For years, high flying City businesses have been targeted by a very simple, and sometimes effective scam from fraudsters in Nigeria.
It starts with the arrival of a letter saying: “We work for our national oil corporation, and we have overcharged on a series of large contracts. As a result, we have accumulated $55m (£37.5m) which we now propose to remove to a safe haven. To do so, we need a British bank account, and if you send us details of yours with a £5,000 cheque, we will arrange for you to keep 25% of the total remitted.”
Backchat was surprised to learn that the latest missive from Nigeria arrived by email to a humble but thriving Maidstone insurance brokers, called Jewell Insurance. Perhaps the fraudsters have twigged that the plight of the broker market may just make some of them desperate enough to fall hook, line and sinker. Farmers can expect their emails soon.
