Meet the Nigerian Spammer/Scammers

We have all received these and generally trash them but after receiving my tearful email from the ex-wife of the former Nigerian President pleading for my help to help get her $US42,000,000 away from the clutches of the current evil administration ... tempting :) I did a little digging and found an interesting article purporting to speak with one of the Nigerian spammer/scammers, albeit an ex one,

To quote sections ...

....."sources close to some of the so-called Nigerian e-mail scam's perpetrators insist that those overwrought messages fuel a thriving industry, employing thousands of people around the world who successfully manage to extract money from a multitude of Internet pen pals."

..."According to the FBI's 2001 Internet Fraud Report (PDF), about 2,600 people in the United States reported problems last year with the 419 scam, and of that number, 16 claimed financial losses totaling $345,000." ....

..."According to State Department figures (PDF), 25 murders or disappearances of Americans abroad have been directly linked to 419 fraud." ....

serious business indeed.
Full article here for those who wish to read it.

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,53818,00.html

Check out ScamBusters (www.scambusters.com) where this scam, and many others, are profiled and the truth is generally uncovered.

...aberration...

I have received lots of these scams what I did is report the addresses to the scambusters and the internet fraud website, now I just hit delete when they show up.

lostit44

I have always found the delete button too, but in a moment of boredom I followed this one up and the figures in the article were alarming - if to be believed.

Guess I exposed my gullibility for believing there wouldn't be people gullible enough to fall for this sort of thing. :)

Ah, what people will do for a chance to make a quick buck. Dear old dad's advice rings true... "Son, there are only 3 ways to make money in this world...earn it, inherit it, or steal it." Answer a Nigerian email and see how long it takes you to figure out which method they use. ;)

i just wish they could just ban spam all together...looks like thats not going to happen anytime soon

ehmm,
hey Phat_Penguin
Am a Nigerian!!

Bingo!!

Mallam,

and I lay odds on you NOT being a spammer/scammer ... this was not having a shot at any nationality, just calling as it is seen (in my email inbox) and reported on the net ....

Bingo back at ya :)