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
