They caught the Nigerian spammer !

[detop]

Here I was, reading what was new on the Skeptical dictionary, when I encountered this article.

Although the Secret Service did the investigation, It was a Danish man who tipped them off.

A break in the case came in mid-2001, when a Danish man, who had been targeted for the scam, notified the Secret Service that a bogus Web site for Afribankcorp.com was registered in Sacramento.

And yes, there was a Nigerian connection.

The indictment alleged that Adams, who was born in Nigeria, had worked with co-conspirators in South Africa, Nigeria and Toronto, and that a portion of the proceeds was routed back to him.

One thing though, the dateline on the article is September 24th and it says that he was arrested in June and inducted in July. Why the delay ?

[OpalCat]

I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just one person. I bet the scam has several origins (all based off the same person’s initial idea, no doubt)

[detop]

Of course, you’re right, since the article mentions co-conspirators. However, they are probably now wanted by their various governments, for questioning at the very least.

[Dinsdale]

I got 2 Nigerian scam e-mails this month. So apparently the entire operation hasn’t been shut down.

[jjimm]

I got 5 this week. There are loads of them.

Back in '93 I used to get them by fax.

[Ringo]

At one point the 419 Coalition website was reporting that fully 25% of the telephone numbers in Nigeria had been associated with the scam.

I’ve received hundreds of the scam letters in the last decade and it’s obvious that what I’ve seen is the work of many different people.

[Mojo]

Just in case you’re thinking that no one is stupid enought to fall for it…

[TheLoadedDog]

*Originally posted by jjimm *
**Back in '93 I used to get them by fax. **

In the mid-90s in Australia, they were sending them by mail. The Nigerian stamps were counterfeit. I think they stopped bothering when Australia Post destroyed 4.5 tonnes of the individually hand-addressed letters.

[reprise]

Every year our Department of Fair Trading sets up a hoax of some kind, the intention of which is to demonstrate to consumers the need to be wary of “too good to be true” offers.

What’s really scary is that even after the hoax has been publicly revealed and the individuals concerned have been contacted by the Department and advised of all the red flags which should have screamed “scam” to the consumer, some of those consumers STILL want to invest there money in a scheme they have been advised to be a scam by the very Department which created it.

[World_Eater]

*Originally posted by Mojo *
**Just in case you’re thinking that no one is stupid enought to fall for it… **

Incredible.

[Cicero]

You mean it isn’t true?

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

And it just keeps getting better

[Czarcasm]

They caught “the” Nigerian scammer? Great!
Now all they have to do is catch “the” crooked used car dealer and that guy that cheats at poker, and we can put a significant dent in the crime rate.

[InternetLegend]

But Mr. Ngoma sounded so NICE in his email! I’m sure he’s not trying to scam me.

I finally got one of these last month, and I was really thrilled. I feel like I’m part of a special club.

[Coldfire]

*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky *
**And it just keeps getting better **

That one takes the cake. This dude DESERVED to be ripped off. How lame!

[Troy_McClure_SF]

There was someone on the boards who was playing alon gwith the scammer, and forwarding everything to the FBI… sound familar? Whatever happened there?

[jovan]

Please pay a visit to http://www.scamorama.com for people playing with the scammers. It gets really repetitive after a while but there are some real gems. I especially liked the “Big Mac” series. Good links, too.

[jjimm]

Here’s my reply to my latest scam. For some reason he never got back to me:

Dear Prince Boj,

I’m honoured. Truly I am. I ain’t never spoken to no toff before ('cept maybe the odd judge), let alone a Prince. Charmed I’m sure.

I hear what you say, and I like how it sounds. The deal sounds sweet. Sweet as a nut.

Look mate, I’ve got some cash lying around after my last job that’s getting a bit hot, if you know what I mean. It’s safe where it is, nudge nudge, coz the filth ain’t got no lead on it. But the heat’s on my associate Big Ron: he got pinched while doing a bit of “jewelry business” up the East End last week, and it’s only a matter of days till he squeals. Now Big Ron’s a mate, we go back years, but he’s got a loose gob. If he starts singing like a canary, we might have to put put a sock in his beak. Permanently. Catch my drift? You can’t sing much when your feet are sunk into concrete under the Thames Estuary, and I wouldn’t want to have to do that to someone I call my brother.

So I think I can use my hot dosh to help you get your wonga. Lovely jubbly. Let’s bring it into Holland coz I’ve got a contact there already. Rudy van Speeks. Very trustworthy geezer. Know him? He’s a big cheese in the greyhound breeding business, but he’s got a tulip smuggling organisation that he runs out the back of the shop. If you give me the word I’ll send him over to your gaff in Lagos with my orders. You can’t miss him, he’s got no ears after I had to ‘discipline’ him that one time. I’ll send Rudy over and we’ll take it from there.

What I want to know is - as far as I can tell you’re a decent bloke - but what’s in it for you? Something smells fishy here. What do you want out of this? Don’t make me look like a muppet, if you know what’s good for your health. Don’t want to have to come over all medieval on your arse with my lock stock and two fat fucks backin’ me up.

Get back to me, Princey. Don’t want to make this a ‘Boj job’. Your friend,

Jimmy the Spiv

[Mangetout]

Can’t we just gett all of our ISPs to automatically trash emails containing the word ‘modalities’?

[therealblaze]

Finns not immune to Nigerian letter scam either.

Finnish businessman loses millions and is kidnapped in South Africa