Angry in the Great White North

On a recent post, I noticed an odd AdSense advertisement being served up:

Get Rich On The Internet.

Right. $300 million you say.

From my reading of the Google AdWords content policy, this advertisement is not intrinsically in contravention of Google policy. But when you scratch beneath the surface, you quickly find that this is a Nigerian scammer at work.

First, the domain www.adewalebolaji.com is real, and is a Wordpress blog. The specific page being linked in the ad promises to show you how to make $1 million each month on AdWords, without spending any money.

Except, presumably, for the book revealing the secret. I'm not certain, because at this point I have to provide a name and an email address.

As for Adewale Bolaji's blog, it has just over a dozen entries on such topics as careers in Nigeria working for Shell, or how to succeed on the Nigerian stock market, or suggesting a life in the Nigerian army.

Even the Nigerian army post is probably a scam. The website defines a list of requirements for entry, then requires you to buy a scratch card at the Spring Bank Plc. Use the PIN printed on the scratch card to complete your online application to join the army.

Scratch cards?

Anyway, the domain is registered in New York to Deborah Bolaji:

Registrant:
Deborah Bolaji
812 Rt 25A
Port Jefferson Station, New York 11776
US

Domain name: ADEWALEBOLAJI.COM

Administrative Contact:
Bolaji, Deborah a_bolaji3@yahoo.com
812 Rt 25A
Port Jefferson Station, New York 11776
US
+1.6313318280 Fax: +1.6313318280

Port Jefferson Station is a hamlet in New York State (on Long Island), all of three square miles in size, home to just under 8000 souls. Deborah Bolaji, whose Yahoo email address still uses the first initial A, apparently lives there. The phone number is not in service.

But does she really live there?

When I checked her name, I came on to the site of the Financial Freedom Team. Deborah is pictured there.

The domain of the Financial Freedom Team (www.financialfreedomteaminternational.com) is registered to a_bolaji as well:

Domain Name: FINANCIALFREEDOMTEAMINTERNATIONAL.COM

Registrant:
Financial Freedom Team
FFTI (a_bolaji@yahoo.com)
415, Walnut Drive,
Murphy .
Texas,75094
US
Tel. +1.2111979

But now she's in Murphy, Texas. Murphy is a small city, just over five square miles in size, home to just over 3000 people.

I checked the address -- it is a residential home, current occupant Abraham Salami. The phone number with a Murphy, Texas area code 972 in front is not in service, and so is probably fake. Though I have no reason to think Mr Salami is part of this, it is interesting to note that Nigerian scam letters have been emailed in the name of "Salami", or a person named Salami has played in a part in the scam story, as a lawyer or an accountant or such.

Fascinating.

I also noticed the the Financial Freedom International website provided a different domain for email requests, f-f-t-i.com. Checking that, we find Anthony Bolaji working in Massachusetts:

Domain Name: F-F-T-I.COM

Registrant:
Home Biz
Anthony (a_bolaji3@yahoo.com)
1000 Gov's drive
winthrop
Massachusetts,02152
US
Tel. +001.6178451990

Withrop is another hamlet, eight square miles in size, with a population of 18,000.

The street name is either misspelled or fake. The phone number comes up as disconnected or not in service.

Continuing to search along these links, I found this British connection. A complaint filed against the West Bromwich Bank Online, claiming that is was a fake bank engaged in fraudulent activities. The complaint alleged that the bank was not located in the United Kingdom as claimed on the now defunct website. In fact, the complaint pointed out that the domain was registered in the United States. In Port Jefferson Station, of all places, at exactly the same address as Deborah Bolaji's, aka Adwale Bolaji's, Wordpress blog:

The WHOIS registration says:
Organisation Name.... Sunday Arinka
Organisation Address. 812 Rt 25A
Organisation Address.
Organisation Address. Port Jefferson Station
Organisation Address. 11776
Organisation Address. NY
Organisation Address. UNITED STATES

Now who is Sunday Arinka? Apparently an "Information Technology" businessperson in Nigeria.

That was fun!

I have forwarded this information to Google, since clearly this operation is linked to a Nigerian fraud operation. I hate these spammers.

P.S. Is your marriage faltering? Adewale Bojali can help with marital problems too!