A fraudulent scheme, commonly known as the Nigerian 419 Scam, or the 419 Advance Fee Fraud Scheme is perpetrated by people regularly posing as barristers, doctors and other professions, usually making contact by E-mail. But, phone, fax and letters may still be used to trick unsuspecting victims.

They will tell you there is a large amount of unclaimed Government money in Nigeria, which they will share with you if you help them get it out of the country. Many Australians have lost considerable amounts of money to these schemes.

US authorities estimate that every year there is around one to four billion 419 Nigerian Scam E-mails sent to both public and private E-mail addresses. It isn't clear how the perpetuators acquire Defence E-mail addresses, but it is likely that they are sold from telemarketers. All Defence members should be aware that if you have an E-mail address, then you are not immune from targeting by this scam.

If you are contacted and invited to participate in a Nigerian Scheme, delete the E-mail. Under no circumstances should you give them your personal or work contact details. Please report any incident be to the DSA Security and Intelligence Section on (02) 6266 2942.

Following is the letter received by a Canberra-based wing commander:

We are members of the Presidential Contract Review Panel on foreign debt. We are contacting you as a trustworthy individual, into whose account we intend to transfer some funds. The fund are therefore free to be transferred overseas without any risk whatsoever. We shall require from you the following urgently, by fax or email:

1.Your name, contact address,telephone and fax numbers.

2.The name and full address of your organization or company...

An application for funds transfer will be made at the appropriate ministries in favour of you, the beneficiary.Thereafter you will be officially regarded as having executed the contract for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. This process makes the operation legal according to the laws of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

Please, treat this transaction as strictly confidential, we are civil servants who would not want our names tarnished, bearing in mind our positions.

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation, while I await your timely response.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Haruna Buhari.

By CPL Ngaire Betts