back to article Nigerian scams are hyper-efficient idiot finders

A Microsoft researcher, Cormac Herley, has penned a paper titled “Why do Nigerian Scammers Say They are from Nigeria?” (PDF), and concludes the whoppers the scam includes are actually a very efficient way of finding likely targets. Herley's analysis suggests the scam works because it quickly passes BS-detection thresholds in …

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  1. Thorne

    People that stupid deserve to be robbed. It's the mule scams you need to watch.

    People selling something (puppies kittens are prime examples) Someone from another country wants to buy one. They put way too much money in your account and ask you to send the change to them via western union. Before you know it the police arrest you and take your money to replace what was sent via Western Union. It's a more believable scam than rich dictators and dead rich relatives

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      But who gets the money?

      I have no problem with fools being parted from their money - only with the damage that money does in places like Nigeria. Skilled Nigerian 419 scammers can afford to buy their way into politics. I think part of the answer is bigger and more selective taxes on stupidity. Anyone want to buy some lottery tickets?

      1. Nick Ryan Silver badge

        Re: But who gets the money?

        Who said that they're actually Nigerian? From studies and research into these, the criminals involved are almost never based in Nigeria and usually aren't Nigerian either. Often they are based in much more pleasant locations in Western Europe or the US.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Nick Ryan

          What studies and research? Please provide links.

          1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

            Re: Please provide links

            How about the article? The point, as I read it, was that these people deliberately choose to advertise themselves as Nigerian not because they are Nigerian and wouldn't dream of mis-representing themselves (!) but simply because it will scare off the non-gullible.

            So rather than asking for evidence that they aren't Nigerian, surely you should be asking for evidence that they are.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Please provide links

              Re: Ken

              Nick Ryan stated "From studies and research into these ...". All I asked for was links to the research and studies because I would like to see them.

              It isn't coincidental that it is called the Nigerian 419 scam. Lagos (the capital city of Nigeria) used to be widely considered the cyber scam capital of the world because of the number of these (and similar) scams originating from there. I don't know if this is still true but I would like to know., hence the request for links

      2. Fatman
        Stop

        Re: Anyone want to buy some lottery tickets?

        I get asked every time I go grocery shopping, and my standard answer is:

        "I do not believe in paying a 'STUPIDITY TAX'", which is what I consider the lottery to be. I work too hard for what I get, and I would rather keep some of it.

      3. Shannon Jacobs
        Holmes

        Such a Christian attitude. Oh, wait.

        Well, I'm sure that "fools" includes your own children, so you have no problem if I swindle them, right? Oh wait, I bet you get upset if YOU have to pay the piper. Or maybe you are ideologically consistent enough and insist it's really your own fault for failing to keep the kids locked up tightly enough, eh?

        Or maybe you're kids are old enough and smart enough to have already disowned you? That would probably be the best win-win outcome, eh?

        Actually, I certainly acknowledge that I am not responsible for ever fool out there. The problem is that the scammers and spammers see every success as proof of their business model. In many cases, they even use their ill-gotten gains as seed capital to go for bigger and more vicious scams. Therefore I conclude that ALL of us would benefit and the Internet would have more value for EVERYONE if the spammers were reduced. I'm not saying that we could convert them into decent human beings. I'm just saying that lowering their profits would cause some of them to move under less visible rocks.

        In this particular case, think about the numbers. There are LARGE numbers of people who hate the spam and only a small supply of suckers for the spammers to find. Why not leverage the big number against the small one? I'm also not saying that everyone has to fight spam, but if it were easier to do so and even a small percentage of the LARGE number took an occasional shot at the spammers, they could cut the scammers off from most of their suckers.

        What I'd like to see is something like SpamCop on steroids. Rather than one round of analysis with a tepid report to the ISP and webhost, there should be several rounds of increasingly refined analysis and targeting. I'd be glad to volunteer a bit of my time and thought if it would help disrupt ALL of the spammers' infrastructure, bother ALL of the spammers' accomplices, and protect ALL of the spammers' victims. Not just the direct victims who send money, but the indirect victims like the companies whose reputations and credibility are destroyed and even the rest of us who would benefit from a more valuable and less-spam filled Internet.

