I Guess Diamonds don't last forever

The on-going Nigerian Internet fraud has passed the boundaries of news and crossed over to comedy on various sitcoms. Even the Nigerian authorities have established a high profile crime unit titled, 419 Scam, to handle the complaints and subsequent investigations.

Remember this: Nigeria implementing a special unit dedicated to the 419 swindles is not going to bring your money back.

I have never heard of anyone actually admitting they were a victim of this fraud that is until now. It appears a Geneva diamond dealer with more than 40 years of experience, gave $14 million worth of gems to a stranger who claimed to be the wife of the deceased president of the Congo — before she had paid him one penny. I am very serious, read, “As Scams go, this is a Gem” if you do not believe me.

Stories have reached the public regarding what actually takes place in the Nigerian coffee houses, where they mastermind these crimes over a double espresso. They are not running around wearing an Armani tuxedo while smoking custom made cigars and driving fast cars. They are simply a bunch of young men sitting around some coffee houses in Nigeria and comparing notes on how best to bilk people out of their money.

Their messages vary so much that many websites dedicated to the fraud have implemented databases of them for users to check. The 419 Coalition Website is one of them.

I would have to say that giving $14 million worth of gems to a stranger has got to be a dumb thing to do, believing one of the Nigerian letters, well what can I say.

I should point out that I discussed this fraud with a few consultants specializing in internet Fraud they advised this occurs quite often and more than reported. Investigate any offers or requests you encounter on the Internet or in e-mail.