Why 'Nigerian' Scammers Say They're From Nigeria

Computerworld:

Almost every inbox has been plagued by them: Emails offering a chance at a share of millions of dollars (or pounds or euros). Someone works at a Department of Finance or Department of Oil or is terminally ill or for some other reason needs to shift a large chunk of money out of their country. And they need your help.

Read the whole story at Computerworld

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Comments

[PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS]

03:12 PM on 06/20/2012

Dateline did a episode on these scams. Its not always poor uneducated folks that fall for these scams. Many professionals, college educated people fall for these scams. Once upon a time I sold those three headed plastic vending machines you see in stores and offices. You put in a quarter and get a handfill of candy or nuts. Each and every day people would wire money into our account in amounts ranging from $8,000.00 to $250,000.00 purchasing the machines without ever meeting anyone in person to view the product of the facility. The people actually did get the machines but very few people ever saw any significant return on their investment. My consience got the better of me, so I left.............

One of the truest statements ever uttered was "there is a sucker born every minute".....

[SelectaLeft]

02:23 PM on 06/20/2012

The story left out the psychological element of the inferred kinship with Nigeria, the "Largest Black Nation on Earth", held by many in the African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere.

Since black folks in the US are, generally speaking, more likely to be toward the bottom end of the socioeconomic spectrum, they will, generally speaking, be represented in the "looking for extra money online"-community in a frequency much higher than their total percentage of the entire population of the US.

Following that, and adding a dash of the educational disparity in our nation, black folks are targeted by these "Nigerian" scammers (who are more often, now, actually in Canada) with a far greater frequency than other demographics.

Feeling that connection through "The Motherland" is often the final motivating factor in the decision making process for many who are victimized through AFF.

[plzchuteme]

12:56 PM on 06/20/2012

I feel just as "scammed," by clicking on this article as I would have if I succumbed to those wily Nigerians. With a title, "Why 'Nigerian' Scammers Say They Are From Nigeria," one might have thought that the question would have been answered. What a sap I was.

[Leond]

01:34 PM on 06/20/2012

They answered in a very roundabout way. "Nigeria" in an email screams "scam" to all but the most incredibly naive and gullible recipient. Since scammers only want to bother with this tiny sliver of the population, claiming to be from Nigeria allows them to weed out everybody else. Same with all the typos, weird phrasing, etc.

[Plastic7]

11:52 AM on 06/20/2012

I got in hot water with my hosting service for writing a php app that sent 20,000 emails to one of the scammers. Haven't got any spams from that email again though ......

[coneywarchief84]

11:44 AM on 06/20/2012

So I read the article. This kind of scam is equally as bad as the people who go on dating sites and social networks. But those people are actually from Nigeria. They lead the most gullible and desperate people to instant messaging where they come up with stories about how they lost their families in an accident and that the doctor was letting them use their laptop to speak to you or they're going to school (for a career that's a little off) and they are in whichever location to finish. They don't realize that they give off obvious signs. They say that they're from somewhere in the US or some other place, but when you ask them something about where they're "from", they don't know, they begin their sentences with Am instead of I am, they say they love you within a timeframe of 24-48 hours, when you make a joke they don't get it but when you point out that it's a joke, they say they're joking, and finally, they say that they don't have a job and they are running out of food or something like that and they need money to buy some more. Fortunately, I was smart enough to look up signs of a scammer, and a Western Union employee was nice enough to back up the information I looked up.

[hobbesjd]

12:59 PM on 06/20/2012

a few years ago i did the online dating thing, but thought i had covered myself because of a "personal introduction" by a good friend who...you guessed it...met his GF/soon to be wife on an online dating thing. we almost got scammed, but stopped in time. i lost a few bucks, he lost a lot more, but will never suggest that anyone do that again, even with a recommendation from someone you know. no, it's too easy to get scammed when you are in a position of being open and wanting your ego rebuilt. if there's a hell, there must be a special place for them, it there is not a hell, then i hope they get cooties. :-)

[SwiftJonathan]

11:06 AM on 06/20/2012

Cool!