BANGALORE, April 9: The Nigerian `advance fee' racket, a report on which appeared in The Indian Express edition dated April 4, appears to be more widespread than was earlier believed, with three Bangalore-based businessmen revealing the details of the correspondence they received from some Nigerians.Apparently, these Nigerians, who claimed to be government officials of that country, sought the businessmen's help in transferring huge sums of money into India.On April 3, Pramod Chandra, managing partner of a city-based firm, received a letter in this regard written by one Ngozi Uju, who claimed to be an official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Soon afterwards, K H R V Sagara, a businessman residing in Rajajinagar, received a letter from one Dr Hassan Bello, who claimed to be the auditor of the Petroleum Trust Fund, the apex department of oil Industry in Nigeria.The letter begins with: ``We are making this contact with you because of the reliable information that we haveconcerning your reputation and that of your company. This business request may see strange, but I crave your indulgence and pray you view it seriously...''After such preliminaries, ``Dr Hassan Bello'' seeks Sagara's help to transfer $ 18.3 million from his country. ``I was mandated to seek and find a trusted foreign national who can assist me in transferring the above-stated amount out of Nigeria,'' Bello claims.Just as in the letter received by Pramod Chandra, this letter too claims that the money emanated from over-invoiced contracts awarded earlier. After all the contractors were paid following the completion of various contracts, the $ 18.3 million ``though approved'' was still floating, the letter said.The letter then seeks Sagara's assistance for two reasons: ``One, as government employees, we are not permitted by Nigerian law to operate foreign accounts. Two, since the initial contracts were executed by foreign firms, only a foreign firm can make claims or act as a beneficiary for thepurpose of transferring the money out of Nigeria.''Bello has even offered Sagara 25 per cent of the amount, if he agrees to credit the sum in his account. The ``sensitive transaction'' should be carried out in secrecy, the letter requests, and goes on to furnish Bello's telephone and fax numbers in Nigeria, 234-90-403954 and 234-90-404375.While the letter received by Sagara goes into details and explanations about how the deal arose, a letter received by M S Achar, a consultant at a private firm in the city, is brief and to the point.Beginning with a bold ``private and strictly confidential'' heading, the letter-writer, N Martins says, ``Upon the recommendation of your good self as gathered from the corporate office of our trade ministry, I now commence on this transaction with you on the assumption that you will not disappoint us. We have $ 27 million made up from over-inflated contracts in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which we would like to remit to your account.'' Seeking hisassistance, Martins offers Achar a 30 per cent commission, while leaving his fax number (234-1-3668057).Earlier, the Nigerian High Commission had alerted the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Intelligence Bureau about a racket involving Nigerian swindlers, who were luring Indian businessmen into non-existent deals.
