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Nigerian 419 Fraud

Nigerian 419 Fraud

419 Scam419 letter/Nigerian letter fraud, also known as advanced-fee fraud, is a crime which happens all over the country, and the world, and is heavily prosecuted by law enforcement. The crime often involves federal government agencies because those accused of criminal actions are most often located overseas or some distance from the victims. Courts have handed down heavy prison sentences for those convicted of the crime; people have spent anywhere from two to ten years in jail because they were found guilty of 419 fraud.

Successful 419 Fraud Defense

Defense attorneys know that the government and the courts have gone so far as to streamline the legal process in order to incarcerate those accused of the crime. The defense lawyers who have had the most success in defending those accused of 419 fraud are those who had superior knowledge of the existing laws and legal processes surrounding 419 fraud cases and who carefully investigated every detail of their client's case. The white collar defense attorneys at The Blanch Law firm regularly defend fraud and scam cases in state and federal courts, assisting their clients in reaching the best possible outcome.

Government Response to 419 Fraud/Scams

Senior-level meetings chaired by the Department of State, and attended by members of the U.S. intelligence community and U.S. law enforcement officials, including the U.S. Attorney General have been ongoing concerning Nigerian/419 letter criminal activity.

Crimes Associated with 419 Fraud Letters

Nigerian letter fraud charges are often accompanied by other charges such as identity theft, credit card fraud, Trojan fraud, Mail Fraud and more. If you've been charged with a 419 crime, you may also be charged with any of the following:

  • Writing Fake checks
  • Wire Fraud
  • Anonymous Communication
  • E-mail Hijacking/Friend Scams
  • Fax Transmission Fraud
  • Fake Websites
  • Lottery Scams
  • Bomb Scams
  • Charity Scams
  • Fraud Recovery Scams
  • Puppy Scams

All of these could lead to computer fraud charges, identity theft charges and other felony crimes which could land the accused in prison and with heavy fines to pay besides. The federal government takes these crimes very seriously, and since 1995, the United States Secret Service has been involved in combating these schemes.

Examples of 419 Fraud Sentences

  • In November of 2004, an Australian man was given a sentence of four to six years in prison for sending Nigerian 419 e-mails.
  • In 2008, a woman pled guilty in a Washington state court and was sentenced to two years in prison and five years of supervised release (probation) for an Internet Nigerian check scam that amounted to $1 million. Some of the accompanying charges were bank, wire and mail fraud.

Contact the defense lawyers at The Blanch Law Firm immediately if you or someone you know has been accused of 419 fraud. To speak with a white collar defense attorney about your criminal defense concerns, contact The Blanch Law Firm by calling 917-472-9883 or at 1-866-690-9316 to arrange an initial consultation.