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Bureau Warns of Upsurge in Nigerian Letters

What would you think the odds are of receiving an international letter or fax from a prince, oil industry executive, or government official? Actually, the odds are pretty good these days.

These letters originate from Nigerian scam artists who attempt to steal money from U.S. bank accounts. The destination of mass mailings and faxes from Nigeria has shifted from business to residential addresses. The letters claim that the sender needs to hide millions of dollars in U.S. bank accounts to avoid having the money frozen in their foreign accounts. They offer a large payoff to people who will allow the money to be hidden in corporate or residential accounts. The letters vary somewhat but tend to request account numbers, copies of company letterhead, and authorization codes. Once a person falls for the scheme and releases the requested information, their bank account is quickly drained by the Nigerian operation.

The perpetrators of this scam are difficult to locate, extradite, or prosecute since they are operating from Nigeria. "We have no jurisdiction since the letters originate from outside of the country," said Rich LaBoda, a U.S. Postal Inspector.

The BBB, FBI and U.S. Postal Inspectors are working to publicize this scheme. Alert your employees and business associates to watch for these letters.

The Better Business Bureau does not endorse, recommend, or disapprove any product, service or organization.