The latest result of internet fraud evaluation, contained in the Internet Complaint Centre's Annual report for 2008, has rated Nigeria as the number one nation in Africa that is deeply involved in internet fraud.
Nigeria also came third in the world ranking, coming only after the United States and United Kingdom -which are rated first and second.
Nigerian fraudsters posted about 7.05 per cent of all fraud mails last year, a steady increase from the 5.7% recorded in 2007 and 5.9% in 2006.
Yet, despite the high number of reported perpetrators in the United States, the Centre categorically warned citizens of the United State to be sceptical of any individuals that presents themselves as Nigerian, in their prevention tips on so-called ‘Nigeria Letter scam.'
Nigerian Letter Fraud is defined by the Centre as any scam that involves an unsolicited email message, purportedly from Nigeria or another African nation, in which the sender promises a large sum of money to the recipient.
In return, the recipient is asked to pay an advance fee or provide identity, credit card or bank account information. Subsequently, the recipient loses all monies they have entrusted to the sender of the message and they get nothing in return.
South Africa and Ghana were not left out in the unenviable criminal record, as they were listed as the sixth and seventh in the world respectively. South Africa contributed 0.7% of the perpetrators and Ghana 0.6% in the entire world.
Merry crowd of scammers
In the previous years, countries like the United State of America, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Romania, Spain, Russia, China, Netherlands and another Africa country, Togo had struggled on the list.
Togo however made her last appearance among the top ten, with 0.5%, in 2002.
Other countries that had improved their fight against corruption, to bid a goodbye to the first ten perpetrators list, are Australia (left the list in 2001, and was then 7th in the world) and Greece (left in 2004, when it was the sixth on the list).
The United States of America has maintained the first position over the years. The lowest percentage of recorded scams recorded by citizens of the United States of America was 60.9% in 2006.
The 2008 Report states that complaints of online crime hit a record high in 2008. The Centre said it received a total of 275,284 complaints, a 33.1% increase over the previous year. The total dollar loss linked to online fraud was $265 million, about $25 million more than in 2007. The average individual loss amounted to $931.
The Nigerian Letter Fraud was reported to be responsible for 2.8% of the $265million lost to internet fraud scam in 20008.
This accounted for 275,284 recorded cases at the Internet Fraud Complaint Centre in Washington DC, USA. The fraud type increased from just 1.1% recorded in 2007 to 2.8% in 2009.
Biodun Adegboye, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife said Nigeria has, over the years, enmeshed itself in corruption crisis involving millions of dollars that could have rescued her from the poor state of social amenities, and failing economy.
He said: "Right from the beginning, the EFCC that I know would have gone far to erase all the economic crisis, but all that we have now are mere celebrated politicians, selected to protect the so called elected from the reach of the law.
People like Tafa Balogun will never sit at any function to tell you that what EFCC is doing. Never! I'm afraid that with the way things are going, Nigeria may come first on the list.
Something must be done, but I mustn't deceive you, not from this cocoon of Anti-corruption fighters."
The arrival of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has done much to curtail the actions, spokesperson of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi said.
Over the past years, several individuals suspected of involvement in advanced fee fraud have been arrested and convicted. These include Fred Ajudua, who was charged for obtaining a sum of $1,698,133 from a German national, Remmy Hendrick Luigi Cima under false pretence; Maurice Ibekwe, a now deceased member of the House of Representatives.
Mr Ibekwe, before his arrest and disgrace for allegedly duping a German, Munch Klaus of $330,000 and 75,000DM, was the chairman, House subcommittee on Police Affairs as well as chairman, Committee on Internal Security.
There was also Emmanuel Nwude and Amaka Anajemba, convicted for their involvement in a $242m heist that is said to be the biggest advance fee scam in the world.
The Nigerians successfully swindled Nelson Sakaguchi, a director of what was once one of Latin America's biggest banks, Banco Noereste of the said $242 million over a non existing contract to construct an international airport in Abuja.