Advance fraud
The advance fee fraud is the criminological name for a subspecies of fraud in Germany ( § 263 of the Criminal Code ) and in Austria ( § 146 et seq. Of the Criminal Code ). Under false pretenses (cf. social engineering ), the recipients are induced to participate in pyramid schemes or to pay the senders (the fraudsters ) financial advance payments in anticipation of promised brokerage commissions . The victim is first made credible that he can earn an enormous fortune . The person making the advance waits in vain for this consideration from the business - money or goods - because a consideration was not intended from the start.
Potential victims are now often for this purpose with mass e-mails ( " spam contacted"), while some time ago the mass Fax -Versand was widespread. But normal mail - letters , see how to contact continue to use.
In English, the term scam ( German Fraud, Beschiss, Masche ) is used as a synonym for advance fraud. In general, it refers to a service that is paid for in advance but then not performed. As a result, it has spread as anglicism for advance fraud in the German-speaking area.
history
Advance fraud by post has been known since the 16th century . The fraud is known in English as the Spanish Prisoner , in French as Lettre de Jérusalem . In the 1950s and 60s, when there was a general shortage of labor, the special form of wage advance fraud was quite common, in which fraudsters responded to a job advertisement and asked the future employer to pay an advance on the wages, for example to finance the necessary move. After receiving this advance payment, they stopped reporting.
Advance fraud became a mass phenomenon with the proliferation of fax machines in the mid-1980s, when Nigerian gangs in particular promised high profits in hundreds of thousands of faxes (and later in e-mails) to potential victims in often incorrect English . Therefore, this type of fraud is now also called four-one-niner or 419 scam (according to the relevant section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which dealt with this offense before the advance payment regulation No. 13 was enacted in 1995) or Nigerian letter (Nigeria -Connection) .
In the meantime, the con artists also operate from other cities and states. On February 13, 2003, a cheated Czech shot and killed the Nigerian consul in Prague , who is said to have offered him help in return for financial participation.
methodology
The system of this fraud aims to induce the victim to pay for various fictitious costs, e.g. B. for a lawyer so that the money transfer can be completed, or as a so-called activation fee for allegedly dormant accounts. According to the German Federal Criminal Police Office , it is a schematic sequence of events: If someone expresses their interest in the "deal" offered and replies to the offer by email, they will receive numerous official-looking letters by fax, for example from the "Central Bank of Nigeria CBN" , the “Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC” or other fictitious or actual authorities or banks where he is registered as the recipient of a large sum. The alleged release of the funds is then carried out by various fictitious authorities such as "The Presidency - Debt Reconciliation Committee", "The Foreign Payment Office", "Debt Management Department", "Office of the Accountant General", "Federal Inland Revenue Service", " Central Bank of Nigeria - Department of Foreign Operation ”,“ Fund Release Authority ”,“ International Fund Remittance ”and others. confirmed.
In all cases, however, commission, administration or insurance fees, which are requested by the "business partner", are due prior to payment. If the customer has made advance payments, the payment of the millions is delayed again and again due to the most varied of "difficulties" which can only be eliminated by paying additional amounts. It is not uncommon for personal meetings in other European countries (preferably London , Amsterdam and Madrid ) to be arranged to hand over the money .
Escalating commitment can often be seen among the victims of this scam . This effect occurs when it is possible to take large sums of money from the victim at an early stage. The victim then tends to misinterpret the amount of money that has already been lost as an "investment", so that the willingness to feed in even larger amounts increases rather than decreases. While the users of this method initially asked for rather small amounts of money of a few hundred euros, they finally went over to demanding very high "stakes" and further back payments from paying victims, as these were very often paid. Finally, amounts that threatened the existence of the company came together.
In addition to Nigeria, many other countries have become known as sender countries in recent years. The alleged origin of the funds ranges from embezzled company assets to unexpected family treasures, spoils of war, lotteries or competitions to alleged inheritances after sudden deaths.
