Hi.
This is from the news today, this time, the news is from the USA.
read on and give your comments.
regards
alan
www.elovedeceptions.com

A Springfield woman detained on suspicion of forgery Tuesday afternoon was released after investigators determined she was involved in a Nigerian Internet scam.
Police were sent to Williamsville State Bank, 1748 Wabash Ave., about 1:30 p.m. after the 48-year-old woman tried to cash six postal money orders totaling $5,400. Bank employees realized there was a problem with the money orders and notified police.

After being questioned by investigators from the police department and the U.S. Postal Service, the woman was released. A police report on the incident did not elaborate on why she was let go, but it did say the woman told police she had received an e-mail offering her a job cashing money orders that would be sent to her, and that she could keep 10 percent of the money if she sent the rest back.

Detectives apparently believed the woman, who is unemployed, did not understand she was participating in a scam and released her.

source–Springfield state journal register
(looking for income opportunities? visit www.opportunitiesglobal.com )

 Hi. this is another recent news item from the papers in Nigeria.hope you find it interesting.  regards. alan.(ps-get more information at www.elovedeceptions.com)

A 200-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Muniru Adigun, has been sentenced to seven and half years imprisonment by an Ikeja High Court presided over by Justice Monike Obadina.

The accused, who was standing trial with another accused person, Emeka Ekeh over a five-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences and forgery levelled against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), pleaded guilty to the charge while his accused counterpart Emeka, pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Kayode Oni, told the court that the accused, who operated with the name of the CBN Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, together with the second accused, conspired to obtain 1,300 US dollars under false pretence from one Vicky Deschene, an American citizen, as processing fee for the transfer of 27,000 US dollars to her in the United States.

The sum was claimed by the accused to have been recovered from a Nigeria fraudster that obtained the sum of 33,000 US dollars from the American.

The prosecutor also told the court that the accused also forged a Union Bank Nigeria Plc’s draft in the name of one Douglas Schrether for the sum of 750,000 US dollars purported to have been issued by the bank.

The defence counsel , Mr. Tunde Adesanya, pleaded with the judge to tempter justice with mercy and that the accused was influenced by his friend and has shown remorse for his action.

The judge, while giving her ruling, said she accepted the guilty plea of the accused and convicted him as charged. She said the accused should have concentrated on his studies at the university to earn a degree and livelihood through lawful means, but because he had shown remorse for his action, she would be lenient with him.

She, however, sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment for each count without option of fine. The sentence will run concurrently.

(Don’t let your love partner get tired of you and look elsewhere for love. Learn how to keep your partner at www.mylovesworld.com )

Hi.

here is another story from the newspapers in australia about how a woman was rescued from a scam. she lost quite some money to the scammer, but at the end, he was caught.please read on and make your comments.

regards

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

A Gold Coast woman who was swindled out of $47,000 in four months by a Nigerian con artist was the victim of an online romance scam, according to police.

Nigerian authorities today arrested a 27-year-old man after a coordinated investigation with Queensland Police, charging the man with fraud-related offences.

Queensland police said a 56-year-old Gold Coast businesswoman began an online relationship in July with a man named Benson Lawson.

She believed he was a British engineer who travelled the world, but in reality she was communicating with a calculated conman who swindled her out of a large sum of money.

Superintendent Brian Hay from the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group said the woman had become so convinced the romance was legitimate, and was now paying the ultimate price.

“This woman was simply looking for a relationship, looking for a partner in life, and it cost her somewhere in the order of $47,000,” Superintendent Hay said.

“Quite frankly, the poor lady feels humiliated and embarrassed, she is angry and frustrated, and of course is left with a broken heart.

“She has suffered greatly and there’s no doubt what she feels will carry far beyond the events of today and the last four months.”

The conman came up with a number of complex excuses for needing money, which was sent to several overseas locations, including the United States.

“Each time there was a twist in the story and a different reason for the money to be sent, always with a promise of coming to meet her,” Superintendent Hay said.

She was bombarded with declarations of undying love and affection which turned out to be cleverly veiled lies and deceit, he said.

The big sting came when the woman’s love interest was on his way to Australia to meet her.

An e-mail later arrived from a Nigerian doctor, who said the man had been involved in a serious car accident while on his way to the airport.

Authorities had recovered a passport and airplane ticket and a diary containing her contact details, with the word “love” written underneath.

After sending pictures of a mangled car, wedged beneath a truck, the doctor pleaded for money to pay for medical bills.

“At the moment Benson is in a coma and very unconscious and needs urgent attention in order to commence further treatment,” the e-mail read.

“We expect your urgent response in order to save his life.”

Superintendent Hay said the e-mail was a cowardly play on emotion, and was sent with an horrific photograph of a car accident the woman believed had involved her love interest.
If not for the actions of her suspicious son, she may have sent money to assist with the fictitious treatment.

However after conducting an online search, her son found the same photograph of the car accident and discovered it had originally appeared on the internet years earlier.

The family contacted police, and an investigation led to the man’s arrest today.

Police believe he had accomplices all over the world, and have not ruled out other victims in Australia.

Superintendent Hay said things could have been much worse, revealing the man had earlier asked for $US60,000 to fund an engineering project.

“We’re talking about an intelligent, articulate woman who ordinarily in business circumstances would not be conned,” he said.

“There will always be discrepancies, but people get to the point where they want to believe something to be true and therefore make excuses.”

He appealed for anyone involved in an online romance to be cautious and never send money to someone they have never met.

“Please give us a call and we will make the time available to talk to you about your situation, and hopefully save you from embarrassment and the loss of thousands and thousands of dollars,” he said.

“If you are ever asked to send money, don’t. Contact the police, get independent advice and listen to that advice.”

Hi. This is a piece from the papers in nigeria today.
it really appears that the authorities are serious about stopping internet scams.
What do you make out of this?
please read on.

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

Six cyber scammers, Bashir Omilogun, Shittu Ahmed, Saliu Ahmed, Oladipupo Wasiu, Dopemu Rasheed and Fatai Ganiu, who defrauded Mrs. Christine Gombert, a French citizen of 17,406 US Dollars have been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court.

The six men pleaded guilty to a twelve-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery filed against them by the EFCC.

EFCC prosecutor, Barrister Kayode Oni, told the court that on 17 September, 2006, Mrs. Christine Gombert wrote the EFCC that Mr. Bashir Omitogun collected several sums of money from her under the pretence of using it to finance an NNPC contract awarded to him.

The prosecutor told the court that EFCC commenced investigation into the matter and found out that the six accused collected several sums, totalling 17,406 dollars from the petitioner under false pretence.

He also told the court that the first accused also forged a driver’s licence number A2559910 and two Nigerian international passport and presented it as genuine to officials of the Western Union Money Transfer to collect money from the petitioner.

The defence counsel urged the court to have mercy on the accused, saying they pleaded guilty on their own volition to save the time of the court.

He added that the accused had shown remorse for their action and pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.

In his ruling, Justice Oyewole accepted the guilty plea of the accused and found them guilty as charged. He, however, reiterated that justice must take its course to deter others from committing the same offence.

He sentenced them to one year imprisonment each on the twelve counts without option of fine. The sentences will run concurrently and the judge ruled that the sentence shall commenced from the first day of their arraignment in court which is 31 July, 2007.

–kayode fabunmi, the news.

hi .

this is a news story that was in the papers today.

please read it through and make your judgement.

alan(www.elovedeceptions.com)

Yahoo Boy In EFCC Net
By Kayode Fabunmi

A cyber scammer, otherwise known as yahoo-boy in the Nigerian palance, Mr. Christopher Ejiofor, has been arraigned before Justice Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge of forgery.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the four charges.

He was accused of carrying out the transaction through Gulliver Connection Cyber Cafe, located at 172, Ijesha Road, Surulere.

