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Spam Government The Courts News Your Rights Online

Sydney 419 Scammer Jailed 193

Posted by timothy from the many-pensioners-still-on-the-loose dept.
kjots writes "The ABC is reporting that the Sydney District Court has sentenced a disability pensioner to more than five years in jail for his part behind a Nigerian email scam. One down ..."
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Sydney 419 Scammer Jailed More

Sydney 419 Scammer Jailed

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  • Interesting... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by cfalcon ( 779563 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:33AM (#10763794)
    How come when they finally get busted, it's not the stereotypical sleazeball you hope for? Life would be easy if it were 1 dimensional. Oh well, still good to see crime being punished.

    • Re:Interesting... (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      How people want life to be easy when it is not.

      You would actually hope for a sleazeball?! Its that kind of thinking that make all Arabs terrorists, all programmers basement dwelling trolls, and all righteous policies reasonable.

      After all your either with us or against us!

      • Re:Interesting... (Score:2, Insightful)

        by cfalcon ( 779563 )
        Yes, you would hope that a person running a scam is in all ways sleazy. While this is to some extent simplistic thinking, it's not *at all* the steretyping you mention.

        Wishing that people behave in consistent ways is not wishing that they lived up to stereotypes. Wishing that a person who engages in horrible scams is the kind of person who engages in *OTHER* morally questionable activity is wishing for consistency. It the equivalent of wishing that all Arabs are at least partially of Arabic descent, and

    • Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by frovingslosh ( 582462 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:41AM (#10763827)
      So he's a "disability pensioner", so what? Why assume he's not a sleazeball? Heck, I'm assuming his "disability" is a scam too.

      • Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Informative)

        by harrisben ( 823301 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:07AM (#10763942) Homepage
        Being on a disability pension doesn't necessarily dicatate the degree of your disability in Australia. It could be anything from having a bad back (can't do any lifting) all the way to quadraplegia (definitely can't do any lifting). I'm assuming this guy was of the 'bad back' kind.
        • What about the people who pretended to charge a fake paypal account of mine $175 - should they get 9 yrs too?

        • Re:Interesting... (Score:1, Insightful)

          by Anonymous Coward
          Great to see you assume he's got a bad back.

        • Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Funny)

          by yowi ( 175141 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @07:09AM (#10764449)
          There's these 3 blokes (Yank with a broke arm, Pom on crutches, and an Aussie with a bad back) in the pub having a drink.

          The yank goes up to the bar to buy a round and the bartender says "You see that guy at the end there? Thats Jesus"
          The Yank says "Godamn if it aint, get one for him while your at it!"

          A short time later the Pom goes up to the bar and the bartender tells him about the distinguished guest.
          The Pom said "Good lord, so it is, make sure the good chap has a fresh drink will you"


          Then its the Aussies turn, same deal, Jesus up the end,
          "No shit mate" give him a pot of ya best.


          Not long after that, Jesus finishes his drinks and heads over to the 3 at the table
          "You 3 have shown generosity and kindness when obviously you have dificulties of you own, so I would like to do something for you"

          He then touches the Yank on the head and his cast falls off, arm fixed.
          He touches the Pom on the head and his legs are fixed.
          He reaches out for the Aussie who jumps up screaming

          "Dont touch me!!! I'm on compo!!"

          • What's compo? I checked wikipedia and google :\
          • What is a Pom? And what is compo?
            • "Pom" or "Pommie" as in "You Pommie bastard" or "You whinging Poms" are colloquial Aussie for us Brits.

            • Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Informative)

              by 88NoSoup4U88 ( 721233 )
              Pom (pommies) , iirc, comes from 'Prisoner of Motherland/Mothercountry' ; which is being used for English people by Aussies.

              Compo, would have to be welfare-money ; Or a 'dole-bludger' (sp?) (by lack of a better word)

            • Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Informative)

              by mr_snarf ( 807002 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @11:35AM (#10766118)
              I'm an Aussie. A pom is a british person. Well, I guess only an english person, but its a slang term, could encompass all brits.

