The Micro-nation of Melchizedek http://www.gov.melchizedek.to/ http://www.melchizedek.com/ Now has a university http://www.melchizedek.to/university/edu.htm However, some of the press is not entirely complementary to the country. http://www.fidai.clara.net/forteana/melrev.htm
A recent (22 Aug 2002) article: Despite Law's Best Efforts, Nigeria's Online Fraudsters Rake in Millions. Snippet: Another scam is the creation of fake websites, called "spoofing" by fraudsters, who have already successfully mimicked the websites of Bloomberg, the financial news service, and several banks. A celebrated spoof -- created, the FBI believes, by the father-and-son team of David and Mark Pedley -- centred on the "Dominion of Melchizedek", a fake country claiming diplomatic recognition and the ability to confer degrees and regulate banks. Victims were drawn in from all over the world, says John Shockey, former special assistant to US comptroller of the currency. In 1998, Shockey reports, Philippines citizens were conned out of more than $1 million by Melchizedek issuing bogus passports and papers confirming nationality -- even though the dominion moved location three times and at one point was about 12 feet underwater. The governments of Colombia and the Marshall Islands found themselves in dispute with a country that exists only on a website, one which US authorities have found impossible to close.
Nigeria I got one of the famous Nigerian Banking Scam letters and being a good citizen turned it over to the RCMP Commercial Crimes Division. Their opinion was that, for them to investigate, it would necessitate that Nigeria actually have a functioning government. I pointed out that even the Nigerian stamp was fake and this might upset some government official.
