They call them Yahoo boys: Nigerian 419 scammers who send e-mails to swindle Western people. A typical 419 e-mail bears the name of a notable Nigerian (or his family member) as the sender, claiming he/she has millions of $$$ stashed away in a foreign bank and needs a few thousand $$$ to get it out, then he promises the "target" a share of the millions if he helps.

I receive such e-mails almost everyday...maybe they think I am one [I]oyinbo mugun[/I]. This menace has badly dented the image of Nigeria to the international community. Just enter "Nigeria 419" in Google and you'll see what I'm talking about. It was even featured in a video game! (Doom 3)

There are many sites dedicated solely to nabbing and disgracing these scammers e.g.
www.419eater.com, www.scamorama.com, www.ebolamonkeyman.com, www.crimes-of-persuasion.com, www.419fraud.com ... I can go on and on. (They are more than fifty!) Last year, Nigerian e-mail scams constituted the biggest consumer fraud on the internet according to the US State Department and over $100,000 is lost PER DAY, in the US alone, to these scammers!

And it's getting worse by the day. Why is it Nigeria? What can the Federal Government of Nigeria, The Police force or some other bodies, and U & I as patriotic citizens of Nigeria do to curb this evil practice because it is greatly spoiling our image and also limiting e-commerce & e-business for Nigeria.

Any views?

I like business (e-business esp for conveniency sake but it's been marred unfortunately) the fact that I prefer to be a doctor or a nuclear physicist notwithstandind.

Oh sorry, but to be a doctor is also business; I almost forget.

Let this these spivs be courtmarshalled, I mean, their hands should be amputated so they will not have to touch keyboards no more.

"Let'em be only able to look at keyboards and monitors, in Jesus' name." "A***"

I have myself recieved such mail you did receive. I almost, out of mercy, opted to help with some lalas but wey di pepper dey?

I think its dumb really. Both the 419ers and the "gba"d (duped). Have you seen a typical mail they write. It's fraught with grammatical errors, so how can you believe the socalled international transactions of someone who can't even compose a single corect sentence?

This is not to deny likes of Ajudua who are suave. yeah I can understand if you fall for someone like him.

IAH:

They call them Yahoo boys: Nigerian 419 scammers who send e-mails to swindle Western people. A typical 419 e-mail bears the name of a notable Nigerian (or his family member) as the sender, claiming he/she has millions of $$$ stashed away in a foreign bank and needs a few thousand $$$ to get it out, then he promises the "target" a share of the millions if he helps.

I receive such e-mails almost everyday...maybe they think I am one [I]oyinbo mugun[/I]. This menace has badly dented the image of Nigeria to the international community. Just enter "Nigeria 419" in Google and you'll see what I'm talking about. It was even featured in a video game! (Doom 3)

There are many sites dedicated solely to nabbing and disgracing these scammers e.g.
www.419eater.com, www.scamorama.com, www.ebolamonkeyman.com, www.crimes-of-persuasion.com, www.419fraud.com ... I can go on and on. (They are more than fifty!) Last year, Nigerian e-mail scams constituted the biggest consumer fraud on the internet according to the US State Department and over $100,000 is lost PER DAY, in the US alone, to these scammers!

And it's getting worse by the day. Why is it Nigeria? What can the Federal Government of Nigeria, The Police force or some other bodies, and U & I as patriotic citizens of Nigeria do to curb this evil practice because it is greatly spoiling our image and also limiting e-commerce & e-business for Nigeria.

Any views?

I guess u're right i think the FG of nigeria should do something about dis case 'cause dis people av really destroyed nigerian image in de rest of de world.One of my british friend got such message and i was embarrased wen he called mi 2 read it.

I guess you're right I think the FG of nigeria should do something about this case 'cause this people av really destroyed nigerian image in de rest of de world.One of my british friend got such message and I was embarrased when he called mi 2 read it.

And moreover the FG, Police force, et cetera are also 419, so it will be a great task to eradicate this problem.

Awww...It's because of these people that my dad won't lemme go to 9ja for summer. Why are they doing this??

I believe that it takes two to tango . There will be no 419 if the victims are nor greedy. Let INTERPOL prosecute both the so called victims and the "shooters"

Don't forget about the "phishers" also. They are more dangerous and you can easily fall into their trap. Those sending mail are still are better because only the most foolish person on earth will believe all the nonsense they write.

Na wa o! God help Nigerians!

hot-angel:

Awww...It's because of these people that my dad won't let me go to Nigeria for summer. Why are they doing this??