        You don't have to help, but such a system were integrated into the major email systems, then I'm sure that some people would use it. You'd even think that would improve the value of those email systems--but if you think you can convince me of any positive value created by spam, then I'd be interested in your explanation. (Of course I think that would really mean you're a spammer or stupid enough to be a spammer's victim, per the original article.)

    2. jake Silver badge

      Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

      No. They do not. You are a fuckwit if you truly believe that.

      Think about it. If you are capable of thinking, that is.

      1. jake Silver badge

        @ moron who downvoted me (was Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed.")

        Do you really believe that robbery is valid, when you are ripping off people with less "street smarts" than you have?

        You are a part of the problem, moron.

        1. Thorne

          Re: @ moron who downvoted me (was "People that stupid deserve to be robbed.")

          And the other part of the problem is stupid people.

          The problem with the world is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

          1. jake Silver badge

            Re: @ moron who downvoted me (was "People that stupid deserve to be robbed.")

            I have a funny feeling, Thorne, that you have absolutely no clue about RealLife[tm] ... how old are you? Gut feeling is around 13-14, or thereabouts.

            Do give yourself a chance to grow up before opining on this kind of thing.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

        Well yes they do... because they do what it takes to be robbed....

        Like gravity and walking off a 10th storey balcony.....

        So your saying, "Falling out of the sky and dying, has nothing in common with getting $50 million dollars from Mr Senior Generel Solisitor, frend of King of Nigerea, transferred into your Bank Volt? - but only if you send them $5000 first to pay the expensiveness's."

        And they don't deserve it?

        Fuck me....

        What's next? Living for 1000 years if you eat this magical toadstool from the ancient kingdom of Jin Wan, for only $10,000 - just send the money via a cash transfer to Mr Orinoko Womble in Bhumphuk Gnowhere, courtesy of western union...

        1. Hieronymus Howerd

          @Oh4FS [Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."]

          Any chance you could reword that in English? I don't know whether to up- or downvote you, but I assume I very much want to do one of them.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Thumb Up

            Re: @Oh4FS ["People that stupid deserve to be robbed."]

            Hmmmmm why?

            Caring if or which way you vote?

            I don't care if you continue to even breath.

            Reword that in English?

            Not for you, because you don't even know the subject.

        2. Ken Hagan Gold badge

          Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

          In most civilised societies, anyone with sufficient mental damage that they are likely to walk off a 10-storey building will normally be placed in care.

      3. The Jase

        Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

        "No. They do not. You are a fuckwit if you truly believe that.

        Think about it. If you are capable of thinking, that is."

        I agree, but consider most of the scams are of the type:

        if you help me launder money, I will give you a cut.

        The responders are willing to commit a crime for their wad of cash. I guess some are too dumb to figure out its a crime though. Poor bastards.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Happy

          Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

          They DESERVE to be ROBBED because they are MORONS.

          "Yessssssss - I'll hand over copies of my drivers license to people I have never met, along with my personal history, along with the $10,000 sent via cash transfer, to some one I have never met, in some country somewhere, without even making any effort to check that Mr King Frend of Nigeria Royal Bank Volt, is department of Oils and Richenss, is in fact a real person, in a real department...."

          "Better than that, I will post them my drivers license, and my bank book with my signature in it as well..."

          "Oh nooooo I have been robbed!!!!"

          "Oh fucking Duh!"

      4. Thorne

        Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

        I'm a disposed nigerian dictator who stole millions of dollars. Please give me your bank details so I can rest my money in your account.

        People that stupid often end up in the Darwin Awards, often cause their so stupid they fly to Nigeria to get their money back end up missing a couple of kidneys.

        Nigerian scams are good at filtering out the REALLY stupid people so they can be REALLY ripped off.

