Yahoo-Yahoo Boys and Magas: The Nigerian 419 Fraud
They used to arrive daily, sometimes several per day. Now, with improved spam filters, they’re less frequent, but every few days another one pops up in my list of new e-mail messages.
I’m speaking, of course, about the ever-so-earnest messages we all receive from Nigeria, and as soon as I say “from Nigeria,” you know what I’m talking about.
I was never sure of exactly how this scam works, but now, thanks to this piece by Karin Brulliard in today’s Washington Post, I have a clearer understanding.
Comments
Three years ago the New Yorker had a story about a Boston psychotherapist/minister who fell for the scam and wound up going to prison for (as I recall) bank fraud.
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/05/15/060515fa_fact
Posted by: Jay Livingston | August 7, 2009 11:02 AM
This is another example of the quality deterioration of the Washington Post. The article is internally inconsistent. Note that it starts by saying that the scammers’ job is getting harder due to the recession—hard to get money from people that don’t have it. However, mid-way through the article they quote “experts” as saying the recession has made the scammers’ jobs easier, because individuals now succumb more easily to offers of riches. Well, which is it?
Posted by: Phil | August 11, 2009 11:40 AM