Shields Up!: 419 Scams

I doubt there is anyone with an email address who hasn’t gotten an email like this at least once: “Well, I am Barrister kelvin Jones, a Solicitor. I am the Personal Attorney to Mr.Steve , who used to work with SIAMRAK Company Limited in Bangkok Thailand. On the 21st of April 2004, his wife and their three children were involved in a car accident along Sukhumvit Express Road. . . .Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with you for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the money in this order: 70% will be for me, 30% will be for you.” Yep and if you fall for this there is a lovely bridge in Brooklyn and some oceanfront property in Arizona with your name on it. Welcome to the world of 419 scammers.

The “419 scam,” also known as the “Nigerian scam,” has been around since the 80’s and is one of the most sent types of spam in existence. The scam gets its name from the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code that deals with fraud. The emails, most of which claim to come from people in one of the African nations (some also claim to be from people located in South America, Central America, or Europe), contain a variation of the same basic story involving a bank account containing millions of dollars.