# Why is African-scheme spam poorly written? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970 "2006-09-16T17:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beckiemoriello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@beckiemoriello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckiemoriello)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/1 "2006-09-16T17:23:46Z")
If they’re bright enough to orchestrate these schemes, why don’t they invest some time in an English class? Also, there was a New Yorker article about a guy who’d lost $$ to a scam, and it mentioned that one of the Africans had spelled her own name THREE different ways throughout the letters. Carelessness? It seems to me that if I’m about to successfully scam someone out of serious $, I’d at least spell my fake name consistently. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/2 "2006-09-16T17:38:48Z")
I think it’s to give the mark a false sense of superiority. These letters often appear to be written by naive and ignorant individuals. The mark feels that he must be smarter than the writers, and so is less wary than he should be. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/3 "2006-09-16T17:42:41Z")
> [@beckiemoriello](#): > > If they’re bright enough to orchestrate these schemes, why don’t they invest some time in an English class? What makes you think spammers are clever? Whoever first came up with the idea of the 419 scam might have been “bright”, but I don’t see what’s so difficult about it once someone’s had the idea. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/4 "2006-09-16T18:12:46Z")
That Lybian guy never seems to spell his name the same. (In English) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/5 "2006-09-16T18:16:49Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > That Lybian guy never seems to spell his name the same. (In English) He does usually spell his country Libya, however. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/6 "2006-09-16T18:30:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think it’s to give the mark a false sense of superiority. Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/7 "2006-09-16T18:33:39Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I think it’s to give the mark a false sense of superiority. But do you think that is intentional? I don’t think it is carefully crafted to look ignorant; it only reflects the writer’s level of English language skills. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/8 "2006-09-16T18:36:21Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > He does usually spell his country Libya, however. I blame my keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/9 "2006-09-16T18:44:32Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > But do you think that is intentional? I don’t think it is carefully crafted to look ignorant; it only reflects the writer’s level of English language skills. I’ve been to Nigeria. I think it is, at least in many cases. I keep a collection of spam letters, out of interest to see how they have evolved over time. When one of these letters comes from someone who purports to be a lawyer or ex-oil-minister, although the phrasing may be stilted, it is usually grammatically correct and correctly spelled. On the other hand, when it purports to come from some back-country individual who has unexpectedly come into a lot of money, the grammar and spelling are much worse. ---
**Author:** ![beckiemoriello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@beckiemoriello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckiemoriello)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/10 "2006-09-16T18:51:09Z")
> [@](#): > > When one of these letters comes from someone who purports to be a lawyer or ex-oil-minister, although the phrasing may be stilted, it is usually grammatically correct and correctly spelled. On the other hand, when it purports to come from some back-country individual who has unexpectedly come into a lot of money, the grammar and spelling are much worse. That’s fascinating! And answers my question. There is serious method to their madness. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/11 "2006-09-16T19:00:11Z")
Compare these two letters: > [@](#): > > FROM THE DESK OF MR.ABBA JACOB. > LLOYDS BANK DU BENIN PLC. > NORTH-WEST REGION. > REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN. > E-Mail:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*Date:17/02/2006 > > Attn: Dear Friend, > > My name is MR.ABBA JACOB, and I work in the International Operation > Department in a Bank(Lloyds Tsb) here in Republique Du Benin. > > On a routine inspection I discovered a dormant domiciliary account with a > Balance of $6.524 Musd (Six Million,Five Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand > United States Dollars) on further discreet investigation, I also discovered > that the account holder has long since passed away (dead) leaving no > beneficiary to the account. > > The bank will approve this money to any foreigner because the former > operator of the account was a foreigner and from United States of America in > particular and I am certainly sure that he is dead, and nobody will come > again for the claim of this money. A foreigner can only claim this money > with legal claims to the account Holder, therefore I need your cooperation > in this transaction. > > I will provide the necessary information needed in order to claim this > money, but you will