Exactly two weeks ago,
a lady dressed as a Custom Officer on her Facebook wall, sent me a
friend's request. Seeing her age and rank, I accepted. Thirty minutes
after we became Facebook friends, she sent me a message on both my wall
and inbox that The Nigerian Customs was selling impounded cars at cheap
and affordable prices.
I immediately knew that the lady was not for
real. Typical of me, I would have deleted her from my friends list, but I
deliberately opted to humor her by playing along. I called the number
she sent in her advert, and it was a man who picked. I told him I wanted
to talk to Femmy Juliana but he said she was his boss blah blah....and
that he was her PA. He said I could do business with him as he
represented his "madam".
I told him I was interested in the Murano
which was listed for N500,000 and that I needed to know how and when to
pay for the car. And of course, where I could pick my car! He told me
that I had to pay first. He explained that after I'd paid, Madam would
then finish all the processes involved at the Nigeria Customs
headquarters for me because "she is an insider." He reiterated that if I
come in myself, I won't even be considered. I feigned agreement to his
suggestion. Next he told me he would send a bank account number for the
payment while calmly reminding me to keep safe the Bank Teller as my
proof of payment. I said I understood.
24 hours later, I was yet to
pay money into his account. (Perish the though! I don't have that kind
money in any of my accounts.) He started calling me and I kept ignoring
his calls. Within an hour, he had called me 47 times and I knew he was
"killing" my phone battery. So I picked his call and calmly told him
that my bank had blocked my account (because of BVN) and I needed to
deposit N25,000 before I could access "my over N2.5million in that
account."
He urged to get the money quickly or "Madam may change her
mind and give the Murano car to somebody else." I told him, in
desperate tones, that I don't want to lose the car and I was doing my
best to get a loan of N25,000 in order to access my account. Two hours
later, he called to know how far I had gone in my quest. I told him I
was still stuck. Then, I casually begged him to loan me the N25,000
after which I would now back N30,000 to him plus the cost of the Murano
(that is N530,000). Grudgingly, he agreed. I thanked him like my life
depended on it. Then I sent him an empty account I seldom use.
Within an hour, I got an alert for N25,000 paid into my account from
him. I have caught the "mugu". He called to inform me that he'd paid in
the money and I should go get it and activate my account. With a wicked
smirk on my lips, I told him that I was grateful for the gift of the
money and he could go to hell. He started shouting and I hung the phone
on him.
He kept calling and I sent him this text:
My name is
Davidson Rotshak Lar, am a Police Officer. I work in Kebbi State Police
Command Hqts. My office is on the first floor of the State CIID
building. Come and get your money here, Mr. 419ner. I only got my own
share of those you had scammed."
I haven't heard from him since. His
phone number is unreachable. We are now trying to use the Bank Account
number he gave me to see if we could arrest him through the address he
supplied. I now appreciate why banks are so meticulous when you go to
open account.
But am richer by N25,000