Nigerian 419 scheme scams: There’s one fool born every minuteBy John Hicks M.IDM, Managing Director of Headline Promotions, Press & PR
Every week I receive two or three scam e-mails from Nigeria, known as 419’ers in the trade, offering me huge rewards for helping some Nigerian politician, banker, pastor, ambassador or whatever – or their wife or widow – to get some money out of the Country. In return for helping them, I would receive a massive sum of money.
Of course, the scam is that I would have to pay some fees and expenses up front to help make this happen and/or supply my full bank details so they can pay some money into my account.
I mark these as “spam” for my ISP but I wish I could have a “fraud” button to hit because these are illegal scams. They are generically known as a “419 scheme”, after the anti-fraud section of the criminal code in Nigeria, where it flourishes. (Last year, a Nigerian comic released a song that taunted Westerners with the lyrics “I go chop your dollar. I go take your money and disappear. Four-one-nine is just a game. You are the loser and I am the winner.”)
But, I needn’t get too worked up about it because no one is going to fall for this are they?
Yes! They surely do!
The New Yorker (http://www.newyorker.com/) reported one such case in detail (http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060515fa_fact) where a responsible citizen got so involved that greed overtook common sense. He borrowed money and sent it to various crooks in Nigeria with the prospect of gaining huge rewards. Of course, it was just a con.
This is not just a US phenomenon because people all over the world have been caught out.
I have spent years refining direct mail, newspaper & radio advertising and e-mail campaigns to persuade consumers or businesses to spend money with my clients. Yet, all I ever had to do was to use a Nigerian name, ask people to pay money into my bank account with the promise of huge illegal sums of money.!
Thanks New Yorker. It’s good to be reminded that there really is one fool born every minute! But, I think I will stick to traditional, tried and tested – and legal – marketing techniques!
