The 'Black Money', 'Defaced Currency' or 'Wash wash' scam has been around for quite some time. It is, perhaps the most recognisable, and oddest form, of the '419' type of Advanced Fee Fraud (AFF) scams, so called after the section of the Nigerian Penal Code that deals with this type of scam that has become synonymous, not only with Nigeria, but with West Africa as a whole.
This scam can be run either in it's own right, or as an extension to other forms of AFF.
In this scam victims are taken to see a trunk box full of black construction paper, lightly dusted with talcum powder, and depending on the scam being run, told either that this is the money that they were promised was theirs, or that this is the money that the scammer is willing to split on a percentage basis very favourable to the victim.
Either way, the victim is told that the money has been coated in special chemicals in order to smuggle the money past customs, or for security reasons. This can be very convincing, as there, right in front of them, is the money that they have been promised or so long. To further ensnare the victim, an elaborate demonstration is made. The scammer will claim they have purchased a small amount of cleaning chemicals and their accomplice a so called 'technician', wearing gloves and carefully handling his products, will clean one or two of the notes, often allowing the victim to choose the notes to be cleaned using special chemicals with exotic sounding names. The notes chosen to be cleaned are switched using sleight of hand with real bank notes coated in glue and iodine, and the special chemicals nothing more than a liquid containing vitamin C. The real bank notes emerge from the cleaning process, and the victim is convinced to part with more money in order to procure the amount of chemicals the scammer claims are needed to clean the rest of the money.
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| The scammers will make it look real, but it isn't |
The scammers may just disappear at this point or they may deliver the chemicals promised, but of course, there is no way to turn the construction paper into bank notes, so various excuses such as that the chemicals have expired are made.
When the scammers disappear, or the victim simply tires of the excuses made, there are plenty of other 'companies' out there willing to take any more money the victim wishes to spend on cleaning their black money.
This is where fake sites, purporting to be legitimate companies, fit in. Not only do they scam people already victimised, they add an air of legitimacy to each other through the amount of sites all promising that yes, this problem exists, and they can provide the solution that is needed. For a fee, of course...
So called 'chemicals' used in this scam include:
Activation Powder
Castrox Oxide
HQ45
Ogl Magic
Solution 77B
SSD Solution
Tebi-manetic Powder
Universal Solution
Vectrol Paste
Zuta S4
Should you still be in any doubt about whether this is a scam or not, please also visit the following links:
http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Financial-crime/Fraud/419-fraud
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_money_scam
http://www.antifraudnews.com/
https://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34377
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