Comments on: Points for honesty? http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/ Sci-fi, comics, humor, photos...it's all fair game. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:02:35 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: New trend in 419 scams: UK Artists | K-Squared Ramblings http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-10079 New trend in 419 scams: UK Artists | K-Squared Ramblings Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:29:59 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-10079 [...] It’s usually a third-world country, often one with political strife, so that the average westerner won’t be too suspicious of the level of corruption implied. You never see this scam claiming to come from, say, France, or Japan, because the process would set off too many alarm bells. Someone needing to transfer that much money would either do it through normal banking channels or through organized crime—not by firing off an email to some random citizen in a foreign country. [...] [...] It’s usually a third-world country, often one with political strife, so that the average westerner won’t be too suspicious of the level of corruption implied. You never see this scam claiming to come from, say, France, or Japan, because the process would set off too many alarm bells. Someone needing to transfer that much money would either do it through normal banking channels or through organized crime—not by firing off an email to some random citizen in a foreign country. [...]

]]> By: Kizi http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-591 Kizi Tue, 19 Oct 2004 21:57:42 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-591 But WHY do people think that all this could happen without someone covering it? I'm sure at least one news network would cover it. If it was a slow news day. But WHY do people think that all this could happen without someone covering it? I’m sure at least one news network would cover it. If it was a slow news day.

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-587 Kelson Thu, 14 Oct 2004 18:21:56 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-587 Nigeria itself is a <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/nigeralrt.shtm">focal point</a>, though, and depending on who you believe, the government and law enforcement is either unable to control it, or <a href="http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/">actively complicit</a>. And it's big money --- according to that last link, it's the third to fifth largest industry in the country! Over the last year or so, I've been seeing more and more that refer to other African countries, or countries in the Middle East (including the occasional former Soviet republic). Always third-world, usually with political strife, often someplace that's been in the news recently so that marks will recognize it and so that they can link to BBC or CNN news stories for added realism. Liberia was very popular for a while, and Iraq is also showing up. Often the author claims to be an attorney or accountant based somewhere more first-world, generally Europe, but I've also seen Kuwait and Hong Kong. Then there's the <a href="http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/lottery.asp">"international lottery"</a> variant, which is generally based (or claims to be) in Europe. Again, it's all about perception. You would expect people in Europe to have money to give away in a lottery, but not in Nigeria, a corrupt governmental official trying to smuggle money out of the country sounds so much more plausible in Nigeria than in Europe. (In Europe, you'd wonder why they didn't just get a Swiss bank account instead of contacting random strangers.) Nigeria itself is a focal point, though, and depending on who you believe, the government and law enforcement is either unable to control it, or actively complicit. And it’s big money — according to that last link, it’s the third to fifth largest industry in the country!

Over the last year or so, I’ve been seeing more and more that refer to other African countries, or countries in the Middle East (including the occasional former Soviet republic). Always third-world, usually with political strife, often someplace that’s been in the news recently so that marks will recognize it and so that they can link to BBC or CNN news stories for added realism. Liberia was very popular for a while, and Iraq is also showing up. Often the author claims to be an attorney or accountant based somewhere more first-world, generally Europe, but I’ve also seen Kuwait and Hong Kong.

Then there’s the “international lottery” variant, which is generally based (or claims to be) in Europe. Again, it’s all about perception. You would expect people in Europe to have money to give away in a lottery, but not in Nigeria, a corrupt governmental official trying to smuggle money out of the country sounds so much more plausible in Nigeria than in Europe. (In Europe, you’d wonder why they didn’t just get a Swiss bank account instead of contacting random strangers.)

]]> By: Katie http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-585 Katie Thu, 14 Oct 2004 05:58:15 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-585 Probably because these are the only places that folks living in countries rich enough for widespread daily computer use are willing to believe have governments and legal systems messed-up enough to allow the setup for the scam to happen in the first place. Probably because these are the only places that folks living in countries rich enough for widespread daily computer use are willing to believe have governments and legal systems messed-up enough to allow the setup for the scam to happen in the first place.

]]> By: david http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-582 david Wed, 13 Oct 2004 17:18:31 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-582 they always link these scams to acountry where 5% of the populations is white rich people and the rest of the country is less than third world. they always link these scams to acountry where 5% of the populations is white rich people and the rest of the country is less than third world.

]]> By: Kizi http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-581 Kizi Tue, 12 Oct 2004 16:30:04 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-581 Off topic but...damn you all for having Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. I hate living in Britain. Off topic but…damn you all for having Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. I hate living in Britain.

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-577 Kelson Thu, 07 Oct 2004 00:35:38 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-577 It's where the current incarnation of the scam <a href="http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.asp">really got going</a>. As to why it happened there... No idea. It’s where the current incarnation of the scam really got going. As to why it happened there… No idea.

]]> By: Kizi http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-576 Kizi Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:02:30 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2004/10/04/points-for-honesty/#comment-576 Why Nigeria? Why Nigeria?

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