An aggressive campaign on con artists and their foreign collaborators who defraud innocent citizens is what Tunde Akingbade sets to carry out in his book; Historical Study On Global Scam and Nigeria’s 419: How To Overcome Fraudster and Con Artists.

The book, which was recently launched in Lagos is a statement on the evil of global scam that has overwhelmed the country and the world as a whole.

Divided into eight chapters, the book attempts to cover in detail, activities of fraudsters both within and outside the country. It is an insight into the evolution of scam in the country and how it became a global scourge. It also provides tips on how to escape being trapped in the web of con artists and losing one’s fortune.

Written in simple English Language, the 108-page book is a case study of general fraudulent practices locally known as the 419 in Nigeria. The book is quite revealing and didactic in nature even as it serves as a guide to the people on deception among other crimes. While providing necessary information on the notorious trade, the author equally takes the pain to state, describe and analyze with illustrations different types of global scam aimed at enlightening the public.

With the use of relevant quotations, statistics and data, the author also traces the socio-economic and political history of Nigeria in relation to the scam and and its evolution to the present age. The author equally traces the origin of the Advanced Free Fraud otherwise known as 419 to the Garden of Eden where Satan persuaded Eve to eat the fruit, which God forbade her and Adam from eating. Eve, in turn persuaded her husband to eat the fruit and the chain of deception continued till date.

According to the author, deception has swept across the world on a large and unimaginable scale. A cursory look at the evolution and development of countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa reveal deception of a particular race or group of people at the foundation of the modern powers that control economics of the world. In Nigeria particularly, many obscure things have happened in government, and are still happening to compound people’problems.

The author observed that institutionalized deception has played a very destructive role in the life of an average Nigerian. Without mincing words, Akingbade also exposes the evils in the land aside holding the view that corruption remains the bane of development and good leadership since independence. He states categorically that every successive government is guilty of corruption and diversion of public funds. This crime has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation just as it exists in banks, religious places, marriages, schools, security agencies and indeed everywhere.

With arrival of internet, con artists shifted focus from telephones and fax to the internet. Their mode of operation has changed drastically. They have become more daring and dangerous. They seemed to have been militarized by years of dictatorship and impunity over the years.

In Chapter two, the author discusses the mode of operation of the con men who usually claim to be religious. He noted that a typical fraudster sends letters randomly and blindly to innocent people all over the world and these letters are usually full of errors and are always contradictory in content.
In Chapter four, the author states that the scam has permeated all known and revered professions such as Law, Medicine and Religion.

All these have called for concerns across the globe such that United States Secret Service has set up a website to advice its citizen on 419 mode of operation.
The book also provides samples of 419 letters in Chapter four. It also gives reactions to those 419 letters. In the following chapter, the author narrates his personal experiences and encounter with these crooks using his internet bank account as evidence.

The author also commends efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) set up by the federal government and led Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for having worked tirelessly to rid the polity of corrupt individuals and recover stolen money. He also commends the Nigeria Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC). In addition, he gives kudos to some good Nigerians who are not moved in spite of this primitive greed and deception going on in government and public circles.

In all, the book is quite interesting to read as it documents vital issues which everyone should know about deception and fraud.

Tunde Akingbade is NMMA journalist of the year 1992. He is a man of many parts: an environmental journalist, actor, painter, photographer and playwright. He is author of many books that have won awards both nationally and internationally. He was former editor, African Science Monitor published by African Concord. He had also worked in several other national dailies. He is the originator of Our Environment, a programme, which is aired on the NTA network.