        How do you help people that stupid other than take their money off them cause they can't be trusted with it?

        1. jake Silver badge

          Re: "People that stupid deserve to be robbed."

          Thorne, do you really enjoy, and think it's OK, to rip off the mentally deficient?

          Seek help. Twat.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Idiotic comment, especially when you consider a lot of victims are the elderly,, and a lot of the scams are fairly plausible.

      Your comment shows immaturity.

    4. frank ly

      @Thorne re. puppies/kittens

      Your story does not make easy reading and is very confusing. Is there any way you could explain this 'scam' better, because it doesn't make sense to me, not as you've written it. (Note: I'm in the UK and if I was selling puppies, there is no way I'd ship one abroad so your example had my barriers up immediately.)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @Thorne re. puppies/kittens

        > Is there any way you could explain this 'scam' better,

        The scammer uses a fake cheque to transfer to much money to you via Western Union for some goods/services. The money appears in your balance even though it hasn't fully cleared. They then ask for a refund of the excess amount which you pay into their account.

        Western Union discovers the cheque from the scammer is fake and stops the payment into your account.

        You, the victim, end up out of pocket by the amount you refunded and, if you are prompt sending the goods, you no longer have the goods you were selling.

        Although the above example requires you to be selling something there are other ways the scammer can use this to get money.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Overpayment Scam

          It is quicker to post a link to this one.

          http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/financial_scams/financial_scams_4555.html

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: @Thorne re. puppies/kittens

        The pet scam involves selling/giving away non-existent pets (usually pets, although I once baited a lad with an unwanted polar bear). These scammers are almost always from Cameroon for some reason. The scam involves the victim sending money to an imaginary Cameroon based shipping company.

    5. CmdrX3

      My daughter had a similar experience

      She was selling something on Gumtree and sold it for £200, the guy sent her a cheque for £2000, (which I assume she was supposed to deposit in her account, send him the pram and repay him £1800. I say assume because I handed the cheque in at the local police station, which he was pretty angry about for about two emails. He wanted his cheque back (as he probably had to buy it) and was told to contact the police station I handed it in at, and never heard from him again after that.

    6. AnonymousNow

      Do you work for Wall Street ?

  2. Notas Badoff
    Unhappy

    Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

    We are all different. We are all a mix of things we have and a mix of things lacking. Enough people lack basic caution that scams are a real hazard for them.

    Before you start prating about IQ and the wisdom that anyone should have, think on Williams Syndrome. It is an identified genetic defect, a gross deletion of multiple genes. The aspect that I think on is described at WP like so:

    People with Williams syndrome are often affable and hyperverbal, demonstrating the decreased inhibition ability that stems from dorsal-frontal deficits.

    That is, they're an "easy mark". Hrmph!, you say, that's a specific medical condition, what about all those other fools?

    Indeed, I have to wonder, what are their lacks, from what do they stem, and are they *all* *completely* to *blame* for them? You may be at the far other end of the bell curve for 'simplicity', but can you claim absolute credit for your good fortune? Maybe you were innately equipped for exhibiting caution. Harrah for you!

    Now think on those you would blame for their lacks. Do you know, absolutely, the origin of those? Do you know where your blame comes from? Perhaps, it is... something lacking?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_syndrome

    (And yes, I've had the privilege of being called by my spouse's department chairperson, who was just about to press send, but thought wellll maaaybe they ought to ask.... No, professor, that's one of those scams... just close the email program and go hug your dog/kids/etc.)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

      >Before you start prating about IQ and the wisdom that anyone should have

      IQ, wisdom, nor common sense can save the victims of these scans. The one charateristic they all have is greed and that greed overrides all the things that should tell them they are being taken for a ride.

      As such I would disagree that 419 type scams are idiot filters. They do not want to target idiots as generally they do not have enough money to make the scam worthwhile. I would say they are greed filters.

