Canadian man charged with (Nigerian) e-mail hoax | Globe and Mail

Canadian man charged with e-mail hoax

Associated Press

Danbury, Conn. — A Connecticut woman, fed up with suspicious e-mail pitches promising millions, is taking credit for helping catch a Canadian man accused of fraud.

Like many other e-mail recipients, Heide Evans received numerous messages purporting to be from Nigeria and promising millions of dollars.

Unlike others who simply delete the e-mails, Ms. Evans said she led the U.S. Secret Service and Bethel police to Nicholas Horvath-Howard, 24, of Toronto, who met her hoping to receive a reward.

“Over several months, I managed to convince them I was gullible enough to go along with them, and surprise of surprises, they were stupid enough to send a messenger to see me to collect the money,” Ms. Evans told The News-Times of Danbury, Conn.

Ms. Evans met Mr. Horvath-Howard in Bethel, where she said he expected to pick up more than $200,000 (U.S.). Instead, police were waiting for Mr. Horvath-Howard and charged him with first-degree attempted larceny.

More at the link:www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/story/RTGAM.20031106.wnigescam1106/BNStory/International/ | Globe and Mail]

I get close to 15 of these Nigerian scams each day. I read them sometimes because they're so silly, but there's been a HUGE increase in these over the last 3 months. I seriously get more Nigerian scam emails than I do spam concerning porn, penis enlargement, mortgages, and golf balls combined!

about a year ago. How do you get on all those mailing list?

One of thousands, yes.

Myself I'd stay away from AOL like the plague. Going to Miles City would be more fun, 'eh?

Go check out how some people scam the scammers:

http://scamorama.com/

The letters posted here are examples of attempts at ADVANCE FEE FRAUD. The sender claims to be a bureaucrat, banker or royal toadie, who wants to cut you, and only you, in on the financial deal of a lifetime.

Translated painfully into plain English, the writer claims to be in a position to skim public accounts. Hint: There is no money to be laundered - except yours. They tell you palms must be greased. They ask for money with which to do the greasing. A few K here, a few K there... eventually you get wise, and retire to lick your wounds. Variations include son of dead military officer, son of dead farmer, dead bank customer, reformed murderer, the imaginary request for bid, "you've won the lotto", different countries (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Togo...). Same scam.

Setting aside the writer's attempt to rob you and (going through the mental contortions necessary to take the letter at face value) to steal from his own country, the letters are funny. Read them out loud at parties and see. The 100+ letters below introduce the literary genre of the Lads from Lagos chronologically. Some people write the scammers back, posing as famous literary or TV characters, or inventing richly detailed personalities. The results appear on the right.

You really can waste hours of your time in disbelief at the credulity of the Lads from Lagos, who seem to be ready to believe almost anything themselves if there might be a mark a buck a yen or a pound at the end of that rainbow.

Disclaimer:
Scamorama is shilling for Dean at the moment.
Don't let that put you off being entertained by it. ;)

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