need to open an account where this can be transferred. > If interested send your private Telephone No. And Fax number including full > details of the account to be used for the Deposit. I wish for utmost > confidentiality in handling this transaction as my job and the future of my > family would be jeopardized if it were breached. > > I want to assure you that the transaction is without risk if due process is > followed accordingly. Finally,I will give you 50% for your corporation. > Contact immediately for more information through my private mail address: > > * * * > > Sincerely, > MR.ABBA JACOB. > Email:\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > Date:17/02/2006. > > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this message is > confidential and may be legally privileged. The message is intended solely > for the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby > notified that any use, dissemination, or reproduction is strictly prohibited > and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact > the sender by return e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message Now, there are a couple of typos, but overall that could have come from someone who is who he purports to be. In fact, when I receive authentic official letters in English from non-English speakers, they often have worse errors. Contrast this one, which purports to come from a naive young woman: > [@](#): > > from ivory coast > west africa > Dearest one > > I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will. I am esther totime, 23years old and the only daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs amanda. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet-(a cocoa merchant) who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days. > > It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Febuary 2002.Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travell ed with him at that time. But God knows the truth! > My mother died when I was just 4 years old,and since then my father took me so special. Before his death on Febuary 12 2002 he called the secretary who accompanied him to the hospital and told him that he had a sum of 7.500,000 US DOLLARS (seven. five) MILLION USA DOLLARS)kept in a security company in (AFRICA). > > He also said that the security company does not know the content of the safe Box.He decleared it as family treasure and used my name to Deposit the Box as his first daugther for next of kin. He also explained to him that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business assocaites, That I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money to and use it for investment purposes. > > I want you to assist me in clearing this box from the security company and then transfering the fund inside the box into your account overseas as a beneficiary of the fund, and also use it for an investment purpose. > I am just 23 years old and a university undergraduate and really I don’t know what to do. > > Now I want an account overseas where I can transfer this funds. This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast.The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life. > Dearest one,I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded. > Now permit me to ask these few questions:- > > 1. Can you honestly help me as your daughter? > 2. Can I completely trust you? > 3. What percentage of the total amount in question > will be good for you after the money is in your > account? > Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible > > Thank you so much. > My sincere regards, > Esther Totime. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/12 "2006-09-16T23:09:11Z")
That’s very interesting, **Colibri.** (Reminds me of a collection I have of mailed chain letters decades ago.) But if someone less English-educated tried to copy the “attorney” concept letter the best they knew how, I think we would see somewhat the same results. I’m not convinced that it is intentional, especially coming from a foreign country where English is not as common. I’m not convinced either way; I just don’t think the samples prove either theory. ---
**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:** [September 16, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/13 "2006-09-16T23:16:41Z")
I read somewhere that is it because the scammers operate in a hierarchy; lots and lots of junior/newbie (and not so familiar with English) scammers sending out the initial spams and dealing with the preliminary response and contact, handed over to a more experienced ‘boss’ scammer when and if it looks like the deal is actually going to come through. I have no cite for this though and the person who wrote the account I read could well have just made it up, but it seems plausible. