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This
type of Nigerian business scam has been around for several years,
but indications are that it is becoming more common.
Here, the business being targeted is contacted by a fraudster
alleging to be an agent of a large business, bank or government
entity in Nigeria--or perhaps a Nigerian broker. Typically,
like the traditional fraud letters, these initial contact
communications are mass mailed, broadcast faxed or blanket
e-mailed. Individual companies are seldom specifically
selected. The implication is that if the fraudster is pleased
with the service and quality of the goods obtained from initial
small orders, exceptionally large orders will follow.
A few small orders are then placed, payments in the form of
valid bank drafts are made in an exceptionally prompt manner,
and the fraudster indicates his complete satisfaction and his desire
to place a large order.
At this point, in many cases the fraudster advises the victim that
because of the size or value of this large order, various fees must
be paid before the transaction can occur. These can include
spurious registration fees, import fees, taxes, licenses, etc.
In other cases, they may bypass this phase completely and simply
state that because the victim's products are urgently needed, the
order should be prepared and made ready for shipment. Usually
the fraudster will offer to prepay for this large order, stating he
wouldn't expect a business to send a shipment like this to him on
credit since they have not yet established a long-term business
relationship. (In other cases, a faked letter of credit may be
provided.) The urgency and need for rapid shipment of the
goods is stressed and the fraudster asks that the order be forwarded
by the victim immediately upon receipt of the bank draft in the full
amount of the order.
When things go as planned, the fraudster will have received the
goods and moved on before the victimized business learns that the
bank draft is a forgery.
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