Thursday, October 23, 2003

THE SCAMS JUST NEVER END

Sault Ste Marie, Ont.,

Every day in Canada, and throughout North America, someone somewhere tries to defraud innocent unsuspecting people out of their hard earned money and life savings

One of these scams has been circulating by e-mail for some time now and it continues to be successful to the criminals around the world.

The culprits send thousands of e-mail across North America in hopes that someone will be caught up in their criminal activities. One of these scams has been received at the Sault Ste Marie OPP detachment. The author asked you to reply by e-mail so that they can transfer millions of dollars into your bank account from Nigeria.

What the e-mail doesn’t tell you is that once you start to reply, the criminals will ask you to send ever increasing amounts of cash to them electronically for “service charges”. Eventually the amounts add up and the con artists gain access to your accounts and drain them.

Since these scams usually originate from third world countries it is very difficult, and in most circumstances impossible, to prosecute and get any of the victim’s money back.

A sample of one of these e-mail’s is attached to this media release. If you receive anything like this by e-mail, regular mail or over the phone please call
PHONEBUSTERS at 1-888-495-8501.

Remember---IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBALLY IS.


WILLIAMS & COMPANY
UBA BUILDING 4TH FLOOR
MARINA, LAGOS,
NIGERIA.


Dear Sir,

MUTUAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP REQUEST

I am a lawyer resident and practising in Lagos, Nigeria
and I am using this correspondence to urgently seek and request your assistance in a sensitive but highly beneficial financial arrangement.

An important client of mine whose details I
can not release at this point has implored me to contact a
reliable and trustworthy partner overseas to urgently receive and handle fund totally Eighteen Million US Dollars (US$18m) in cash presently lodged in a security outfit outside my country for purpose of investment in your country.

Due to my client's inability to travel out of the country
presently and the fact that we continue to accumulate huge debts daily as long as this consignment remains in the security company, we need a friend and partner to proceed as soon as possible and retrieve this money on behalf of my client and handle it as duely instructed.

We have agreed in principle to give thirty-percent (30%)
of the total sum to whomever shall handle this fund for us,5% will be use to settle any expenses that may arise while the remaining Sixt Five percent (65%) shall be for my client and I.

As soon as you are ready to proceed and retrieve this cash
on our behalf we shall furnish you with the details and
information you will need.

Please be rest assured that this arrangement is absolutely
risk free and can not implicate you in any way. I implore you to handle this matter with urgency and utmost confidentiality even if you do not intend to execute the project for us.

Whatever is the case please acknowledge receipt of this
mail via the above E-mail address and if your response is positive we shall proceed immediately without any delay.

Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation and hoping
to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Dembo Ubah