The accused was said to have in his possession a false deposit certificate which certified that one Engineer Theophilus Baker deposited 4.5 million Dollars to the United Bank of Africa Plc, Foreign Remittance Department, Bamako, Mali.

He was also alleged to have forged a change of ownership document purportedly issued by Diplomatic Packing Department in London, United Kingdom, and purportedly issued them to one Mrs. Carine Lawrence of Cameroun and signed by Walker Hilary.

The judge adjourned hearing in the case till 16 November, 2007 and ruled that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

Hi . I at first couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this story. A conference was actually held on Nigerian scams in Australia. Can you imagine people gathering for the sole purpose of discussing scams?

Well, I guess you must be interested in the proceedings at the conference. here’s the news update I came across.

read on

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

Sydney – Australians had a giggle earlier this year when lovelorn sheep farmer Des Gregor flew back to Adelaide from west Africa without his luggage, his wallet and more depressingly without the ravishing young bride he had been promised over the internet. Mirth turned to incredulity when they learned that this had been 56-year-old Gregor’s second dose of intercontinental dating dismay. He had earlier returned from Russia without the promised sweetheart and with his money gone.

Speakers at Australia’s first national conference on Nigerian fraud tried to explain the naivety of blokes like Gregor who are shipping money to West Africa at the rate of 2.5 million Australian dollars (2 million US dollars) a month.

Inspector Brian Hay, head of the Queensland Police fraud and corporate crime unit, sees the human tragedy that begins with a reply to an email that often purports to come from a God-fearing banker in Lagos anxious to find a home for millions of dollars.

“We have had people lose businesses, lose their livelihood, commit crime, try to commit suicide,” Hay said. “There are lots of people in the community new to the internet, not knowing the dangers and the threats, going on line and all of a sudden being promised an opportunity that promises the world.”

It’s not just backwoodsmen like Gregor who get fleeced.

Queensland businessman Steven Baker swallowed his pride and admitted to losing 1.3 million Australian dollars (1 million US dollars) trying to get hold of a fictitious 20-million-dollar inheritance.

He flew to Europe three times to meet bogus government officials in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, and was even taken to a bank vault and shown a suitcase full of American dollars he was told was part of the pay-out.

“The professionalism of it is just unbelievable – the paperwork, the officials, going to government departments,” Baker said. “You would think if they were straight-out scammers they wouldn’t have access to government officials and places, and the paperwork with all the stamps.”

Hay explained that scammers play on the better part of our natures: we are naturally trusting, expect the best of people and believe that good things happen.

“Our kids grow up on legends and mythology and fairy tales,” Hay said. “We are conditioned to believe in things we can’t validate and can’t see.”

What also works in favour of the scammers is that there appears to be no victim. The money is there in the bank, the owner dead, and all that’s required is a bit of paperwork to release it and make everyone happy. There is no downside.

Hay explains that the email instantly brings a ray of hope that our dreams can come true.

“When you get emotion involved, logic goes out the window,” he said. “People get very excited. They don’t want to listen to the negatives, the bad things. They want to believe in the good things.”

Hi.

this is a item from the news that I came across today.

it’s very informative and you should read through it.

regards

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

by News Channel 8’s Tina Detelj
Posted Nov. 6, 2007
6:35 PM

Stonington (WTNH) _ Several people in Southeastern Connecticut are not gambling when it comes to a suspicious e-mail.

An e-mail was sent to some Pawcatuck teachers, supposedly from a friend. Luckily, the teachers were able to determine that the e-mail was a hoax, but they are concerned that others might fall for the scam.

“The grammar in the e-mail was far from what we’re used to seeing and that was the biggest clue,” said principal Jane Guilini.

The e-mail reads in part, “I will appreciate whatsoever you can afford to send me for now.” It asks for $2,500 to be sent through Western Union because the sender is supposedly stranded in Nigeria.  One of the teachers from North Stonington does do work in Africa and whoever sent the bogus e-mail knew enough about her work to mention a program that fights racism and HIV/AIDS.

All you have to do is look at the headlines to see that the Nigerian scams are evolving. This scam could have been very effective because whoever sent out the e-mail hacked into a teacher’s e-mail account making the e-mail seem more authentic and more personal.

“Someone has altered her password so yes, this has happened,” said Guilini.

So far, none of the teachers have fallen for the scam and they want to make sure no one does.

“I think it’s just a great reminder that sometimes scam artists try to prey on your emotions,” said Asst. Superintendent, Leanne Masterjoseph.

Masterjoseph says it is also a reminder to be skeptical of any suspicious e-mails. Of course any e-mail which asks for money should be considered suspect, especially if it’s from Nigeria.

Hi

Here is another item from the news about internet scams. It appears after all that something is being done to clamp down on net scams.

please read the story and leave your comments.

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

Federal agents crack down on Internet scams

05:35 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, October 3, 2007
By Bart Treece / 3 On Your Side Producer It’s one of the biggest scams around and federal agents are finally cracking down.

This scam has gone on for so long. The biggest problem is that the scammers live overseas and the victims live right here, many of them living in Arizona.

Because of the distance, it’s a little hard to crack down on these con artists. Until now, that is.

At a news conference today, federal agents say they have had enough.

Nigerian police, with the help of federal agents, raided Internet cafes in Africa.

As it turns out, the raid is part of a global crackdown on Internet scams.

Altogether, 16 people were arrested for allegedly taking part in fake check scams that target countless Americans.

In Amsterdam, 60 people were taken into custody for doing the exact same thing.

Federal and local authorities announced the crackdown at a news conference in downtown Phoenix.

“American consumers are being defrauded by overseas scam artists,” said Pete Zegarac, a U.S. postal inspector.

The crackdown, they say, actually started by sending American agents overseas to investigate.

“In a 21-day effort alone in Nigeria, postal inspectors oversaw the seizure of 15,000 fake checks,” Zegarac said.

U.S. postal inspector Keith Moore from the Phoenix office was in Nigeria for several weeks and says he saw firsthand how good these scammers are.

“We were able to determine their equipment is first class,” Moore said.

For example, that first-class equipment produces checks that look real.

After you cash it and send some of the proceeds back to the scammer, you later find out the check is fake.

The bait is usually set when you receive an e-mail.

“Two out of three adults receive a potential scam once a week, said Sally Wells with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. “I have a reliable source because my mother sends them to me about once a week.”

“These scams prey on the elderly and when English is a second language,” said Ann Harwood with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona.

Victims are lured into the scam because easy money is too hard to resist.

Another example, are foreign lotteries claiming you won money. To collect, you cash the fake check and return a portion to the scammer.

“It’s easy for law enforcement to stand up here and say, ‘You won the lottery without even entering. You must be the luckiest person on earth!’” Zegarac said.

Numerous times, law enforcement warn people about these scams and now they have a new tool for you, a Web site called fakechecks.org, which is part of a multi-agency effort to keep your money out of the hands of con artists.

“There’s a lot of feeling there that Americans have a lot of money and they want to target that,” Moore said.

“People fall for it,” Zegarac said. “It’s up to us to get the word out.”

That Web site is also the place to report these scams to law enforcement so they can track down these scammers.
 

