Are you a Mugu?

419 fraud is the general term for advance fee fraud crimes commited by Africans, most typically Nigerians. It derives it's name from the section of the Nigerian penal code that it violates.

This type of crime originally appeared in the early 1990's. In those days potential victims were sent letters or even a telex. Later fax was the most popular method of sending the messages.

With the advent of the Internet, not only are business people being targeted, but also anyone who has an e-mail adress. The spread of email and easy access to email-harvesting software made the cost and effort of sending scam letters through the internet extremely cheap and easy.

It always begins with a message usually involving millions of dollars. There are several basic stories which are used in many variations or combinations.

The recipient is told he can earn a part or this fortune by helping to complete a tranfer or act as "next of kin" for example.

The stories are written to target certain types of people such as business men, christians or people who would be willing to help someone in distress.

Normally once a recipient contacts the person mentioned in the message they run through a series of messages perporting to organise the transfer details.

At some point close to the finalisation, the recipient gets a message claiming that there are some problems with legal, notary fees, taxes or any kind of payments which normally could be expected.

The recipient is prompted to send this "Fee" as a loan in advance, using the argument that they will get the money back once the main transfer goes through.

This is usually the first payment and can be a smaller sum of up to 1000$. Payments are to be made through Western Union as a person to person transfer. This is the point where the first of the fraudulent acts takes place.

The "victim" now has a vital interest that the money transfer from Africa goes through. So when the crook informs him a second time that further sums are due, the victim now is under pressure to pay these sums as well or they might lose the money already invested.

The problem is, at this level the crooks are demanding sums anywhere upto 20,000 US Dollars or more.

And as the advance fee is sent through Western Union, once it has been picked up by the crook at the other end, the money is gone forever!