If I may ask, what have you got do to with them? Is your Papi afraid dey might dupe you? 'Abi na you you den dey look 4'?

That's what my dad thinks. I really don't know why. Probably because of what most people say when they come back, things like I misplaced so so amount and blah blah!

i find this topic really interesting. in my own view i feel that it takes a really greedy 'target' to fall a victim of these scammers. if not, how can someone tell them that for a few thousand bucks they will be entittled to a couple of million bucks?
i have to say here that i have a hidden admiration for these scammers cos it is hard work convincing a man to part with his hard earned cash. pls note that i am not condonning the actions of these individuals, its just that i feel that they work hard for their money and if anyone is stupid enough to fall a victim....due to greed......then they deserve it

the fox:

i have to say here that i have a hidden admiration for these scammers because it is hard work convincing a man to part with his hard earned cash.

I guess you don't know the effect of what they are doing, and the degree of the damages so far. How would you like to transact legitimately with an American company, and because your company has a Nigerian tag, they refuse to transact with you? And because of that you are forced to change your company location identity. The name of Nigeria has been damaged all arround the world. And no matter how this is done, or the process it involves, it is not hardwork and should never be called one.

Do you know what hardwork is? Let me tell you what hardwork is. Setting up an e-commerce company or a forum, promoting it, and providing your services with the support is hardwork. Blogging daily and trying to express your views online is hardwork.

Yes people do fall victims, because they are greedy too. But it is that an excuse or the right thing to do? Frauding any personality be it a gullible or greedy person, wouldnt change the meaning or damages it would cause, it is still fraud. And it should be codemned because it is wrong.

I wouldnt be suprised if you happen to be one of them. Because you do sound like one. No offence intended.


[b]Nobody, whether he or she is greedy or not deserves to be frauded, they do not deserve it [b]

What i just dont buy is the umbrella the whole world use when it comes to the Nigerian issue of 419.

One thing about 419 is that it has been since time immemorial, it's just that some sharp guys just decide to exploit the Internet to get a "wider reach".

People have been complaining about Nigerian 419ers how about computer hackers in the US and elsewhere. They are even worst than these so called 419ers, to the best of my knowledge, Nigerians don't hack networks, the reason is simple, they don't have the knowledge, most of the so called "yahoo boys" know little or nothing about IT and the Internet. It's only that they are just using the internet to be more international in the outlook, internally here in Nigeria, 419ers have been operating for years, and we all know that if you are not credulous you will never be their victim. Same goes for anyone around the world too.

If you get an offer from anyone, confirm from your Local Chamber of Commerce and see if you can confirm the business deal from your embassy/high commision here in Nigeria too.

Remember if you see big figures in a business proposal / e-mail from nowhere Proceed with caution.

and what is the monetary damage computer hackers are causing on a daily basis? Do you know what 419 really is? The most common definition or alias is advance fee fraud. It is more than just pretending to be the lawyer of the late General so and so. With ebay, they write you and say, I see you have this laptop for sale. I really need it fast and will pay you 2-5 times the amount to send it immediately. I'll send it via western union. So, the person who is new to ebay, cannot believe they are so lucky, they are praising God for the miracle of ebay, gets the fake Western Union confirmation letter that the money is on the way. They don't think to call Western Union themselves because they trust what they see. They ship their item, and five weeks later after getting no more response from their buyer, they call and find out it was a scam. Or, you are going to buy something and see it offered at a good price - not ridiculously cheap, but say $100 below the typical price (on ebay). You cannot believe this. You contact the person, they say sure, but to be safe, I prefer escrow. You lookup what is escrow and it is a third party holds the money until the buyer verifies that they have recieved the item and then the money is sent to the seller. You think, ha, I'm not going to fall into the trap that other people do by not having the means to recover my money if I never get the item, so you join the site. Send in your money and then, two days later, when you goto check the website for any update, the website no longer exists and your money is gone. Or the reverse, you are selling, the buyer says lets use escrow for safety, you send the item when you see the money is in escrow, and when you return - the website is gone.

So many people fall prey to these scams not because they are stupid, but because they are trusting and hopeful. It is human nature to want to believe in the improbable. That is why people continue to waste their money on lotteries. That is why people continue to be hopeful even in the face of abject poverty. They believe that all it takes is hard work and maybe a bit of luck and they will make it. So when an opportunity presents itself, they have worked so hard for this moment, they feel that they are so deserving, they are so excited, that even when they see something they should question, they will ignore it as - oh, the person's mother language is not my own, oh, the person lives in another country so it makes sense that they need it this way, oh, this email has all the stuff from such and such company, it must be real

nice post. Thumbs up.