 Hi everyone.Been a while since I was around here.It’s been the usual
stuff here in Nigeria.Nothing much save for the political scandals flying
around.the leaders are just too greedy.Can you imagine the house
speaker renovating a house for $5million, when a new house costs
less than 20% of that sum? Pity that she’s Nigeria’s first female
speaker,but I think she’ll be the one with the shortest reign,cos
she’s been indicted by the probe panel.More on this later, cos it
raises serious moral questions related to scams.
Meantime, here’s this article for you to read. It’s from one of the
Sunday papers here in Nigeria.
hope you all find it interesting.
regards
alan
www.alanprince.wordpress.com
www.elovedeceptions.com

Eight in EFCC net over internet crime
Eric Ikhilae, Lagos – 23.09.2007

Although they vary in appearance, background, motive and age, a common trend currently binds them together as they reflect on their actions prior to their current detention at the Lagos facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
From the youngest, Sheriff Balogun, to the eldest, Kingsley Atere (46 years), their journey to the commission’s detention centre was informed by allegations that they were involved in cyber crime.
The suspects, eight in number, were arrested some days ago by operatives of the commission who had acted as undercover agents in a cyber cafe owned by Mr. Atere and allegedly caught the other seven in the act.
As gathered by Sunday Tribune, Mr. Atere’s undoing was that he allegedly provided a turf (the cyber cafe) for the other suspects to play their game of crime.
An EFCC source said the suspects’ arrest was made possible by information provided the commission via a petition alleging that Mr. Atere’s cybercafe located at 4, Wilmer Street, Awosika Bus-Stop, Isheri, Lagos, “is a shielding haven for notorious yahoo boys and other fraudsters.
“Our men were later sent there under cover and they were all arrested while sending scam letters on the internet,” he said. Those being held include Oyibo Ebuchulam, Sheriff Balogun, Okechukwu Obieshie, Abubakar Jubirl, Ikenna Ogbonanya, Isaac Onyekwere, Ebele Chukwu Dibor and Atere.
Sheriff, said to be an undergraduate was allegedly caught sending letters to his internet lovers, requesting for money from them while posing as Joel.
Okechuckwu, who claimed to be an electronic dealer, was discovered to have over 500 e-mail addresses in his inbox and to which he had allegedly sent scam mails.
Jubril on his part was found to operate a site with someone else’s picture and name to send mail demanding for dollars from the unsuspecting lovers. Ikenna, who deals in clothes, was said to have confessed going into the trade to raise funds for his business expansion plan.
Ebele was said to have been caught sending a mail to a Taiwanese firm to which he had earlier sent a business proposal for the manufacture of television antenna.
“The firm actually replied asking for specifications. This was why he went to the cafe to perfect the deal when the law caught up with him,” the source said.
However, the cafe owner, Mr. Atere, has denied allegations against him. He said he was not always at the cafe and that it was strange for him to have been accused of shielding criminals.
“It is my staff that monitors the activities in the cafe. I am hardly around. I hardly stay there,” he maintained. The commission has said it would soon arraign them in court.

hi.

it’s been a while since i was in touch with you. I’ve been travelling around some towns in Nigeria for some months now.
I’ll be letting you know more about my trips and what has been happening later.
Meantime, here is an article from one of the newspapers that I think you should read, as it will be of much interest to you.
It’s about a new scam that many are falling for, known as employment scams.
hope you find it interesting.
regards

alan
www.elovedeceptions.com
www.alanprince.wordpress.com

Nigeria issues warning on Internet scam

2 hours ago

LAGOS (AFP) — Nigeria’s new government Monday alerted the country’s 140 million residents against falling prey to conmen promising fake jobs and contracts at the country’s top government hospital.

The warning was the first by the government of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who took power in April and has pledged to clean up the reputation of Africa’s largest democracy which is tarnished by endemic corruption and fraud.

“The federal government wishes to alert the general public about the activities of some unscrupulous people who have been using the name of the National Hospital, Abuja, to defraud unsuspecting individuals and organisations,” a statement by the information ministry said.

It said the fraudsters were promising “huge contracts and employment” in the emails, adding: “Anyone seeking authentic information about the National Hospital can get it from its official website.”

Nigeria is notorious for Internet scams with fraudsters bombarding computer owners with emails, seeking to trick them into handing over bank details or making advance payments on non-existent money-making schemes.

Experts say that the so-called 419 fraudsters — named after the relevant section in Nigeria’s criminal code — steal hundreds of millions of dollars every year from unsuspecting victims.

The fraudsters send emails all over the world promising the recipients quick financial gains from a make-believe inheritance or fictitious lottery wins in exchange for ‘processing fees’ of several thousand dollars.

Hi everyone. This is a news item from one of the evening dailies here
in Nigeria. what do you make out of it?
regards.
alan
www.alanprince.wordpress.com
www.elovedeceptions.com

Few days after an Ikeja High Court sentenced a teenager to
imprisonment for involment in internet fraud, another teenager has
been sentenced to two years imprisonment by the court for internet-
related fraudulent activities.

The accused, Nwabueze Michael, was sentenced to two years
imprisonment without an option of fine.

The accused was arrested by officials of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) at Netsoft Cafe, situated at 21 Road, I
Close, FESTAC, Lagos for alleged involvement in internet fraud.

The EFCC prosecutor, Mr. J. Ojogbare, told the court that the accused
was arrested while trying to defraud some foreigners.

Ojogbare added that some letters were also found in the e-mail box of
the accused with a caption “Personal And Confidential”.

The EFCC prosecutor alleged that the accused presented himself as
Barrister James Wada Esq. and Barrister Martin Like Esq. on different
occasions.

The accused who pleaded not guilty to the charge later changed his
plea to guilty.

After the change of heart, his counsel, Barrister Chima Adiele,
pleaded with the court to tender justice with mercy, as the accused
was a first offender.

In his ruling, Justice Joseph Oyewole said: “Having considered the
young age of the accused and the interest of justice, he is hereby
sentenced to two years imprisonment, without an option of fine.”

here is another news item from an evenig paper here.It came out recently.it appears that something is being done by the
authorities,even if it’s small.
regards
alan

www.alanprince.wordpress.com
www.elovedeceptions.com

An Ikeja High Court has sentenced a teenager, Stephen Nwagbogwu to 12
months imprisonment without an option of fine.

Nwagbogwu was arrested in June 2006 by the officials of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a cyber cafe in Orile
Iganmu for alleged involvement in internet fraud.

The EFCC prosecutor, Mr. J. Ojogbare, told the court that the accused
was arrested in a cyber cafe where he sent some scam letters to some
international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Ojogbare added that some letters were equally found in the inbox of
the accused person who presented himself as a female called Anita
Cole, single, with aged mother and younger ones, living in a refugee
camp.

The prosecutor, in a two-count charge, submitted that the accused had
the intention of defrauding the NGOs under the pretence that a non
existing refugee camp in Nigeria is without good health and education.

The accused pleaded guilty and judgement was passed.

Counsel to the accused, A. O. Emefere, pleaded with the court to
tender justice with mercy, adding that the accused was frustrated and
equally influenced by peer group.

He submitted that the accused was born in humble and poor
family. “His mother died a few months after he was born. His father
also died a few years after he was born. He was forced to leave from
one member of the family to another,” he submitted.

In his ruling, Justice Joseph Oyewole, said: “Having duly considered
the accused for the period he has spent in awaiting trial cell, his
situation is pathetic, but poverty is not an excuse,” he ruled.

Justice Oyewole, therefore, sentenced him to 12-month imprisonment
without the option of fine, starting from the day the judgement was
made.

In recent time, it came to my attention that many people in the Western world find it difficult to believe that ritual kilings are real and that they happen in Nigeria.

Here is a story from one of the National dailies in Nigeria giving you details of an attempted ritual killing. I leave you to draw your own conclusions as to whether rituals are real or not.

regards

alan

HELP! Ritualists trail nursing mum
By DARE ODUFOWOKAN and CHRISTOPHER OJI
Sunday, May 28, 2006

Trouble never rains for Bilikisu Lasisi, the 23-year-old Abidjan, Cote d’Voire-based patent medicine seller, who cheated death earlier this month, when she narrowly escaped from an evil abattoir in the Ikorodu area of Lagos where some devils allegedly slaughter pregnant women for rituals, and whose story we reported in our May 7 edition. It pours. Her husband, Laide, reportedly tricked heavily pregnant Bilikisu into the satanic enclave of the daredevil ritualists on March 14, this year, and almost had her bulging belly ripped open before the almighty hand of God saved her.

