…and not by Dick Dastardly…
Some boring tech talk, but overall, a great story!
Mangetout, are you listening? Fodder for your next scam-baiting.
Am I the only one who imagined Jack Webb reading the link?
Robin
[Dragnet]
DUNNNN da dun dun!
[/Dragnet]
…try this story…
funniest thing I have read in ages… 
http://www.419eater.com/html/stev_ebe.htm
…and he made a profit too!!!
You know folks, I hate the 419 scams too. Actually I do not hate them, when I recieved my first e-mail allegedly from Nigeria, offering me millions, I ran up and down the office laughing and showing the print-out to everybody. I thought it was a riot.
I did enjoy the OP about tracking and busting a scammer from what I assume is Ireland. I applaud the efforts of the person who tracked the scammer down. I also thank the OP for bringing it to our attention.
I also read the tale link by Banquet Bear with glee. I enjoyed the tale of scamming a scammer.
But here is where my bleeding heart shows up. While I realize that Steve Ebe is an attempted crook and a fraud, when I read this line of his pathetic last e-mail **The main situation here is the country economic and sufdering from the massesed ** It made me consider that under the severe poverty and chaos in many African countries, maybe the 419 scammers who are in Africa, as opposed to Europe or US should be looked on with compassion and pity. Like a thief who tries to steal a loaf of bread from a rich merchant to feed his child who is dying of starvation. It is still illegal but is it so wrong?
I begin to think that those who fall victim to such ludicrous scams are more worthy of our contempt. While Steve Ebe is arguably perpetuating this fraud in order to survive a horrible and miserable situation, those who actually get scammed are acting on greed and incredible stupidity. It seems to me that while Steve Ebe is pathetic (Worthy of sympathy) the victims are just stupid greedy idiots.
To be perfectly clear, I feel that the scammers from outside Africa or any impoverished and chaotic land are fundamentally different than those actually trying to survive in the midst of war, oppression, chaos, oppression, economic desparity and strife. I cannot really say why, and I admit that I may be completely wrong. These are just my thoughts on reading the linked articles.
Well this may sound a little silly but even in a chaotic country there should be legitimate ways for talented people (I assume at least some of the scammers are tech savvy and competent) to either make a living or leave the region. Heck if I wanted to be a total rosy eyed optimist I’d say they had a responsibility to apply their talent to helping rebuild some of their economy.
Plus if they have access to computers and understand the banking system they obviously aren’t your average native caught in a meat grinder beyond their control. In a way that would make them even worse then your average scammer. I doubt these people are distributing the money from their scams to the poor.
I do agree there’s plenty of contempt to go around to the people being scammed. They often show a remarkable amount of greed and lack of common sense.
Tee Hee.
I understand what you’re saying. But my sympathy ends when the scammers ask a mark to visit their country, and murder hir on arrival.
I Love it, just love it!