4 ms·

No, she met someone in person, which made the whole thing a little more scary. They went out to dinner, twice in a single week. From what I can gather, she met

No, she met someone in person, which made the whole thing a little more scary. They went out to dinner, twice in a single week. From what I can gather, she met someone, but I doubt it was the same guy she's talking to over txt.

logicallee 10y ago
It's difficult. obviously if you were to intervene (for example by pretending to take an interest) to help, the scammer would realize what you are doing. you are saying that your mother is not senile, and is just (acting) 'stupid'. But if this is the case, why don't you ask her about the details (excuses and so forth)? Has she told you things like, "Yes, I realize that there are scams, but this is not one of them." Is she otherwise intelligent? If she is intelligent and you got as far as her saying, "Yes, I realize there are scams, but this is not oen of them" then you could discuss rationally how you know... the scammer could also kind of believe it from their end.
yesbabyyes 10y ago
I've become acquainted with a few 419ers (Nigerian) during trips to Ghana (not the big boys, who are without fail sleaze bags, but the grunts, some of whom are very nice in person) and have done quite some research on how they and the scams work. When it comes to 419ers, they have a wide network across the world. They can get a guy to pick up cash or meet someone, today if need be. It might not even be a Nigerian, they work with other people as well. Last time I was there, a couple of guys tried to entice me into joining them. Said I would be very successful, I could act as a UN attaché or whatever. Then they told me about a guy from somewhere in SE Asia, don't remember which country but I guess they have debtor's jail, because he had indebted himself and risked prison. He managed to get out and went to Ghana to try and get his money back. He turned out to start working with them instead, a couple of months later he had a mansion and three luxury cars. There are all kinds of crazy stories. The thing is, most of the scammers and the victims are similar (not the romance scam but the Nigerian letters). They are after a quick buck and don't care much for morals (that's why the money is always someone else's, since by accepting you are entering a conspiracy with the scammer, and you are hesitant to tell someone about it). They live large and spend a lot of money, mostly on worthless consumer stuff like expensive liquor, cars, watches and so on. So the money goes back to the West (North, really) again. I tried to convince a guy I have come to know a little to invest instead, to build something in his community. He told me about a scammer meeting his client (that's what they call the victims) in Hamburg. He picked up half a million Euro in cash. Took it to buy trucks and other machinery and sent it to Ghana and set up a profitable leasing service in Tema, the main harbour. Another guy built a small but popular mall. I doubt most of the con artists have a good idea of what happens to their clients though, or that they think about it much. The workers are young and enthusiastic, and the big boys don't give a damn. Many victims turn mad, happened to a friend's uncle who got hooked way back when they sent faxes. The trick is simple yet powerful - obviously the letters are made to funnel gullible people, but also greedy people with low morals. This would help the scammer justify it to himself. Another justification is that their countries have already been robbed for centuries. By entering a conspiracy, the client will be hesitant to tell anyone about it. After that, it's just the sunk costs fallacy, or "sending good money after bad". Every time the stakes are higher, but the choice is to keep believing you will get paid or say bye bye to even more money than you're sending, and accept the truth. It might also partly be an exploit of the looser bonds between people, where many of us have individual economy and are reticent to share our