I'm always surprised when people fall for "Nigerian" scams. But as this link shows, it often happens. Good to see the US government is tracking them down.
[bbc.com]
The woman Nigerian scammer I encountered a few days ago was a very sophisticated one. Caught me early in the morning after a restless night, had me going for a while. Even a brief VIDEO chat with her before she asked me to purchase an online monthly music subscription for her and invest in an interior decorating company she was starting... taking longer and working harder to set the hook these days. Tricky! But I have never bought anything online, so that was a no-brainer for this Stoned-Ager...
On dating websites, I have been approached by 38 Nigerian scammers. They are laughably easy to spot. None got a penny out of me.
They steal photos from modeling websites and profiles from dating sites. If the person looks too beautiful, copy and post the photo on Google Images.
Scammer photos show up on Scam Buster websites.
Report and block. Then they pop up like daisies with new photos and profiles.
Lonely people are vulnerable. Hearts are broken and savings are drained for lonely seniors across America, England and Canada.
I can't believe that ANYONE falls for those.... And phishing links as well. I've made sure everyone in my family knows.
I've had internet and email for 25 years. Even then there were Nigerian scams doing the rounds in one's e-mail.
Yet, despite all the publicity, people still fall for it.
I despair for the intelligence of humanity.