# How best to mess with Nigerian Scammer?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 7, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522 "2011-04-07T14:40:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522/1 "2011-04-07T14:40:25Z")

</div>

I’ve been corresponding with a Nigerian scammer for my own entertainment, I’ve asked him to send donkeys, cheques, gold and oil instead of an “online transfer” and well he’s persistent. He’s currently requesting that I set up a bank account in Malaysia. Obviously I won’t be doing this, or anything else. What is the best way to screw this guy?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522/2 "2011-04-07T14:46:10Z")

</div>

Do a thread search on the Doper **Mangetout**. He’s got a lot of good stories of screwing with the 419 scammers.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522/3 "2011-04-07T16:18:54Z")

</div>

Learn how it’s done [here](http://www.419eater.com/index.php).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522/4 "2011-04-07T16:33:35Z")

</div>

> [@Hypno-Toad](#):
>
> Do a thread search on the Doper **Mangetout**. He’s got a lot of good stories of screwing with the 419 scammers.

My tactics consist chiefly of talking nonsense at them. It seems to spin the conversation out nicely, but I’ve never really achieved the results that the folks at 419eater get (photos of the scammers humiliating themselves, etc)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-best-to-mess-with-nigerian-scammer/577522/5 "2011-04-07T18:05:34Z")

</div>

I call them pen pals.

I just see how outrageous I can turn the conversation. I also like to argue about the percentage they promise me, because they always argue back that it’s a fair amount…they’re arguing about their cut of fictitious money they know doesn’t exist!