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Fighting the Nigerian Money Scam
An anonymous reader writes "One of the most notorious spams, the Nigerian Money Scam, or 419, has reared its head again with the recent arrest of a California woman who embezzled $2.1 million from her law firm. However, anti-spammer Brad Christensen has apparently been having some success scamming the scammers. This exhibit contains some of his more successful exchanges. It seems he even managed to get some of the Nigerians to fly around the world to meet him. All in all, Bravo!"
Anybody who falls for these scams deserves what they get, not only due to the nature of the scam but the amount of publicity it has received also. Naturally the scammers also need to get burnt, Sociotey has laws for a reason, use them!
I've said it before, I'll say it again:
Stupid people are everywhere. You would think (and that's your problem) that a perosn in a law firm would be smart enough to figure this out, or atleast get a lawyer to check it out before hand.
SHEESH
Sent from your iPad.
the whole idea of prison is to keep individuals from physically harming others
You must have missed that whole "War on Drugs" thing that's been happening the last several decades.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Anyhoo, I guess it isn't just daftness that bring people into this kind of scam. Some get so focused on the prize, they never connect with their reason... In the linked story, a German buisnessman also attended meetings with the nigerian scammers, but realzied what was going on and left the meeting. The Norwegians weren't actually fooled for a lot of money, but rather used in a check fraud. This guy acutally had some 10 million dollars, because he cashed the false chack from the nigerians. Unfortunlately, he transfered most of the money to an account abroad and the he and the nigerians were caught.
So, don't let the greed rule ya!
However, I'm finding it hard to work out what the scam is.
Think about it logically... These 419 folks have stolen thousands of bucks illegally from people all over the world. They can't very well report that incometo thier own governemnt without having to pay away most of it in taxes and kickbacks, so if they happen to be *robbed* of the money, who will they call for help? I'll bet you the next wave of thieves will be those who prey on the fat scammers and suck them dry. It's a lot easier to sneak into your neighbor's house and loot thier safe than to spend months stringing along foreigners with no guarantee of reward.
"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
As great as it might sound to make a bunch of spammers fly around the world, a reminder is in order.
These are crooks. They break laws. They're not nice people. They might be desperate. If they get mad, they might kill you.
OK, maybe you think you can conceal your identity. Maybe you think your black belt or that Beretta you carry under your suit jacket will pull you through in a pinch. Are you willing to bet your life on it?
If this gives you even the least ammount of doubt, just leave it up to the pros--FBI, etc.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
That certainly sounds like a scam to me. I don't know anyone who would consider that an "accepted American business practice".
"If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for everyone else."
I don't get it. They trick the guy into buying a computer, or maybe 2 computers, at some store. Do they get something out of having the UPC codes? Maybe I'm just smoking crack but it seems pointless.
In 1991, I received a letter from a Nigerian gentleman making me an offer too good to be true. I showed it to my friends, we laughed about it, all the while wondering whether there was anyone alive actually stupid enough to fall for such an obvious con.
Apparently, there are more stupid people than even my cynical self would have believed.
The question is: why? The alarm bells should have been ringing so loudly inside the head of this stupid embezzling bitch that it was deafening.
I get stuff forwarded from well-meaning friends all of the time about Proctor & Gamble's connection to Satanism, JATO rockets and 1967 Chevy Impalas, Neiman-Marcus cookie recipes - each story obvious bullshit, but they get forwarded anyway, and repeated by the gullible, endlessly, countlessly.
Why? Not all of the unwitting spreaders of these tall tales are stupid, but they do seem to lack any critical faculties.
Is this something that should be taught at school for those who don't just innately get it? CAN it be taught?
Neopets - the best free game on the Int
I've sent in 4 rebates in the last five years and have never gotten a dime. Sony, Adaptec and ATI all have had their way with me. Rebates are a scam
If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it. -- Calvin Coolidge