Riches from Nigeria

Search any online engine for “common email scams” and you’ll find millions of results. One of the most common and long-running frauds involve a Nigerian official or royalty attempting to transfer large amounts of money out of his country — and if you’ll only assist, a significant portion of the money will be yours.

The trouble is, there is no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. The basic scheme has been around for decades with minor variations, and has moved from postal mail to faxes to emails. The connectivity of the Internet has kicked the doors open to millions of new potential victims. The sheer number of possible contacts has proven irresistible to criminals, who use sophisticated techniques to obtain email addresses from all over the world.

The popularity of email scams is understandable: People still fall for them. Whether naive, overly good-natured or merely willing to fall for something that’s too good to be true, victims are in no short supply.

Other common email scams that work include work-at-home offers, weight loss claims, notices you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes, pleas from relatives or friends in emergency situations, fake checks and imposters, mystery shopper opportunities, debt relief, miracle cures, bogus apartment or condo rentals, or guaranteed loans or credit cards providing you pay something in advance.

But it’s the Nigerian prince email that should be crowned king for its longevity and effectiveness. A Hays resident fell for the ruse just before Christmas, and was bilked out of $1,500.

According to the Hays Police Department, which investigated the crime, so-called “Nigerian” email scams are characterized by convincing sob stories, unfailingly polite language, and promises of a big payoff.

There wasn’t much HPD could do for this victim. As Lt. Brandon Wright said: “There’s no real chance of tracking anybody down or holding anyone accountable if you send money to someone in another country. You’ve just lost your money.”

The Hays resident will never recover the $1,500. At least he or she had a sympathetic ear from the police, which might be more than they deserve.

Why would anybody think an unknown person from another country simply would give them millions of dollars for answering an email? Depend on the kindness of strangers all you want, but nobody will pay you outrageous amounts of money just for being alive. It doesn’t work that way.

The worldwide web is an extremely efficient and useful tool for communicating and obtaining information. People have to understand it’s a two-way street, however. The internet is also just as effective for perpetrators seeking victims. Don’t fall for the bait, no matter how good it looks. There’s always a catch.