Taiwan Internet merchants warned against Nigerian scams

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) warned Internet merchants Thursday against the increasing number of Nigerian scams.

There were four cases of Nigerian fraud filed with the ministry in April alone, and 11 in the past year, most of which involved false Internet purchase orders from Nigeria, said Chen Shih -liang, director-general of MOFA's Department of African Affairs, in a press briefing.

The ministry was able to cooperate with the Nigerian postal services and recovered most of the products shipped to the African country, he added.

There are many forms of Nigerian frauds, most of which originated in the early 1990's and have come to be known as "419" scams, a reference to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud.

The most common form of the scam is the email scam, in which recipients are asked to provide their personal information and bank account numbers for an opportunity to share a percentage of millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Federal Investigation Bureau.

In Taiwan, Chen said, the fraudsters often take advantage of Taiwan's highly developed information technology environment and make false orders on auction websites. They also make false trades, impersonate government officials or princes and gain illegal benefits from false marriages, he said.

Chen advised Taiwanese businesses and Internet merchants to carefully verify the authenticity of documents before shipping any products. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J

African, Taiwan students to play friendly soccer games

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Students from six African countries will meet Taiwanese counterparts in friendly soccer games in Taipei on May 15 to highlight the May 25 "Africa Day" and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The friendly meet is one of a series of events the ministry is organizing to celebrate "Africa Week, " which has added importance this year because it is the 50th anniversary of independence for many African countries, said Chen Shih-liang, director of MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

Scheduled for May 15 at National Taiwan University, the friendlies will open with a match between MOFA officials and a team consisting of officials from various African embassies and representative offices in Taiwan. Later teams of students from Burkina Faso, Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe -- Taiwan's four diplomatic allies in Africa -- and a mixed team of South African and Nigerian students will play local university teams, Chen said.

South Africa has offered a 90-day "event visa" for those holding tickets to the 2010 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, so fans traveling there will be able to enjoy expedited customs clearance service, Chen said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc