# Is this one of those Nigerian scams? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664 "2005-09-02T00:43:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dabrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f19dbf/32.png) [@dabrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dabrod)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/1 "2005-09-02T00:43:33Z")
For the past several days I’ve been getting phone calls from 3 digit phone numbers. Now, I found this was quite peculiar and just thougth it was a glitch with my phone to get calls from numbers like 103, 107, 105, and 109. I missed the first two but on the third I was available and I answered the phone. The person (with a thick foreign accent) started his schtick about how he was from some “Do not call” list organization and since telemarketers have been calling me late, they owed me $897. Now, this immediately sounded like a Nigerian scam to me. I started asking what info I would “have to give them” (I had previously been scammed out of a bank account number), but they stated they just needed to confirm my address and other information. Anyway, after saying I didn’t want to be involved in this scam, and of course, them assuring me it wasn’t one, they asked if I would say “I agree for my money to be disbursed to a charity.” That didn’t soudn right either so I just started to play with them asking them where there company was and if I could speak to someone who spoke English. Anyway, after a while of talking to several differnet people (all with the same accent), I guess they gave up and hung up. No more than 20 seconds later I get a call from a differnet three-digit number and the people are now from a different organization stating I have money they need to give me from my income tax the government made a mistake with and they want to give it to me in installments. I responded with telling him about my day and if he could believe that hurricane happened. He eventually hung up as well. So does this sound like a typical Nigerian scam? Are those really weird 3-digit phone numbers a trick or what? I did get scammed by a company around a year ago who managed to get my SS# and bank account (which is now closed of course) and I now have identity theft monitoring on my credit… How can I report these people? I tried various Nigerian scam websites but t hey mostly refer to the e-mail version. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/2 "2005-09-02T00:52:08Z")
It certainly sounds like a scam, although not necessarily Nigerian. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/3 "2005-09-02T00:58:31Z")
Sounds very scammy to me, although I’ve not heard of this one before specifically, ---
**Author:** ![dabrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f19dbf/32.png) [@dabrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dabrod)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/4 "2005-09-02T01:06:01Z")
Yeah I have no doubt it’s a scam… It’s the three-digit phone number that shows up on my cell phone they’re calling from that’s odd and especially fishy to me. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/5 "2005-09-02T01:12:24Z")
If you get another call like that, see if you can record it somehow, and report them to the proper authorities. If you can’t record it, take note of the number, date, time, name of the orginization, what they said and give that to the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/6 "2005-09-02T01:17:03Z")
> [@dabrod](#): > > Yeah I have no doubt it’s a scam… It’s the three-digit phone number that shows up on my cell phone they’re calling from that’s odd and especially fishy to me. It’s trivially easy to spoof a caller ID number if you’re calling from behind a PBX or CBX phone system. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/7 "2005-09-02T01:28:34Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > If you get another call like that, see if you can record it somehow, and report them to the proper authorities. A much better course of action, assuming the calls continue, is to use the Call Trace feature available in most areas of the US. This is usually activated by dialling \*57. This will generate a report which law enforcement can obtain from the telephone company listing the actual originating telephone number and location, as well as date, time and duration of the call. After each call, hang up, then pick the phone up again and dial \*57. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/8 "2005-09-02T01:49:04Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > A much better course of action, assuming the calls continue, is to use the Call Trace feature available in most areas of the US. \ I accede to your greater knowledge. 🙂 In any case, report it **dabrod**. ---
**Author:** ![CantUseMyRealName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@CantUseMyRealName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CantUseMyRealName)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/9 "2005-09-02T02:05:32Z")
yes. it is the new nigerian fee telemarketing scam [http://www.scambusters.org/do-not-call-list.html](http://www.scambusters.org/do-not-call-list.html) ---
**Author:** ![CantUseMyRealName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@CantUseMyRealName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CantUseMyRealName)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/10 "2005-09-02T02:11:29Z")
and i just managed to give you the wrong link :smack: i saw an article about nigerian scammers basically telemarketing a version of the 419 scam and i can’t seem to locate it ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/11 "2005-09-02T02:12:09Z")
> [@CantUseMyRealName](#): > > it is the new nigerian fee telemarketing scam. There is nothing on that page which is even remotely similar to the situation as described in the OP. The scams discussed on your link have nothing to do with the DNC list, other than the fact that they are on the same page as a description of the DNC list and how it works. It’s just a fax version of the Nigerian Scam. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/12 "2005-09-02T02:13:10Z")
> [@CantUseMyRealName](#): > > and i just managed to give you the wrong link :smack: Nevermind, then. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-one-of-those-nigerian-scams/319664/13 "2005-09-02T03:34:17Z")
We occasionally get calls at work and the voicemail system (which sends us an email) will occasionally list the number as a 3-digit num. Usually when this happens it’s one of our clients calling from the UK, so it might be an overseas transfer code or something (since the system can’t recognize the different formats of international numbers).