Money recovery scams are a peculiar type of 419 scam whose aim it is to maximize the amount of money stolen from the victim. Once the first scam has ended (maybe because the victim realised it was a scam or because the criminals did not send the promised fortune), a second stage of the scam may take place. The criminals pose as police officers or other officials who have arrested or are aiming to arrest the criminals in the first scam and promise to return money stolen in the first scam. Often the scam will mention the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a real Nigerian institution prosecuting criminals who commit 419 scams, or its chairman Nuhu Ribadu or other EFCC officials. In other cases, the scammers will speak on behalf of the United Nations, the Central Bank of Nigeria, ECOSWAS, Scotland Yard, the FBI or other institutions with which they have no connection and will claim there is a flat rate compensation scheme for scam victims where each of them receives a certain amount of money, but first you must pay a fee. No such compensation schemes exist.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:08:47 +0000