      1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

        Re: Greed filters

        "I would say they are greed filters"

        Hmm, yes and no. "Not that bright" does not equate "not enough money in the bank" (well, for now, that can, of course, change when they come across a scammer), but in another context you're right. Programs such as BBC's Hustle and "Leverage" go out of their way to state that "you cannot cheat a honest man" - a tad too moralistic for my taste, but they are right in that greed can indeed overcome common sense.

      2. DrXym

        Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

        The victims of these scams are idiots but they're still victims. These scammers are parasites and criminals that deserve to feel the force of the law. In many instances operate from jurisdictions outside of Nigeria where more could be done to catch and prosecute them.

      3. Trygve Henriksen

        Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

        Actually, it's "idiot with access to some money" filter.

        A lot of those who 'bite' on these scams rob the company they work for, take up big personal loans, borrow from friends...

        The worst?

        Here in Norway, most of these transactions are flagged by the bank and the customer alerted and/or the police notified, but still there were AT LEAST 16 still sending money abroad to what was believed to be scammers, even after the police had talked to them about the situation.

        They've borrowed so much that they CAN'T AFFORD the possibility that it's a scam! They cling to the very, very, very small hope that it might be true and that 'any day now' the money will appear and they can pay back all that money.

        Sad, really.

      4. Anomynous Coward

        Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

        No, I agree with the initial assertion.

        They filter for people gullible enough to complete the process - the actual sums involved are less important than finding the few people involved you can lead through to the completion of the process so selecting for gullibility (the relevant form of idiocy) is the right thing to do even if it does also select for people who achieve less (and I do not subscribe to the view that idiocy and success are mutually exclusive in any way).

        Greed works both ways, yes greedy people (is there another kind?) and to obtain all they can but also they are reluctant to let what they have go.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          @AC 21st June 2012 12:24 GMT & Fred Flintstone

          >(and I do not subscribe to the view that idiocy and success are mutually exclusive in any way)

          >"Not that bright" does not equate "not enough money in the bank"

          Now tell me which bit of "They do not want to target idiots as GENERALLY they do not have enough money" you failed to understand. I don't recall saying you can't have a greedy idiot, however greed is still the major factor.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

      On one hand, I have compassion for people who are limited by their genetics.

      On the other hand, I have no compassion who simply will not be bothered to think -- e.g., people who are willfully stupid.

      1. Thorne

        Re: Percentages of percentages of percentages of positives

        "On one hand, I have compassion for people who are limited by their genetics."

        People limited by their genetic shouldn't be in control of their finances for these very reasons. Quite often they will ask someone else so don't get caught anyway. It's the ones who think their smart when their actually village idiots that get caught and deserve to.

  3. jake Silver badge

    Fucking DUH!

    Shotgun out a couple hundred million spam emails, you're bound to hook a few idiots. The "lads from lagos"[1] only need to hook one idiot to make well over a decade's wages ... at the standard wage in that neck of the woods, anyway.

    My mother had a 90YO friend who lost over $200,000 to these scum. Yes, she was an idiot, bought into Amway & the like, etc. Still doesn't make it right.

    Why various .govs don't go out of their way to stop spam email in general, and 419 scams in particular, is beyond me ...

    [1] Yes, I know, Nigeria isn't the only source of these things ... To be honest, most of the ones I've caught in my filters in the last decade or so seem to originate in Russia.

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: Fucking DUH!

      Why various .govs don't go out of their way to stop spam email in general, and 419 scams in particular, is beyond me

      I would really not like spam filtering done by *any* government, because they would *love* the ability to censor your email under the pretext of spam filtering. No thanks..

    2. Chris Miller

      Re: Fucking DUH!

      If you've got a foolproof method that will allow someone (including .gov) to stop spam without affecting legitimate emails, a fortune awaits you. The only realistic proposals that I've seen involve microcharging (tiny fractions of a penny) for each recipient - but this isn't too popular with freetards.