              Compo is short for compensation. I don't have any experience with it myself, but I'm assuming its like the dole but with a bit more money, since you won't ever be able to get a job.

              The dole is unemployment benefits/Social Security.

              Incase anyone is interested (like, someone from a country without proper social security), I'm on Youth Allowance. I get paid money because I'm studying and my parents don't earn enough to support me (If my parents did, then I'd have to prove my independance from them).

              Currently while I'm studying, the university costs are also paid for by the government via HECS. Basically its an interest free loan. Currently our goverment is trying to get rid of this system, not exactly sure why, probably don't want low-income earners to become educated.

              By the way, regarding compo, it makes Australian's sound like they have the laziest workforce. Infact, we don't, I think we are close to the top when it comes to workhours. In the old days Australia was considered to be workers paradise, with extremely short working days etc, certainly isn't the case now, but some people seem to think it is.
          • For those of us not from Oz, what's a bloke? and a pom? and a Jesus?

        • Schizophrenia (Score:2, Informative)

          by akintayo ( 17599 )
          Apparently his disability is a mental illness.

          http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Nigerian/niger ian_busts_2003.htm [crimes-of-persuasion.com]
      • Why assume he's not a sleazeball? Heck, I'm assuming his "disability" is a scam too.

        His disability is schizophrenia so it's not likely to be a scam and it certainly won't affect his sleazeball status.

      • Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Informative)

        by Gonzman2000 ( 829312 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:31AM (#10764019)
        In Australia you can be on a disability pension for something like back pain, it doesen't have to be so severe you can't move or are really disabled in any way. This guy could be a regular joe with a back problem, so not particular care should have gone into mention of "disabiliy pensioner"
        • You can get that in the US too. Not sure if the coverage is as good as in Australia, though. And you also have to worry about insurance companies poking around taking pictures through your windows. They'll do anything to catch you moving furniture, rotating your matress, or carrying heavy cases of beer into all the parties your employer assumes you're having with all your free money/time. Again, not sure if they do this in Australia or not.
      • Surely that should be disabled pensioner, not disability pensioner. Ahh well, there's no accounting for grammar on /. stories.

        • Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Informative)

          by stor ( 146442 )
          Surely that should be disabled pensioner, not disability pensioner. Ahh well, there's no accounting for grammar on /. stories.

          No no, it's right the way it is.

          A "disability pensioner" is someone who receives a pension due to their disability.

          "Disabled pensioner" would be someone who receives a pension due to their age and just happens to be disabled.

          Cheers
          Stor

    • Here's a little more info on Nick Marinellis (Score:5, Informative)

      by Lucky Kevin ( 305138 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @06:53AM (#10764400) Homepage
      The article is a bit sketchy, he actually took over 5 Million Australian dollars [sophos.com] from scamees including 571,302 Australian dollars from a Saudi sheik [crimes-of-persuasion.com]. The latter article make for interesting reading.

      One of my favourite anti-spam sites (including the name) is What's the bloody point?? [whatsthebloodypoint.com] I especially like bait number 8 featuring Miss Maureen Adje Charlse only surviving daughter v Norman Gorman Smith-Bidet III & Gonad McDangle.

    • Re:Interesting... (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Threni ( 635302 )
      > How come when they finally get busted, it's not the stereotypical sleazeball
      > you hope for

      Is it ever a stereotype? Usually it's a human being. You should be thankful that he was simply taking money from extremely stupid, greedy people, and not mugging/shooting/burgling people.

  • Here's my reply to those things (Score:5, Funny)

    by BrianGa ( 536442 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:36AM (#10763809)
    I modify the namea/dates/amounts/etc, and fire this off:

    Dear DR.ONORIODE BOBOLO,

    It is so good to hear from a fellow-countryman, having been raised and lived for many years in our most beautiful homeland, Nigeria. I want to send you my sincere thanks and gratitude for your kind offer of USD$25,000.000.00 (TWENTY FIVE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS) for taking part in this funds transfer transaction.

