I can't figure how an American, coming from a literate society, could fall for the Nigerian 419 scams that fill the internet.
For example, here is one I got this morning with my comments in ( ).
HELLO, (All Caps? Don't you know the etiquette of not SHOUTING in your posts?)
I AM BARR.DAVID JONES (Not David Jones, Barrister) OF RITA LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND PROPERTY CONSULTANTS LONDON, UK. THE PERSONAL ATTORNEY (you already said you were a barrister already! Who are you trying to convince?) TO THE LATE MR.JOHN DOE (YEAH! Sure) AN AMERICAN NATIONAL, (That should be a period, not a comma, Mr. Barr.) MR JOHN DOE WAS A CONTRACTOR WITH AN OIL COMPANY HERE IN UK TILL 2006.UNFORTUNATELY MR.JOHN DOE WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT HERE IN BIRMINGHAM UK WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN AND HAS SINCE BEEN BURIED GRACEFULLY HERE IN UK. (Does that mean they didn't drop the casket down the stairs leaving the funeral chapel?)
HOWEVER,THE REASON I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU AS A FAMILY MEMBER TO MR.JOHN DOE (Knock,knock on the headstone! Mr. Doe, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Vann, who is now your family member.) SINCE I COULD NOT LOCATE ANYONE RELATED TO HIM YET WITH ALL MY EFFORT.(Now that shouldn' be hard. There are millions of John Doe's and Jane Doe's in America. Although many of them are wearing toe tags already, there are still a ton of them living!) THE PURPOSE FOR THAT IS TO ENABLE US (to) WORK TOGETHER TO CLAIM THE FUND DEPOSITED BY MY DECEASED CLIENT WITH A BANK HERE IN UK, (period again) THE FUNDS ARE AS AT (Which is it? As or at) NOW UNDER THE RISK OF BEING DECLARED UNCLAIMED SOON, AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE CUSTODY OF HIS BANK FOR 2 YEARS NOW WITHOUT CLAIM.(Isn' that just a tad illegal?) THE FUND(s) IN QUESTION IS (are) BRITISH POUNDS FIVE MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY THOUSAND POUNDS (now what Englishman is going to write his currency values this way?) WHILE THE DEPOSIT REFERENCE IS:ABPLC/PBG/002/99.THE ACCOUNT IS UNDER (it's not UNDER anything if it is pending!) PENDING AND I CANNOT MAKE ANY TRANSFER OR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE ACCOUNT TILL I GET A NEXT OF KIN FOR MY LATE CLIENT TO CLAIM THE FUNDS DIRECTLY FROM THE BANK.
IF THIS PROPOSAL IS OKAY BY YOU (if I am willing to commit international bank fraud, misrepresentation, and a host of other crimes),DO GET BACK TO ME TO ENABLE ME DISCLOSE FURTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THE TRANSACTION AS WELL AS DISCUSS THE MODALITIES (Have all Nigerian scammers learned a new word this week modalities)FOR ITS EXECUTION WHICH IS UNDER SEVEN WORKING DAYS.
LEST I FORGET,I WILL BE OFFERING YOU 50% OF THE TOTAL FUND FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS VENTURE. (Yes, let us not forget the hook that will make you want to risk Federal Prison, if this was true)
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. (You are looking to hear) (I will listen for your letter?)
BEST REGARDS,
BARR.DAVID JONES.
Still doesn't get it.
(David Jones, Barrister
Rita Legal Practitioners, Property Consultants and Fishmongers)
It must be pure greed that draws them in. White Man's disease!
I AM BARR.DAVID JONES (Not David Jones, Barrister) OF RITA LEGAL PRACTITIONERS AND PROPERTY CONSULTANTS LONDON, UK. THE PERSONAL ATTORNEY (you already said you were a barrister already! Who are you trying to convince?) TO THE LATE MR.JOHN DOE (YEAH! Sure) AN AMERICAN NATIONAL, (That should be a period, not a comma, Mr. Barr.) MR JOHN DOE WAS A CONTRACTOR WITH AN OIL COMPANY HERE IN UK TILL 2006.UNFORTUNATELY MR.JOHN DOE WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT HERE IN BIRMINGHAM UK WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN AND HAS SINCE BEEN BURIED GRACEFULLY HERE IN UK. (Does that mean they didn't drop the casket down the stairs leaving the funeral chapel?)
HOWEVER,THE REASON I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU AS A FAMILY MEMBER TO MR.JOHN DOE (Knock,knock on the headstone! Mr. Doe, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Vann, who is now your family member.) SINCE I COULD NOT LOCATE ANYONE RELATED TO HIM YET WITH ALL MY EFFORT.(Now that shouldn' be hard. There are millions of John Doe's and Jane Doe's in America. Although many of them are wearing toe tags already, there are still a ton of them living!) THE PURPOSE FOR THAT IS TO ENABLE US (to) WORK TOGETHER TO CLAIM THE FUND DEPOSITED BY MY DECEASED CLIENT WITH A BANK HERE IN UK, (period again) THE FUNDS ARE AS AT (Which is it? As or at) NOW UNDER THE RISK OF BEING DECLARED UNCLAIMED SOON, AS IT HAS BEEN IN THE CUSTODY OF HIS BANK FOR 2 YEARS NOW WITHOUT CLAIM.(Isn' that just a tad illegal?) THE FUND(s) IN QUESTION IS (are) BRITISH POUNDS FIVE MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND NINETY THOUSAND POUNDS (now what Englishman is going to write his currency values this way?) WHILE THE DEPOSIT REFERENCE IS:ABPLC/PBG/002/99.THE ACCOUNT IS UNDER (it's not UNDER anything if it is pending!) PENDING AND I CANNOT MAKE ANY TRANSFER OR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE ACCOUNT TILL I GET A NEXT OF KIN FOR MY LATE CLIENT TO CLAIM THE FUNDS DIRECTLY FROM THE BANK.
IF THIS PROPOSAL IS OKAY BY YOU (if I am willing to commit international bank fraud, misrepresentation, and a host of other crimes),DO GET BACK TO ME TO ENABLE ME DISCLOSE FURTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THE TRANSACTION AS WELL AS DISCUSS THE MODALITIES (Have all Nigerian scammers learned a new word this week modalities)FOR ITS EXECUTION WHICH IS UNDER SEVEN WORKING DAYS.
LEST I FORGET,I WILL BE OFFERING YOU 50% OF THE TOTAL FUND FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS VENTURE. (Yes, let us not forget the hook that will make you want to risk Federal Prison, if this was true)
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. (You are looking to hear) (I will listen for your letter?)
BEST REGARDS,
BARR.DAVID JONES.
Still doesn't get it.
(David Jones, Barrister
Rita Legal Practitioners, Property Consultants and Fishmongers)
It must be pure greed that draws them in. White Man's disease!
