Posted by Jay on August 06, 2007 at 18:04:33:
“God” is the most reliable flag I have seen, seconded by ‘I hope I can trust you not to rip ME (the scammer) off’ (reversing the suspicion, and manipulating you into trying to qualify, and thereby dropping your guard.)
‘The Nigerian Lads’ are usually out of the country, and if in Africa, then, no the time/return ratio is astronomical in their relative terms. One simple success in perhaps, the $5k range makes them a few years wages, and also makes them a local hero. They may also advance in 419 gangs hierarchies with successes.
Search, “I go chop your dollar” on Youtube, and you will find the mentality. This is a music vid that is famous in Nigeria. This is also the criminal mentality in all economies. “I the Masta, you the MUGU!” (Mugu = White fool)
I was thinking about this literally just a few hours ago about domestic idiots. Why would they be motivated to work today for $100 with sweat and tools, when they can steal $2000 worth of tools, in 30 minutes and sell them for $200+? Its all ‘found’ money.
As mentioned above, every CL ad will get targeted. Put an alert as listed above in the ad stating you know the game, and use CL in a more advanced mode, and don’t take the CL response email, but include yours INSIDE the text. That way responders have to cut and paste to contact you. The Lads use address bots often, and miss the text. Relying instead on volume, and general subject matter. I have changed response titles to Lads to read “Fecal Matter Samples in Gallon Jars, $100”, and had them miss the change, and not be familiar with the reference to their sudden interest in buying my feces! Because the product, or service never matters to the scam.
Another time, my most famously bad response wanted to buy my (Car), then in the next sentence mentioned my (boat), and thirdly my (Motorcycle), all in 1 paragraph…I had posted a TRUCK for sale!!
Parentheses are used in some text programs to be a changeall words key, so I don’t know why the 3 inconsistent references, all of which were wrong.
Be aware of the list of tell tale signs. Steve and the previous poster listed several, and you will be able to reliably ‘read’ between the lines after 2-3 exposures. I can tell by title, and by name, actually, before I open an email.
I have read ‘Jewelry’ listings titles on CL, and reliably picked out scammers just by title with 100% accuracy. The “Financial”/ Services listings for LOANS also are rife with scammers. These last 2 are pushing scams, depending on advance fees, unlike your listings which are scammers chasing you.
I have had several checks arrive, as I ‘bait’ (waste their efforts) with the scammers, however I recently received a US phone number as a contact, so they are not all in Lagos, or Europe, so be careful about your person, and family.
In short, be prepared for bad people, and not all of them off in deep, dark Africa.
Just wait until your address gets shared and your scam offers arrive daily! European Lottery, BMW/Mercedes Promos, CL Car ads for 30% of the values of the luxury cars, emails requesting your help in stealing ‘found’ funds from ‘banks’, getting inheritances, and ‘standing as next of kin’, are all slight variations.