# What will it take to get idiots to stop falling for the Nigerian Bank Fraud Scam?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [January 19, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634 "2007-01-19T21:46:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634/41 "2007-01-24T18:52:42Z")

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[QUOTE=Eutychus]  
Think of it this way.

You know how stupid the average person is?

Well, statistically speaking, half the people in the world are even stupider than that.

There’s your answer.  
[/QUOTE]

I love that. (Did you also realize that 50% of the people in the world have only double digit IQs!?)

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**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634/42 "2007-01-24T20:54:45Z")

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…and then I heard a radio ad for **West Coast Wellness**.

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**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634/43 "2007-01-24T21:34:28Z")

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My Dad is a smart, educated man. A few years ago he asked me about an email he had received, and went to describe a version of this scam. I told him right away it was a scam, he responded by saying, “Well, maybe it couldn’t hurt to just respond…” Until I talked him out of it.

The thing is, he is a smart guy, he is just new to the Internet and a little naive.  
Sigh.

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**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634/44 "2007-01-24T22:06:27Z")

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[QUOTE=OtakuLoki]  
I still stand by my amended assertion that in this day and age any **adult** not approaching senility should know better.  
[/QUOTE]  
I wouldn’t even throw in that caveat. I just checked the AARP website\* and [they have this covered](http://www.aarp.org/search_advanced/search_results.html?config=htdig_www_aarp_org_small&words=internet+fraud).

\*sigh. I got my first mailing from them when I turned 50, and something tells me that we’re going to become good friends as time goes on…

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**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-it-take-to-get-idiots-to-stop-falling-for-the-nigerian-bank-fraud-scam/388634/45 "2007-01-24T22:38:46Z")

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I read the funny account of one victim (read: idiot) who warned others with something to the effect of “Hey, it’s not just dumb people who fall for it, I fell for it and I’m smart” 🙂

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