Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nigerian Scammers Claim Another Victim

Posted by michael on from the merry-christmas dept.

A Florida newspaper ran a story yesterday about a local retiree who fell hard for a 419 scam. The story goes into depth on the methods used to play on the target's beliefs and gain his confidence - in this case, the target (who lost $320,000) is still having a hard time accepting that they were thieves. Truly remarkable.

20 of 600 comments (clear)

  1. It's not a scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a voluntary tax on stupidity.

    1. Re:It's not a scam by stonecypher · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, and the next time the police come to you and say "this is a scam, don't trust these people you've never seen from the other side of the planet", and you proceed to pump in a third of a million dollars, taking out sixteen credit cards, selling two cars and double mortgaging your home, we'll be laughing at you, too.

      Similarly, do not attempt to generate electricity by holding up a lightning rod in a storm, and do not attempt to seem commercially productive by suing for decade-past code publicly authored by someone else.

      --
      StoneCypher is Full of BS
    2. Re:It's not a scam by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 3, Funny

      And I woudln't even say it's always deterioration which causes an inability to see through this kind of thing. In my experience at least, a lot of older people get stuck in the worldview of whatever decade they were in at around their twenties or thirties. Even if they wind up with a computer in their homes, it dosn't become the same thing in their minds as it does to us. It's just a strange magic box which might as well be powered by dragon horns for all they understand of it. If their magic box says a nigerian wants to give them millions of dollors, it's no more stange than the fact that they're able to get letters through their phone line in the first place.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    3. Re:It's not a scam by jejones · · Score: 2, Funny

      I used to think that as a rational utilitarian hedonist it made sense to buy a lottery ticket when the expected value became positive...but then I realized I was overlooking opportunity costs.

    4. Re:It's not a scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      well turn that 20 into "100" and thats how much i spend on cigarettes every month. with a gurantee of changing your life. but it also gives some level of 'entertainment' and distraction factor (work smoke break++)

      yet i still complain at people buying lottery tickets for throwing their money away

  2. 419 Scam Infomercials? by DaRat · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, at what point will it become more profitable to run How to Run a 419 Scam seminars than it will be to actually run a 419 scam? Okay judging by the fact that people still get taken in, quite a while, but I can see the infomercials now...

  3. For the love of... by fluxrad · · Score: 5, Funny

    "His trip to financial ruin began Feb. 2, 2002."

    Mr. Sessions, meet P.T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum, please smack Mr. Sessions as hard as you can upside the head.

    --
    "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
  4. A new T-shirt by attackiko · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I sent the scammers $320,000 and all I got was this lousy carved wooden elephant and antelope"

  5. I don't think he is a scammer by andy666 · · Score: 5, Funny

    i helped him out and i made a bundle! with the money, i bought a great house with a fantastic mortgage. then i married a beautiful russian bride, and i pleasure her with my surgically enlarged, viagra driven member. During sex, I take photos and print up hundreds of copies, but hey no problem - I have an excellent source of toner....

  6. Re:Common sense by pe1rxq · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well... Some do succeed in voting :)

    Jeroen

    --
    Secure messaging: http://quickmsg.vreeken.net/
  7. On the other hand... by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you read a news story about people too dumb to be real...it's probably true!

    --
    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
  8. who uses who by PinkyGigglebrain · · Score: 5, Funny

    from the article

    Mr.Sessions said "I think the Lord uses people to do his work,"

    he forgot the devil does as well.

  9. i got an e-mail... by bbdd · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...from some other scammers demanding $699.

    the pitch was pretty much the same.

    "Today, everyone with an in-box has seen the pitch: A West African lawyer, banker or dignitary wants to get a huge stash of money out of the country. If the victim helps, he'll be cut in."

  10. What would be amusing by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is if this actually was true, and there was a rich, confused, Nigerian out there wondering why 100,000,000 English speakers so far have refused his request to make them rich. It's just begging to be made into a wacky sitcom.

    --
    Everything will be taken away from you.
  11. I fell for a scam too. by Chainsaw+Messiah · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can sympathize with this guy. I fell for a scam too that promised to let me retire in comfort. I don't know how they got my name either. I'm still paying for it today and I'm sure the rest of my life. I'm having 7.5% deducted from every paycheck because of it. Just watch out for these scammers, this group calls themselves "Social Security". I don't know if they're from Nigeria or not though.

  12. Re:Sounds like Scientology.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    True. After all, if he comes to his senses and admits publicly that he was scammed, the Nigerians won't start stalking, harrassing, and suing him to shut him up.

  13. You can always have fun with them. by karmaflux · · Score: 2, Funny

    One of my friends is currently screwing around with these morons.
    Heheheh.

    --

    REM Old programmers don't die. They just GOSUB without RETURN.

  14. Re:[OT] Re:It's not a scam by aastanna · · Score: 5, Funny

    So who's the bigger geek, you for using 2^32 as an example of a really big number, or me for knowing that 4294967296 = 2^32?

    sigh

  15. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I am Mr. Darl McBride, the CEO of SCO corporation.

    I am in charge of this firm which is fast sinking due to the fact no one will pay my Linux toll. The litigation sector has a peculiar nature in my country as it concerns financial transactions; anything is possible for you to stay afloat with the enormous compensation therein to the right scummy lawyers.

    Unfortunatly, my own lawyers have failed me and so I need to get what little money the company has left out of the corporate accounts before the company tanks and the shareholders try to take what is left. I have $37 million I was recently given by Microsoft who is trying to prop up my attempt to destroy linux. I fear they will want it back if things fail and I feel it is time to get out before the end.

    Taking into cognizance the foregoing, I am in a position to make all necessary arrangement to portray you as my "lawyer" so that I can pretend to have payed all the money to a real lawyer should Microsoft or the sharewolders come looking for it. I only ask that you help me set up an account to funnel the money into. I will let you keep half of this $37 million for yourself. That will leave us both with more than enough money to flee to Brazil and live it up for the rest of our lives should the true nature of this scheme come to light.

    Call me so that we can discuss further at 1-800-726-8649.

    Thank you!

    Darl McBride

  16. Face of Stupidity! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the Face of Stupidity!

    "I consider them my friends," he says. "They're not criminals."