and the sport of Counter Scamming

By Simon Templar
(not really, but let`s pretend)

Have you ever got at letter from someone offering you a lot of money if you will just help them move large amount of cash from some Bank in Nigeria, or another country, to your account? If you have you have been targeted for what is called a 419 scam or Advance Fee Fraud. The sender usually claims to be a bureaucrat, banker or of royal family, who wants to include you, and only you, in on a fabulous financial deal.

Reading the various letters these criminals pour out on the Internet, it is hard to imagine that anybody actually falls for these stories. Unfortunately some people do.

What ever they tell you in these letters, these people are, quite simply criminals. There is only one reason why they engage in conversation with you: they intend to steal as much of your money as they can get away with. Transcripts and reports of e-mail conversations with these criminals suggest that while some may be quite convincing , none of them seem to be terribly bright. Or so it seems. But on the Net nothing is necessarily what you think it is.

The obviously body to contact if you get a 419 letter (called 419 after the relevant section of the Criminal Code of Nigeria) are the police. But there is also another method. It is called Counter Scamming, or Nigerian Scam Baiting. Some has described it as "the new Internet bloodsport", and it is the art and science of playing Nigerian '419' con artists at their own game: outright fraud. Or at least that is what it looks like. But there is an old saying that goes like this: "Never bullshit a bullshiter". And let`s face it, these guys are serious bullshiters.

I’ve been on the Net, and worked with Internet related matters, for 11 years. I have met all sorts of identities from 12 year old boys pretending to be 16 year old girls to Nigerian lads pretending to be bank managers, and some people to crazy to pretend anything. Based on this experience I can’t help wondering if all that signing of Oaths of Allegiance to the British Queen(1) and banding words with Lonslo Tossov(2), isn’t just the Lads way of goofing of in their lunch break. After all, writing all those lengthy scam letters (some even in Norwegian!) to greedy foreigners must be very taxing both spiritually and physically. Perhaps they enjoy a good laugh as much as we do?

To illustrate how the criminals operate, I baited a couple of scammers. Or I think I did. The result is below:

The return of The Saint The return of The Saint, part II Vendetta for The Saint

A note to readers: Simon Templar is (not) currently attached to our Department as teacher and tentacle. His specialty is (never was) Nigerian Scam letters and multiple identities on the Net. His lessons will be on web only (for obviously reasons) , so just forget about autographs.

A note of caution: Don`t do this at home!! If you get a 419 letter be sure to check that the mail header really is from Nigeria or some far away country. If it is from your own neighborhood contact the police immediately. We do neither endorse nor condemn counter-scamming. These pages are only meant to provide you with some understanding of the issues of scamming, counter-scamming and false identities on the Net. Whatever you do, NEVER provide the scammers with personal information about yourself!

To learn more visit Open Directory - Advanced Fee Fraud, Scam O Rama Update and Scambait info, and The Registers 419 department.

Cibercafè Capitolio, Havana,
Fall 2005

Hillman Cox
Associate Professorwriter Social Informatics,
Dep. of Information and Computer Science,
Nesna University College, Cuba office,
Calle 25 No. 602 e/ 6 y 8 Vedado
E-mail: Hillmancoxppk@yahoo.ca

NB! The image and character of The Saint are copyright of Leslie Charteris and whoever has control over his work today, and are used in these lessons for humorous purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source. This page is part of the course in ICT and Law at Social Informatics II and illustrates the 419 problem, the ongoing operations of counter-scamming and the use of false identities on Internet.NB!

(1) (2) ScamOrama

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