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I can't wait to hear how this American guy ended up working with the Nigerian scammers. Nothing in the online reporting so far. I like to imagine he was himself

I can't wait to hear how this American guy ended up working with the Nigerian scammers. Nothing in the online reporting so far. I like to imagine he was himself a victim and then impressed the scammers with his intelligence and ability to help them conduct further scams.

breakingcups 9y ago
Often times, they are indeed victims themselves. When they've been wrung completely dry of literally hundreds of thousands of dollars and they are in such a deep hole they can't see a way out, the scammer will then ask them to assist in forwarding money. They are patsies, pure and simple. Other times people will just be recruited for a work-from-home job as a "remailer", which again involves acting as a proxy for payments, cheques or physical goods and shipping them off to the scammer. I can assure you of one thing. He didn't impress any scammers with his intelligence, the opposite in fact. They (the actual scammers) need people who do what they are told without questioning it too much. The real scammers don't get arrested. Usually.
- NelsonMinar 9y ago
  I believe your narrative; is there anything good published about that?
  - SCHiM 9y ago
    Possibly related, and enjoyable: https://www.amazon.com/Spam-Nation-Organized-Cybercrime_from-Epidemic/dp/1501210424 https://www.amazon.com/Spam-Nation-Organized-Cybercrime_from... These don't document nigerian prince scams, but they are close.
- razakel 9y ago
  They're even targeting kids here in Britain. Gangs post pictures on social media of huge wads of cash, then tell the kids that all they need to do is move a bank transfer. And suddenly you've duped a dopey 14-year-old into money laundering.
rhizome 9y ago
I'm assuming that he's a 67yo guy who is running out of money and doesn't want to be a homeless senior citizen, which occurs surprisingly often in the US. Desperation is a hell of a motivator, and I'm willing to predict that he uses a public defender.

breakingcups 9y ago

Often times, they are indeed victims themselves. When they've been wrung completely dry of literally hundreds of thousands of dollars and they are in such a deep hole they can't see a way out, the scammer will then ask them to assist in forwarding money. They are patsies, pure and simple. Other times people will just be recruited for a work-from-home job as a "remailer", which again involves acting as a proxy for payments, cheques or physical goods and shipping them off to the scammer. I can assure you of one thing. He didn't impress any scammers with his intelligence, the opposite in fact. They (the actual scammers) need people who do what they are told without questioning it too much. The real scammers don't get arrested. Usually.

NelsonMinar 9y ago
I believe your narrative; is there anything good published about that?
- SCHiM 9y ago
  Possibly related, and enjoyable: https://www.amazon.com/Spam-Nation-Organized-Cybercrime_from-Epidemic/dp/1501210424 https://www.amazon.com/Spam-Nation-Organized-Cybercrime_from... These don't document nigerian prince scams, but they are close.
razakel 9y ago
They're even targeting kids here in Britain. Gangs post pictures on social media of huge wads of cash, then tell the kids that all they need to do is move a bank transfer. And suddenly you've duped a dopey 14-year-old into money laundering.

rhizome 9y ago

I'm assuming that he's a 67yo guy who is running out of money and doesn't want to be a homeless senior citizen, which occurs surprisingly often in the US. Desperation is a hell of a motivator, and I'm willing to predict that he uses a public defender.