      Existing filters certainly aren't (and can never be) 100% effective, but still suffer from false positives blocking valid emails. I personally haven't seen a 419-type spam for years, they seem to be mostly about 'job opportunities' and fake Rolex at the moment.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: Fucking DUH!

        419 spam is super easy to filter. With zero false positives. I've been doing it for about a decade and a half. I'll be happy to share my methodology. For a price.

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. Thorne

      Re: Fucking DUH!

      "My mother had a 90YO friend who lost over $200,000 to these scum. Yes, she was an idiot, bought into Amway & the like, etc. Still doesn't make it right."

      90, gullible and has a spare $200K lying around. Yes it's terrible but on the bright side she won't ever be that stupid again. A valuble life lesson learnt. Money well spent.

  4. tkioz
    Go

    I always thought they used Nigeria because some first world countries (not naming names...) are incredibly useless at geography and world events...

    I mean I had a three hour debate with one guy who refused to believe me that Timbuktu was a real place!

    1. frank ly

      three hours eh?

      Did you consider using Google Maps (or whatever) to show it to him, on the map?

      1. tkioz
        Meh

        Re: google maps

        He claimed it was a "google joke like the 42 thing" when I showed him google maps and he claimed the wiki page was a joke as well...

    2. jake Silver badge

      Three hours, tkioz?

      I'd have bowed out after fewer than five minutes.

      Arguing with idiots is kinda pointless. Even if they are buying the beer.

      1. Benjamin 4

        Re: Three hours, tkioz?

        "Arguing with idiots is kinda pointless."

        Agreed - they bring you down to their level then beat you with experience.

    3. fandom

      Why Nigeria?

      They first started using Nigeria, back when the scam was faxed, because it is an oil rich country so the idea of some corrupt public servant amassing millions is not a far fetched as if they used Mauritania.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    We can all get caught on the hope, right place, right time, not paying attention. Although as you get older and assuming you still have your faculties, you get scammed less as you learned the hard way that if something is too good to be true, it is. Not probably is, it is!

  6. Jacques Kruger
    FAIL

    family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo]

    "other fomrs of attack." - that's the Reg's typo!

    1. Andrew Moore

      Re: family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo]

      at least the Microsoftie has the excuse that his typo would return a false positive from the spell-checker.

    2. Crisp
      FAIL

      Re: family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo]

      And "monetized", what the hell is that?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        What the hell "monetized" is.

        It's a word that has been around since the late 19th century. Do try to keep up.

      2. Ken Hagan Gold badge

        Re: monetized

        It's probably a mis-spelling of monetised.

  7. mccp

    Spam on the NHS?

    So perhaps the NHS should conduct the most outlandish 419 scams of all, but instead of fleecing the marks who respond, they could simply offer a bit of education. It would be a bit like screening for cancer, but you'd find idiots rather than disease.

    1. Horridbloke
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Spam on the NHS?

      My employer did something similar recently. We all received a gratuitous spam-looking email asking us to click on a dodgy-looking external link and enter our login credentials.

      Those that did click (mainly those down the manager end of the office) found themselves at a web page telling them they shouldn't have done that. Rather alarmingly several of them couldn't understand why.

  8. Pointer2null
    Coat

    hyper-efficient idiot finders

    "hyper-efficient idiot finders"

    I thought that was what parliamentary elections were.

  9. DAN*tastik
    Flame

    Nobody mentioned this yet?

    "They should replace 'Nigeria' with 'Cupertino' to see their revenues shoot up"

    Phwoar, that felt good! :)

    1. Jedit Silver badge
      Trollface

      "They should replace 'Nigeria' with 'Cupertino' to see their revenues shoot up"

      Not really accurate. Yes, if you respond to Apple advertising you are likely to get fleeced of all your money by a gang of international criminals. However, unlike with Nigerian scams you do at least get the iProduct you paid for, and Apple are patent trolls rather than thieves and fraudsters (YMMV).

