Another variant of the scam, dating back to ca. One variant of the scam may date back to the 18th or 19th century, as a very similar letter, entitled 'The Letter from Jerusalem.' This is illustrated in the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, a former French criminal and private investigator.

In exchange for assistance, the scammer promised to share money with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money to bribe prison guards. In that con, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone who is connected to a wealthy family out of a prison in Spain. The modern scam is similar to the Spanish Prisoner scam that dates back to the late 18th century. 4.2.5 Telecommunications relay services.Other nations known to have a high incidence of advance-fee fraud include: Ivory Coast, Togo, South Africa, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and Jamaica. Other variations include the Spanish Prisoner scam and the black money scam.Īlthough Nigeria is most often the nation referred to in these scams, they mainly originate in other nations. The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail and is now prevalent in online communications like emails. The number '419' refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud and the charges and penalties for such offenders. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that 'An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value - such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift - and then receives little or nothing in return.' There are many variations of this type of scam, including the Nigerian prince scam, also known as a 419 scam. If a victim makes the payment, the fraudster either invents a series of further fees for the victim to pay or simply disappears. The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster claims will be used to obtain the large sum. An advance-fee scam is a form of fraud and is one of the most common types of confidence tricks.

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