- West African 419 Fraud
The term ‘419’ relates to the Nigerian penal code under which the offence would be prosecuted. It is a type of advance fee fraud where individuals and companies receive unsolicited letters or emails from West Africa promising them a generous percentage of an improbably huge sum of money in return for assistance in getting funds out of a West African country by allowing them to pass through their bank account. Becoming involved often leads to the receipt of fake documents designed to give credibility to the transaction before receiving a demand for what is described as a ‘tax payment’, ‘administration fee’ or ‘travel expenses’ for visiting West African officials as a precondition for releasing the funds.
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