Case description:
This company offered us a government project for the supply of wooden furniture to a Togo government agency. I even went to Togo to meet the principal and the people from this government department.
We had been tricked into paying the sum of USD 30.000 plus other expenses to the value of almost USD 40,000. The money our company paid was supposed to pay for the bidding/lawyer fee and legal fee for the contract.
They said they would pay us the money for the furniture immediately after the legal process, but to date, they have not dispatched the money for the said contract.
Analysis of this case:
1. Any unsolicited business proposal, especially large high-profit government projects from African countries should be carefully scrutinized. Most of them are too good to be true. Check with your embassy in that country if there is really such a government agency. Or consult with your bank, an attorney, or the police about the contract.
2. The con artists will always tell some stories to you, such as you need to register in some business agency to export your products to their country or something else. In this case, they asked for a bidding fee, a lawyer fee and legal fee for this contract. It is necessary to understand whether or not this is a normal process for a business contract in that country.
3. In such a fraud case, you are not dealing with one scammer; you are fighting with a group of scammers. Someone will pretend to be an attorney and guide you to their trap step by step. Someone will pretend to be a government official and give you confidence in this contract. They are a professional scammer group instead of an individual scammer.
4. Search the company name or government agency via a search engine to find some useful information for your business
Click to see other Fraud Case Studies:
Fraud Case Study 1 - Gold Supplier Identity Theft
Fraud Case Study 2 - the "Low Price" trap
Fraud Case Study 3 - False information
Fraud Case Study 4 - Meeting your supplier for the first time
Fraud Case Study 6 - False Shipping Website
Fraud Case Study 7 - Remain Vigilant!
Re: Re: Fraud Case Study 5 - The Contract trap
by kenji on 30 Apr 2008 10:34
Quoting from [pginis]:
Replying to [ResourcesAdmin]:
Yes all these are very much truth, i am dealing with them for four months now and i have lost 2.600EUROS, but that was the last.
All the "so call" merchants in BENIN, NIGERIA, TONGO, and so on are scams
DON'T SENT ANYTHING TO THESE COUNTRIES
Secialy money
They all fraud from the top to the bottom
Even there authorities, Banks and ministies are in the network of criminals
DON'T TRUST ANY ONE FROM THERE
Yes Its true your complain same as what we have experience in the countries youve mention.. same problem we had we have been scam by this countries. they are hungry thats why they need to feed themselves.. no other way inteads to steal money they are same with criminals consider them... so all w ehave to do is avoid them never transact with those countries... they are abusolutely fraudters..
Re: Fraud Case Study 5 - The Contract trap
by ksiyer50 on 07 May 2009 04:03
With the global melt down and whatelse you have, Africa is certainly NOT a place to be in for business since they produce next to nothing.
Over a period of time ( 4 years plus) I have developed a network of people both foreigner-resident and also the locals in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkian FAso, Liberia, Conakry, and Sierra Leone.
I am still trying to link-up with people in other West african countries. Anyone who is resident or know some resident is welcome to contact me ASAP.
I myself am a frequent business visitor in West African countries and have made over 15 trips so far.
Would wlecome people to link up with
Re: Fraud Case Study 5 - The Contract trap
by ksiyer50 on 07 May 2009 04:04
With the global melt down and whatelse you have, Africa is certainly NOT a place to be in for business since they produce next to nothing.
Over a period of time ( 4 years plus) I have developed a network of people both foreigner-resident and also the locals in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkian FAso, Liberia, Conakry, and Sierra Leone.
I am still trying to link-up with people in other West african countries. Anyone who is resident or know some resident is welcome to contact me ASAP.
I myself am a frequent business visitor in West African countries and have made over 15 trips so far.
Would wlecome people to link up with
Fraud case study 20 - big purchase order trap
Author: Safe Trading Admin
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