    However, I am a businessman too, and I make my living transferring large sums of money from and to my friends, relatives, and business associates in Nigeria. Therefore, I know that you would agree, that in order to participate in this wonderful opportunity, I must have an advance monetary commitment from you -- a good faith gesture on your part -- in order to proceed.

    Therefore, I ask that you deposit just 10% ($2,500,000) of the $25M into my PayPal account as an indication that you truly possess the funds and are actually authorized to release them. Using the online PayPal service is a very convenient and secure way to transfer funds. All you need do is access the PayPal web site -- http://www.paypal.com -- open a PayPal account, deposit the funds into your new account, and then transfer the money into my existing account, which has already been set up to receive the $25M.

    You only need my email address, which you already have, to transfer the funds into my account. Therefore, the complete safety of your account, as well as mine, is guaranteed and insured unconditionally. You have asked that this matter be handled with the strictest confidentiality, and I will agree to that condition, provided that the transfer takes place in a reasonable period of time, say by Friday, 5 October.

    If the money has not been received by that time, I must assume that you are not making a legitimate offer, and that you might be someone other than who you say you are -- although I can tell by the exceptional language of your email, that is probably not the case. However, if that is the case, then I will be forced to embark upon a most unpleasant course of action that I would prefer not to undertake.

    Because I have so many loyal friends in the Government of Nigeria and the Military, and many close ties within the Security Service where you work, it would be quite easy to locate your office and your home, as well as learn the identities of your friends and relatives.

    I truly don't believe that you would want to jeopardize their health and well-being, and your own future. I will access my PayPal account on next Saturday to verify that your good-faith payment has been made. Once that takes place, we can move forward with the final transfer.

    I trust that you will not disappoint me in this matter, since the consequences for non-compliance could be quite severe. I look forward with great anticipation to working with you.

    Yours faithfully,

    Issa Gidada, JD, MMB,
    President & CEO
    U.S./Nigeria Funds Transfer Organization
    Beverly Hills, CA
    • I'd love to see any replies you've gotten.

      As for the crip that did this in AU, as I always say, sometimes you gotta push the old lady down the stairs. Remember, you're only protecting them from the terrible secret of space.

    • Re:Here's my reply to those things (Score:5, Insightful)

      by ravenspear ( 756059 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:43AM (#10763842)
      Asking them to give you money through Paypal is a bad idea. These people have a buttload of stolen credit cards and that's what they will use. Ultimately all (or almost all) of it will be charged back by the card owners and removed from your account by Paypal's fraud department.

      Don't do it. It would only result in more grief for everyone involved.
      • If it's a stolen credit card, better it wastes a few minutes of a Paypal plebeians' time than result in unpaid stolen merchandise from a store before the (likely idiot) with the stolen credit card notices.

        Just my 2 cents on the issue, of course.

      • Re:Here's my reply to those things (Score:4, Insightful)

        by jimicus ( 737525 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @06:32AM (#10764338)
        How many credit cards do you reckon they have with a $2.5 million credit limit?
      • Oh come on, you can't be so ficnukg serious. You honestly think they would transfer 2.5 mill based on an email that basically mirrors and mocks their own send-out? These people aren't that stupid. They might not be Yale or Harvard types, but they gotta have some wits about them.

      • Re:Here's my reply to those things (Score:3, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Asking them to give you money through Paypal is a bad idea. These people have a buttload of stolen credit cards and that's what they will use.

        Agreed. I tried this too just the other day and someone sent me 25,000,000.00 USD w/ a fake credit card. I hate it when that happens.

        (I'm just glad my credit card only has a 10,000,000.00 USD limit so someone can't try that with me.)
      • Take the money out before the chargebacks occur and just abandon the Pay Pal account.

        Of course, you'll need a Pay Pal account you are willing to lose.

