Not all Nigerians scam; yet an image continues to stick…
It sometimes seems strange that a country like Nigeria can be known for all the wrong reasons. Fraud and scam seem to be the first thing that comes to mind whenever we think about the country. Email scams run out of its soil have made victims across the world and have brought Nigeria some bad name. The Nigerian scams have dented the reputation of the country to such an extent that investors shy away from it in fear of being duped.
The name 419 scam also spring from the country. 419 is the legal code under which fraud and scam is charged in Nigerian Law. The name stuck so fast that scams the world over are related and referenced by it.
Origin of the Nigerian Scam
Nigeria was and continues to be coveted and patronized as a country due to its huge oil reserves. However, the effects of too much dependence on oil as also ignoring agricultural development and development of other industries caught up with the country in the early eighties. The economy of the country which was based on the reserves, crumbled and things slowly began to go from bad to worse.
Scams initially started in the eighties when some fraudsters saw a chance to make quick money from the commercial interest in oil reserves here. They scammed businessmen by enacting shady business deals in oil. As they became successful and gained in confidence, they began to spread out; at first to their neighboring countries and then slowly to the entire world. Those who run the scam, mostly unemployed youth, possibly get into it for a lark and then get hooked by the money it offered.
Scams have become more organized now
Try what the Nigerian government may, scams and scam artists have stubbornly stuck to the country like leeches. The scams have only grown in size and reach with time. They always are in step with technology and are executing their fraud with greater degrees of sophistication.
With the latest in technology and their own wits, the community of fraudsters has given the activity the semblance of an organized syndicate. Advanced technological services like Mobile phones, VOIP and growth of ecommerce has further fanned the aspirations of the fraudsters.
After years of military rule, civilian governments that took over, are jostling with the economic and social problems of the country. With time, I hope, they are able to turn the tables on Nigerian fraudsters too, and give the world a chance to know the country as it really is.
Here, are a couple of alternate views of Nigeria, views much different from scam and fraud!
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And also watch out for centeralbank of nigeria the federal ministry of finance at the centeral bank his name Dr Shamsuddon Usman his assit it Mrs Esther Nnenadi Usman and Thom.Solomon046yahoo.com thank you for your informaition i will be carsful from now on
March 26th, 2008 at 1:14 am