Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
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Sierra Leone Scam Calls and How to Protect Yourself?

A lot of online users have reported receiving Nigeria scam calls from Sierra Leone. Nigerian scams involve offering you a share in a so-called large sum of money on the condition you help them to transfer it out of their country. The scammer may contact you via email, letter, text message or social networking message. They will offer you a large sum of money to help them transfer their so-called personal fortune out of their country. These scams are often known as 'Nigerian 419' scams because the first wave of them came from Nigeria. The '419' part of the name comes from the section of Nigeria’s Criminal Code which outlaws the practice. These scams now come from anywhere in the world.

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How the Scam Works

The scammer will tell you an elaborate fake story about large amounts of money 'trapped' in central banks during civil wars or coups, often in countries currently in the news. Or they may tell you about a large inheritance that is 'difficult to access' because of government restrictions or taxes in their country.

The scammer may contact you by email, letter, text message or social networking message. They will offer you a large sum of money to help them transfer their personal fortune out of their country.

These scams are often known as 'Nigerian 419' scams because the first wave of them came from Nigeria. The '419' part of the name comes from the section of Nigeria’s Criminal Code which outlaws the practice. These scams now come from anywhere in the world.

Scammers may ask for your bank account details to 'help them transfer the money' and use this information to later steal your funds.

Or they may ask you to pay fees, charges or taxes to 'help release or transfer the money out of the country' through your bank. These fees may even start out as quite small amounts. If paid, the scammer may make up new fees that require payment before you can receive your reward. They will keep asking for more money as long as you are willing to part with it, but you will never be sent the money that was promised.

Warning Signs

How to Protect Yourself

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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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