Africa,
of late, has become a favourite destination for
fraudsters and con artists.
Some may find it sweeping generalization or even
unfair treatment - but the fact remains that there
is no sign of a decline in scam proposals originating
from Africa even after wide publication of Nigerian
and other scams.
Worse, the fraudster population seem to be growing
everyday with newer and more daring con games.
Victims have nowhere to go as there is no law
court or policing authority against these fraudsters.
Exporters and importers should be careful of
various seemingly lucrative proposals coming from
African countries - specially Nigeria, Benin,
Togo, Cote' D Ivory etc. and exercise enough caution.
We document here a few scams. Some of these are
specific to Africa - others more universal.
Nigerian Money Offer (419 scam)
This is by far the most popular one - where Nigerian
businessman, Bank Manager, Govt Bureaucrat or
just about anybody offers huge sums for small
help in siphoning money out of their country.
We have written many articles on this scam (also
called Nigerian 419 scam) - please see past issues
at Archives.
Nigerian Oil Fraud (Bony Crude)
Bonny Light oil is a grade of crude oil produced
in the Bonny region of Nigeria. Fraudsters present
lucrative and legitimate looking offer for this
oil. These self-declared oil traders offer to
sell as much as 1,000,000 barrels of Bonny Light
oil at below market rates. In many cases, they
are able to present legitimate trade and shipping
documents, acknowledging the seller's oil allocation
rights. Buyers who accept these trades are persuaded
to provide significant cash fees up front. The
charges are normally in the region of $50,000.
Fraudsters claim the charges are for anything
from agency fees to reassignment charges.
ICC's International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has
found that a variety of false supporting documents
are being used, all of which allegedly feature
the corporate logos of legitimate international
companies, such as the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation.
In the majority of cases seen by the IMB, this
forged paperwork includes the following documents:
Joint Venture Contract Agreement for the Sale
and Purchase of Nigerian Crude Oil; Charter Party;
MOU between Nigerian sellers and named buyer;
Master's Receipt of Documents; Certificate of
Authenticity; Joint Venture Bill of Lading; Master's
Receipt for Samples; Cargo Manifest; NNPC Bonny
Terminal Certificate of Quantity; and; Certificate
of Quality.
Often these meticulously forged documents name
vessels that actually loaded oil cargoes at Bonny.
The vessel's stamp and master's name - though
not the signature - are often also correct. The
genuine cargo, however, is consigned to a completely
different party.
Illegal Immigrants Disguised as Buyers or Agents
Fraudsters run illegal immigration racket in
the disguise of export import company. They offer
to send buyers or agents for negotiation, inspection
of manufacturing facility etc. and request official
invitation letter from exporter/ manufacturer.
Visa, obtained by producing these genuine papers,
is then used to send illegal job-seekers.
When in doubt, please check the age and position
of the visitor. Very young or low ranking buyers
should arouse suspicion. If you receive request
for groups of buyers - please check the credibility
of the company thoroughly.
Un-Collectable Payment
If you receive Letter of Credit (L/c) from an
unknown local bank, be sure to check the bank's
credibility. If there are any doubts about its
financial condition, it is advisable to request
confirmation of the L/C from a reliable bank.
Refusing payment for Remaining Shipment
This is a common trick where the fraudster gains
trust of exporter in first part of a deal by making
immediate payment by T/T. However, he refuses
to pay for second part of the shipment. When working
on a T/T basis, there is very little an exporter
can do if importer refuses to pay. It pays to
remain alert - one successful deal should not
change all equations.
Avoid Payment through Changed Identity
Some importers deliberately shut down their existing
companies and set up new ones in order to avoid
payment, leaving exporters unable to collect money.
If your partner suddenly changes his or her company's
name and places a big order on credit, it is wise
to check the company's legal status on the export
contract and shipping documents.
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