Advanced Fee Fraud (aka Nigerian 419 scam) is all about psychology. The sender tries to evoke a sense of urgency to trick otherwise sane individuals into responding without thinking things through. They do this by making promises of large sums of cash. The catch is that eventually the victim is told they must first pay some small fee in order to release the aforementioned large sum of cash. Of course, there really is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and there's no large sum of cash at the other end of a Nigerian 419/Advanced Fee scam. The only money that ever changes hands is the ever increasing amounts of money the victim gets tricked into sending the perpetrator.
The psychological tricks the perpetrators use are sometimes rather fascinating. I dug one of the more clever ones out of my spam folder this morning. The first hook is the alarming subject line:
ARE YOU ALIVE
I hope so, but just to be sure, I read the email. The hook is that someone is (gasp!) claiming I am dead in order to receive a large sum of cash that apparently has my name on it (new found riches!). But I have to act fast - I have only 2 days from the receipt of the email to thwart the dastardly plot of the evil man who wants to steal my unclaimed funds.
Yeah. Right.
Here's a portion of the text from the scam email:
I am Mrs. HELLEN WILLIAMS (Assistance) Chairman from Efcc Investigation Office Nigeria,
there is presently a counter claims on your funds by one MR.DAVID JONHSON, who is presently trying to make us believe that you are dead and even explained that you entered into an agreement with him, to help you in receiving your fund, So here comes the big question. Did you sign any Deed of Assignment in favor of (DAVID JONHSON). thereby making him the current beneficiary with his following account details: MR DAVID JONHSON, AC/NUMBER: 6503809428. ROUTING/122006743, B/NAME:CITI BANK, ADDRESS:NEW YORK,USA.
we shall proceed to issue all payments details to the said MR DAVID JONHSON, if we do not hear from you within the next two working days from today
Thanks
Mrs. HELLEN WILLIAMS
(Assistance) Chairman Efcc Investigation Office Nigeria.
NB: YOU ARE ADIVCE TO STOP ANY FURTHER DEALING WITH ANY BODY OR OFFICE REGARDING YOUR FUND,BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR FUND
NB, BBC, CDB, BBK, CNN, NBC, ?
You are advice (?) not to talk with anyone that might tell you that you are getting ripped off. It seams so simple to see this fraud, but I have seen plenty of older people fall for this to the extent that they will get nasty to the people that work at money gram or western union for not sending these dirt bags their money. I don’t know what can be done about this but something should be done. Maybe the ISP’s should post or notify about these scams?
A fool and their money are soon parted. I can understand young people falling for these scams. However, one would have thought the older generation, who are after all supposed to be wiser, would have had more sense. Perhaps it is more a case of there is no fool like an old fool.
Many years ago I was taught the old adage that if it sounded too goo to be true, then it probably was.
Peeps really should think these things through. Did I enter a lottery, do I know somebody who might possibly have money in Nigeria, the USA, outer space, or wherever? If the answer is no, then for goodness sake let common sense kick in.
Roz – Barnsley UK