        There might be some risks to this method.
        • Given PayPal's tendency to lock/charge accounts at random, you should never have an account that you ARENT willing to lose. I have abandoned two, soon to be three as soon as I get a fourth set up.

          long story short: scammers claimed to never get products, so paypal gave them their money back. actual legit customer and I decide to cancel a transaction, and paypal wont give either of us the money. final result: scammer +$100 in products, legit customer -$100, me -$100 in products, paypal +$100.
      • Yeah, the scammers never use credit cards for these sorts of things (that's chump change). They usually send you a fraudulent cashiers check (you deposit the check, pay them the difference, and then when the bank determines that the check was bogus you are left holding the bag for the entire amount, or any money that you spent plus the amount that you paid back to the Nigerian scammers) or if the amount is truly huge then they ask you to wire transfer funds directly to a bank in Africa, Cayman Islands, or s
    • Hah! They won't even care to reply to a direct question such as: "Yes, but can I have the info faxed?" Or anything else. they will just resend you the email, acting as if they cant read at all. They are not smart at all, they are just bulk mailing everyone,when they finaly get some of the data they just report it to smarter people who make all the money.

  • Protecting the gullible? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by mind21_98 ( 18647 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:37AM (#10763811) Homepage Journal
    Although scammers are nasty creatures, shouldn't people know better than to send money to pay for something they supposedly won? This isn't a troll; I'm totally serious. Are people not taught common sense and critical thinking skills? In any case, I'm glad this person's going to jail.

    • Common sense? Critical thinking? (Score:5, Funny)

      by muntumbomoklik ( 806936 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:39AM (#10763819)
      You followed the election last week, didn't you?
    • You are gullible for thinking people are smart enough to not be made a fool. So, wanna send me some money? hehe, seriously though, if people were not protected from themselves, they would turn into the middle east.

      • Racist! (Score:1, Troll)

        by DrInequality ( 521068 )
        if people were not protected from themselves, they would turn into the middle east.

        Now that's plain racist.

        Try "if people were not protected from themselves, they would turn into the USA" on for size.

        Next try some tolerance...

    • I hear he'll give you TEN MILLION US DOLLARS if you help him get early parole.

    • Re:Protecting the gullible? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by jesterzog ( 189797 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:55AM (#10764079) Journal

      Although scammers are nasty creatures, shouldn't people know better than to send money to pay for something they supposedly won? This isn't a troll; I'm totally serious. Are people not taught common sense and critical thinking skills?

      Well yeah, in an ideal world.

      There are lots of people who are just a bit thick, but to be fair there are also a lot of people out there who are incredibly desperate, probably beyond what the majority of slashdot users could conceive of, and simply aren't quite thinking straight.

      From what I understand (I'm not an expert but I've read a little), the people who these scammers appeal to often aren't the people who are simply greedy. They're the people who've been told that they need a $100,000 payment on their home within a month or they and their kids will be kicked out of the home that's been in their family for generations.

      Maybe they've been trying to save money and they're malnourished, or perhaps they're getting over an illness that cost a lot of money to treat. (Perhaps they desperately need money to treat it.) It's the same sort of thing as the loner or widower who's sitting at home feeling lonely, and after three months of happiness through online chit-chat, decides to send thousands of dollars to an internet "girlfriend" in another country so she can fly there to say hello, only to have "her" never contact him again.

      It's easy to turn around and say that people were stupid to not be careful and give away their life savings to a stranger. But at the end of the day there are still victims and the scammar's still a con artist who defrauded people and often wrecked their lives many times more than they might've been already. If you really feel as if you have have nowhere else to go and the world seems to be falling down around you, it can sometimes illogically seem reasonable to take up an offer like this against any real common sense.

      I'm not trying to suggest that everyone who responds to these things is in the same position. Some, perhaps many, probably are just greedy and/or silly, although without meeting them I wouldn't want to pinpoint who. I do think it's short-sighted to simply say that all of these people are obviously stupid, without actually looking at the situation. This is nothing against you personally, but that tends to be the general tone on slashdot and I don't think it's very fair.

      • I do think it's short-sighted to simply say that all of these people are obviously stupid, without actually looking at the situation. This is nothing against you personally, but that tends to be the general tone on slashdot and I don't think it's very fair.

        I find that that tends to be the general tone on a lot of tech sites on a lot of subjects.

