Post by kas on Jul 11, 2012 18:02:49 GMT -5
What is the "Nigerian scam" or "419 scam"??
As it says on Wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_scam it is similar to the "Spanish Prisoner" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Prisoner) from the 1800's and is a type of advance fee fraud and one of the most common types of confidence frauds in which the victim is defrauded for monetary gain. There are many variations on this type of scam, including advance fee fraud, Nigerian Letter Fifo's Fraud, Spanish Prisoner Scam, black money scam, or Detroit/Buffalo scam. The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud. While the scam is not limited to Nigeria, the nation has become associated with this fraud and it has earned an unenviable reputation for being an epicenter of email scam crimes. In fact, the top three nations of origin of these scams are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria (in that order). Other nations known to have a high incidence of advance fee fraud include Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The Nigerian 419 scam is a form of advance fee fraud similar to the Spanish Prisoner scam dating back to at least the 1920s. In that con, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone connected to a wealthy family out of a prison in Spain. In exchange for assistance, the scammer promised to share money with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money to bribe prison guards. One variant of the scam may date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, as a very similar letter, entitled, "The Letter From Jerusalem" is seen in the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, a former French criminal and private investigator. Another variant of the scam, dating back to circa 1830, appears very similar to what is passed via email today: "'Sir, you will be doubtlessly be astonished to be receiving a letter from a person unknown to you, who is about to ask a favour from you . . .' and goes on to talk of a casket containing 16,000 francs in gold and the diamonds of a late marchioness.
As it says on Wiki en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_scam it is similar to the "Spanish Prisoner" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Prisoner) from the 1800's and is a type of advance fee fraud and one of the most common types of confidence frauds in which the victim is defrauded for monetary gain. There are many variations on this type of scam, including advance fee fraud, Nigerian Letter Fifo's Fraud, Spanish Prisoner Scam, black money scam, or Detroit/Buffalo scam. The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud. While the scam is not limited to Nigeria, the nation has become associated with this fraud and it has earned an unenviable reputation for being an epicenter of email scam crimes. In fact, the top three nations of origin of these scams are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria (in that order). Other nations known to have a high incidence of advance fee fraud include Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Spain.
The Nigerian 419 scam is a form of advance fee fraud similar to the Spanish Prisoner scam dating back to at least the 1920s. In that con, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone connected to a wealthy family out of a prison in Spain. In exchange for assistance, the scammer promised to share money with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money to bribe prison guards. One variant of the scam may date back to the 18th or 19th centuries, as a very similar letter, entitled, "The Letter From Jerusalem" is seen in the memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, a former French criminal and private investigator. Another variant of the scam, dating back to circa 1830, appears very similar to what is passed via email today: "'Sir, you will be doubtlessly be astonished to be receiving a letter from a person unknown to you, who is about to ask a favour from you . . .' and goes on to talk of a casket containing 16,000 francs in gold and the diamonds of a late marchioness.