financials/earning/spending with others, even close friends and family, and especially if we suspect they might disagree. Scammers are also quick to exploit current events. Last time I went to visit, one guy showed me a con he was working on which was a romance con. He acted as a British officer stationed in Iraq, who had come across some of all of the lost billions of dollars the US brought there in cash. There are a lot of 419ers in Ghana, disliked by many but they spend in bars and hotels. They tend to live on credit though (the workers), only (hopefully) paying their bills after a payout. I'm not sure about the central police department, but the local police are definitely bought off. I know them via the innkeeper, a Ghanaian who don't like them much but they give him business. It's a crazy world.
- logicallee 10y ago
  Dude, you have GOT to write this up in muuuuuhuch more detail. This is fascinating!! You're a good writer but obviously these few paragraphs are off-the-cuff. Couldn't you make a longer version? I would be careful about your personal association (I mean can you write in a way that isn't linked to you), I hope you can do so anonymously. Very interesting reading! Thanks. Here's a vote for writing more!
  - yesbabyyes 10y ago
    Hey, thanks. Perhaps I might, not right now though. I'm not very worried about the association, these things aren't that secret. I can tell you though that there is some more disturbing things going on in Ghana, with what they call Sakawa Boys. Sakawa is the name for online scams. Sakawa Boys are more into carding/skimming, but there is a way darker side to Sakawa which I don't think is happening with the 419ers. They are also much less approachable, at least to me, Nigerians (at least in Ghana) tend to be very easy going and open. The thing with Sakawa is that it is tied up with juju/voodoo and dark magic. They will perform various rituals to earn magic, money attracting powers. I'm interested in magic myself but stay the hell away from this. It's hard to know what's real and how the whole thing works, but young men (around 20) often unemployed, poor and lusting for a western lifestyle, status and respect will go to a witch doctor to get magical powers. The witch doctor will tell them to perform a ritual. It may involve snakes or other animals, but sometimes they will be told to kill a person and bring, well, body parts. After that they will get magic money earning powers. It's shrouded in secrecy and nobody likes to talk about this but I think it's similar to entering a gang, you need to prove yourself. Same thing which also happens in secret societies. It's a way of building unbreakable loyalty because you have done something unthinkable together. The difference with criminal gangs in the west is the whole dark magic thing. Really, it's just about power, bonds and hierarchy. The thing is, you will see young men (the big boys, usually, around 30 perhaps) with extremely luxurious cars. In an area with people living in shacks you will see someone roll up in a Bentley, even. I don't quite understand how they make all that money. Even young men will have bags of cash. There are Sakawa girls too, who will romance you and steal your card. This is much harder to know about because nobody will talk about it. I suspect it also involves the drug trade, since West Africa has become a port for cocaine from South America. Sometimes a boat will come ashore with mountains of coke. There is a guy in the area where I use to visit who always walks around completely naked, in a zombie like state. He could have been 17 last time I was there almost three years ago. I was told someone had performed voodoo on him and he was unable to wear clothes. I'm pretty sure he has been given datura, which may well be the worst drug known to man (apparently, the British soldiers who fought down Bacon's Rebellion took it). These witch doctors wield considerable power and are a huge problem in parts of West Africa. Thanks again, I'll write something up when I get some inspiration and peace and quiet.