      • From what I understand (I'm not an expert but I've read a little), the people who these scammers appeal to often aren't the people who are simply greedy. They're the people who've been told that they need a $100,000 payment on their home within a month or they and their kids will be kicked out of the home that's been in their family for generations

        Let's see then. Here are some victims found by a Google search (top links chosen)

        • awprofessional.com [awprofessional.com] wrote: In July 2001, the Times of London reported that
      • My grandmother keeps sending money off to people like this (the ones that send paper mail - she doesn't have a computer). We (the family) have tried all sorts of things. We can't get the mail redirected so my aunt can filter it first because the post office insists on proof of ID... She keeps ordering new chequebooks whenever one goes "missing"...

        And she's not even batty enough that we can get a power of attourney to run this stuff. She's fine, she tells us and social services. And some days she is. Other

    • Re:Protecting the gullible? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      ...shouldn't people know better than to send money to pay for something they supposedly won?

      Behold, the gap between "should be" and "is".

      Are people not taught common sense and critical thinking skills?

      Just for the heck, I'm going to take that rhetorical question as an actual inquiry.

      On the count of "common sense", presumably such a thing isn't taught anywhere. It's supposed to be innate, right? And while "common sense" may tell you there is no chance you've won an overseas lottery that you've never ent

    • A fool and his money are soon parted.

      I can't understand how the fool got the money in the first place!

    • US Mindset... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @07:52AM (#10764577) Homepage
      ....while I've certainly read about people elsewhere that are suckered too, I think it really fits well to the american mindset. What mindset? The dream to make it big. Real big. The american dream and all that. Like "The apprentice" and Donald Trump.

      Many people realize that they aren't going to be the next Bill Gates, but they still dream. So they play on the lottery and hope that one day their dream will be fulfilled. Along comes this email promising the riches you desire.

      Of course people aren't convinced at once, but they become convinced through smooth words. Why? Because they want to believe. They want to believe that their luck has changed, that they will become rich, and that everything is true. There is no critical thinking because they've already accepted the premise - that their luck has changed - and thus this offer must be real. Flawed logic at its best.

      Once you live that lie, you're caught. Your life stops revolving around what is real and starts revolving around what it will be. Not what might be, what will be. And you just have to get there, do what it takes to get there. Once you do, everything will be so great that any sacrifice you make along the way doesn't matter. And so people sell all they have and believe.

      When you're first on that path, it is as if you're falling and the prize is there at the bottom to catch you. You can dismiss all your friends, family, bank manager, lawyers and even the police. You will believe any lie of how getting to the prize is harder, and how they need more money. But you can't accept that there is no prize.

      It is quite simply circular reasoning - because there's a price at the bottom, you're going after it - and because you're going after it, the price must be there. Most people can't see a cirular argument if it kicked their butt. (Example: God created Nature, hence Nature exists. Nature is a divine creation, hence God exists.)

      Kjella
    • Are people not taught common sense and critical thinking skills?

      No, they are not. In fact, it is almost impossible to find any form of educational institution where such things are taught.

      What is taught, is rote learning. People are not taught to think, they are taught to obey. They are not taught to question, they are taught to accept what they are told.

      If you would like a practical experiment in testing this theory, try this: ask any person, it doesn't matter who, to point out the flaws in democracy. M

  • Let me take this great opportunity to inform you.. (Score:4, Funny)

    by httpamphibio.us ( 579491 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:38AM (#10763816)
    With due respect,trust and humanity,I write this letterto you seeking your help and assistance,though its difficult since we have not met before.I got your address from the SOUTH AFRICA INFORMATION EXCHANGE (S.A.I.E)regarding your business profile and sincerity.I believe that you are capable and reliable in handling this urgent international transaction of this sort.

