Increase In Internet Scams Entraps Naïve Baghdad Locals !

[DinarThug]

CNN. Broadcasting While Emailing With A Prince In Nigeria !

 

 

Increase in Internet Scams Entraps Naïve Baghdad Locals

January 15, 2018 in Security

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

By Ibrahim Saleh.

An Increase In Internet Scams Entraps Naïve Baghdad Locals

Over the past few months there has been an increase in stories about money-making scams on Facebook. Ill-informed Iraqis with get-rich-quick dreams are still falling for fraudsters’ lies.

Tariq al-Halaq works at a barbershop in the central Baghdad neighbourhood of Mansour and he likes to talk to customers about his plans to get rich. The 37-year-old wants to make money and then leave the country to live a quiet life elsewhere. “It will only take a little time,” al-Halaq says.

Ask him why and he says he has stumbled upon an ingenious new scheme to make money on Facebook.

These online scams have always been around, says one Baghdad local, but recently they have been becoming more professional, targeted and therefore more widespread.

On a post in a closed Facebook group, meant mainly for the sale of second-hand cars, al-Halaq read about a man called Ahmad al-Yasri.

“Buy a parcel for IQD6 million or a bank note for IQD60,000,” al-Yasri writes on Facebook. A parcel is a bundle of American bank notes amounting to US$10,000 and a bank note refers to a US$100 note. But the amount that the man is selling the currency for does not equate to current exchange rates. Six million Iraqi dinars only add up to around US$5,000. And six thousand Iraqi dinars only equal around US$50.

There is even a video accompanying the post which shows a surfeit of bank notes. Al-Yasri says he is trapped in another country with all the cash and cannot move it, which is why he is trading it for half of its value.

To a European audience, it may seem obvious that this is a scam. But many Iraqis are apparently falling for it anyway.

Some of the potential buyers – people like al-Halaq – believe the money that is on offer is probably stolen, with the serial numbers noted by international criminal agencies.

But they don’t care. They still hope it could be a get-rich-quick scheme for them. In Iraq, it would be easy to launder the money, spending it on a car or even taking it to unofficial currency exchange shops that line most Iraqi city streets. The lack of enforcement of regulations for small amounts of money like this mean the average person on the street could probably get away with this, undetected.

Other Iraqis familiar with the Facebook advertisements say the whole thing is a swindle. The fraudsters convince unwitting victims to transfer the money for the exchange but then never send the foreign cash. Some Iraqis have apparently even travelled to Jordan or Lebanon to try and pick up the cash in person but they too have returned with nothing for their troubles.

These online scams have always been around, says one Baghdad local, but recently they have been becoming more professional, targeted and therefore more widespread. Over the past two months, it’s become clear that this could be a major new criminal problem for Iraqi authorities.  “A lot of Iraqis are naive about these things,” says the Baghdad man.

“Ignorance of the law is one reason that people become victims of these fraudsters,” says Khaled Aboud Badai, who heads the department tasked with fighting organised crime in Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior. “In some cases, from a strictly legal point of view, the victims may even be considered as having taken part in the crime. People need to be careful.”

The fraudsters are using Iraqi law against their victims. If those locals who are duped could be prosecuted, they are far less likely to try and seek legal redress.

The authorities are trying hard to track down those individuals who post such messages on Facebook, Badai told NIQASH.

“We keep tracking Facebook users back, until we reach the original source,” Badai says. “We have also hacked some of the pages to stop criminal behaviours.”

link

Edited January 16, 2018 by DinarThug

[DinarThug]

LINK

NATO: We will change the role of our forces in Iraq

 

16th January, 2018

NATO announced on Tuesday that the role of NATO forces in Iraq and Syria will change in the coming period, after the defeat of a pro-government in these countries.

"The military campaign in Iraq and Syria is not over yet, but it will move on to a new stage," said Peter Pavel, head of NATO's military commission, ahead of a closed session with NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

The US-led coalition against Daqash announced at the end of last December that the number of the organization's fighters in Syria and Iraq had become less than 1,000, after most of its elements had been eliminated and about 98 percent of the land seized in the past years had been restored.

It is noteworthy that Iraq announced on the ninth of December last victory over the organization of Daqash, who had taken control in 2014 on about one third of the territory of Iraq.

