Legal Questions and Answers by
Jonathan Stones of John Barkers
Question :-
Through the help of column readers we have over the last year or 18 months highlighted a number of variants of a scam in which businessmen are being contacted by supposed civil servants in various African governments seeking to use their firm's bank accounts to get money out of wherever it is.
The businessmen are offered large percentages of huge sums of money to help.
Answer :-
Anyone who is daft enough to respond - and I understand that around the country some have - are asked to put up money as proof of their bone fides. Some people have been taken for twenty or thirty thousand pounds.
The managing director of a local farming company has sent us a copy of the latest variant of the letters and faxes which are being dispatched: This comes from the desk of Mr. Shaka Theophilus, who claims to be the Director of Project Implementation at the South African Ministry of Mining Resources.
Mr. Theophilus's problem is that he and four other 'top officials' have in their possession overdue payment bills totaling $30 million which they wish to transfer abroad. He is so desperate that he and his partners are prepared to offer the farming company 30% of the money to help - that is $9 million.
Mr. Theophilus assures the managing director that the business itself is 100 % safe, provided he treats it with the utmost secrecy and confidentiality.
One interesting point is that the letters are being sent out - second class - in the UK. The envelope containing this example was postmarked London.
I do not imagine for a moment that any North East Lincolnshire businessman or businesswoman would be even slightly tempted by such a ludicrous offer. Frankly it beggars belief that anyone at all could be taken in, but the fact that this operation has now been running for at least a couple of years presumably indicates that the conmen have had a sufficiently good return to make it worth their while carrying on.
Thanks to the reader for letting us know about their latest activities.
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