The Nigerian Chess Scam - scaming the scammer [View All]

[The Straight Story]

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2327

(This is too funny)

14.04.2005 Remember the Advance Fee Fraud involving chess teacher being promised a $150,000 a year salary for training the Nigerian chess team? Well, one chess trainer has applied for the job. Grandmaster Dr Martin Roland, number 19 on the world rankings (Elo 2698), successful Linares player and seven times Olympic gold medalist, has come close to clinching the deal.


After we published our article last week we received a lot of email, including one from Nigerian IM Odion Aikhoje, who was mentioned in the original scam letter. This stated that the Nigerian Chess Federation has set up the Nigerian Chess Trainers Committee (NCTC) "which is chaired by International Master Fola Akintola." The letter also mentioned legitimate names such as that of Odion Aikhoje, who wrote to us:

"I must say, it's quite disturbing to be used as a forerunner in scam such as this bogus issue about Nigerian Chess trainers, in fact to be mentioned in any scam at all is disheartening. Or maybe I should feel happy at the obvious reference to my popularity? (ha ha). Anyway, these things happen all the time, I feel that any chess player should immediately be able to spot the inconsistencies in the said article. e.g: the fact that the fax/phone no quoted for the Nigeria Chess Federation or whatever is a US no. Ridiculous. Besides, I'm sure the proper contact details for the Nigeria Chess Federation are listed on the FIDE web site, easy to cross-check. All said, it's quite annoying but I feel it's just another of those stray undesirable things running all over the internet, after all with issues like spyware and computer viruses, who gives such poor scams a second look? Rubbish."

One reader, Martin Roland of Ontario, Canada, wrote: "This article was very interesting to read, and I am glad you brought to the world's attention. I decided that I would have a bit of fun to see where this would lead, so I sent the Nigerian's my not very subtle dream biography. Attached is my correspondence so far."