The annoying fact is that the menace is increasing rather than decreasing. Even professionals are goin into fraud. I know a lot of doctors, lawyers who r into 419. Fake online banking sites, wash wash, counterfiet notes, ebay scam, fake checks, datin scams etc. Its become a hydra-headed monster. Is there really hope?

It's hard to believe the way the scamming rate is rising. All works of life are going into it. Tryin to get something into their accounts and stuffs like that.

If we really want to solve this problem, we have to start from the grass root. I think the FG should do something about the rising rate of unemployment in nigeria. i am a witness to a guy who is a B.sc holder in Mechanical Engineering (second class upper) who is a scammer. When i tried to find out what was the reason behind his scamming. He simply told me he is un-employed and does this to make him see the daily lights on earth. Even most people who are employed and are still scamming because in Nigeria your monthly expenditure is greater than your monthly income and in other for the equation to be balanced then a value must be put in place and that is where the scammin comes out.

When a man is hungry his ears are close and he thinks about himself. They know that they are spammers and what they are doing is causing more harm than good but they just can't hold themselves. After all some would say a governor can perform a miracle in the UK demolishing our image as Nigerians how much more myself an ordinary citizen.

Too bad we have disgraced our selves before other nations. but one thing i find hard is that the blame on these 419 internet fraud comes to nigeria. Countries such as Ghana including other west african countries and africa as a nation are into it. Nigerians in the Uk, spain, and other english speakin countries including the Us are not left out

As for the media in Nigeria they are notin to write home about. They need to improve on the broadcast about these spammers and the harm they cause to the society. Most Nigerias have fallen victims not only the "oyinbos them". I also think the media in these foreign countries should try and make some massive broadcast to their citzens stating the tricks these spammers use and the consequences of falling a victim.

If you watch closely apart from the INTERNET FRAUD ACTIVITIES the other crime rates have reduced to a minimal content, but the internet fraud activity keeps rising. I know what it takes to make a victim fall for you. some are not ordinary as they use all kind of spiritual powers against their vicitm. Others pray to God almighty to let their victims falll to the last limit so that they can collect huge amounts. Not all spammers do these. Its really a hard work for these guys to emerge out successfully. Ask them and they would tell u that its not easy

And lastly we should learn to be satisfied with what we have because these victims that fall as prey to these spammers are all greedy people. They want to reap where they did not sow.

I receive over 200 of these scam letters a day. I have seen most of the "formats" be it the classic NOK (next of Kin), to the more recent "modality" of fake checks. IPs seem to indicate that 70% come from Nigeria, (or as I find out later from being inside their inboxes, dont ask how I do it, I wont tell you, Nigerians based mainly in spain, Uk or Holland). 15% come from Ghana, the rest, mainly other smaller west african nations. One guyman I am aware of has two degrees in economics, with very good results, but he cant get a job worthy of his education, and he has a family to feed. so what does he do? Fix the corruption in your government and the hopless situation with employment in Nigeria and maybe these desperate "guyman" will have a legal future, something worth working for. Sure there are the criminal class that do it just for greed, the ones who have a finger in every scamming pie, but a lot are just desperate people with no foreseeable future and cant see any other avenue to pursue, then they see the guyman who was once poor like them driving in his new mercedes and hears he has a nice big house, and hears he got it all from a rich maga who fell for his scam, so what is he going to try? 419 of course. 419 is a direct result of your countries corrupt politicians and government officials, past and present, it is not the result of the white man raping your countries wealth as some guyman will portray, a get even thing. What you honest hard working Nigerians have to do is get rid of the corruption in your government, and the whole country will change with it, for the better.

funny. not_a_mugu must be an admin of one of those anti-419 scam sites.

The best one i received so far was from "Maryam Abacha" it was the usual thing funds stashed away in overseas banks, needing someone to provide an account for the funds to be transferred............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The best thing was that the "person sent me personal family pictures of the Abachas maybe to persuade me further"
Man the pictures are great...but sorry i can post them here woulnt want 2 hav a lawsuit slammed on poor me!!!!!!
Hmm i wonder where the person got those pictures?

THATS THE N 419 QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello not_a_mugu,

I appreciate your contribution very much. Unfortunately I don't think we have any government official on the forum yet, and I don't think we individual honest Nigerians can fix the corruption in government or increase employment.

Regards.

