Thread: Here's your sign... Nigerian scam

Woman out $400K to 'Nigerian scam' con artists | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | News

Incredible. Any you might think it only happens to non-intelligent people, but 2 years ago there was a senior notary in Belgium who lost millions this way. Shortly after there was a man who lost his construction business over his nigerian scam debt. You'd think that people like that know better. But sadly they don't.

The busniess man said 'If someone tells you that you can earn a 20 million euros, you are interested'

the other question you have to ask is what rock these people have been living under for the last 10 years or so. The warnings are all over the place

From the always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life dept.: scambuster419.co.uk: where 419 scam artists meet their match

An alternative way of dealing with 419 scammers in a humorous way:



Let us not forget that we are talking about criminals here, though. Welcome to the 419 Eater

It's interesting someone mentions this... I have 2 stories that have something to do with this sort of scam. Well, not really 2 but one that is sort of mingled together. If you care to listen...
In September I had a room to rent in my flat. I live in a University City and here - unlike we, in Europe, suppose is the case in the US where students lodge mostly in dorms in the Campus - it's customary for students to rent rooms and flats to live while they are studying in College. I advertised the renting of my room both on the internet and by means of sticking a paper on the door...
One day I received an email - in portuguese - from a man claiming to be french and that was interested in renting my room from November to December. I replied in french as to be gentlemanly... and to be absolutely clear as to what I intended. I said that I'd rather rent the room to a student for the minimum period of one school year but, if he would be interested - because in December it would be extremely difficult for me to rent the room again - he would have to pay the rent for the whole of the school year's rent, that meaning something around 2500 to 3000€ (almost 3800$...).
Meanwhile I talked to a good friend of mine about this and he told me this was, most certainly, a scam... a scam pulled by some scam artists from strange, mostly french speaking countries in Africa. He sent me a series of emails that he, himself, had exchanged with a scam-artist of the sort some weeks before that. I wish I could transcribe them... I really laughed my head off!
So, this friend of mine, some months before that had posted for sale - on the internet and on real-estate agents - a flat in another city, also with a big University. He received an email from an Ivory-Coast man that claimed to be a diplomat. He wished for his daughters to study in Portugal because of the political situation in his country. Therefore he wanted to buy an apartment and wished to know the price of my friend's flat. My friend said that the price was 150000 euros. The "diplomat" said he would buy it. Now note this: the emails were in portuguese... google translated! The diplomat said that he was having trouble with his bank and that he needed my friend to send him 20% of the value has to allow the transaction. That value would be refunded, of course... My friend replied saying that someone had offered him 500000 euros, a german car and... a BJ for the flat. The Diplomat said he would pay that too, but that the 20% deposit was still needed. My friend replied with something along these lines: "Ok! I accept payment for 3 million euros. But what shall we do regarding the BJ?" I cracked up while reading this! Scam artists of this sort will never go far when dealing with educated people... but they will be lucky if they find someone greedy. I mean... sure... I'll earn a fortune overnight and all I have to do is transfer to this angel in disguise a nominal fraction of the millions I'll win afterwards? Sure... I'm in! People that are this greedy and get fooled like this maybe deserve to be fooled!
So... I thought I might laugh a bit on behalf of my would be lodger, the one that emailed me with the interest of renting my room. I told him that he would have to pay 3000 euros. And he said yes, but that he had some troubles with his bank and that I had to transfer him 20% of that value... I laughed a bit. These people don't learn. They keep at the same scam. Now who in good possession of his mental faculties would pay 3000 euros to rent a room for 2 months?... I ended the thing by telling him the room had already been rented. And it was the end of it.
Well... I guess it was funnier to me! Sorry for the lengthy post.

When motivated by greed...you get what you deserve.

The 419 site is a hoot!

Please tell me, Bruno, that Bill Engvall is not popular in Belgium. Please. Please?


Here's your sign:

You like Bill Engvall.


I suppose it could be much worse

-Rob

*edit: Dear Belgium: I am sorry that my culture produced these men. That is all.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Incredible. Any you might think it only happens to non-intelligent people

it DOES only happen to non-intelligent people. we are discussing this on /. right now, here is my post, word for word:

Breaking News!
A fool and her money are soon parted.
Film at 11.

Seriously, why is this news? Idiots fall for scams all the time, this idiot just fell a little harder than most.

Originally Posted by sicboater

Please tell me, Bruno, that Bill Engvall is not popular in Belgium. Please. Please?


Here's your sign:

You like Bill Engvall.


I suppose it could be much worse

-Rob

*edit: Dear Belgium: I am sorry that my culture produced these men. That is all.

And just what exactly is wrong with Bill Engvall?

Or Larry?

Originally Posted by sicboater

Please tell me, Bruno, that Bill Engvall is not popular in Belgium. Please. Please?

.

Not generally, no.
But I watch English / American programs from time to time, and I do like comedy. I actually liked his show.

Originally Posted by jockeys

it DOES only happen to non-intelligent people. we are discussing this on /. right now, here is my post, word for word:

Yeah I got the link from /.
But e.g. a senior notary is generally not stupid, and is well acquainted with people trying to rip each other off. So you think he'd know better.

Originally Posted by Bruno

But e.g. a senior notary is generally not stupid, and is well acquainted with people trying to rip each other off. So you think he'd know better.

but he didn't know better, ergo he isn't that smart, right? all i'm saying is that i don't have much sympathy for people that fall for scams... remember what p.t. barnum said.