 Nigeria and US software giant Microsoft have formed an alliance to combat the Internet fraudsters who have damaged Nigeria's international image.
BELOVED MISTER GATES,
I AM PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO. I GOT YOUR NAME FROM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY... |
Nuhu Ribadu, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has announced the deal. "Millions of people all over the world can only link the country and her nationals to the infamous scam letter," he said.
| Ummm... Nigeria has industries other than international fraud? When did that start? |
"EFCC and Microsoft have teamed up to fish out Internet fraudsters in Nigeria and the west African sub region."
| Does that mean Gates is going to finance hit teams to hunt them down and kill them? |
Computer users across the world have become accustomed to being bombarded by emails from Nigerians seeking to trick them into handing over bank details or making advance payments on non-existent money-making schemes. Experts say that the so-called 419 fraudsters - named after the relevant section in Nigeria's criminal code - steal hundreds of millions of dollars every year from unsuspecting marks. In the biggest such case to date, a Brazilian bank collapsed after Nigerian confidence tricksters persuaded a corrupt employee to divert $323 million of his employer's capital into an imaginary deal to develop Abuja airport.
So why aren't Brazilian hit men prowling the streets Internet cafes of Lagos, hunting the perps down? |
Microsoft markets the most popular computer programs controlling access to the Internet.
| They might also think of striking some deals with go.com, handbag, tiscali, and a few others that could be staunching some of that flow... |
Nigeria hopes that after signing a deal with the company the firm will help it track scammers, who now face stiffer laws at home. The Nigerian Parliament recently passed the stringent "Advance Fee Fraud Act 2005", which holds liable not only the fraudster but also cybercafe owners and office managers who allow their premises and facilities to be used for the crime. President Olusegun Obasanjo has proposed an amendment to the act to make it a crime for scammers - who are known in Nigeria as "Yahoo-Yahoo boys" after the popular free email service - to send unsolicited messages.
| Here's hoping there's a death penalty attached. |
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