The Iraqi army chief of staff Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanmi told "Radio Sawa" earlier that Iraq has signed an agreement with NATO to support the border forces and equipped with weapons and sophisticated equipment that contribute to prevent the infiltration of militants into Iraqi territory

Edited January 16, 2018 by DinarThug

[DinarThug]

Special to change: Brett McGurk arrived with a large delegation to Baghdad to meet with Abbadi later in the evening

 

Special to change: Brett McGurk arrived with a large delegation to Baghdad to meet with Abbadi later in the evening
link
 

MacGork and his delegation will meet parliament speaker Salim al-Jubouri and other officials tomorrow

 

MacGork and his delegation will meet parliament speaker Salim al-Jubouri and other officials tomorrow

link

 

[DinarThug]

In this way, the crises in Iraq can be ended

 

 

 

 

2018/1/16 02:56:32 PM 
The military defeat against the organization and the ramifications of the Kurdish referendum, and the upcoming parliamentary elections, which represents a decisive moment in the history of contemporary Iraq.But there is a chance to re-route Iraq and push the country towards prosperity and stability. Failure to seize the opportunity will condemn Iraq to deepening instability, and may lead Iraq to total collapse.

As such, the country is in dire need of an internal dialogue to address the structural flaws underlying the essence of the post-2003 political system. Iraqis are disillusioned by years of conflict and government failure to deliver services. Corruption charges distort the political class across Iraq.

Corruption and misuse of public funds undermine the ability of the Iraqi state to survive and perpetuate the cycle of conflict and terrorism. It is necessary to dry this swamp from corruption. The prime minister's initiative to fight corruption is important, but there are no real steps yet.

However, an end to the crises plaguing Iraq also requires rebuilding the current political system and restoring confidence in the citizens. The new political system must be based on the idea of a civil state and the promotion of its values.

The ambiguity in some provisions of the Constitution, and its misapplication requires revision, but through verses agreed upon by the people. Kurds who say they have the right to self-determination should return to Baghdad if their point of view is correct and not work with Ankara, Tehran or Washington.

This is achieved through understanding with partners in Iraq and not through conflict or political dependence on regional and foreign powers. It also requires, as a matter of priority, political reform and an end to corruption, nepotism and mismanagement, all of which remain strong threats.

The conflict between Baghdad and Kurdish political leaders should not ignore the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people. The state has to protect it and pay the salaries of its employees. Moreover, the political crisis in Iraq can not be completed without addressing the plight of the Sunnis who were the victims of an oppressive organization. Therefore, they must be helped to uproot the Takfiri ideology from the regions and ensure the return of the displaced to their homes.

A solution to Iraq's need can be found in light of economic progress. The unity of the country and its security can not be achieved by force, but by the decisive reliance on strengthening infrastructure links. This can be achieved through the establishment of an investment fund that gives priority to the interests of the Iraqis, where citizens are granted the right to buy shares through subscription and the state allocates certain percentages of oil imports.

Iraqi and foreign private sector companies can participate in the fund, as well as international financial and donor institutions and sovereign wealth funds to launch infrastructure projects of financial interest similar to the interests of the port of Basra.

These include highways, railways, airports, industrial cities, dams and irrigation projects in the Nineveh Plain. Similar experiences can be seen in Thailand, Vietnam and India, which have attracted investment from sovereign wealth funds in Japan, China and the Gulf.

In addition to domestic economic growth, the investment fund can also contribute to economic prosperity.Iraq is an important strategic center that joins the Arab world with Iran and Turkey and links the Gulf economies to Europe.

Through oil and gas production, the country plays a major role in the energy export system. The investment fund could fund the infrastructure projects linking the countries of the region until Iraq becomes the heart of the new road.

Moreover, the investment fund should be independent of the government under a private professional organization and approved under a special law. Parliament should approve the administrative members.

link

[King Bean]

38 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

Increase in Internet Scams Entraps Naïve Baghdad Locals

 

Well then, maybe time to unload my mansion on the Riviera. Complete with running water. Craigslist/Baghdad is calling my name. LOL.  

[DoD]

46 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

LINK

NATO: We will change the role of our forces in Iraq

 

16th January, 2018 

The Iraqi army chief of staff Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanmi told "Radio Sawa" earlier that Iraq has signed an agreement with NATO to support system" rel="">support the border forces and equipped with weapons and sophisticated equipment that contribute to prevent the infiltration of militants into Iraqi territory

 

If the USA is part of NATO then why can't Trump sign an agreement to  support system" rel="">support the border forces and equipped with weapons and sophisticated equipment that contribute to prevent the infiltration of militants into the USA????????

