African scams?

Question

Is anyone else getting emails from africans (mainly west africa based) about them offering masses of money. Im tired of these scams and wondering if anyone is doing something about it. The latest i got is about some woman who is terminally ill with breast cancer offering me a cut of $150 million dollars - i feel that is horrendously offensive and is just giving places like nigeria even more of a bad reputation.

Great answers - but the best are the ones who turn the scam back on the scammers. These arnt the brightest of people and they assume we all have the same mentality, so if you can scam them - brilliant

Answer 1

I've played with Nigerians in chat, just to see how sophisticated their scam is...and once, I agreed to send $2,000 to one (for her to get a visa and flight to US)...but only sent $1.00.

That was both mean and fun. I still get nasty IM's for that. I think his/her boss had a problem demanding $2,000 from Western Union and only getting the dollar.

My advice, screw with them back, they deserve it, they are scammers.

Answer 2

Sure they happen to me all the time usually by e-mail but sometimes through e-bay and even telephone which is really offensive. The Nigerian government is supposed to be getting tough with these fraudsters but Ill believe that when I see it. You right about it giving these places a bad reputation and must make it hard for charities and legitimate west African businesses to work.

Answer 3

Yes, I get them occasionally.

There is really nothing that can be done since they are not under the jurisdiction of the US.. I don't even think there is a criminal treaty with Nigeria where the people are handed over.

I know the FBI and other low enforcement agencies are trying to stop it.

The sad thing is that a lot of otherwise intelligent people fall for this, hoping for a windfall.

Answer 4

The most astonishing thing about these is how many morons still fall for them.

20/20 or 48 hours or one of those did a show about Nigerian scams a few months ago. They spoke to several victims including a Doctor.

I mean, "duh!" how can someone who's not too stupid to even feed himself possibly believe these stories?

The Nigerian Federal Police jail people by the busload for running what they call "419 schemes" (after the section of the Nigerian criminal code that bans them) but the country is so poor, and the potentail profits so big, that it doesn't deter new criminals from replacing the jailed ones.

Richard

Answer 5

I have had quite a few but just delete them, then again I get loads of junk from Readers Digest which I haven't asked for all telling me I could of won large sums of money if I reply in the yes envelope to their offers. Anyone know anybody who has actually won their draws?

Answer 6

I get about 3 a week. Ive tried to scam them by saying I need money to pay a withdrawal fee to get my money out of the bank and stuff like that but it never works. Not yet anyway.....

Answer 7

I've only had one, I think my junk mail filter catches most of them before I see them, but my family has had them through the post as well as by email.
I can't help feeling that the $100 dollar laptop scheme is only going to exacerbate the problem.
I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for the greedy eejits that fall for the schemes though.

Answer 8

Only the greedy, lazy, lonely and looking for an easy way out fall for these scams. I ignore all solicitations that start out with someone wanting to share their riches with me, a total stranger. Anyone who have elderly parents or any other elderly relative should watch out, those sneaky people prey on the elderly, because they are easy targets. Most time the elderly are lonely and just looking for someone to communicate with and before you know it, they end up being swindled out of their life savings. Please monitor the elderly when they are surfing the web, better yet, visit with them every once in a while.

Answer 9

Yeah I get them all the time.I wrote a few of them back telling them I had the ISP number and where they are located.And that there internet cafe would be shut down if they didn't stop it. Also told them I would turn them into there local police and FBI. I don't get them as much now.Most of them have no money so they go to internet cafes.Why don't they just get a dam job like everybody else.Lazy people!!!!

Answer 10

I've gotten them, too. I also get ones that say I've won millions in a lottery that I know I never entered because I don't gamble. Delete them, don't respond, and label them spam, but they come from so many people and places it's going to be hard to spam them all. They're a pain in the you know what.