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"How Can I Check Out a Business Proposal?"
If you are in the U.S., contact the Nigeria Desk Officer at International
Trade Administration, Room 3317, Department of Commerce, Washington,
DC 20230. (Tel: 1-800-USA-TRADE or 202-482-5149, fax: 202-482-5198).
If you are in Nigeria or elsewhere abroad, contact the Commercial
Section (FCS) at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, 9 Mambilla, Maitama
District, Abuja, Nigeria (Tel: 234-9-523-0916) or Consulate General
in Lagos, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos,
Nigeria (Tel: 234-1-261-0050). The
Consulate General's e-mail address is lagoscons@lagossf.us
state.gov.
"What If I Think I am Already Involved
in a Scam?"
If you are in the U.S., contact the Nigeria Desk Officer at the
Department of Commerce (see address above). You may also wish
to contact the local police, as well, if threats have been made
against you.
If you are in Nigeria, contact the Consular Section
of the U.S. Embassy (see address above). Marine Guards are present
at the Embassy 24 hours per day and can alert a duty officer if
you telephone or visit outside of normal working hours.
"What Can the U.S. Embassy Do?"
The U.S. Embassy will try to help you leave Nigeria unharmed,
perhaps including regularization of immigration status, replacement
of your passport, communication with relatives in the U.S., and,
if necessary, provision of an emergency repatriation loan.
To date, however, the U.S. Embassy has never been able
to recover a scam victim's money.
General Travel Information
Before you leave, check for current information on Nigeria by
calling the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs'
Office of Overseas Citizens Service's travel information line
(see information below). Upon arrival in Nigeria, check in with
the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate
General in Lagos.
The State Department issues Consular Information Sheets , Public
Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets
are issued for every country in the world. They include such information
as the location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject
country, health conditions, political disturbances, unusual currency
and entry regulations, and crime and security information. Travel
Warnings are issued when the State Department decides, based on
all relevant information, to recommend that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means
to disseminate information quickly about trans-national and/or
relatively short-term conditions which would pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers.
How to Obtain Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings
and Public Announcements
Consular
Information Sheets, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements
are available at the regional U.S. passport agencies; from U.S.
embassies and consulates abroad; or by sending a self-addressed,
stamped business-size envelope to: Overseas Citizens Services,
Room 4811, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-4818. On
the outside envelope, write the name of the country or countries
needed in the lower left corner.
There are three electronic methods to access Consular Information
Sheets, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements 24-hours a day:
By Telephone: dial 202-647-5225 from a touch-tone phone
and follow the voice prompts.
By Internet: http:// travel.state.gov.
By Fax: From your fax machine, dial 202-647-3000 and follow
the voice prompts.
Top Ten Tips for Travelers
1. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if
required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information
page of your passport!
2. Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements
or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan
to visit.
3. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas
with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in
case of an emergency.
4. Make sure you have insurance which will cover your emergency
medical needs while you are overseas.
5. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries
to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a foreign country,
you are subject to its laws!
6. Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never
accept packages from strangers.
7. While abroad, avoid using illicit drugs or drinking excessive
amounts of alcoholic beverages, and associating with people who
do.
8. Do not become a target for thieves by wearing conspicuous
clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts
of cash or unnecessary credit cards.
9. Deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money or
purchase art or antiques in order to avoid violating local laws.
10. When overseas, avoid demonstrations and other situations
that may become unruly or where anti-American sentiments may be
expressed.
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