  10. DrXym

    Spam millions of people

    And you're bound to find some idiots. I don't think there is anything sophisticated about Nigerian scams. They're just applying a tried and tested scam over and over again because they know that if you sample enough people you will find someone dumb enough to fall for it. Meanwhile other scammers are selling penis enlargers, fake rolexes, pump and dump stocks and all the rest on a similar principle.

  11. dotdavid
    WTF?

    Fiend not foe

    "won’t be pursued by anyone who consults sensible family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo], "

    Typo huh? I reckon it's good advice. Learn the fiends' tricks I say; you'll be better able to protect against them.

  12. GFT
    Holmes

    speaking of a typo ...

    I liked how you commented on Microsoft's typo "anyone who consults sensible family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo]" ... was this one also Microsofts ... "Sammers end up with a list of hot prospects who have self-selected".

    People I stone houses shouldn't throw glasses.

  13. GFT
    Holmes

    speaking of a typo ...

    I liked how you commented on Microsoft's typo "anyone who consults sensible family or fiends [that's Microsoft's typo]" ... was this one also Microsofts ... "Sammers end up with a list of hot prospects who have self-selected".

    People in stone houses shouldn't throw glasses.

  14. januszs
    Holmes

    I do not think there is any clever reasoning about the bullshit the scammers send. They just repeat the scheme that worked in the first place (calling to someone's greed) and they were telling that they were in Nigeria because they actually were there and in the first editions of the scam the victims were asked to get all their money and without telling anybody come to Nigeria. Now with Internet banking it is not necessary but the working scheme persists.

  15. Horridbloke
    Holmes

    The title is wrong

    The paper entitled “Why do Nigerian Scammers Say They are from Nigeria?” should be called “Why do Scammers Say They are from Nigeria?” (or more correctly "Why do scammers say they are from Nigeria?").

    It's something for the 419-baiters to bear in mind...

  16. Irongut
    Devil

    Hail Satan!

    I always consult a sensible fiend.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Total BS

    What a waste of effort..

    These scams work by targeting Human GREED, plain and simple. No further waste of time, money and effort in research necessary.

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Total BS

      So you didn't actually waste any time reading the article, then?

  18. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    I've seen quite a lot "from" the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    I think at one point we were tolod that the scam typically was operated from Amsterdam. By Nigerians.

    One angle to the scam is where you are persuaded to travel to Nigeria in person with bribe money, whereupon you are kidnapped, probably.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I hope this continues

    I hope more and more people especially the elderly caucasian get ripped off. Only fair for 500 years of slavery, the elderly are especially guilty.

    In my mind this is perfectly legal, cosmic justice, karma, call it whatever you want.

    1. Crisp

      Re: I hope this continues

      Even if it was you personally that was enslaved for 500 years, it's not legal, just, or karmic.

      It's just you being a dick.

      1. The Jase

        Oh dear!

        Obvious Troll Misser missed Obvious Troll.

  20. Kevin Turvey

    Spam

    I've always wondered what would happen if everyone replied to the spam. If for example one of those purportedly from your bank asking you to give your details so they could update their records, what if you gave a false name and account number etc. The spammers would have so much junk details to go through they'd have to give up. Or even just reply with a nice little letter that didnt include any information, they'd spend so much time looking through trying to find relevant information, spamming wouldn't be worth the effort.

    If just 1% of all the billions of spam emails sent were replied to in this way the spammers would have so much junk that spamming wouldn't be worth the effort.

    1. Old Handle

      Re: Spam

      While this is an appealing idea, Nigerian scam emails are almost unique in that they actually ask for a reply. If everybody got in the habit answering those it would actually mess them up. But your typical penis pill pusher wouldn't notice a thing as they probably use throw-away counts, fake return addresses, or similar techniques.

    2. Fatman
      Stop

      Re: what if you gave a false name and account number etc

      I HAVE considered that more than once. But, reason got the better of me, and I decided not to.

  21. The Unexpected Bill
    Stop

    I don't think so...

