Nigerian email scam in Australia offers an interesting ruse!
A relatively new variant of the Nigerian email scam was uncovered when Australian investigators pouched a Nigerian national from Perth for allegedly conducting Nigerian email scams out of Australian soil.
These scams are known to weave interesting stories to talk their victims into the scam. Regular email users must have received such mails requesting help with money transfer. The fraudsters usually claim the money to have been left by an old relative who died recently (a ploy regulars would recognize as the Inheritance Scam).
The new story at least equals (if not beat them outright) the rest of the stories in hilarity!
The mail for the new scam says the money came from Iraq and belonged to Saddam Hussein. Some US Army Generals (!!!) had gotten hold of this stash and are now looking out for ways to get it out of the country.
Due to some unfortunate reason (legal, political or any yarn that is credible), they are not able to do this themselves. This was their pressing dilemma when somebody described you to them as an individual possessing sparkling integrity. Because of this reference alone, they are letting you into the secret and are seeking your help in the matter. Would you care to help? For a generous commission, but, of course.
They would send you a check for the total amount by ordinary mail. All you have to do is to receive the check and deposit it. But, before depositing their check, you are requested to send them a return check for the money that is left after taking out a 15-20% cut for yourself.
The scam culminates when you find out that the check you sent them had cleared while the check you received and deposited had turned out to be fraudulent.
The new scam departs only lightly from the ever-popular inheritance scam. Here, they cite the money to be inherited from an old relative who had died recently. Rest of the plot remains the same.
But to scam-baiting regulars, this new ruse would be a welcome change from the old, beaten-to-death inheritance scam story!
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