Posted by The Punch on
I am writing this letter to alert Nigerians to the new antics of the crooks among us who are forever inventing new ways to defraud their compatriots.
I am writing this letter to alert Nigerians to the new antics of the crooks among us who are forever inventing new ways to defraud their compatriots.
Early on Friday, July 8, 2005, my wife received a call, purportedly from a female relation in the United States, informing her that she and her husband had sent some goods to us through somebody who was coming to Nigeria.
Shortly after that, another call came from a man who called himself Elder Ajayi, saying he was the one who brought the goods. He said he arrived in Lagos the previous night but had to hurriedly leave for the village, and that he would call my wife later to let her know where to collect them. Then he added a little request: my wife should kindly text a recharge card to him in the so-called village where he said there was scarcity of cards.
Suspecting foul deal, I got the man's phone number from my wife, and called him on mobile phone number 0803-368-0492. Based on my discussions with him, I forbade my wife from having further contact with him.
A call to our relation in New York proved that they had not sent anything through anybody.
When I later called 'Elder Ajayi" and confronted him with the fact, he just wondered if I also was not stealing money in my office. He said all he wanted was his own share of what he thought was my loot.
I told him that I would trace him with his number and hand him over to the police but he reminded me that SIM cards now cost next to nothing and that all he would do was dump the card and pick up a new one.
He even advised that I send him a recharge card so he would leave my wife and I alone.
I therefore urge Nigerians to be wary of callers who claim to have goodies from some relatives abroad. It's nothing but sheer fraud.
Tunde Ipinmisho,
P. O. Box 2648,
Garki, Abuja.
The Punch, Wednesday, July 20, 2005