Although she escaped the evil butchers’ knives and had a bouncing baby boy, her nightmares are far from over. Following the publication of her story in Weekly Spectator, and on popular Lagos television oddity programme, Nkan Nbe, the ritualists trailed her to her temporary abode in Lagos, last week, and left a scary package for her, to convince her that they were not only monitoring her, they were indeed on her trail.

The programme anchor, Kola Olawuyi, had provided sanctuary for mother and child pending their return to base in Cote d’Voire and appealed to public-spirited Nigerians to help rehabilitate them. And gifts are said to have been pouring in ever since. Bilikisu received the evil visitor in the process.

But she never knew until she began to unwrap the gifts.
While sifting through the gifts brought to her last Tuesday, Bilikisu found a beautiful bundle she thought contained something precious. But she was dumbfounded by what she saw. Neatly packed in the beautiful bundle were the personal belongings she left behind at the horror camp. Shocked at her finding, she raised an alarm. Her shout attracted the people around who asked for an explanation.
Bilikisu showed our correspondents some clothing, which she said, she brought with her from Abidjan but that were wrapped in the package.

“These clothes are mine,” she said. “I brought them with me from Abidjan. My father gave some to me. I left them in the room where Laide kept me at that ritual place. I know these clothes very well. They are my clothes.”

Asked how she was convinced that the clothes were not mere semblance of hers, the nursing mother snapped: “ Check them, they are my exact size! They are mine. I am not mad. I know what I am saying. These people now know where I am. They sent this to tell me that they know my whereabouts. They want to kill me and my baby.”

Bilikisu then appealed to the police to protect her in Nigeria at least till she leaves for Abidjan.
“I beg the police not to allow them to kill me,” she pleaded. “ Please protect my life and my baby’s life. I need policemen to guide me till I leave for home. These people are very dangerous.”
Speaking on the issue, Kola Olawuyi, Bilikisu’s guardian said the lady’s issue is getting more mysterious by the day.

“The matter is getting stranger and stranger by the day,” he said. “ Since I spoke with you last, more intriguing things have happened that I can’t tell you now. But it is true she said she found her personal clothing among the gifts. She even identified the said clothing.”
Meanwhile, Bode Ojajuni, the public relations officer of the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Command, urged Bilikisu or her guardians to report the incident officially to the force so as to help the force plot its strategy to unravel the case and take appropriate steps.

Read more about safe internet dating at www.elovedeceptions.com

Hi. Here is a news item in the Sun newspapers here about internet scams. read on

regards

alan

ps-read more at www.elovedeceptions.com

INTERNET RAT: They conned an American lady, using marriage as bait Juliana Francis A joint effort by Nigeria and American authorities has ended the pranks of three Nigerian boys, who were defrauding Americans on the Internet. The syndicate comprised Michael Evbowera, 21, Mark Paul Udoh 16 and William Emery, who allegedly swindled an American woman of 3000 dollars and a laptop computer. Investigations between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have also revealed that the boys sent over one million fraudulent cheques and money orders to different people in the United States, for the shipment of goods. Posing as a working class man looking for a potential wife, Emery surfed the net and found Shirley Garza. After chatting a couple of times with her, he had told her he loved her and proposed to marry her. Garza, said to be in her mid-30s was said to have fallen for the ruse. She started sending money whenever Emery asked for assistance as an expression of her love. The scales, however, fell off her eyes when Emery asked her to send a laptop to him. He promised to send her money for it. He further instructed her to write Adesola Joseph as the sender. When she asked him why Adesola, he reportedly said: ” Courier companies no longer send goods bearing foreign names to the owners.” Thinking she was dealing with a genuine person, Garza sent the laptop but she later discovered that the information on the credit card he sent her was forged. Suspecting foul play, she ran to the FBI in Louisville, Kentucky and they contacted those in Nigeria. Soon the story got to Mr. Mark, the legal attaché of the United States consulate in Lagos. Mark alerted EFCC, which immediately started investigation. Garza was instructed by the agencies to play along with the fraudsters. Daily Sun gathered that for three weeks after the laptop arrived Nigeria, the smart alecs didn’t surface to pick it. And for those three weeks, operatives lay in wait, knowing it was only a matter of time. Trying to make sure they had not been discovered, Emery called Garza. A source said: ” He told her that he heard policemen were at the courier company, that maybe she alerted them. She denied it. He later went with Mark Paul Udoh to collect the laptop. They were arrested as they were collecting it.” EFCC had since searched their home and discovered that the three youngsters live together. Recovered from them were countless numbers of fake cheques, postal orders and money orders. The boys have admitted contributing money each to purchase the fake cheques and money orders. Emery contributed N8000, Mark Paul Udoh N2000 and Michael N3000. They further said that the seller was one Mike, a Ghanaian, they met on line. Whenever they needed the cheque or money order, they would all meet at a designated place in Sango Ota, in Ogun State.

By Levi Obijiofor

The Guardian Newspapers, LagosLAST Sunday was not a particularly charming day for most Nigerians residing in Australia. It was the day in which a local television channel broadcast a sensational report of its investigations into the dubious business proposals known as “419′ scam in Nigeria. Following the harrowing experience of an elderly man and his wife, as well as other Australians who reportedly lost millions of dollars to fraudulent groups in Nigeria, the television channel dispatched a crew to Nigeria to investigate the “419″ phenomenon and also to unmask the kings and queens of the scams that have left many people bankrupt, perplexed and angry. During the 15-minute broadcast of the weekly “60 Minutes” programme in Australia’s Channel 9 television channel, I watched in studied silence. To be sure, that was not the first time an Australian news media had exposed the complex web of lies told by Nigerian scam masters to their overseas collaborators in order to extract hard currency from their partners-in-crime. I use the phrase “partners-in-crime” deliberately because foreign citizens who enter – willingly and secretly – into private correspondence with “419″ criminals in Nigeria with the sole purpose of defrauding the Nigerian government and financial institutions of millions of local and foreign currency in order for the criminals and their collaborators to become overnight millionaires must be extraordinarily greedy and criminal in nature. This argument rests on the point that there is no government in the western world which encourages its citizens to defraud the governments and financial institutions of other countries. This is what makes the western journalists’ coverage of the activities of the “419″ criminals so much one-sided and lacking in meticulous analysis. Not only did the Channel 9 reporter waste a good opportunity to investigate and report on the sleazy “business” proposition known as “419″ fraud, he also lost a chance to investigate and report on the underlying causes of this fraudulent activity.

