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419 scammers are pests, but scamming the scammers can go to far: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/363/Enforcers http://www.thisamericanlif

419 scammers are pests, but scamming the scammers can go to far: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/363/Enforcers http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/363/E.... This story is interesting to listen to because you start off with the predictable reaction -- those scammers are getting what they deserve. But then it takes a left turn -- they get quite a bit more than they deserve. You end up feeling sorry for the scammers. Listen to the piece and see what you think.

BrandonM 16y ago
The sad thing is that because of the conditions they have grown up in, scamming is one of the only ways for them to improve their lives. Now this man has actually produced some very good works of art, and instead of receiving the recognition and compensation he deserves, he is being ridiculed. This would have been a great opportunity to pull someone out of his current condition and encourage him to make and sell art, improving his life and the lives of others. Instead, he's pretty much guaranteed to continue scamming.
- rdtsc 16y ago
  I doubt this man spent time to produce the sculpture -- remember his full time job is scamming, there is probably not much time left for sculpture. Scamming is quite profitable and labor in Nigeria is probably fairly cheap, so if I had to guess, he probably payed someone else to do the work.
  - kgermino 16y ago
    Or, as smoody pointed out below, force someone to do it at gunpoint.
- bugsy 16y ago
  I tend to agree with you. What strikes me about these cases is that the people readily jump on opportunities to earn income through honest work such as carving, transcribing and other things they are asked to do by the baiters. That they are eager to do quality work for pay does not indicate to me that they are scamming because they are bad people who don't like to work. It indicates they are scamming because it is the only source of income they have discovered. A pity too since their country is rich in resources, most of which are being ransacked by western companies for the benefit of europeans and americans.

BrandonM 16y ago

The sad thing is that because of the conditions they have grown up in, scamming is one of the only ways for them to improve their lives. Now this man has actually produced some very good works of art, and instead of receiving the recognition and compensation he deserves, he is being ridiculed. This would have been a great opportunity to pull someone out of his current condition and encourage him to make and sell art, improving his life and the lives of others. Instead, he's pretty much guaranteed to continue scamming.

rdtsc 16y ago
I doubt this man spent time to produce the sculpture -- remember his full time job is scamming, there is probably not much time left for sculpture. Scamming is quite profitable and labor in Nigeria is probably fairly cheap, so if I had to guess, he probably payed someone else to do the work.
- kgermino 16y ago
  Or, as smoody pointed out below, force someone to do it at gunpoint.
bugsy 16y ago
I tend to agree with you. What strikes me about these cases is that the people readily jump on opportunities to earn income through honest work such as carving, transcribing and other things they are asked to do by the baiters. That they are eager to do quality work for pay does not indicate to me that they are scamming because they are bad people who don't like to work. It indicates they are scamming because it is the only source of income they have discovered. A pity too since their country is rich in resources, most of which are being ransacked by western companies for the benefit of europeans and americans.