Letter Scams

Letter Scams

If it sounds too good to be true ....

"4-1-9 Schemes"

This scam is sometimes referred to as the "Nigerian Letter" and gets its name from the Nigerian Penal Code Section that deals with this type of fraud.

4-1-9 Scams 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 receive numerous documents with official looking stamps, seals and logo testifying to the authenticity of the proposal;
  • You are requested to provide blank company letterhead forms, banking account information, telephone/fax numbers;
  • 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. for 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.

Scam background

How many of us have NOT received a letter stating we could be partners in a multi-million dollar scheme to smuggle money out of Africa?

The scammers prey upon human gullibility, desperation and greed; those who just don't know any better, those in desperate financial situations and the just plain greedy.

The 'West African/Nigerian' letter scam originated in the early 1900's with letters supposedly written by a wealthy [submit your royalty title here] who was being held hostage in a seedy Spanish jail and it became known as 'The Spanish Prisoner' con. In that long-ago version, wealthy businessmen were contacted by someone trying to smuggle this scion of a wealthy family out of his prison, asking for immediate assistance in raising ransom money for the prisoner's release. Upon release, the benefactor would be compensated ten fold from the prisoner's great wealth.

As technology and information improved, the scammers turned to phone books for mass mailings. When the price of postage became costly, they created counterfeit stamps.

With the advent of fax machines the mail outs quickly flooded fax recipients around the world.

Then, of course, came the Internet. A small fee ensured that millions of Internet users could be 'spammed' with pleas for help.

Protecting Yourself

The nice thing about the Internet however, is that you are able to do your own sleuthing to determine whether or not the letter, fax or email is legitimate. Each letter usually contains:

  • Return email addresses
  • Names
  • Locations
  • Phone numbers

A simple "Google" search of any one of these indicators will usually lead you to a web site where the same name, email or phone number has appeared before.

What to do if you get one

In Canada, The Phonebusters National Call Centre (PNCC) is a joint partnership involving the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Phonebusters is very interested in receiving copies of any 'new' versions of this type of letter scheme, particularly those involving Canadian mailing addresses or telephone numbers. You can email such 4-1-9 letters to them at this address.

You may also access the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Website [RCMP/GRC] that contains a section on the 'West African Letter'.

Finally, the sidebar contains some additional resource links to excellent Internet sites, both government funded and privately run, that will provide you with all kinds of good advice.