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It's much older than that - it dates from the 16th century [1]. I have an original example from the late 19th C. that was sent to one of my ancestors, so I did
by scoot 10y ago
It's much older than that - it dates from the 16th century [1]. I have an original example from the late 19th C. that was sent to one of my ancestors, so I did some investigating when it came to light.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Prisoner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Prisoner
- chimeracoder 10y ago> I have an original example from the late 19th C. that was sent to one of my ancestors, so I did some investigating when it came to light. Wow, I'd be fascinated to see that.
- adammunich 10y agoSame
- mathattack 10y agoWow! That's a keepsake. :-)
- scoot 10y agoI scanned it and transcribed it and shared it online a few years ago, but not sure if that is still around, and I'd have to dig through boxes in the loft to find the original, however, the letter this article [1] describes sounds almost identical in content to the one I have. It reminded me that I also have a "letter from the prison chaplain", and a short follow-up letter from "Antonia Garcia" in shaky writing that trails off mid-sentence, and another letter from the "chaplain" saying he had passed, enclosing a supposed prison death certificate. [1] http://theappendix.net/issues/2013/10/proto-spam-spanish-prisoners-and-confidence-games http://theappendix.net/issues/2013/10/proto-spam-spanish-pri... EDIT: I found the transcript and have put a copy online here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dsb_Ss9dIRa8NvoAZ0W2FLi0cxcH_2bL127DNcYOmOM/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dsb_Ss9dIRa8NvoAZ0W2FLi0...
- scoot 10y agoApparently another scammer, using the same pen-name told his 1905 victim he'd been scammed, and that he'd be laughed at if he went to the press or authoritiees: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D07E5D8113BE631A25754C2A9609C946497D6CF http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9D07E5D811...
- erehweb 10y agoInteresting Q - was Spain chosen as having similar role then to Nigeria now? Lots of gold. Maybe viewed as lawless / corrupt? (Inquisition). Possibly contempt for Catholics?
- takeda 10y agoThe variation about Nigerian astronaut[1] listed in references is awesome. [1] http://www.anorak.co.uk/428124/money/nigerian-astronaut-lost-in-space-needs-3m-to-get-home-could-be-a-scam.html/ http://www.anorak.co.uk/428124/money/nigerian-astronaut-lost...
- gilleain 10y agoFantastic! There's a book by Charles Stross called "Neptune's Brood" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune%27s_Brood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune%27s_Brood) where the central character is a historian specialising in these kinds of frauds. This includes futuristic versions where the 'Spanish Prisoner' is offering 'slow money' to in return for 'fast money' to help finance a new FTL drive: > They're not poor: Here see these slow dollars signed by a bank a very long way away? Won't you hold them as collateral and front me a sum of fast money to help my friends make their repairs? We'll accept a ruinous conversion rate, just in return for the money we need to get our space drive working again; when the bank-countersigned certificates for these slow dollars reach you, you'll be rich!
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- eng_monkey 10y agoInterestingly, there is even a movie called The Spanish Prisoner (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120176/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120176/) from 1997 based on this type of scam. It is good and I recommend it.
- js2 10y agoThe movie plot has very little to do with the spanish prisoner scam. A good movie anyway, probably Mamet's best after Glengarry Glenn Ross and House of Games.