[little laker]

I just got this e-mail yesterday, and it sure appears to be another scam geared at photographers.

Good day,

I am sorry if you get this message as a surprise, i got your information from the internet when searching for Photographers and Videographers. I am John Porter and i work with Nollywood.This is Nollywood is a documentary film that captures the spirit of Nigeria's booming movie industry. Nollywood, Nigeria's booming film industry, is the world's third
largest producer of feature films. Unlike Hollywood and Bollywood, however, Nollywood movies are made on shoe-string budgets of time and money. An average production takes just 10 days and costs approximately $15,000. Yet in just 13 years, Nollywood has grown from nothing into a $250 million dollar-a-year industry that employs thousands of people. The Nollywood phenomenon was made possible by two main ingredients: Nigerian entrepreneurship and digital technology. In the late 1980's and early 1990's, Lagos and other African cities faced growing epidemics of crime and insecurity. Movie theaters closed as people became reluctant to be out on the streets after dark. Videos for home viewing imported from the West and India were only mildly popular. Nigerians saw an opportunity to fill the void with products of their own.Nollywood stars are native Nigerians. Nollywood settings are familiar. Nollywood plots depict situations that people understand and confront daily; romance, comedy, the occult, crooked cops, prostitution, and HIV/AIDS.

We are seeking Photographers and Videographers from the U.S, Europe and Canada to work for us. This is a contract work for a year and Nolywood is gurantee your safety here in Nigeria. Feeding, Accommodation and Movement will be taken care of by Nollywood team is assuring you that you wont regret working with us. 2008 is a year of another blessing for everyone and Nollywood is planning on using experienced and talented Photographers and Videographers outside Nigeria becuase most Photographers and Videographers are not exposed.

We need people who are well connected to their local scenes and who have a good idea of what is new & happening in urban (meaning city-dwelling, not necessarily hip-hop) culture. The contract will be signed if you are interested and an employment letter will be sent to you. The amount you'll be given for this contract is $207,000 USD.

The following informations are needed from you if you are interested in this job offer.

Legal Name:
Contact Address:
Phone # :
Country Based:
Work Experience :

Please also send your detailed resume so that we can look into it.
Waiting to hear from you
"Look out, Hollywood," one exuberant Nigerian producer exclaims. "Here we come!"

John Porter
Nollywood, Nigeria.
Recruiting Officer
johnporter13@excite.com
johnporter1970@yahoo.com

I Googled it up, and it's too new to be listed

Be careful with whatever offers you get like this. I'd hate to see it digging into anyones LBA funds

[stewart_photo]

Actually, this may not be a scam. Here is the official website, which could be used to verify the email message and the identity of John Porter as a recruiting officer for the project. The project seems to be related to the Global Media Research Center and the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University. There is another reference to it here at Southern Illinois University. In fact, there are many other references to "The Nollywood Project" elsewhere as well. Search for "Nollywood" using most any available internet search engine.

Having said that, I'm wary of John Porter's email addresses through web-based email servers which do little or nothing to verify the identity of the individuals applying for those addresses. However, since I also use a web-based email server, that may be absolutely nothing to that.

stewart

-

[little laker]

I would really like to think that it isn't a scam Stewart,
I also tried searching for John Porter, and couldn't find anything on him related to the Nollywood Project

I'd be a little less suspicious if his e-mail addresses weren't through Yahoo and Excite.

[lithos]

1) Just because it mentions a legitimate project doesn't mean it's actually affiliated with.

2) And that doesn't necessarily it's not a scam.

3) Who the hell sends spams random strangers for a supposed legitimate project?

4) Would it really be so hard to write with the correct English grammar and spelling, and indeed, remember how to correctly spell "Nollywood" - the very industry you're supposedly working for?

5) Excite and Yahoo! addresses. Yeah, right.

6) $207 grand US. For a years' work. For one person. In one contract. An amount that, according to the email itself, could fund thirteen movies.

7) It mentions "Nigerian entrepeneurship."

I'll bet the email you get after you fly involves sending your bank and credit card details over so they can send you money for the ticket...

[Mike Cash]

Actually, this may not be a scam. Here is the official website, which could be used to verify the email message and the identity of John Porter as a recruiting officer for the project. The project seems to be related to the Global Media Research Center and the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University.

The link seems to be the official website of a documentary about the Nigerian film industry, produced by or in conjunction with Boston University, not the official website of the Nigerian film industry itself.

And reading the "About the Film" page hardly inspires confidence in their ability to guarantee anyone's safety.

[lithos]

If you furriners can get your mitts on it, read Paul Carter's Don't Tell Mum I Work On The Oil Rigs...She Thinks I'm A Piano Player In A Whorehouse for some insight into working in Nigeria.

Also for some insights into chronic diptheria, Colombian rebels and Malay headhunters.

[Sefirato]

Well, if the word "Nigeria" didn't flag as a scam in your book, what is? ;-) I've seen so many Nigerian scam letters that it's sort of funny to see them evolve into this manner, such as trying to fake up photography stuff like this.

[Photo Tramp]

I'm not one to jump first without finding out more info. But this email rings of scam. It's sorry to say they will get what they want from some older person that thinks it's real. My mother of 85 still thinks she will win the clearing house sweeps of 10 mill. Just by buying all their magazines and believing all their mailings to her asking her how she wants the 10 mill. (I have since taken her credit cards and have had her mail delivered to me.) I'm not one to advocate one nation or one place being a police force for the Internet but I think we all need to do our part in cleaning out these type of people and their scams. Too many gullible people have lost small fortunes to these people and have lost everything to them. Hard work and saving is the only way to make and keep your life savings. If it sounds to good to be true then it is.

[JCSullivan]

Hey, what do you mean it's a scam!!!! I got my cheque in the mail yesterday - all 207M.

[Kaimarx]

Nigeria is a well known hotspot for scams such as these but the Nollywood thing does seem legit. That said, a scam using their website as "proof" is never out of the question. It would be of interest to actually get in touch with the people on the site directly and see if they are actually recruiting through one John Porter. BTW, for someone with an anglo-saxon name (im guessing either UK or US?) he has terrible english and phrasing outside of the blocks of text he lifted from the site...

[little laker]

Kaimarx, the first thing that I did when I saw the e-mail was write to Nollywood.

If or when they reply I'll post it here.

[benjikan]

It IS a scam!

If it's Nigeria, it's a scam. It's their main industry and they have schools for it. It was happening by mail in England twenty years ago.

Why was this reopened after over a year of being idle? Before Ben posted today it sat since December 2007

[Blue]

If it's Nigeria, it's a scam. It's their main industry and they have schools for it. It was happening by mail in England twenty years ago.

The could always take up piracy.