    I am MR.RUFUS MUKHENZE,the first and only son of COMRADE.BORDER D.MUKHENZE,the Zimbabwean former Minister for Youth & Gender Equality who is also a businessman and politician,in the Zimbabwean political arena.My father was the famous politician who stood firm against President Mugabes idea of continuous fight in Democratic Republic of Congo and my father also stood against the seizure of white owned farms and the distribution of it to the blacks without Compesiation to the white owners.Before my father's death, in his "WILL"he specifically drew my attention to this sum of US$21,320Million,(TWENTY ONE MILLION,THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAR)which he deposited in a safe box of a private security company in south Africa,INFACT MY FATHER SAID IN HIS WILL AND QUOTE:-

    "MY beloved son,I wish to draw your attention to the sum of US$21,320,000.00(TWENTY ONE MILLION,THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLAR), which I deposited in a box with a security company in Johannesburg,South Africa. Incase of my absence on earth caused by death,only you should solicit for reliable foreign partner to assist you to transfer this money out of south Africa for investment purpose.I deposited the money in your name and it can be claimed by you alone with the deposit code.Your mother has all the document.Take good care of your mother and
    sister

    From the above,you will understand that the lives and future of my family depends on this money,I will be very grateful if you can assist us,we are
    now living in South Africa as political asylum seekers and the financial laws of south Africa does not allow asylum seeker certain financial rights to such huge amount of money.In view of this,I cannot invest this money here in south africa,hence I am asking you to assist me transfer this money out of south africa for investment purpose.

    For your efforts,am prepared to offer you 25%of the total fund, while 5%will be set aside for local and international expenses and 70%will be kept by my family and me.All I want you to do is to furnish me with your entire personal phone and fax numbers for easy communication. Note that this transaction is 100% Risk free and absolutely confidential.

    Looking forward hearing from you.

    Yours Faithfully
    MR. RUFUS MUKHENZE

  • "disability pensioner" (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Kris_J ( 10111 ) * on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:39AM (#10763818) Homepage Journal
    How disabled? If he's one of those "disabled" people that you see up on the roof fixing tiles despite a "bad back", then this is no huge surprise. If we're talking wheelchair then I officially lament how times have changed. It used to be that wheelchair-bound geeks ran the local BBS.

    • Re:"disability pensioner" (Score:3, Interesting)

      by xixax ( 44677 )
      You do not have to be in a wheelchair to collect the disability pension here. It's quite likely he has something like arthritis that makes it difficult for him to work full time. Unless it's a really obvious disability, they usually keep at you to prove you really are disabled.

      A friend of mine was on a disability pension because he is photo-sensitive. They dumped him off said pension the moment he landed a job, and wouldn't let him back on when he found that he could do the work (because he was photo sensi

  • punishment (Score:4, Funny)

    by adamruck ( 638131 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:41AM (#10763829)
    Make them work for dell customer support for the rest of there lives.
  • There are more news organizations around the world [google.com] than those we are familiar with in the USA.

    • Re:ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN... (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Umm.. your point? This is talking about the ABC, as in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, not the Disney company.

  • One down... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @03:47AM (#10763864)
    418 to go.
  • 419 Eater [419eater.com] is one of the funniest sites on the net. Check it out when you need a good laugh.
  • "There's a lot of gullible people out there that are very vulnerable and they think that this is the pot at the end of the rainbow"
    Don't those people know that pots of gold are always guarded by trixy leprechauns who'll con you out of your own money to add to the pot?

  • Speaking of Nigerian Scam Artist (Score:5, Funny)

    by Seventh Magpie ( 826312 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:07AM (#10763937)
    They even have an annual conference. Check out this site [j-walk.com] for a laugh!

  • OT: Red vs Blue (Score:3, Funny)

    by Bega ( 684994 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:09AM (#10763947) Homepage Journal
    Come to think of the NYC Video Festival Red vs Blue extra.

    - Hi, I am Nigerian royalty, and I want you to send me money. Please disregard the fact that I can't spell Nigeria or royalty.

  • Greed (Score:5, Interesting)

    by nate nice ( 672391 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:17AM (#10763979) Journal
    Don't be consumed by greed. Although people taken by this scam are indeed victims, I have trouble feeling really bad for them. They thought they could get something for free, with no work, effort or percieved risk and they end up paying for it. Life teaches really hard lessons if you don't take notes before hand. Either way, you will learn these lessons. Just hope you are a good student so you don't have to be taught by example.