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This is the missing element in western journalists’ reportage of the “419″ crime. The most recent report broadcast on Channel 9 in Australia was all huff, fluffy, fuzzy and bang – it was all over in 15 minutes of sensational and shallow insight into a serious crime that demands more serious attention. It was a typical example of tabloidisation or trivialization of a serious issue by a television channel intent on reviving its flagging ratings. This is the kind of stuff that western television audiences get from shallow journalism practice known as “parachute journalism”. What you will not find in this Channel 9 report on “419″ crime are the forces that are driving the “419″ industry. This major oversight underpins not only the weakness that is inherent in western journalists’ reportage of Africa but it also fits neatly into the characteristic elements of junk journalism. This brand of journalism practice has seriously undermined the quality of international news reporting. In an insightful paper published last year, Ines Wolter argued that, although international news is becoming increasingly important, attention to international news is decreasing owing to two main factors, namely the shift in news agenda which implies that media organisations increasingly fly their reporters in and out of news locations as a cost-cutting measure, rather than establish foreign posts for foreign news coverage. The second factor, according to Wolter, is the low public interest which is the result of trivial reporting of international news. In Wolter’s view, the immediate consequence of this practice of “parachute journalism” is that, when news media fly their reporters in and out of foreign countries to report on news events (such as Channel 9 in Australia did in its report on the “419″ crime), the result is that foreign news is reported by inexperienced journalists who lack basic professional skills and who have no fundamental background knowledge of the countries and events they are reporting on. This is clearly evident in the latest report by Channel 9 television network on the “419″ crime. In spite of the sensational and headline-grabbing style with which the reporter presented the report, there are aspects of the report which raise questions about the sinister objectives of the reporter, as well as questions about the reporter’s professional and foreign news reporting skills. For a start, there was nothing significantly new in the report. It was a rehash of what the Australian public already knows about the “419″ shady business proposals from a group of criminal elements in Nigeria. It was evidently a one-sided report that was carefully crafted and edited to fit the stereotypical image of Nigeria that exists in the heads of the reporter’s home viewers. Western journalists and news media consistently present Nigeria as a country infested with criminals. This image is also deeply embedded in the psyche of western television viewers. And the Channel 9 reporter did all he could to ensure that his report did not deviate from that stereotypical image of Nigeria in Australia – whether or not that image is exaggerated is a moot point. After all, if a group of Nigerians engage in criminal activities that rip off Australian citizens, it is fair game to assume that ALL Nigerians must be criminally oriented in life. Let me make this point clear: there is no question that there are criminal elements in Nigeria who invented and still sustain the “419″ fraudulent business proposals designed to lure foreigners and Nigerians at home and abroad into parting with their hard-earned money. Yes, Nigerians are also targeted by the criminals. But it is important to underline the point that more than 90 per cent of Nigerians are honest and decent people. This is the truth that western journalists and media reports on the “419″ phenomenon fail to highlight. Unfortunately, western media reports on this social vice are presented as if they were designed to tar the image of anyone who identifies himself or herself as a Nigerian. This is known as guilt by association. If you identify with the name Nigeria, you are automatically a criminal or at best you are perceived as someone capable of engaging in financial misdemeanour. Negative portrayal of developing countries in the news media of the developed countries is well documented in the research literature on foreign news reporting.

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As far back as 1999, editors of the Media Studies Journal had noted quite rightly that international news reporting is particularly challenging because “Journalists’ portraits of another country are usually influenced by the questions, concerns and conceptions they bring from their own land”. In other words, foreign news coverage is not only influenced by journalists’ cultural background but also by journalists’ personal biases, attitudes and expectations. Here is the other side of the story on the special report on “419″ crime broadcast by Channel 9 last Sunday. In his eagerness to show how “419″ criminals were rounded up easily through the prompting of the Channel 9 reporter, with the solid support of agents of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Channel 9 reporter did not deem it worthwhile to sit down and interview Federal Government officials in Nigeria, including the police hierarchy or even Nuhu Ribadu, the boss of the EFCC. Of course, an EFCC official spoke but it was more a comment about the activities of the criminals rather than any explanations about the major causes of the crime. Professional journalists are required to achieve balance in their reports. The Channel 9 reporter did not think balance was necessary in this particular report. If the reporter had interviewed senior government officials and top officers of the nation’s security agencies, he would have been able to provide deeply lacking insights into the underlying causes of “419″ crime in Nigeria and what the security agencies are doing or not doing to apprehend the criminals and to end the abhorrent crime. The reporter could also have interviewed criminologists and legal experts in Nigeria, including those in the universities, in order to understand the social, political and economic causes of so much crime in the society, not just the “419″ phenomenon. Perhaps in the reporter’s fluffy judgment, Nigerian universities have no credible criminologists and legal experts whose views would be useful in his report. But the reporter found it useful to interview a member of the anti-fraud police in Australia. Hey, what about Nigerian officials? What about those who live and experience the crimes, those with the contextual background knowledge of what is going on in the society? Those who seek to defraud the government and financial institutions in Nigeria through secret email and phone correspondence with criminals in Nigeria are criminals in intent and action. The question which never really gets asked by sensational western journalists is: what if these western “victims” of “419″ fraud had succeeded in collaborating with the scammers to fleece the government and people of a developing nation? This is the part of the “419″ scandal which western journalists and news media conveniently choose to ignore.” The message must be that people who attempt to reap illegally where they did not sow should keep in mind that there are consequences for every action. 

Get free information on how you can date safely on the internet and avoid romance scams at www.elovedeceptions.com.

Yahoo boys as new time-bomb
By Louis Odion(Editor, Sunday Sun,Lagos)

A new plague is infesting our society today. It is called Yahoo-Yahoo. For those who are yet to observe, it is the story of a growing number of our teenage population taking to cyber scavenging and mugging. Because it is easy money and risk of punishment is minimal, the bug is fast catching on in the neighbourhoods.
How does the Yahoo-Yahoo work? It is the amateur variant of 419, though by no means less despicable.

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The practitioners are usually young school-leavers, undergrads or graduates. Success in the game is dependent on how IT savvy you are. Indeed, the world has entered the digital age. Ideally, seeing our teenagers scrambling to log onto the cyber space should come as good news. For, it gives the promise that they will tap the limitless possibilities of the virtual library unlike the older generations whose horizons could not rise above the accommodation provided by the community library. But the tragedy now is that that IT proficiency is being deployed to devious schemes.

Day and night, the boys and girls would be found at business centres, browsing, literally scavenging the cyber café, shopping for easily disposable goods like laptops and CD players on offer on the e-market to be bought with fake credit cards. Mistaking apple for orange, the seller jump at such requisitions. But usually, the merchandise would have made its way halfway across the Atlantic before the suppliers detect the scam. Otherwise, the boys appeal to the emotions of unsuspecting victims by spinning pathetic stories of grinding poverty or being orphans at point zero, unable to pay fees for a crucial examination.

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Once the deal is done, it is a big celebration for the boys back home. The proceeds go for conspicuous consumption. For the girls, the scheme takes a far more grotesque dimension. Through the facility of chat rooms, they engage lecherous men on the other side of the Atlantic. Some cyber cafes actually have Internet cameras through which images could be transmitted. Some do strip. The whispers of romance are soon trailed by monetary demands by the girls. The money is soon wired down via Western Union by the infatuated lothario. So, at banking halls these days, it is very common to see young girls queuing at the counter to cash $100 or $200. Of course, that goes into the acquisition of more spaghetti tops, lingerie, thongs, ski pants, G-Strings and the likes.

The Yahoo crimes, it must be stressed, flourish in absence of stiff sanctions from the law and society’s permissiveness. Indeed, cyber jurisprudence is just evolving in the country. The existing Criminal Code is ambivalent on such issues. If section 249 of the Criminal Code were applied, the sanction is rather mild. The worst its letters prescribe is one-month imprisonment for anyone found guilty. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is trying hard to fill the vacuum. The Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led commission has been waging a relentless war through raids on cyber cafes.

But rather than abate, the monster seems to consolidate. Indeed, you can’t stop people from establishing business centres. Neither can you stop people from owning computers or retailing Internet access. So, if dislodged at one point, the imps simply regroup at another location.

Ultimately, the Yahoo-Yahoo phenomenon has dire implications for the long-drawn battle being waged – and seemingly won – by EFCC against the 419 mafia in Nigeria. Full-time 419 is dominated by more experienced crooks. But winning the battle against 419 is not the same as winning the war. Thanks to drastic – if not ruthless – measures of the security agency, we hear and see less and less of the 419 kingpins of old nowadays. But that regicide, it is necessary to clarify, applies only to the old guard. It will, therefore, be naïve not to see

Yahoo-Yahoo now as the nursery where future 419 champions are being groomed.
Few weeks back, a fellow called the Glo line of yours sincerely in the middle of the night. The caller ID was concealed. A smooth-talker, the character claimed to be calling from Amsterdam. Platitudes over, he began to talk in respect of a “big business” for which he desperately needed a Nigerian partner. I didn’t allow him to continue before asking how he got my number in the first place.

“Oh!, there is this buddy of yours in Amsterdam who gave me and assured me you are dependable in fixing business,” he retorted, still sounding confident.
“His name?”

