Nigerian E-mail Scams

"Nigerian Scams" may be indentified or referred to as several different names, including the "Nigerian Letter Scam, Nigerian 419 scam, Nigerian e-mail scam," and many others. Ever since the Information Age's rising trend of e-mail communication across the world, Nigerian 419 scams, a.k.a. "419 fraud," has become very popular.

Although Nigerian Scams are not typically classified as variations of "ponzi schemes," they still have many similarities. This is especially true when considering 419 fraud, in which scammers attempt to convince random victims that they have been chosen as a secret beneficiary of a large sum of money if only they can forward an initial payment to pay for some assortment of "security / transfer / legal / etc (depending on the 'story' told by the scammer)" costs; i.e. asking for a small investment and promising great riches for timely cooperation.

What are Nigerian 419 Scams?

419 fraud is the most common type of Nigerian E-mail Scam. This division of fraud is called a "Nigerian" scam because the first con-artists to engage in such illegal activity were Nigerian organized crime and scam rings. The concept has spread to a global level, and now fraudsters in many countries attempt to deceive unsuspecting web browsers and e-mail users.

Most of the Nigerian 419 scams received as e-mail spam are the result of fraudsters obtaining or trading long lists of public e-mails and blasting generic messages to all listed addresses. The messages typically include a short story about how the sender came to acquire or inherit a fortune, followed by a vague explanation about randomly obtaining the recipient's e-mail. The sender attempts to convey an immediate willingness to trust the random recipient with an exhange or business partnership, often promising a significant percentage of his/her newly acquired wealth to the recipient of the e-mail if the recipient is able to wire him/her a certain amount of money (usually a few thousand dollars) for urgent fees necessary to secure possession of the wealth.

Here are some of the most common stories that Nigerian E-mail Scam artists will use to lure in victims:

• A wealthy individual related to the sender has recently died ("plane crash" tragedies are especially popular), and due to legal complications, the beneficiary (who is usually the same as the sender) cannot receive the sum promised to him/her until certain costs are paid for



• The sender represents a bank or has contacts with a major investment that is willing pay a substantial return to the recipient for an urgent, short term loan



• The recipient has won an international lottery but must provide bank details and pay to establish a foreign account or pay for transaction costs before the money can be transferred

Of course, each story is pure fiction. Note that in many cases the Nigerian scammers attempt to immediately hook their victims with emotions and feelings of pity by using stories involving untimely death and tragedies, including plane crashes and assassinations. Most introductions and follow-ups from the fraudsters include very warm, sometimes even affectionate words of thankfulness and praise for the recipient's willingness to "help." In some situations, the scammers will call the recipient "brother" or "sister" and repeat strong expressions, such as "I love you!"

The Truth Behind The 419 "Senders"

No matter what specific story or tragedy has been explained by 419 Scam artists, their goal is always to same: To convince the recipient to transfer (usually via bank wire) a single sum of money, in exchange for a promise of a substantially larger return. Once a victim falls for the deception and sends the requested money to the account provided, the scammer disappears with the funds and the victim never hears from him/her again.

The amount of money requested through 419 scams varies from letter to letter; however, the fraudsters usually claim they require an amount consisting of several thousands of dollars. Some variations of this scam have ended with victims losing millions of dollars. Keep in mind that even a smaller request, such as $5,000 for example, carries a great deal of worth. Depending on the country from which the 419 fraudster operates, $5,000 in United States currency (USD) may be worth the equivalent of the average salary in the fraudster's home country; perhaps even much greater.

Take note that most 419 fraudsters are completely void of any sense of decency or respect. If you initiate a conversation with them implying that you are considering the investment or exchange, they will continue to play on your emotions until you give in to the scam. If they suspect you are biting at their hook, Nigerian scammers will relentlessly forward you several "panic e-mails" explaining their urgency in receiving the money as asked. They may even advise you to proceed with highly unethical or illegal acts necessary to obtain the money. In some cases, persistent Nigerian scammers have been reported to instruct their victims to steal the money from friends and family or embezzle funds from businesses or churches.

Within the last few years, Nigerian E-mail Scammers have become slightly more clever. Some have included pictures and links to internet articles related to real world tragedies and attempted to tie them into their phony story to make the situation appear more realistic. The methods used by the average 419 fraudster will likely only grow more sophisticated as time progresses, so e-mail users are advised to make sure to be very critical of all suspicious e-mails received in the future. Furthermore, e-mail users are wise to close and delete any unwarranted e-mails from unknown senders requesting money. E-mail virus scanning before opening any suspicious message is also highly recommended.

Examples of Nigerian 419 Fraud E-mails

The following e-mails are examples of real 419 scams that were most likely spammed to thousands (if not millions) of accounts.

Note & Warning: Although the e-mail addresses of the fraudsters are listed, contacting them is HIGHLY discouraged! 419 fraudsters can be dangerous and ruthless. By contacting or replying to any of their e-mail accounts, you are essentially asking them to place you on various spam lists.