    I'm surprised by this statement from the report, and in the article:

    "Herley's analysis suggests the scam works because it quickly passes BS-detection thresholds in most readers, but those stupid enough to fall for the scam self-select by responding."

    Really? I realize that it'll be difficult to look at this objectively, as my "internal logic" (for want of a much better way to put it) always sets off alarm bells when I see one of these messages in my inbox. I really don't understand, other than through greed, why anyone with average intelligence would start thinking that there is going to be any good outcome from responding to these messages, even before they've searched the web. Isn't it an almost-universal understanding that almost any "Something for Nothing" scheme will either have tricky conditions attached or not pay out in the end?

    I've seen an elderly person (whose mind was failing) fall for a similar scheme. She was convinced that her grandson had really been calling her to get money since he'd been "imprisoned" against his will and without any recourse. In that case, I can understand why the con was successful. I got there just in time, I think, to prevent a lot more fallout. I don't know what else had happened, but the passwords for her online services somehow changed to unknown values around that same time.

    As to whether or not a "stupid person" deserves to be taken by this particular type of fraud, well, I suppose that can be debated all day. It's a given that this fraud will continue to happen, as society demands all types to keep itself in balance.

    Hmm...hope I didn't get here too late. I see that part of the discussion had turned to trolling for users of Apple computer equipment.

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: I don't think so...

      Contrast "those stupid enough to fall for the scam self-select by responding" with "anyone with average intelligence". Perhaps the penny will drop. The point of the article, by the way, is in the verb "self-select".

    2. Old Handle

      Re: I don't think so...

      I think you misunderstood. That was strange wording, but from context, "passes BS-detection thresholds" must surely mean "is detected as BS". In other words, "passes" means "exceeds" rather than "doesn't fail".

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Easy Peasy

    if its too good to be true then it probably is a scam

    Lab rats, lets have some down votes!!

  23. philbo

    Shameless plug alert

    I even wrote a song about it:

    Nigerian Spam

    ..to the tune of "American Pie".

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    The marketing will target only the most stupid

    Interesting that this is Microsoft research.

  25. Richard Altmann
    Thumb Up

    numb nuts

    none of you commentards seems to ever have visited a nigerian internet cafe.

    I did.

    It just goes like Bingo. Every 10 minutes one these 300 guys jumps up screaming and is saved,at least financially,for the rest of his life. big applause all around.

    so,if one of these non educated guys down there put their and their children´s future on a scam like this and win, they deserve it as much as this mzungu(white guy) deserves to be f*ckd over.

    Forwarding this mails to Interpol is stupid as well, espeacially when one resides in Uganda.

    The reply from Interpol is: please refer to your local police station.

    so let the Nigerians or who ever claims to be one, go on with their scam and f*ck over as many stupid Mzungus as they can. Greedy c*nts f*cked over for being greedy. Sweet

  26. BillCo

    There is a difference between greed and dishonesty/cheating.

    We're genetically programmed for greed - it is a basic component in competition and is a motivating factor in our success in the world. We are all greedy - in the Gordon Gekko sense of greed being "good", identifying and accumulating the things we need in as large a quantity as possible. "Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. "

    However, scammers will lie, manipulate and cheat their way to accumulation at the expense of others. Centuries of genetic learning has conditioned us to eject cheaters from the pack because they decrease the success of the community as a whole.

    For this reason it is important to distinguish between the "greed" that causes a person to innocently try to get a positive return from transaction versus the "greed" that motivates scammers to cheat and steal what does not belong to them. The victim is typically asked to bend the rules for a mutually beneficial outcome that most people would not recognise as being socially subversive. So from this point of view, the victims do not deserve the downfall they get while the scammers should be strung up by their jangely bits!

    1. Thorne

      Re: There is a difference between greed and dishonesty/cheating.

      "the scammers should be strung up by their jangely bits!"

      They should get strung up for sending me the 900th copy of the same crap cause I didn't fall for it the last 899 times and surely my resolve was weakening by now.

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