Although the stories told in the scam letters are often fantastic and implausible, individual gullible people and even government agencies fall for this scam over and over again. In 2001 the city of Ennigerloh paid a welfare recipient € 145,000. Through relevant documents, he had convinced the mayor of an allegedly stuck fortune of € 34 million in Africa and promised to repay almost double the amount of the advance to the city as soon as he got his money. As a result of these events, the mayor lost his office and had to answer to court for misappropriating public funds.
hazards
In addition to money that you pay and lose as an advance payment in the event of fraud, there is also the risk of making yourself seriously criminal. Some fraudsters pretend that, for bizarre reasons, sums of money have to be transferred via an interim account held by the person being duped, and the person being duped is rewarded with a commission. In fact, it is mostly money laundering .
The money transferred comes from the profits of criminal organizations, especially drug trafficking . Therefore, money laundering is severely punished. As a rule, prison sentences can be expected, which means that the damage can be far greater than the loss of all savings.
Some victims of fraud also take out loans in good faith or provide a guarantee , which, if they are later drawn on, they can only pay off through long-term installments. In individual cases, they also obtain large sums of money through fraud or from friends.
Known forms
Some common forms of advance fraud are known under their own names and are described in the following sections.
Nigeria scam
A typical representative of this variety is the Nigeria scam of a Nigeria connection . Here, the senders claim to have knowledge of the accounts of former rulers or large corporations in developing countries and now need the help of the mail recipient to transfer the millions abroad. The double-digit percentage commission promised for this entice victims to pay money in advance - ostensibly for fees, bribes, etc. Often deceptively real designed websites are created that look very similar to those of authorities and banks and are intended to convince of the seriousness of the offer. Unexpected lottery winnings that have to be redeemed and fiduciary fraud (with the help of their own trustee ) at online auction houses are also part of the repertoire of Nigeria scammers . Here, expensive, mostly electronic items are purchased, which are then to be sent abroad, and a trustee brought into play by the buyer should be used for payment , who of course never forwards money to the seller after the goods have been shipped. There are also alleged inheritances from the western region. The documents are provided with the real logo of a bank or an authority. The letters appeal in several ways to the humanitarian sentiment of the addressees: often in Christ's name an inheritance is announced, several million pounds, some of which the recipient is allowed to use for himself, should be passed on to a good cause. This should give the victim hope for a carefree future and at the same time prove himself to be a benefactor. Due to the lower fee, around 1,000 euros, a cost amount has been chosen that may be more tempting to take risks.
In various forums that deal with this topic, there are tips on how the dubiousness of these offers can be easily recognized at second glance: Small changes in the email addresses of the senders (who are usually reputable banks or authorities with their Logo, photos of senior staff and telephone numbers appear on the relevant stationery) or a dubious route for the money (via a certain domestic bank to a large foreign bank for the benefit of a recipient, without specifying an account number) that is to be paid to the To officially regulate and pay off inheritance.
The victims of these frauds are referred to by the fraudsters as “Mugu”, the word for “complete idiot” in Nigerian pidgin .
In 2013, attempts to contact a Nigeria connection via services such as Skype or Facebook were observed for the first time .
Internet love scam
This is a kind of advance fraud using a fictional love story with the help of e-mail and a chat system ( Bridescam for engagements which, from the point of view of one of the parties, should not take place from the start). Foreign fraudsters contact a dating site and suggest to their victims that they have fallen in love. A little later, the scammer asks his victim for money under an excuse:
- for the internet café, because otherwise the fraudster would not be able to maintain contact
- for the realization of a meeting, e.g. B. an advance for flight tickets, visa fees, BTA (Basic Travel Allowance), passport
- for a ransom required for the realization of the meeting from the military service or for vacation, which is granted by the army only against payment / bail
- for an (alleged) hospitalization of the fraudster
- for costs incurred after an (alleged) arrest of the fraudster in another country
- as assistance after an (alleged) attack on a business trip in another country. "Asking a favor as everything was stolen."