The question obviously caught him off guard. He began to stammer. Sensing a 419 plot, I added: “If you and your partner did your research well, you would have known I am an ordinary journalist. I don’t have the kind of money 419 people are after.”
The line went dead…

I have heard arguments seeking to justify the Yahoo-Yahoo phenomenon. Some see it as another form of “reparations”. True, lechery is not something to be proud off. For that reason, some would, in fact, wish that these offshore cradle-snatchers be bankrupted by any means possible. But my worry is the kind of society we will end up breeding. Unfortunately, the amateur 419 artists are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow. Certainly, what we are incubating is ethical pestilence. And as we say in Edo, “Those for whom people are praying haven’t prospered, how then can those on whom a curse has been placed succeed.”

When youngsters get hooked on profit without work, they invariably lose faith in industry. Unless more drastic steps are taken, we shall be paying a huge social price in the years to come. We risk breeding a generation who don’t believe in the dignity of labour and integrity.

What is to be done? A multi-pronged approach is needed here. Government and NGOs need to come up with fresh ideas on how to channel the boundless energies of the teenagers to positive engagements. Indeed, it is a new world. Having said that, the greater share of that responsibility lies with parents themselves. As the primary socializing agents, much is expected of dads and moms. They are supposed to take more than a casual interest in the company their wards keep and the life they live.

Of course, the big question is whether parents themselves live above board. You cannot possibly give what you don’t have. More culpable, as the Yoruba would say, is the parent who, seeing his/her child sneak home daily with assorted garment, chooses not to ask questions. Yet, your ward is not known to be a drycleaner or tailor. What more proof do you need to confirm a rogue?

Culled from Sun Newspapers

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Everyone has a past. There is no one alive today who does not have one thing or the other in his or her past, which he/she wished were otherwise. Even for the high flyers and achievers, the story is the same. There are issues, events and happenstances that were not pleasant or favorable and that they wished had never happened before.It could be emotional, financial, marital, or in some other area of life. At one time or the other, they have experienced a bad turn in their lives.For many people, however, they seem to live perpetually in the past. They continue to relive those past memories, events as if they just happened. And they don’t let go of those memories, but rather prefer to play them over and over in their minds.

These people are tied to the negative experiences that they have been through and are not willing to let go.That is not the way to overcome and to win in life. The way to win is to put the past behind you.If you have been going through a bad turn in any area of your life, don’t let it hold you down. If your love life has been battered or shattered, don’t let it get you depressed. Simply move on with your life. I know it’s easier said than done, but you just need to move on, and refuse to allow the bad experience to disrupt your life.(for more resources on getting over a bad experience,You might think the whole world is against you when you are down. But as you move on, you will get to see that the whole world is not against you. Rather, you would get so much support and encouragement from many people around.Don’t allow the past to get you down. Move on with your life and you will soon get over the crisis.Alan Prince writes from his interactions with hundreds of men and women who have been through the romance or dating scams. His research work and advice has been the basis of unraveling most of the methods of operation of how the romance scams operate.You can learn more about the scams at http://www.elovedeceptions.com. You can also get more updates at http://www.alanprince.wordpress.com

Jane (not real name) is a forty-seven year-old lady, divorced, living in Austin, Texas. She has three grown-up children, who are all married. In 2006, she lost some thousands of dollars to a scammer from Nigeria.

She refused to be deterred by this experience and again signed up with one of the popular dating sites to get a probable date. She also joined some online groups in order to meet and make friends.

It was on one of such sites that she met Dave (not real name), a forty something year old man living in Abuja, Nigeria.

They seemed to get on well, and began to communicate with each other regularly.

What struck her most was the fact that he was very plain with her, and told her all she wanted to know. He made no pretences and made no false claims, as scammers typically do. Months later, she came to Nigeria and they got married. And from all indications, they really love each other. This time around, not one dollar of hers got missing neither was she asked to cough up any money or any such thing that scammers normally do to get money from their victims.

At long last, Jane was able to successfully put the sad episode of the scam behind her and find her lover. This is a true story as told me by Jane herself.

If you have been scammed or you are scared because of someone who has had the experience, you also can still find true love on the Internet, even from Nigeria, if that is what you want. You should not because of one bad experience shut out every new opening or opportunity that comes your way for getting a date.

Jane chose to still date, even with her experiences. She decided to learn from what had happened to her, and move on. By now, she had enough experience to prevent anyone from scamming her again, and as such she had her eyes open wide.

Scams do happen, but love also happens too. And more and more people are finding love by the day. You can also find your own love today, if you are willing to take the risk.

Alan Prince writes from his interactions with hundreds of men and women who have been through the romance or dating scams. His research work and advice has been the basis of unraveling most of the methods of operation of how the romance scams operate.You can learn more about the scams at http://www.elovedeceptions.com or http://www.alanprince.wordpress.com

Hi.

This is an article from a local newspaper here.

The paper sampled the opinions of some Nigerians and published them.

I must say that the comments are that of a few and not necessarily that of the majority of Nigerians.

The overwhelming number of people in Nigeria are opposed to crime in any form, as it is against the norms and culture.

For instance, in Nigeria, you don’t refer to a person older than you by name.You must use a prefix that shows you respect the person, whether mail or female.

If you meet any one older than you, you must prostrate for the person if you are male, or kneel down if you’re female.

Even if you are fifty years old, you must still show obeisance to a fifty-two year old person when you see him or her.

Does that sound strange to you?

Well, these are just some aspects of the Yoruba/Nigerian culture that have been strictly adhered to for many centuries, and they don’t change.

It’s the same way that most people view crime and related issues. There are proverbs that portray criminals in bad light, and it’s a social stigma to be associated with crime.

With this in mind, you can set the views expressed below against the background of what I described to you.

Read on

regards

alan

Nigerians blame cybercrime on poverty
By BUNMI LAWANSON

Cyber crime is fast becoming a major concern for the global community. Law enforcement agencies, lawmakers and international institutions are making a concerted effort to combat cyber criminals and terrorists.

Daily Sun recently sampled the opinions of across section of computer and Internet users on what they know about cyber crime, why people involve in the act and the ways to curb the criminal activities. Below are their responses:

Bayo Gabriel–Unemployed
Cyber crime has come to stay in Nigeria and its existence can only fizzle out if the current economic conditions in the country experience a miraculous turn around. Trying to narrow it down to a certain class is like pointing arrows towards the poor. The main cause of the virile state of cyber crime in Nigeria is because numerous poor people are involved in it. No matter the measures authorities employ to put an end to the trend, it will prove abortive until something is done about the current standard of living of citizens. When befitting jobs are provided, it will take the unemployed out of the street. Remember that an idle mind will continue to be a devil’s workshop.

Lekan Oshinaike–Student
Our cyber cafés, which supposed to be a citadel of knowledge or a haven of relaxation, has become a breeding ground for a new kind of crime. Majority of those involved in the trend are the poors who are determined to work and contribute to the progress of the society. But they are deprived by the country’s ailing economy. Take a student from a poor background as an example. Schools are increasing tuition fees day by day and the cost of textbooks is really high.What the student in question do is to find solace on the Internet where he can use his wits, intelligence and mental strength to take what he desires from gullible white men.

Mrs. Arigbe–ICT expert
Cyber crime is like any other crime that is prominent in our society. Trying to bring it down to a specific class of individuals in the community will be removing the importance of your survey. People participate in crime for so many unfounded reasons. Some participate in crime because of peer pressure, psychological drive, orientation and locality. But here in Nigeria, the biggest cause is unemployment and lack of self esteem. Take a visit to the Cyber café during the odd hours you will find the place stocked with all sorts of people trying to make a living on the internet with a good amount of them doing illegal business.

Diran Akanni –Student
The youths and the unemployed are mostly involved in cyber crime. Most of the youths want easy money so they see cyber crime as the best avenue to achieve the feat. They do money laundering, Internet scamming, stealing of goods on Internet and hacking people’s private account.

The unemployment rate in the country largely contributes to the trend because after people graduate from school and don’t get a befitting job to do, they don’t mind settling for the next available means.