  • Ideas for frustrating "419" scammers (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Serious Simon ( 701084 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:25AM (#10764003)
    I am quite annoyed by the stream of scam emails I receive, and always forward them to abuse@ of the e-mail accounts provider that the scammers use (mostly free mailboxes).

    Hopefully these accounts will then be shut down before any potential victim can respond. The fact that the scammers often use a different email address in their follow-up communication indicates that these accounts are indeed often short lived.

    I have thought of mail bombing these accounts until they are shut down, preferably with legit looking bogus responses that the scammers have to read one by one, wasting their time and hopefully having them pay for extra online time in their Lagos cybercafe. It would help if each of you would send a response on any scam e-mail you receive (don't use your regular email account).

    Frankly I don't have the time and the talent for elaborate scambaiting (http://www.419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm is hilarious!), but I am interested in any other simple but efficient ideas for frustrating these scambags.

  • emails on sale at MercadoLibre (eBay) (Score:3, Interesting)

    by pmagsa ( 828320 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @04:42AM (#10764051) Homepage
    The war on spam is a very tough one. I have found that there are some email databases on sale at MercadoLibre (eBay branch for Latin America). Vendors also offer software for capturing emails on the Internet and for sending (up to 30000 emails per hour). You may see my finding here: http://abundando.blogspot.com/2004/11/se-lucran-eb ay-y-mercadolibre-con-el.html [blogspot.com] I'm sorry guys. Post is written in Spanish.
  • ...I'm surprised people are _that_ dumb.

    From a New Zealand Herald article [nzherald.co.nz]:

    Although described in court as a church-going disability pensioner and a diagnosed schizophrenic who cared for his ailing parents, police said his assets included a A$970,000 house and seven other properties in New South Wales, five cars, and an office complex in the British city of Nottingham.

    Seems this guy (Nick Marinellis) wasn't real smart though...

    Police said they were first alerted in February last year when the Hungaria
  • Regardless of how old someone is or what mental / physical state they are in. Ripping people off is not acceptable.

  • This is one 419 prosecution of many (Score:4, Interesting)

    by bit01 ( 644603 ) on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @05:32AM (#10764175)

    This news item is little old. Many nigerian scammers have been prosecuted [google.com].

    ---

    Company scammers who do paid-for posts on weblogs without attribution (i.e. This is a paid advertisement) are criminals and should do jail time for fraud.

  • Perhaps I'm in the wrong here, I honestly don't recall any convictions, but how come the US, supposedly the most technically advanced nation in the world, is always way behind on upholding the law involving cyber crime?

    Every article you read always comes out of somewhere else.
    • how come the US, supposedly the most technically advanced nation in the world, is always way behind on upholding the law involving cyber crime?

      Easy: Because the US is actually way ahead in its laws and enforcement regarding cybercrime, so the scammers always originate in foreign, usually developing nations where the cybercrime laws are extremely lax or non-existent, or the enforcement is so minimal that they have bigger things to concern themselves with than poverty-stricken locals trying to rip off (perc

  • Processing Fees (Score:4, Funny)

    by SWroclawski ( 95770 ) <serge@wrocLIONlawski.org minus cat> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @09:35AM (#10765102) Homepage
    I'd like to send him an email saying that I can get him out of jail and have a ton of lawyers standing by prepared to give him free legal representation. All he needs to do is send me $30,000 in processing fees.
  • http://www.scamorama.com/bigmac.html

  • Whack-a-mugu! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by jcuervo ( 715139 ) <cuervo.slashdot@zerokarma.homeunix.org> on Tuesday November 09, 2004 @11:38AM (#10766138) Homepage Journal
    I love that game. Fun to play, easy to win.

    Sysadmins need to be given legal authority to throw people in jail.

    Hmm. Maybe [xnet.com] not [ctrl-c.liu.se].
  • 46,000,000 (FORTY-SIX MILLION)... to go...

    bunch of lower case letters to increase the ratio of caps to uncaps to please the slashdot filter...

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