4-1-9 Scams and Advance Fee Fraud Defense Lawyers in the Philadelphia Area

Many people who use the Internet have received an e-mail message, offering a fabulous sum of money in exchange for help in transferring money out of a country, usually Nigeria. Your business may have received a fax that makes a similar offer. These offers are part of a fraudulent scheme, known as a “4-1-9 scam,” after the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code that outlaws such fraudulent schemes. If you have been involved in a 4-1-9 scam, you should consult with an attorney experienced in the area of Internet crime.

How Do 4-1-9 Scam and Advance Fee Frauds Work?

The scam starts with a message from an unknown sender, who claims he got your name either by chance, or because he heard you were trustworthy. In either case, you are his last chance for help.

The sender claims to be a family member or close friend of either a former government official or an important businessman, who lost his life during some political upheaval. Before the sender’s friend or relative died, he managed to deposit a very large sum of money-typically, more than $1 million-in a bank account. For various reasons, the sender needs the help of someone outside of Nigeria to get the money. You are promised anywhere from fifteen to fifty percent of the money in the account if you help. You are asked to provide information about your bank account, so the transfer can be made.

Often, the scam ends here, as the perpetrators use the information sent to loot the victim’s bank account. Sometimes, the scam continues, as the victim is sent documents to show that the transfer is taking place. Inevitably, “problems” arise, and the victim is asked for a cash advance, to pay bribes to corrupt officials, or “administrative costs.” Often, several “advance fee” payments are requested. Many fraud artists disappear after collecting several of these payments, or when they conclude that no further payments are coming.

If the scam continues, victims are asked to meet with the perpetrators, to conclude the transfer of the cash. Some victims have been asked to travel to Nigeria, where they have been physically assaulted, and had yet more money extorted from them. Other victims are told to travel to a neutral city, usually London, Amsterdam, or Madrid, where the transfer will be made in a hotel room. When the parties meet, the victim is handed a suitcase that supposedly contains the victim’s share of the money. The suitcase is full of pieces of black paper, the same size and shape as U.S. currency. The victim is told that the “bills” were specially treated so they could be taken out of the country without suspicion. The “bills” must be cleaned with a special cleaner, which the fraud artists will sell for anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000. If the victims follow through and buy the “cleaner,” they find that they are stuck with a suitcase full of worthless paper.

One of the main reasons 4-1-9 scams continue, despite the fact that they may seem to be so clearly suspicious, is the lure of easy money. Victims are taken in by the prospect of a lot of money coming to them “risk free.” The other reason is that many victims are reluctant to come forward out of embarrassment at being taken in by what was, in retrospect, an obvious fraud.