often told that a visa will not
be necessary to enter the country. The Nigerian con artists may then bribe
airport officials to pass the victims through Immigration and Customs.
Because it is a serious offence in Nigeria to enter without a valid visa,
the victim's illegal entry may be used by the fraudsters as leverage to
coerce the victims into releasing funds. Violence and threats of physical
harm may be employed to further pressure victims. In June of 1995, an
American was murdered in Lagos, Nigeria, while pursuing a 4-1-9 scam, and
numerous other foreign nationals have been reported as missing.

Victims are often convinced of the authenticity of Advance Fee Fraud schemes
by the forged or false documents bearing apparently official Nigerian
government letterhead, seals, as well as false letters of credit, payment
schedules and bank drafts. The fraudster may establish the credibility of
his contacts, and thereby his influence, by arranging a meeting between the
victim and "government officials" in real or fake government offices.

In the next stage some alleged problem concerning the "inside man" will
suddenly arise. An official will demand an up-front bribe or an unforeseen
tax or fee to the Nigerian government will have to be paid before the money
can be transferred. These can include licensing fees, registration fees,
and various forms of taxes and attorney fees. Normally each fee paid is
described as the very last fee required. Invariably, oversights and errors
in the deal are discovered by the Nigerians, necessitating additional
payments and allowing the scheme to be stretched out over many months.

Several reasons have been submitted why Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud has
undergone a dramatic increase in recent years. The explanations are as
diverse as the types of schemes. The Nigerian Government blames the growing
problem on mass unemployment, extended family systems, a get rich quick
syndrome, and, especially, the greed of foreigners.
Indications are that Advance Fee Fraud grosses hundreds of millions of
dollars annually and the losses are continuing to escalate. In all
likelihood, there are victims who do not report their losses to authorities
due to either fear or embarrassment.

Quoted message said:

what was the actual "scam" here beyond just asking you to mail
something to them.

Hawaii is on the complete opposite side of the planet from Nigeria,
which means that we are about as far away as you can get. So, if you
really want to keep your GPS from falling into the hands of the
Nigerians, you should send it to me!

I had one of these when trying to sell something on the 'bay

Got a winning bidder, who emailed me to say he was in Nigeria - and in a
very demanding sort of way said "You will meet my girlfriend at your nearest
railway station who will give you the money, and then you will send goods to
Nigeria"

I kid you not - got quite freaked out by it all - especially as I responded
in the negative, and I got another couple of emails back asking where I
wanted to meet to get the cash.

Closed the auction, reported the bidder, and thankfully never had any bother
with other sales since

Pauljmuk:::

"Dan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hawaii is on the complete opposite side of the planet from Nigeria,
which means that we are about as far away as you can get. So, if you
really want to keep your GPS from falling into the hands of the
Nigerians, you should send it to me!

"Paul Malam" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had one of these when trying to sell something on the 'bay

Got a winning bidder, who emailed me to say he was in Nigeria - and in a
very demanding sort of way said "You will meet my girlfriend at your
nearest
railway station who will give you the money, and then you will send goods
to
Nigeria"

I kid you not - got quite freaked out by it all - especially as I
responded
in the negative, and I got another couple of emails back asking where I
wanted to meet to get the cash.

Closed the auction, reported the bidder, and thankfully never had any
bother
with other sales since

Pauljmuk:::

"Dan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hawaii is on the complete opposite side of the planet from Nigeria,
which means that we are about as far away as you can get. So, if you
really want to keep your GPS from falling into the hands of the
Nigerians, you should send it to me!

Know what you mean Paul.
Mine has thankfully now gone away.
Cheers
Brian