Nigerian email scam causes Americans to loiter in London hotel lobbies

.theinquirer ^ | Mike Magee: Wednesday 11 December 2002, 15:21 | Mike Magee: Wednesday 11 December 2002, 15:21

[dennisw]

Nigerian email scam causes Americans to loiter in London hotel lobbies

Second biggest Nigerian business?

By Mike Magee: Wednesday 11 December 2002, 15:21

MESSAGE LABS said its software intercepted over 10 million viruses during 2002, while Spam is increasing to such an extent that it's outnumbering legit messages. And the firm said, quoting the UK National Criminal Intelligence Service, that up to five Americans per day have been seen waiting in London hotels to meet people about liberating funds.

This one is new to us. How can you tell an American in a hotel lobby has fallen victim to the Nigerian 419 scam? Does he or she have a big sign saying: "Are you the son of the finance minister of Nigeria?"

Or, as the latest one we've received says: "I am hon Dr John cabora. A diplomant from the republic gabon, also the owner of trans Atlantic crossing company".

Message Labs claims that these operations are going to gross over two billion dollars in 2003, making it the second biggest Nigerian industry.

The firm said: "Recently, Americans in particular seem to be falling victim to the scam. A recent report by the U.K.'s National Criminal Intelligence Service stated that up to five Americans per day have been witnessed waiting in London hotel lobbies to meet people connected with the scam. If this trend continues, MessageLabs predicts that Nigerian scam operations will gross over two billion dollars in 2003, becoming the second largest industry in the country."

If this trend continues, and if Message Labs is right, we think that London hotel lobbies will be packed full of people and you won't be able to get to the concierge to ask: "Where is the Porcupine pub?" (Answer: The home of roadmaps is on the Charing Cross Road.)

[Capt_Hank]

Here is the conversation;

And now a new low. There is an A$$, whose screen name is "ben_kofi", sending out the Nigerian Email Scam on this site. I told him to eat dirt and elephant dung. He has threatened to kill me. Also, he is going to send the "voodoo man" my way. I would like nothing better than a close encounter of the third kind with this A$$. I would kick his stinking A$$ until I got tired. Then call the INS and have him shipped back to the hell hole from which he was spawned.

Here is copy of the threat...

Date: Friday, November 22, 2002 @ 10:08 PM EST
From: ben_kofi Add to Friends List Save to Address Book Block Sender
Subject: I will Kill you.....Stupid Man!
To: Captn_Hank1
CC:
Note:

Stupid Fool...
If you dare reply me again,i will make sure your Pic goes to the JUJU man.
Reply to this mail and see your self Died by next day.
I will also send your pic to the Spiritual priest over here in Nigeria.....

Oloshie !!!

[Pablo64]

That's too funny!! Did you send him a pic of yourself, or will he have to draw one with his crayons?

[Frapster]

I spend a lot of time on an international forum and 99% of the posts that deal with international issues target Americans as fascist pigs. In a recent discussion the opening sentence of a certain post read 'North Korea may be a fascist country, we all know that, but America...' and then it proceded to talk about what a fascist, despotic country we are.

When I read articles or posts like this one about the nigerian scam I just roll my eyes. Particularly because if such things are happening it's not just Americans who are falling victim. Such articles just perpetuate the current anti-American vogue. bleh

[gd124]

Many people have conned the scammers by getting them to travel to overseas cities so their pictures can be captured by webcams . One guy even got 5g of gold from a scammer.