Nigerian 419 Scams

The real problem is ignorant users "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute" - Unknown.             (often incorrectly attributed to P. T. Barnum)

Nigerian 419 Scammers have been around since the 1970's. Back then, they would type up their letters and mail them out to mailing lists of corporate executives. I remember when I got my first Nigerian scam letter via international mail back in the early 90's when I was running my first corporation. It was pretty obvious to me that it was a fraud. I shared it with my father who told me that he'd been getting the same letter periodically for years, dating back to the mid 70's. If I had only known then what the 419 scam would have become, I would have framed that letter.

 

My point:

People have been falling for that same old scam for decades. Funny thing is that the 419 scammers are just as surprised as we are that people keep falling for it - therefore they see it as their responsibility, their duty, to defraud us "rich Americans". This pathetic scam still works. In fact, the only innovation the scam has seen since moving online was WHEN THEY STARTED WRITING THEIR MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS.

 

I happen to be a landlord. I had a tenant that was behind on her rent and her boyfriend pulled me aside and promised that he would be able to pay everything later that month. He stated that he had a rich uncle pass away and was expecting his inheritance.  I sarcastically quipped, "This rich uncle didn't happen to be from Nigeria..." whereupon his face went slack and replied with "how did you know!?".