OT: Are People Really Dumb Enough?

tbontob · #1 July 3rd, 2003, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Erax:
Why all the anger all of a sudden ? What have these guys ever done to you, other than provide a few laughs ?

Rest assured that they are making a profit from their operation, otherwise they would have moved on to something else long ago.

I also got one of these emails from Hong Kong, BTW.

Unfortunately true. Some people are falling for this and are keeping them in business.

But hey, many of us fall for the lotteries. Most only pay out 50% or less of what they take in.

If you look at the fact that on average we will only win 50 cents of each dollar we put in, some of us may think twice about buying another ticket.

But the big win is alluring and the fact that most lottery players get only a couple percent return on their investment does not stop them from playing.

Similiarly, the big win is the allure in this scam. The fact that a persons chance of winning is virtually zero is not much different from the lottery where the odds are more than a million to one.

It is arguable that the difference is only one of degree. Or the fact that one is legal and the other isn't.

But it still comes down to the fact that in both cases, the huge majority of "players" do not come out winners in the long run.

Erax · #2 July 3rd, 2003, 08:10 PM

I personally have very little sympathy for someone who falls for such a scam. Supposing they were true - every single one of them - they would still be illegal. All of the scam letters make it clear that this is some sort of 'dirty money' that they want to share with you.

My Hong Kong letter was milder - it referred to a person who died in a plane crash, leaving a huge bank account and no heirs. But it's still illegal, they wanted me to pose as a relative of the deceased to get at the money.

Making the deal illegal - and making sure the target knows it's illegal, from day one - is important because the target will be less likely to talk about it, and therefore less likely to find out it's a scam.

Which brings us back to my first point. Anyone who falls for this is knowingly entering an illegal transaction, and deserves to learn an expensive lesson.

Mathias_Ice · #3 July 3rd, 2003, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Atrocities:
And while I was typing my Last message I recieved this:

You really have to wonder with all of the press that has been given to these scams why the dumb f***s that send them haven't cought on? I mean are thay that dumb that they would dare think that there are any people in the US who have not heard about these scams? What kind of dumb, back water, dirt floor, bare foot, buck toothed, mono-brow, bug eating, sheep loving, Nigerian dumb ****s are these people? There has got to be someone over there with brains.

Or do we really still have ultra dumb people here that are so blinded by greed that they refuse to see that this is a scam? I think a little of both so I have ammended my previous post to include thinning the heard here at home as well.

IF YOU ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO FALL FOR THIS SCAM, OR ANY SCAM LIKE IT, YOU ARE A FOOL AND YOU DESERVED IT! DO NOT BREED!

I was reading a while back on a web site that was about "what to do if you get this email" that the people who run this scam actually end up getting prominent positions in that country's government.

tesco samoa · #4 July 3rd, 2003, 09:56 PM

I am currently involved in 4 such ventures as the one listed here.

As I am well known and wanted by most western governments I need to keep this under the raps.

Do you know Dr. Konagagi of South Africa. He is willing to offer his assistance. What I need to do is get your bank info so I may pass it on to Dr. Konagagi. In return I will give you information about a bank in South Africa. I can help both of you out. In return I ask for a small fee of 25%. This is secured personally by myself and the organization that I am currently a member of. Natually of course you may not ask what this organization is.

But I do suggest that you are promt in all actions that are required. As we will surely do the same for you and your family.

Take Care.

PvK · #5 July 3rd, 2003, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Atrocities:
...

You really have to wonder with all of the press that has been given to these scams why the dumb f***s that send them haven't cought on? I mean are thay that dumb that they would dare think that there are any people in the US who have not heard about these scams? What kind of dumb, back water, dirt floor, bare foot, buck toothed, mono-brow, bug eating, sheep loving, Nigerian dumb ****s are these people? There has got to be someone over there with brains.

Or do we really still have ultra dumb people here that are so blinded by greed that they refuse to see that this is a scam? I think a little of both so I have ammended my previous post to include thinning the heard here at home as well.

...

Oh yes indeed, there are ultra dumb (or simply gullible and inexperienced) people all over. The Nigerians have found an industry that is very profitable from their situation, compared to their other industries. Part of this is due to the extreme currency exchange rates and other economic imbalances. Faced between manual farming a desert for one dollar a day, or sending spam for five dollars a day, some choose this dark life of crime, while the ring-leaders might make as much as a McDonalds manager, any signifigant earnings probably going off to pay off the local warlord/governor (just making up the details, but the real details I've seen from so-called "third world" ecominies have been just as amazing).

PvK

Gryphin · #6 July 3rd, 2003, 10:46 PM

Erax,
I don't' know why I'm angry but since anger is an emotion I'm not really surprised.
I'm guessing it has to do with:
From what I hear they don't just get some of the persons money. They clean them out. This hurts a lot of inocent people like their familys. More than one retierment account has been emptied.
Some of the people dumb enough to fall for this are also too dumb to understand the illeagle aspect of it.
A few have been caught. I expect most are un touchable.
I sence a level of injustice that brings out
Gryphin Rampant
So, yes, I'm angry. Is it "Rational"? Your call.

Erax · #7 July 3rd, 2003, 11:12 PM

Gryphin, no one has to be rational all the time. But if you want to do something about it then warn people. Not people like us, we're likely to know about it already, but people who look like they might fall for it.

My boss, for example. He took me aside one day and showed me one of those emails, with a really worried expression. I told him how the scam worked and suggested we warn the rest of our staff.

Warning the people around you will materially hurt those guys over there. Now that would be satisfying to me (if I wanted to hurt them).