[Synopsis]

1 hour ago, DinarThug said:

But there is a chance to re-route Iraq and push the country towards prosperity and stability. Failure to seize the opportunity will condemn Iraq to deepening instability, and may lead Iraq to total collapse.

 

Thank You, DinarThug, for tirelessly posting this AND ALL the other great articles!!! The Best Of Your Week To You!!! 

 

All I have to say to the quoted statement is "BINGO!!!"!!!

 

Time is of the essence, in my opinion. The reconstruction and economic development, in my opinion, needs to be at a sufficient level that Iraqis feel the current GOI arrangement benefits them and their well being.

 

Maybe Sadr will rattle some swords here to get everyone off their keesters to get the reconstruction and economic development underway in Iraq like PRONTO!!!

 

Go Moola Nova!

[Jmcc]

4 hours ago, King Bean said:

 

Well then, maybe time to unload my mansion on the Riviera. Complete with running water. Craigslist/Baghdad is calling my name. LOL.  

Fixer upper complete with a garden

[nannab]

8 hours ago, DinarThug said:

In this way, the crises in Iraq can be ended

 

 

 

 

2018/1/16 02:56:32 PM 
The military defeat against the organization and the ramifications of the Kurdish referendum, and the upcoming parliamentary elections, which represents a decisive moment in the history of contemporary Iraq.But there is a chance to re-route Iraq and push the country towards prosperity and stability. Failure to seize the opportunity will condemn Iraq to deepening instability, and may lead Iraq to total collapse.

As such, the country is in dire need of an internal dialogue to address the structural flaws underlying the essence of the post-2003 political system. Iraqis are disillusioned by years of conflict and government failure to deliver services. Corruption charges distort the political class across Iraq.

Corruption and misuse of public funds undermine the ability of the Iraqi state to survive and perpetuate the cycle of conflict and terrorism. It is necessary to dry this swamp from corruption. The prime minister's initiative to fight corruption is important, but there are no real steps yet.

However, an end to the crises plaguing Iraq also requires rebuilding the current political system and restoring confidence in the citizens. The new political system must be based on the idea of a civil state and the promotion of its values.

The ambiguity in some provisions of the Constitution, and its misapplication requires revision, but through verses agreed upon by the people. Kurds who say they have the right to self-determination should return to Baghdad if their point of view is correct and not work with Ankara, Tehran or Washington.

This is achieved through understanding with partners in Iraq and not through conflict or political dependence on regional and foreign powers. It also requires, as a matter of priority, political reform and an end to corruption, nepotism and mismanagement, all of which remain strong threats.

The conflict between Baghdad and Kurdish political leaders should not ignore the constitutional rights of the Kurdish people. The state has to protect it and pay the salaries of its employees. Moreover, the political crisis in Iraq can not be completed without addressing the plight of the Sunnis who were the victims of an oppressive organization. Therefore, they must be helped to uproot the Takfiri ideology from the regions and ensure the return of the displaced to their homes.

A solution to Iraq's need can be found in light of economic progress. The unity of the country and its security can not be achieved by force, but by the decisive reliance on strengthening infrastructure links. This can be achieved through the establishment of an investment fund that gives priority to the interests of the Iraqis, where citizens are granted the right to buy shares through subscription and the state allocates certain percentages of oil imports.

Iraqi and foreign private sector companies can participate in the fund, as well as international financial and donor institutions and sovereign wealth funds to launch infrastructure projects of financial interest similar to the interests of the port of Basra.

These include highways, railways, airports, industrial cities, dams and irrigation projects in the Nineveh Plain. Similar experiences can be seen in Thailand, Vietnam and India, which have attracted investment from sovereign wealth funds in Japan, China and the Gulf.

In addition to domestic economic growth, the investment fund can also contribute to economic prosperity.Iraq is an important strategic center that joins the Arab world with Iran and Turkey and links the Gulf economies to Europe.

Through oil and gas production, the country plays a major role in the energy export system. The investment fund could fund the infrastructure projects linking the countries of the region until Iraq becomes the heart of the new road.

Moreover, the investment fund should be independent of the government under a private professional organization and approved under a special law. Parliament should approve the administrative members.

link

 

Thank you Mr. Thug