logicallee 10y ago

It's difficult. obviously if you were to intervene (for example by pretending to take an interest) to help, the scammer would realize what you are doing. you are saying that your mother is not senile, and is just (acting) 'stupid'. But if this is the case, why don't you ask her about the details (excuses and so forth)? Has she told you things like, "Yes, I realize that there are scams, but this is not one of them." Is she otherwise intelligent? If she is intelligent and you got as far as her saying, "Yes, I realize there are scams, but this is not oen of them" then you could discuss rationally how you know... the scammer could also kind of believe it from their end.

yesbabyyes 10y ago

I've become acquainted with a few 419ers (Nigerian) during trips to Ghana (not the big boys, who are without fail sleaze bags, but the grunts, some of whom are very nice in person) and have done quite some research on how they and the scams work. When it comes to 419ers, they have a wide network across the world. They can get a guy to pick up cash or meet someone, today if need be. It might not even be a Nigerian, they work with other people as well. Last time I was there, a couple of guys tried to entice me into joining them. Said I would be very successful, I could act as a UN attaché or whatever. Then they told me about a guy from somewhere in SE Asia, don't remember which country but I guess they have debtor's jail, because he had indebted himself and risked prison. He managed to get out and went to Ghana to try and get his money back. He turned out to start working with them instead, a couple of months later he had a mansion and three luxury cars. There are all kinds of crazy stories. The thing is, most of the scammers and the victims are similar (not the romance scam but the Nigerian letters). They are after a quick buck and don't care much for morals (that's why the money is always someone else's, since by accepting you are entering a conspiracy with the scammer, and you are hesitant to tell someone about it). They live large and spend a lot of money, mostly on worthless consumer stuff like expensive liquor, cars, watches and so on. So the money goes back to the West (North, really) again. I tried to convince a guy I have come to know a little to invest instead, to build something in his community. He told me about a scammer meeting his client (that's what they call the victims) in Hamburg. He picked up half a million Euro in cash. Took it to buy trucks and other machinery and sent it to Ghana and set up a profitable leasing service in Tema, the main harbour. Another guy built a small but popular mall. I doubt most of the con artists have a good idea of what happens to their clients though, or that they think about it much. The workers are young and enthusiastic, and the big boys don't give a damn. Many victims turn mad, happened to a friend's uncle who got hooked way back when they sent faxes. The trick is simple yet powerful - obviously the letters are made to funnel gullible people, but also greedy people with low morals. This would help the scammer justify it to himself. Another justification is that their countries have already been robbed for centuries. By entering a conspiracy, the client will be hesitant to tell anyone about it. After that, it's just the sunk costs fallacy, or "sending good money after bad". Every time the stakes are higher, but the choice is to keep believing you will get paid or say bye bye to even more money than you're sending, and accept the truth. It might also partly be an exploit of the looser bonds between people, where many of us have individual economy and are reticent to share our financials/earning/spending with others, even close friends and family, and especially if we suspect they might disagree. Scammers are also quick to exploit current events. Last time I went to visit, one guy showed me a con he was working on which was a romance con. He acted as a British officer stationed in Iraq, who had come across some of all of the lost billions of dollars the US brought there in cash. There are a lot of 419ers in Ghana, disliked by many but they spend in bars and hotels. They tend to live on credit though (the workers), only (hopefully) paying their bills after a payout. I'm not sure about the central police department, but the local police are definitely bought off. I know them via the innkeeper, a Ghanaian who don't like them much but they give him business. It's a crazy world.

logicallee 10y ago
Dude, you have GOT to write this up in muuuuuhuch more detail. This is fascinating!! You're a good writer but obviously these few paragraphs are off-the-cuff. Couldn't you make a longer version? I would be careful about your personal association (I mean can you write in a way that isn't linked to you), I hope you can do so anonymously. Very interesting reading! Thanks. Here's a vote for writing more!
- yesbabyyes 10y ago
  Hey, thanks. Perhaps I might, not right now though. I'm not very worried about the association, these things aren't that secret. I can tell you though that there is some more disturbing things going on in Ghana, with what they call Sakawa Boys. Sakawa is the name for online scams. Sakawa Boys are more into carding/skimming, but there is a way darker side to Sakawa which I don't think is happening with the 419ers. They are also much less approachable, at least to me, Nigerians (at least in Ghana) tend to be very easy going and open. The thing with Sakawa is that it is tied up with juju/voodoo and dark magic. They will perform various rituals to earn magic, money attracting powers. I'm interested in magic myself but stay the hell away from this. It's hard to know what's real and how the whole thing works, but young men (around 20) often unemployed, poor and lusting for a western lifestyle, status and respect will go to a witch doctor to get magical powers. The witch doctor will tell them to perform a ritual. It may involve snakes or other animals, but sometimes they will be told to kill a person and bring, well, body parts. After that they will get magic money earning powers. It's shrouded in secrecy and nobody likes to talk about this but I think it's similar to entering a gang, you need to prove yourself. Same thing which also happens in secret societies. It's a way of building unbreakable loyalty because you have done something unthinkable together. The difference with criminal gangs in the west is the whole dark magic thing. Really, it's just about power, bonds and hierarchy. The thing is, you will see young men (the big boys, usually, around 30 perhaps) with extremely luxurious cars. In an area with people living in shacks you will see someone roll up in a Bentley, even. I don't quite understand how they make all that money. Even young men will have bags of cash. There are Sakawa girls too, who will romance you and steal your card. This is much harder to know about because nobody will talk about it. I suspect it also involves the drug trade, since West Africa has become a port for cocaine from South America. Sometimes a boat will come ashore with mountains of coke. There is a guy in the area where I use to visit who always walks around completely naked, in a zombie like state. He could have been 17 last time I was there almost three years ago. I was told someone had performed voodoo on him and he was unable to wear clothes. I'm pretty sure he has been given datura, which may well be the worst drug known to man (apparently, the British soldiers who fought down Bacon's Rebellion took it). These witch doctors wield considerable power and are a huge problem in parts of West Africa. Thanks again, I'll write something up when I get some inspiration and peace and quiet.