Ismail Yusuf–Teacher
The world is becoming materialistic and Nigerians are no exemptions. Our mentality is being washed and repainted with all forms of media of communications. Our desperate desires and the bad state of the nations economy have done no good to our preconceived determination.

We live in a society where opulence and wealth are hailed to the highest order. This has driven the less privilege into seeking fast and less strenuous way of making it in life. People are really making it on the Internet no matter the legality and this will continue till their living conditions get better.

Ezekiel Owolabi–Student
Cyber crime from my own point of view is a crime committed on the Internet. It is meant to deceive people specifically, the whites through the use of fake mails, credit card scams, fake receipts using email extractor. Other cyber crime includes and hacking of people’s bank account. It cuts across adults and youths within the age range of 17–45 years.

The economic problem in the country lure people into cyber crime and also peer group influence contributes to it.

Sharon Omoregbe–Business woman
From what I have observed in cyber cafés, the unemployed and the poor mostly participate in cyber crime. All I see are young men who have been deprived of the tools, aids and conditions to invest in their strength and time. The feelings of being successful can be enveloping that you may find yourself becoming entrenched in the act. Cyber crime provides people the arena to test their intelligence and use for their selfish games at the detriment of the Nation’s international image.

Tunde Olaonipekun–Student
The class of people mostly involved in cyber crime are students and I should say they are doing it for their own personal interest. Cyber crime is on the increase in Nigeria. It cannot be stopped but I believe if the government takes adequate measures, it will be reduced.

Olatoke Adekanye–Self employed
I can proudly say that people from all class in the society are involved in cyber crimes. This is because the job is safe, lucrative, fun and promising. For the poor, they are looking for a way to make ends meet, while for the rich who already have a regular job they do, one could term their involvement in cyber crime as an icing on the cake.

But the major reason people involve in cyber crime is because the economy is bad.

Yinka Kumapayi
Most people in this country are jobless.If they have something doing; there is nothing they will be looking for. If they are busy ,they won’t even think of committing a crime on the Internet.
Also most male students involve in cyber crime because they want to make quick money. Government should create more employment opportunities.

Emmanuel Kayoed – Electrical Technician
Cyber crime is widely spread among people because they want to ride the latest car, wear the finest outfits and watches and so on. On this they tend to take to dubious ways of achieving their wants. It is very clear today in the country that the poor are the mostly involved, they want to climb the social ladder and be easily noticed in the society.

Terry Amantu–Student
Most students who engage in cyber crime do it intentionally. They believe that the white men have cheated Nigerians in the past so they are using the cyber crime as a way of retaliating. There are different types of cyber crime but the ones I know is credit card scam.

I don’t think something can be done to put a stop to the trend because guys are doing it intentionally. They want to collect our money back from the whites.

You can learn more about scams and related issues at www.elovedeceptions.com .You will find much interesting and educative information there.

Three young men have been held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after they swindled a foreigner of 3,600 dollars.

The suspects, who are now undergoing interrogation at the EFCC office, in Ikoyi, Lagos, are identified as Kareem Lateef, Temitope Sola Disu and Hassan Abiodun David.

The suspects were said to have met their waterloo on August 21 when Lateef walked into a bank at the Ikoyi area of Lagos and tried to cash the 3,600 dollars through Western Union with an international passport bearing Lateef’s name and identity card.

But the eagle eye bank official, sensed foul play when Lateef walked into the banking hall with Disu and David. One of the bank officials was said to have asked Lateef his date of birth and the boy simply crashed like a pack of cards and sent his gang into police net when he gave a date different from the one on the International Passport. The suspects revealed that they usually get their victims through the Internet by telling horrifying, sorrowful stories to the victims to elicit sympathy.

Disu admitted that he had been extracting money from people for long. According to him, he said: “I have been chatting with the woman (victim) for long. I told her that I was an abandoned child from separated parents.

My mother left me with my father and traveled to London. I had an ambition to further my education, but my father refused to sponsor me.” He said this has not been the first time of defrauding her. According to Disu, he had collected 100, 300 and 150 dollars respectively from the same person. But he was apprehended this time when he went with his partners to withdraw the sum of 3,600 dollars. Also, he had collecting money from the bank with different fake names and had always claimed that they were sent to him by his father. When EFCC got to his house, American cheque of 40,000 dollars suspected to be fake, was also found.

David, who is a third year student of Mass Communication Department, Lagos State University, on his own part claimed that he went to the bank to deposit some money given to him by his father for his project and a laptop when he met the duo of Lateef and Disu who he said live in the same neighbourhood with him. They told him that they came to collect money sent to Disu by his brother in USA.

EFCC has discovered David owns a Honda car, which he claimed he bought three years ago but could not give a satisfactory account of how he got the money used in buying the car.

Lateef, on his part, said that Disu has approached him for international passport, so as to receive money which was sent to him through the Western Union Money Transfer with it, but did not tell him how much he was to cash. He however, promised to give him the sum of 200,000 dollars if he accepted to give him the international passport and go to the bank with him.

Daily Sun also learnt that Disu is a kingpin of internet fraud. It was discovered that he had spent nine months in Kirikiri Prison yard for Internet scam.

If you found this article interesting, then you can get more education about romance scams and other internet scams at www.elovedeceptions.com

courtesy IT news,Australia 

Men are more often the victims of fraud, and also lose more money than women. Though going by age groups, the elderly are losing the most to scammers..

The most common victim of Internet fraud is a man between 30 and 40 living in New York, California, or Texas, and he loses more money than his female counterpart.

That’s the bad news from an annual report by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which shows that more men are the victims of Internet fraud and they also are generally taken for more money than women are. But it kind of evens out since men generally are the perpetrators, as well.

The average person filing a complaint with the IC3 was a man between the ages of 30 and 40, and he generally lived in California, Texas, Florida, and New York. According to the report, men lost more money in fraud scams than did women.
The men lost US$1.69 to every dollar that the women lost. The report also showed that the median loss for men was US$920, compared to US$544.73 for women.

Three-quarters of the people caught perpetrating fraud, whether through e-mail, telephone or chat room scams, are men, according to the IC3 report.

Nearly 61 percent of them live in the United States and half of the US scammers lived in California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania or Tennessee. Of those living outside the U.S., a “significant” portion lived in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Canada, Romania and Italy.

The 2006 Internet Crime Report is the sixth annual study based on complaints received by the IC3 and referred to law enforcement or regulatory agencies. Between 1 January and 31 December of 2006, the organisation’s Web site received 207,492 complaints. That’s a 10.4 percent decrease from the number of complaints (231,493) filed in 2005.

The total dollar loss from all the referred fraud cases was US$198.44 million, with a median dollar loss of US$724 per complaint. The total loss is up from the US$183.12 million lost the year before.

Internet auction fraud was the most reported crime by far, making up 44.9 percent of all fraud complaints, the report noted. Non-delivered merchandise and non-payment was the biggest complaint in that category.

However, the fraud complaint that accounted for the highest dollar loss was the Nigerian letter scam, which on average bilked each complainant of US$5,100. Check fraud came in second, pulling in an average of US$3,744 per victim.

The elderly generally lost more money than any other age group. People 60 and older reported losing an average of US$866 per victim.
Courtesy IT News, Australia.

Get more education and updates about scams at www.elovedeceptions.com and www.alanprince.wordpress.com

Hi. Glad to be back after a while.

I want to share with you a comment made by  a reader of the book Internet Love Deceptions (available on www.elovedeceptions.com) 

I have used her intial alone to protect her privacy.

