The Chronicle reports that a major Nigerian university (Ambrose Alli U.) has expelled 270 students because they used fake high school credentials to gain admission. A university spokesman did not know how they had gotten the fake credentials. I suspect some readers here could speculate.
I can only speculate that they may have paid some highly placed officials of West African Examination Council (WASC) for the fake high school diplomas. Another unanswered question is how did these students managed to pass the highly competitive Joint Matriculation Examination. Corruption is still a big problem in most third world countries and Nigeria is not an exception. The fact that these students were caught demonstrates that there is hope that frauds in higher education could be stamped out. About two years ago, the speaker of Nigeria's federal house of representatives was disgraced and forced out of office because he claimed falsely that he obtained a degree in economics from University of Toronto. That notwithstanding, there as still many government officials who list degrees from degree mills such as Kensington, CPU, St. Clements, Concordia College and University, etc. I don't know if anybody will ever go after these officials.
Yes, and you can add to that the large number of Nigerians who regularly want to deposit millions of dollars into my bank account. I must get a couple of those every month. I think that one even made it on 60 Minutes. Tom Nixon
It's only greedy people that fall for that crap. My advice is that people should reject strange offers from strangers. It is only greedy (not foolish) people that believe that manna still falls from heaven.
Ike: About two years ago, the speaker of Nigeria's federal house of representatives was disgraced and forced out of office because he claimed falsely that he obtained a degree in economics from University of Toronto. I have read that the word has become popular slang in Nigeria -- "Doing a Toronto" or "Pulling a Toronto" -- for claiming something that isn't true.
I have not heard that slang before probably because I have not visited Nigeria recently. The last time I was in Nigeria was in 1999. On another note, my presentation at PSU will take place tonight and all info about it are accessible at http://www.hn.psu.edu/IST_lecture.htm The contents of presentation will be made available after the lecture.
This looks like an interesting lecture. I'm looking forward to the notes being posted. Best of luck this evening!
They're referred to as "419 scams," after the Nigerian penal code section that deals with fraud. Periodically, the Nigerian government takes out full-page ads in U.S. papers (USA Today springs to mind) warning potential victims to avoid the "deals," which often include the use of "borrowed" or fake government letterhead and.. yes.. offices in government buildings. And amazingly, people still get fleeced. As Ike pointed out, it depends on victims with more greed or need than sense. West Africa has become to complex fraud what Silicon Valley was to technology in the 80s. Lots of politicians campaign on "clean up fraud and corruption" platforms, and many who are elected actually try. And many wind up taking dirt naps for their efforts.
D... it, Tom! You ruined my day. I thought that I was a top international financial operative. On 11-28-01, I got a personal e-mail from Dr. Adewole Aremu, financial controller of the late Nigerian president Gen. Sani Abacha, who wanted to put tens of millions of dollars in my bank account. On 1-3-02, I got a personal e-mail from Col. James Langa of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who wanted to pump still more millions into my account. And on 1-19-02, Lady Maryam Abacha, widow of the late president e-mailed me directly, plaintively pleading for me to accept her countless millions. I had visions of the Cayman islands dancing in my head! For the life of me, I couldn't understand why my particular bank accounts were so strangely attractive to Africans that I had never met, but it sure sounded cool. Me! A top international money launderer! Making millions for doing nothing! Visions of avarice almost like a dot.com entrepeneur...
I have a couple hundred chain emails saved. When I get closer to retirement I'll send them $5 each and then start raking in the millions of dollars promised.
I'm saving up so that I can have a certain part of my anatomy enlarged. (My brain of course...that is what you were thinking, right?)