Visit the following link to see how the 419 scammers have been scammed themselves by baiters.

I think this is a just punishment for their crimes :-) http://www.419eater.com/html/trophy_room.htm

It is time that the majority of honest, hardworking Nigerians took control and put their Nation back where it belongs as a democratic and honest powerhouse of Africa!

This is just a thought.
Is it as bad a the western media is making it out to be?
This has gotten so much coverage that it would be hard to believe that EVERYONE are'nt aware of the Nigerian scammers.
Maybe it another ploy used to tarnish the image of a country, and therby legitimizes keeping citizens of the country out.

The Western media say very little about this scam in the news. That is one of the main problems. It would be great to hold a 'Band Aid' style music concert against these scammers. That would have World Wide coverage and finally people would get the message. A few articles on the internet do nothing to highlight this problem.

There is no plan or conspiricy to tarnish Nigeria, it does extremely well on its own without the help of the West.

It is Just time that all honest Nigerians and citizens of the other Countries infected by this cancer take action against it's own people that are perpretating this criminal business.

I think people invloved in 419 should be executed by lethal injection

well its not only nigerians that committs this crime. even in d us it happens on a more elegant, well planned, and involving lots of hacking, cracking call it wateva u want. The problem is that in Nigeria this crime is celebrated and thus creating undue attention. even down to your so called music artiste jjc 419 squad and one other that sang i go chop ur dollars. i could remember when some ghanian's were caught they claimed to be nigerians. i see this crime as blood money. take an example an incident happened at a nigerian embassy in vienna where an innocent nigerian got killed by a white who was swindled by nigerians walked in with a gun trying 2kill d woman in charge of d embassy but killed the guy as he had nothing to loose

You are correct in saying that it is not ONLY Nigerians that commit these crimes!

99% of 419 crimes are commited by citizens of the following Countries:

1. Nigeria
2. Benin
3. Ghana
4. Ivory Coast
5. South Africa

Nigerian 419 gangs in Europe operate out of several centers namely:

London
Amsterdam
Madrid

There is no justification for their activities. They are criminals and they do untold damage to the reputation of honest Nigerians everywhere.

fraud should be treated like murder except there would be no death statement but a lot of 20years to life imprisonments

Hi all

I found this little gem regarding a 419er

http://imoh-udoh..com/2006/09/imoh-udohs-transvestite-adventures.html


Just desserts I think!

I think its a darn shame that honesty and morality seem to be missing and it does give Nigerians a bad name, this is westerners fighting back lucky one bad apple doesnt spoil the whole cart but if I was this guy, well Id die of shame!
I know lots of Nigerians and they are honest and god fearing so what seems to go wrong?

The government is what goes wrong. When you have corrupt government officials milking Nigeria and Nigerians dry of public funds, how won't you expect citizens to follow suit? They are the fucking leaders, they are supposed to lead by example. If a house supposed to be built with bricks, has straws for a foundations, how will that house stand?

@Gbade.x

You are right that you have to deal with the root of the problem if you are to find a cure.

The problem is that when you have cancer taking an aspirin is not going to cure it. It has to be cut out and you have to make sure none of the cancerous growth is left,

That is nearly impossible

419 IS EVERYWHERE.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PRESIDENCY
MINISTRIES
SCHOOLS
STREET
CAFE'S
HOME,

IT'S EVERYWHERE AND HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY SENTENCING A 419NER TO 20YRS IMPRISONMENT AND ALLOWING A POLITICIAN TO PLEA BARGIAN AFTER 419ING NIGERIANS BILLIONS.

HOW CAN YOU GET RAID OF 419 IN OUR SYSTEM WHEN $16BILLION SPENT FOR POWER IS UNACCOUNTED FOR,HOW CAN YOU STOP 419 WHEN THERE IS SCANDAL IN THE HEALTH MINISTRY AND THE CULPRITS ARE TRAVELLING FROM GHANA TO CUBA.

THESE BOYS HAVE PARENTS AND SEE THE WAY THEY LOOT THE TREASURY AND WANT TO BE LIKE THEM. THE RATE OF 419 CANNOT BE COMPARED TO ROMANIA AND SOME EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES OR EVEN U.S WHO IS ACCOUNTED FOR THE HIGH INTERNET FRAUD WORLD-WIDE.

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS PROVIDE THE BASIC AMENITIES I.E POWER,GOOD ROAD,AFFORDABLE EDUCATION,JOBS AND THEN YOU CAN TACKLE 419 KOROKORO.