Read on  

“As for the book, i found it very intriging and i could not stop reading
it…Having been scammed myself both financially and emotionally, i so
wished i had met you 4 months ago and it would have all been
prevented…The
funny thing though about my scammer is that he still writes to me
asking me
for nothing now because he is fully aware that it will get him nowhere,
he
only declares his ongoing love for me and it confuses me because i just
dont
know why after my really abusing him and calling every lowlife under
this
sun he still continues to do this…Regrdless of all that your book has
really opened my eyes and i will never fall for any trapp ever
again..So i
thank you for that…I do envy you though because i would have loved to
go
over there as you did and see all this happening first hand as you
did…I
am truly facinated by the way they work and live…
Thankyou again Alan and I believe your book will help a lot of people
see
the light…
Sincerely,

C”

I hope you learnt a thing or two from what she said .You can also help to prevent other people from being scammed by telling them about this site. You never know whom you might be saving.

regards

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

For people who have been victims of romance scams, getting over that sad episode in their life could be very difficult. The moment when a scam victim discovers that he or she was being deceived all along is a very painful and sad moment indeed.

Many anti-scam authorities focus only on the financial losses of the romance scam victims. But compared to the monetary losses, the emotional losses are often greater. The victim is typically emotionally devastated after the romance scam. Some of them cry all night, or for days on end.

And to make matters worse, they have to contend with criticism, disapproval, embarrassments and rejection by family, friends, colleagues at work and others who may get to hear of the scam.

Hardly do victims get the much needed support and understanding that they so desperately need. As a result, many people who have experienced romance scams keep the incidences to themselves, rather than tell others.

A lady in France who had lost some amount said she felt so stupid having to tell her son of her loss. She had to bear the shame of being told by her son that she was a fool for having lost money.

Another lady in the United States was literally treated as an outcast by her family members. They even refused to listen to her side of the story or to her explanations about the whole sequence of events.

These are a few of the typical stories of victims of romance scams, and their experiences at the hands of those who are close to them, who normally should have supported them.

What victims of romance scams need is not antagonism, or criticism. What they need is support from all and sundry.

No matter the mistakes they might have made, the very first reaction of other people, especially those close to them should not be to criticize them. They should be accepted for who they are, and comforted in their moments of trial. They should be shown compassion and kindness.

Later on, with time, corrections can be made as to what they did wrong. But when they have been scammed, they need the understanding of everyone around them, most especially their loved ones.

As more people rally round the victims of romance scams, they will get to heal easily and faster. And as a result of their recovery, they will be in a better position to help educate others and stop the scams from affecting more people.

Alan Prince has counselled and helped many victims of romance scams to get back with their lives.Many of the people he has advised have since found the love of their lives.You can learn more about his work on romance scams and it’s effects at http://www.elovedeceptions.com. You can also read his blog on http://www.alanprince.wordpress.com.

It appears that online dating has come to stay with us. But for many people, especially the very busy people, they have used only dating or matchmaking sites hitherto.
And not a few of these people have been scammed of their money via these sites.
Rather than use dating or matchmaking sites alone, here is a list of some other places where you can possibly make friends, and maybe get dates.
The major advantage in these places is that you can discuss matters of mutual interest, which tends to draw you closer.

1.Yahoo Groups: Yahoo as well as other major mail portals has groups where you can interact with people from all across the world.
They have groups on almost every topic under the sun. You can join a group in the areas of your interest, start to make posts and get to meet new people and make friends.

2.Friendship networks: myspace, hi5 and so on provide fora for you to meet with other people. These sites are specially made for social networking, and you can take advantage of this opportunity.

3.Volunteer Groups/Communities: There are some places where you can offer support and help to other people who are in need as at that moment.
What you should have at the back of your mind is that many times, what you know or have experienced before could be of immense help to many other people.
You could look for such a group of people online and join that community.
It could be a divorce group, or a health and fitness community among others.
You should consider joining that community of people and help others out of your knowledge and experiences.
In turn, you get to meet new people with whom you can interact.

In all these groups, it is advisable that you go there with the aim of giving out before getting. Many people go into such groups or places with the sole aim of getting what they want.
Hardly do they care about what other people want or their needs .
Be sensitive to the needs of others in such communities and you will soon have many friends.

Many people complain about not having friends. There is no reason at all for anyone to be without friends.
All you need to do is to be a good friend, a person that people want to be with.

Once you are ready to help others and to be a part of their life in some way, you will soon have more friends than you can cope with.
And it will just be a matter of time before you start getting dates.

Alan Prince is a writer and researcher on romance scams and other internet scams. His work has educated many people about the activities and operations of scammers. You can read more about romance scams at his site www.elovedeceptions.com,  or you can read his blog at www.alanprince.wordpress.com

Heather is a 42 year old American lady.Divorced with two children,she decided to try online dating to possibly get a new partner.

She signed up with one of the popular dating sites and set up a profile.The anonymity and security of online dating appealed to her and she hoped it would work out for her.

In a matter of days, she was contacted by a man who also claimed to be looking for a love relationship.The man was handsome,also divorced and in his mid-forties. He claimed to be an engineer living in the United States, but was sent on an assignment by his company to Nigeria.

They began to chat and exchange mails, and soon began a relationship online.He sent flowers to her from time to time, sent poems everday, called her up twice a day. Heather felt that she had finally found the man of her dreams. Surely,this was the perfect relationship that she had wanted since her divorce. Here was a man who was caring and who showed it. She readily agreed to his proposal when he called her over the phone and asked her to marry him. They began to make plans to get married as soon as he returned to the United States.

Heather felt all was going on well with their plans until he made a distress call.He had been involved in a road accident and had been hospitalized. Could she help out with some money to pay the bills? Well,she did help. A sequence of events followed afterwards. Weeks later, she discovered that the man she had fallen in love with was not the real person she had thought he was.She had just been taken by the newest form of online scams that is just showing up–the romance or dating scam.

She was heartbroken.She had lost thousands of dollars to this man.She was behind on her mortgage and was in debt to the bank. But painful as the experience of the romance scam was,it could not be compared to the emotional pain that she had to go through.

It would take many months before she would get over the whole experience of the dating scam, which she described as a nightmare. Heather is not the only one that is a victim of this new form of scam.Many thousands of people online are losing millions of dollars monthly to these Nigerian scams. But due to the secretive nature of the internet, most people that have been scammed this way are either too embarassed or ashamed to talk about their experience. In a particular finding, 145 men and women reported that they lost over $1 million in just two months in 2005. In that same finding, thousands of people refused to disclose any information about their losses.

The worst aspect of these scams has been the emotional pains and hurts that the victims have had to go through.
Many of the victims  reported that it took them many months before they could get back to their normal life after the scam occured.

A lady reported that she cried for many nights after she realized that she had been experienced the Nigerian scam. She had thought she had got the ideal lover,and had become so emotionally attached to him. Realizing that it was all a lie was devastating to her. The fact that she had been in deep love with a fake person was what pained her the most.

This is the same experience as many of the victims have had.The effects of the romance scams have had so much of a devastating effect on them all. Medical doctors, lawyers,paralegals and other professionals have been known to lose money to these dating scams just as housewives, students, factory workers and other low-income earners have. The scams are no respecter of status or race. Not even religious people have been spared from this growing menace.

Till this moment, thousands of people are out there trying to get over these scams. But even as those who have been scammed are trying to get on with their lives, many more thousands are being set up for a scam right now.

Online dating has come to stay with us all, and many people have found true love through this avenue. Online dating has produced many successful love stories. It is a medium that if properly used, with the right education, can be a means of bringing love into the lives of many.

However, it is apparent that it is also increasingly being used for the wrong purposes. Given the high success rate of the scams however, the best way to deal with them is to educate yourself about them.

You need to learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff. Knowing the methods that the scammers use will help you not to fall for their antics. You will be able to know what to do to protect yourself and still be able to date succesfully. The more educated you are, the more you can prevent the scams from happening to you.

About the Author:

Alan Prince actually went behind the scenes to research these scams.His findings from interactions with both the scammers and their victims are available at http://www.elovedeceptions.com . Go there to learn more about how you can prevent this sort of situation from happening to you. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure!!