I sometimes get spam-scam emails from Nigeria. You probably know the type, .. My name is such and such, I've got millions of dollars and need some help in getting it out of Nigeria, can you help me? I will give you 40% for your trouble, (i.e. give us your bank details, so we can steal your money).
I got one last week and thought about making a story out of it, my character, April Parker, is a naive elderly English woman who is interested in helping the nice man. So 'April' responded to the email, and I hoped that the scammer would be scammed. The story would be based on the emails that passed between us. So the scammer would be co-author. I hoped that we would strike up quite a personal relationship and some interesting stuff would come out of it.
Well, the email address drew a blank when I sent my first, and I probably really was naive in thinking that this particular scam that's been around for a long time, isn't sophisticated enough to sniff out my deceit.
I was looking forward to it. But do you think it corrupt of me to have started to do it, unethical? As bad as him?
Becca.

There was a website once (it may still exist) by a guy who replied to this sort of email, drawing the person on with questions and replies to questions, relying on their lack of fluency in English to reply as Mr Claus and speak of 'workshops' and 'being busy at this time of year' etc. It was very funny. All the correspondance was posted on his site - photos of the scammers too sometimes - and very affluent looking they were. I believe that he actually persuaded one or two of them to send him their bank details, whereupon he informed the bank what they were up to. As for being wicked, all you're doing is wasting their time and they must have plenty of that or they'd be doing something useful.

Nell.

<Added>

I wouldn't mind betting that you'll get a reply though.

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Typo alert: correspondence

Becca, I'm doing the very same thing at the moment. I was contacted by Mr John Manbasa formally of Congo, and assistant to the President. Now he's in South Africa as a refugee, but has some 32 million US dollars he'd like to share with me. I've expressed my interest, and am managing to draw the process out by saying my passport is currently out of date, and I await a renewal.

I set up a new email address to contact him with, so let me know if you want to read the emails, and I'll ww mail you with the website and password so you can go in and have a look.


All the best,

Ben

I don't think it's unethical at all. And there's a nice balance to it that really appeals to me. Keep trying - I'm sure you'll get another chance with another spammer!

<Added>

Just saw Ben's reply, so looks like you won't have to wait long at all!

Yes, I think mine, Mr. Colin Bade, Lawyer, sussed me. April Parker wrote saying she was worried that the money seemed to belong to a company that his client, now dead in the Lagos bombings, (along with his wife and three children), had been involved with as a very top secret agent, - so April wanted to be sure that it was OK for Colin and her to have this money. She was so shocked by the picture of the bombed building in Lagos that Colin had directed her to on the net,- that she wanted to give at least half her money to the families of the victims, (she didn't need all that money for herself because her husband, who died suddenly as well in a car crash, had left her VERY WELL OFF).
So I reckon I over did it. Ben, fantastic that you've caught one, keep it wriggling, if I can't catch another, I'd love to see the correspondence, it's like having a penpal isn't it.
Nell, I was fascinated, and laughed, to hear of the man who got involved with these guys, and Ani thanks for the words of encouragement, I'll have to swallow my disappointment and just wait my turn like everybody else.
Becca.

Wouldn't it be funny though if you suddenly ended up with millions of dollars in your bank account Becca? Drinks on you!

JB

It surely would be!
Becca.

I got two tonight, this is one of them. Poor little children. But this is more clever than some I thought. Slipped up though, I thought with describing the death of the beloved father as 'unfortunate.' Now I really do feel like a peeping tomasina.
Becca.



ATTN:PRESIDENT CONFIDENTIAL.
From; Patrick & Linda Isikaku
Addres;Rul457Au Angeer.
Abidjan Cote d`Ivoire west africa.
Tel; + 22507 831060
E-mail; p.l.isikaku@zipmail.com.br


(ATTN:PRESIDENT CONFIDENTIAL.)

Dear
My name is Patrick Isikaku 21 years old boy from Sierra Leone.My father,and
my younger Sister Linda, and I escaped from our
country at the heat of the civil war after loosing our mother and
two of our senior brothers in the war. As a result of the political instability
in my country even after the war, my father established his cocoa and coffee
export business in Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire. He was in Buake, a northern
city to negotiate for the purchase of a cocoa plantation when he was shot
and killed by the rebel troupes fighting to take over the government of
the country on the 26th September 2002. The death of our father has now
made us an orphan's and there by exposing us to danger.

Before the unfortunate death, our late father had in his
personal account with a bank here the sum of $16m
(Sixteen Million U.S Dollars). As a result of the present insecurity of
lives and property in this country, I wish to request that you assisted
us, to use your account in your country to transfer the balance of our father's
account. Again, to assist us with a letter of invitation that will make
us get our visa to your country for residence in order for us to continue
our education and to invest the fund in a viable business venture.

N/B: If this is acceptable to you, please reply to us soonext.
May almighty God bless us always.
trusting to hear form you as you receive this mail.

Regards,
Patrick & Linda Isikaku.
For the family.

Of course the really sad thing is that hundreds (thousands?) of people in the western world DO get caught by these guys on a regular basis. Radio 4 (You & Yours, I suspect) had an article on this some months back, interviewing people who had lost tens of thousands of pounds. Since you can only get into this trouble through greed and extreme gullability, it seems odd to me that this article (and others like it) always pitch the message as though it's something we should all worry about. More interesting is that people who have fallen for it and lost large sums of money are prepared to come on the radio and give out their names!

Mind you, if they fell for the scam in the first place I suppose it wouldn't have been hard for R4 to talk them into it .

J

My good scammer buddy John Manbasa must think I'm really dumb. We've been emailing back and forth for a month or so, and I was getting tired of it, so I thought I'd try something. I found details of another scam sending an almost identical mail to his, but with a different name. I told John that he had an imposter, also claiming to be an assistant to the President of Congo, and that he was in danger.

In his reply John used this to express the urgency of the situation, hoping to speed up the transaction.

Funnily enough, despite telling him of my good pal Ivan Okash, and the plague of locusts that swarmed my village, he still takes me seriously...

laughing out loud, Ben. What's going to happen next? Keep letting us know.
Becca.

Have a look at this website:

http://www.419eater.com/

It's all about scamming the scammers, and there seems to me to be tremendous potential there for a novel!

Hilarious site.

Jane,
thanks for that. I suspect I need a few lessons in the art of scambaiting, great site.
Becca.

U.S. dollars? Better tell him to hurry while they are still worth something!