The website of the police forces of the federal states and the federal government for crime prevention indicates that invitations to Germany and copies of ID cards are also requested. The data is used to forge passports.
Internet Romantic Love Scam is very often practiced at dating sites and dating agencies. But these scammers don't stop at social networks either. Today, Google already offers ways to identify possible scams.
Used vehicle sales fraud
Those who want to sell their motor vehicle on the Internet often experience similar things. Here an email is sent to the seller in which it is announced that the requested price will be paid without further ado, but the payment should be made by check. However, this is issued for a higher sum than the purchase price. The seller should then cash the check and give the difference to the person collecting the vehicle in order to pay for the transport of the vehicle. The seller often receives cash first when he cashes the check. However, it often turns out that the check is not covered, so that everything is booked back. In the meantime, however, the vehicle to be sold has usually already been picked up and taken abroad. It is basically impossible to reverse the transaction.
Vehicle purchase fraud
Caution is also advised when buying a motor vehicle, especially if vehicles are sold well below market value. Reasons such as a previous move to England are often put forward, which is why the seller would no longer be able to cope with the left-hand drive. So that you don't go on a longer trip in vain, the seller offers that you meet halfway through the journey. As proof that both sides mean business, it is suggested to send cash via transfer "to yourself", actually to the accompanying wife or to a friend and to exchange the transfer receipts via email attachment.
The perpetrator only needs the transfer number of the victim and the personal details of the fellow traveler from the copies. Using a forged identity document and the known transfer number, he can collect the money while the unsuspecting victim is still on the way to the meeting point. Like everything else, the offender's transfer slip is forged. The perpetrators hoard electronic ID copies and advertisements in order to use them again and again in a modified form on their own behalf.
Debt collection / maintenance fraud
This form of advance fraud is (currently) aimed primarily at lawyers. The alleged divorcee of a German contacts with the request to collect the sum agreed in the divorce settlement agreement (usually several hundred thousand dollars), which the former partner refuses to pay. A little later, the alleged partner reports from abroad with an apology for the inconvenience and a foreign check, which the German recipient should cash and then forward the money to the alleged ex-wife. In this case, the check is usually a very good total forgery, so that the money can first be credited and used in Germany, but a reverse booking is made later.
Apartment scam
In this form of scam, an apartment available for rent , usually well equipped and in an upscale residential area with a low rental price, is used as a decoy for victims looking for an apartment. The landlord is someone who has been living abroad for several years due to professional circumstances and who has now decided to rent out the apartment during this time. Because of the stay abroad, no personal inspection or apartment handover is possible. Instead, it is suggested to transfer the first rent and deposit to an escrow account, in return you will receive the apartment key by post; this process is described, for example, as "TNT buyer protection". If you don't like it, you send the key back. In fact, the provider has access to the money as soon as it is delivered and will make use of it immediately.
Down payment for individual vacation
A privately run hotel or a landlord of holiday apartments in a foreign holiday region offers stays at low prices by leaflet or another anonymous form of advertising , often with the advice that this will save costs for travel agencies and package tour providers . The fictitious hotel is presented on a specially set up hotel website and rooms can be booked. For a binding booking, a deposit of a considerable part of the total price is required to the "bank account of the hotel" in the destination country.
Promise of profit
The victim receives the message that they have won a prize by telephone , e-mail or post . In part, it is just a marketing ploy in a gray area between legality and crime, such as coffee trips and column presses (destination for example magazine subscription), whereby a profit promise may be enforceable. In part, the trick targets value-added service abuse . Advance fraud is when an alleged lawyer or notary prefers to demand his own or other “processing fees”, customs fees, taxes or transport or insurance costs as a prerequisite for the payment of a monetary prize or other allowances. Winning calls come from call centers mainly in Turkey , disguised by spoofing .
