“Notification MAIL” Nigerian Scam Might Be a Nigerian Scam or Advance-Free Fraud
WTF is a Nigerian Scam or Advance-Fee Fraud?
Nigerian scam emails actually began as snail mail and faxes — the way Nigerian scams work is less about technology, and more about gaining your confidence and taking advantage of your compassion.
Thank god I don’t have a heart, eh?
A Nigerian scam — AKA an advance-fee fraud — is more formulaic than a Brangelina movie. Here’s the typical story: you receive an email from a loaded government official or legal representative of someone wealthy who has recently died. The funds of this scam character need to be transferred out of the country for whatever reason, and if as a “dear Christian brother or sister” you help them do this, you’ll be “most blessed” with a large chunk of change (usually 40-50% of millions).
Yeah, even though they never met you.
If you reply saying you’re in, the scammer lays out the plan: it usually involves you filling out faked government forms, then wiring the scammer some money to bribe an official or two to get the funds out of the country. Once you get involved, the scammer will keep telling you they need just a little bit more money for this, a few more thousand for that, and that your reward will increase with your patience.
Or the scammer’ll just wire even more cash out of your bank account without telling you and flee./
Laid out just so, the Nigerian scam seems too obvious, right? Unfortunately, it’s human nature that once you’ve invested in something, you’ll want to see the deal through. And it doesn’t hurt a Nigerian scammer’s business that in extreme cases, you can be sincerely threatened you if you try to bail on the deal.
Rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
However, I’m still waiting for my Russian bride to arrive in the mail.
True love that costs a couple hundred pounds is the exception to my rule.