|
FORT BELVOIR, Va., (U.S. Criminal Investigation Command)
-- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command released an advisory
warning Soldiers and family members of a so-called Nigerian Fraud Scam
or advanced fee fraud, using unsolicited faxes, electronic-mail or
letters. The advisory also warns of the criminal implications for Army
personnel who actively facilitate the scheme.
The Nigerian Scam starts with someone from Nigeria, or another
country, making unsolicited contact with unsuspecting victims
requesting their help in disposing of gold or money recovered in Iraq,
or oil revenues from Nigeria or Russia, or lottery winnings from some
oversees location.
Other contacts request help to negotiate U.S. Postal Money
Orders or traveler's checks that later turn out to be forgeries or
counterfeit. The perpetrator uses false names or steals another
person's identity and fraudulently uses that identity.
In most instances, if victims respond to the proposals they are
asked to do something to show good faith with the person who sent the
original mail.
In the case of money orders and traveler's checks, the person
is asked to negotiate the checks, told to keep a percentage of the
funds for themselves, and to send the remaining money to a Nigerian
address.
In the case of gold or money dispositions, the victim is
sometimes asked for personal identification, to include bank account
numbers, or as the scam progresses, the victim is asked to send money
to pay for unexpected fees (hence the name, advance fee fraud) that
are needed to bribe an official or free up a process so that the gold
or money can be transferred.
Soldiers and civilians who knowingly participate in the
negotiation of fraudulent money orders or traveler's checks in
furtherance of fraud schemes are subject to Title 18 of the U.S. Code,
Section 1343, Fraud by Wire, Radio or Television.
The title states that individuals who devise schemes to
defraud, obtain money or property under false pretenses,
representations or promises will be fined or imprisoned for not more
than 20 years, or both. Violators that affect financial institutions
can be imprisoned not more than 30 years, fined not more than $1
million, or both.
According to CID Special Agents, electronic-mail fraud provides
unique challenges for law enforcement personnel, Soldiers, Army
civilians and family members. Criminals
can mask their identities, locations and cover their tracks quickly.
Web sites can easily be established and removed in very little
time, allowing scam artists to strike quickly and disappear even
faster.
CID officials remind individuals to never provide their
personal identification, bank account numbers, or other financial
information to an unsolicited request.
The unknown source could use the information to the financial
harm of the victim. Never travel to foreign locations to meet with the
individuals conducting these schemes for any reason. Victims often
have been robbed, kidnapped, or even killed, when lured to other
countries.
The United States Secret Service (USSS) and the United States
Postal Service are primary U.S. law enforcement agencies in dealing
with these types of scams. U.S.
citizens or residents who have not suffered a financial loss and want
to report a scam may forward unsolicited
e-mails to the USSS at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov.
U.S. citizens and residents who have suffered a financial loss
are instructed to contact the nearest field office of the Secret
Service by telephone.
Victims are advised to continue reporting these fraudulent
scams to law enforcement agencies when they are attempted.
For more information on CID visit the Web site http://www.cid.army.mil |