Deceived fraudsters ("Scam Baiting")
On the Internet, scam baiting (in a sense luring fraudsters ) has developed a counter-movement to this form of fraud. As a rule, attempts are made to “deceive” the scammers themselves. The scam baiter pretends to respond to the scammer's request, but invents a story of his own that is supposed to induce the scammer to fall for his own greed. Good scam baiter can even persuade the scammers to do preliminary work themselves or to attend a meeting. In fact, this rarely succeeds, but it has developed into a sport, from the scammer as proof that he exists, to demand self-portraits in which the scammer is often supposed to appear in a ridiculous situation or shows signs with - mostly incomprehensible - obscenities.
The purpose of scam baiting is first of all to annoy the scammers and thus prevent them from continuing their activities. Sometimes important information can also be passed on to the investigating authorities. In doing so, however, there is a risk of falling victim to an act of revenge or of making yourself liable to prosecution.
An extensive mail exchange became known around 2002, in which a Filipino recipient of a scam mail not only pretended to be involved in the trade, but also offered the sender much more up to and including adoption, whereupon he made a symbolic advance payment of 3 dollars and then was exposed and handed over to the police for disclosing his cell phone number while attempting to receive the expected payment.
protection
The German Federal Criminal Police Office advises not to answer such e-mails or anything else and not to contact those involved. The police advice can provide further information. The perpetrators rely on their victim not to report them out of shame or fear for their good reputation (e.g. in the business world). Some victims also shy away from filing a complaint because they have allowed the perpetrator to mislead them into not entirely legal proceedings and therefore fear punishment for their part. Nevertheless, it is strongly advisable to report it, also to help prevent further victims.
Subject in fiction and feature films
- Winterreise , film by Hans Steinbichler with Josef Bierbichler, Sibel Kekilli and Hanna Schygulla (2006)
- I Do Not Come to You by Chance (German as Die meerblauen Schuhe meine Unkels Cash Daddy ), novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (2009)
See also
literature
- Klaus Roth: "You may be surprised to receive this letter from me". Fantastic email stories with criminal intent . In: Thomas Hengartner, Brigitta Schmidt-Lauber (Hrsg.): Life - storytelling. Contributions to narrative and biography research . Reimer, Berlin and Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-496-02775-4 , pp. 391-407 ( PDF )
- Michael J. Bergmann: The Russian Birch: or: ... The suspected ... . Berlin 2015. ISBN 978-1511414517 ( d-nb.de entry )
Web links
- Scambaiter-Germany website (German)
- Federal Criminal Police Office: Nigerian fraudsters use the Internet
- Swiss crime prevention - advance fraud
- This is behind the garbage mail bullshit - Article by Spiegel Online from March 18, 2011, Frank Patalong
- 3-part podcast about Nigeria-Scam (system error podcast) from October 11, 2017: “Hello Sir” Part 2 Part 3
Individual evidence
- ↑ Report in the Africa portal www.africamasterweb.com ( Memento of the original from March 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Warning from the Federal Criminal Police Office, 2006; accessed on September 14, 2011 ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Nigeria Connection - Millions on the one-way street on spiegel.de
- ↑ German mayor falls on welt.de via the Nigeria-Mail
- ↑ Mimikama.net - attention - "Nigeria-Connection" on Facebook on the way
- ↑ How do I recognize a romance or love scammer? Retrieved October 30, 2011 .
- ↑ How to check profile pictures for authenticity! (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on May 11, 2013 ; Retrieved May 30, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Report on down payment fraud by an alleged Polish hotel ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Beware of scammers! - This is how you can identify dubious finca landlords ( memento of the original from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Fraud warning on Mallorca24.de
- ↑ a b c promise of profit. Method. State and federal police crime prevention , accessed on February 5, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Fraudulent profit promises on the phone (call center fraud). Federal Criminal Police Office , accessed on February 5, 2019 .
- ↑ cf. z. B. the website 419eater.com , named after the paragraph in the Nigerian penal code according to How To Trick an Online Scammer Into Carving a Computer Out of Wood
- ↑ The dumbest criminal on the planet. Complete mail exchange at Scam-o-Rama, English, accessed March 13, 2017