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/14 "2006-09-17T00:00:36Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > But if someone less English-educated tried to copy the “attorney” concept letter the best they knew how, I think we would see somewhat the same results. I’m not convinced that it is intentional, especially coming from a foreign country where English is not as common. There’s an awful lot of those “attorney” type letters out there, and while they resemble each other in general outline they differ a great deal in detail. They are not just imperfect copies of one another; they clearly have been written independently by people with good, although not perfect, command of English. And English _is_ common in Nigeria; with a lot of different languages, it is the de facto lingua franca, and a lot of people speak it. I can’t recall ever having received an “attorney” type letter with a lot of obvious misspellings or grammatical errors, certainly nothing like the “naive” letters. And I have lots of extremely varied letters of the second sort, which almost uniformly have bad grammar and spelling, and odd turns of phrase. You would have to suppose there are two very distinct groups of scammers, one with good English skills who write the “attorney” letters, and another group that doesn’t know English well that writes the “naive” letters. Incidentally, while the initial letters all came from Nigeria, more recent ones come from all over Africa (at least ostensibly), and some from the Middle East, the Philippines, or elsewhere. I also have several letters in French; since I have worked in francophone Africa my e-mail is undoubtedly floating out there too. I’ll have to take a look at them to see if the same patterns prevail. I’ve also started to receive the odd letter here and there in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/15 "2006-09-17T00:30:29Z")
In case anyone is interested, I lurk at the site [419eater.com](http://www.419eater.com/) often. The idea here is scamming the scammer. Not for money (and if they do, it’s usually donated to charity), but to keep the scammers occupied as long as possible (so that the innocent may be spared). But the real beauty of it is the absurdity and humiliation they put these scammers through. Read through a few Letters Archive to really get an idea of how these [expletive deleted] work. They are not to be pitied, they ruin the lives of many innocent, and couldn’t care less. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/16 "2006-09-17T03:46:29Z")
Here’s an example of a letter in French. It’s interesting in that it tells basically the same story as Esther Totime’s above, but it is not a straight translation. It looks to me to have the same kind of grammatical and spelling errors as the English version. However, I would be interested to hear from a native French speaker what their impression is. (While I can read French, I’m no expert.) > [@](#): > > CHER MONSIEUR ET MADAME > > Permetez moi de me presenter à vous. > Je suis Mlle ColletteN’Guessan la seule fille du regretté Mr et Mme N’Guessan Victor. Mon père était l’un des riches hommes marchand de cacao en Côte d’Ivoire.Il à eté enpoisonné par ses collègues pendant qu’ils était en bâteau pour l’exportation du cacao.Quant à ma mère elle est morte quand j’étais encore bébé.Pour cette raison mon père ma traité convenablement,avant sa mort. Dans une clinique privée a abidjan en novembre 2002 il m’a secretement appellé sur son lit d’hopital pour me dire qu’il possède la somme de Huit million cinq cent mille dollars ( $8.500,000) qui se trouve dans une société de sécurité privée ici en Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan,comme des trésors d’une famille,qui porte mon nom donc,je suis la personne qui peut accéder à cet argent il m’a expliqué que c’est à cause de son argent qu’il à été empoisonné.Dans ce cas il m’a dit de chercher un partenaire étranger de mon choix ou je pourrai transferer l’argent afin de l’investir dans différents secteurs comme > dans le domaine de l’immobilier ou dans l’hôtelerie. > Cher Monsieur je souhaite votre assistance.Je demande humblement votre aide ainsi que des suggestions et des idées venant de vous seront grandement appréciées. > Maintenant, je voudrais que vous m’aidiez : > > 1. Pour les retrait de ces fonds > 2)A venir au près de vous pour finir mes études en m’assurant le gîte et le couvert? > 3)En gardant cet argent parce que je n’ai que 19 ans > 4)Dites moi est-ce que,je peux vous faire entièrement confiance? > 5)Pouvez-vous honnêtement me prendre en tant que vos propres et m’aider? > 6)Quel pourcentage exigerez-vous une fois l’argent dans votre pays? > > Je vous prie de bien vouloir me donner une reponse rapide pour que je puisse vous expédier les documents nécessaires pour cet transfert. > Ma vie n’est pas en sécurité ici car mes oncles veulent attenter à ma vie pour prendre les autres biens de mon père, heureusement ils ne sont pas au courant de cet argent. > Merci, > > Mlle Collette N’Guessan As an item of interest, here’s one in Spanish, claiming to be from the Ivory Coast (Costa de Marfil). This is an “attorney” type letter, and the Spanish isn’t too bad. I don’t know exactly what to make of this one. I don’t know whether it’s someone in Africa who has learned Spanish (perhaps from Equatorial Guinea, which was once a Spanish colony - when I worked in Gabon, I met a couple of guys from there and was able to communicate with them in Spanish), or someone from Latin America who is copying the scam. The latter seems to be unlikely, though, since I don’t know why they would claim to be from Ivory Coast in that case. (One of the more bizarre letters I have is from “Ramos Qropenza”, who claimed to be a Venezuelan living in Cyprus, but wrote to me in English.) > [@](#): > > From: “samira mazier” > To: > Date: Monday - February 27, 2006 12:35 PM > Subject: Buenos dias > > Sobre todo cosa, querría disculparme de mi intrusión en su > vida privada. Me nombro a la Sra.samira mazier, Marco al > Departement de la Contabilidad a la CIIU Credit Bank of > Costa de Marfil. Se abrió una cuenta en nuestro banco en > 1985 y desde 1990, ninguna operación se efectuó. Esta > cuenta presenta hasta ahora en nuestro libro, una cuenta > acreedor de 20.8 millones de dólares americanos. Después de > haber consultado meticulosamente todos los archivos y los > expedientes relativos a esta cuenta, me di cuenta de que > podía disponer fácilmente de este dinero si conseguía > transferirlo sobre una cuenta exteriormente. El dueño de > esta cuenta fue fuego James Maurice Smith, un expatriado, > director de Petrol-Technical Apoyo Servicios Inc., > ingeniero en química, difunto a raíz de un accidente de > circulación. Nadie sabe hasta ahora ’ existencia de esta > cuenta.’ Esta cuenta so’lo posee a ningún otro beneficiario > tanto en su familia en su empresa. Querría transferir el > dinero de esta cuenta en una cuenta segura en el extranjero > pero no conozco nadie exteriormente. Por ello la idea me > acabó contactarles y de presentarles la propuesta de > transferir esta suma sobre su cuenta bancaria, para > división. Tengo conciencia que este mensaje les sorprenderá > ya que nosotros no conocíamos antes, sino esté seguro que > es una verdadera oportunidad que les ofrezco. Me les pido > me responder lo más rápidamente posible. > > usted puede contestarme en esta dirección > [email:samiramazier@yahoo.fr](mailto:email:samiramazier@yahoo.fr) > > Senora samira mazier ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/17 "2006-09-17T04:30:24Z")
**Colibri** , my impressions on the French language letter you quoted is basically the same as yours. I guess what I could add is that it does look caracteristally “African”, if I may say. I’ve seen a few (legitimate) business messages written by French-speaking African people, not a lot though, so maybe others could correct me, but I usually find that the language they use is very formal and flowery. It’s not the kind of language that I would use for a business letter. In the case of this letter, the syntax is also awkward, but that is expected since it is a “naive” letter. Also, the use of capital letters, as in the heading, is something that I think Africans do a lot, especially with names. However, Ms. N’Guessan didn’t do it in this particular letter; I would have expected her to sign “Colette N’GUESSAN” or “N’GUESSAN Colette” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/18 "2006-09-17T04:43:16Z")
Why would it be intentional? I bought a few fake watches and shirts while in China. The copies are good and much work was put into them. Much less work was put into the English “labels” and things put in add authenticity, I suppose. “Swiss mades” watch, “We are making this shirt of highest quality fabric manufactures”, etc. A better job might mean a better chance of passing it off as a real thing. It would just be a matter of copying the real label word for word, much easier than making a similar fake watch. But it isn’t done. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/19 "2006-09-17T05:05:05Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Why would it be intentional? See my first post for the reason. If it isn’t (at least in part) intentional, how do you account for the correlation between good English and “attorney” type letters, and bad English and “naive” type letters? Why would people with bad English (who weren’t aware that their English was bad) almost never try to write an “attorney” letter? Why would people whose English was good limit themselves to “attorney” letters, and rarely write letters of other kinds? (Admittedly, there are sometimes a few mistakes in “attorney letters,” and I have occasionally received a non-attorney letter that was reasonably well written. But in general the correlation holds.) Having looked at a lot of these things, it seems pretty obvious to me that most “naive” letters are deliberately written badly, in order to lull the mark into a false sense of superiority. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970/20 "2006-09-17T17:12:16Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > See my first post for the reason. > > If it isn’t (at least in part) intentional, how do you account for the correlation between good English and “attorney” type letters, and bad English and “naive” type letters? Why would people with bad English (who weren’t aware that their English was bad) almost never try to write an “attorney” letter? Why would people whose English was good limit themselves to “attorney” letters, and rarely write letters of other kinds? Is it possible that there’s evolutionary pressure going on here? Attorney-type letters that are written well succeed, so they’re more likely to be reused or shared within the 419 community. A poorly-written “attorney” letter that gets almost no replies won’t be copied again. A “naive” letter doesn’t need to meet the same threshold of good English to succeed, so the baseline dialect can be worse and it can draw the same level of successful hits. A “naive” letter with exceedingly good English might even seem _too good_ and get a lower level of success. Just like biological features requiring lots of energy and organization, a highly-evolved organism will survive in the wild while its near miss relatives will eventually go away – but organisms can also succeed at lower levels of self-organization. The only obstacle to this theory would be if successful letters don’t have a chance to “reproduce”, but if 419ers cooperate at all, then a successful letter would have lots of value even if shared. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-african-scheme-spam-poorly-written/372970.md?page=2)