How do I report the Nigerian scam e-mails?

Question

I got one of those e-mails saying I've got all kinds of money all I have to do is blah blah blah. It's one from Nigeria. Just wondering if there is anyone I can contact.

Answer 1

I hate those letters. Sometimes I just delete them and sometimes I answer them. Not with my information mind you, but I tell them how they should reword their letter, such as:

"Dear Stupid American,

I am a scam artist trying to bilk you out of your money, " blah blah.

Anyway, I do it just to show them there are people out there who think their attempts are  amusing. I've won lotteries in more countries, some I didn't even know existed, LOL. I'd be quite rich if just one of them turned out to be true. Try playing along. I did once. Told them to send me a certified cashier's check for the dough. Never heard from them again.

Answer 2

You can report them as scam. Scams are notorious on the internet.

Http://JustGotScammed.com

Answer 3

I tried the A.G. and got nowwhere. I found it is best to throw it away.

Answer 4

Yes, you can report them to the FBI, as they are the ones who will look into the e-mails.  So call your local FBI office and report them there.

I hope that this information will help answer your question.  I wish you the best.  God bless

Answer 5

Like the earlier poster I can recommend 419eater - I've been a member for over 4 years and have had a blast wasting the scammers time with frustration, fake forms and wasted car journeys :D

...perhaps I should get out more.....

But I digress....

As for reporting - to be honest there's not much point - there's nothing that can be done to stop them - if the email host is a good one (e.g. fastmail) then reporting the scam email to the web-host might get the account closed.

However, it'll only take the scammer 10 minutes to open another one!

(A usual tactic is to 'block open' many accounts - scammerworkname01, scammerworkname02 etc - and just switch to each as they are progressively closed).

Most scammers will contact you from a 'bombing' account that can be lost - their emails usually ask you to contact them to a different email address - this will be the scammers 'work' account.

It is really not the best idea to respond to them, even if it to tell them to 'go forth and multiply' - a response will simply tell them that you have a working account and your email will be placed on a mailing list for more scam emails.

They send out many 1000's of emails at a time so any 'positive' responses will be valued.

My usual advice:

Ignore. Delete. Forget.

If you do want to try to reduce them, I would suggest opening an email account that you only use for friends and family - keep another one for regular internet 'surfing'  - scammers will use 'harvesting' software that can scan (e.g. a website guestbook, or open forum) for email addresses.

These are then compiled into a mailing list for spamming.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

A real fun website to go to is 419eater.com, its a scam the scammer webpage, but it has some good information too.

To report a scam check the USSS website. http://www.ustreas.gov/

Unashamedly cut and paste from the United States Secret Service website is how to report information…

• How do I report a case of advance fee fraud (also known as "4-1-9 fraud")?

The perpetrators of advance fee fraud, known internationally as "4-1-9 fraud" (after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses these schemes), are often very creative and innovative. A large number of victims are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses to share in multi-million dollar windfall profits for no apparent reason.

If you have suffered a significant financial loss related to advance fee fraud, please contact your local Secret Service field office. Telephone numbers are available in the Field Office Directory on this website or may also be found on the inside cover of your local telephone directory. Any investigation regarding this type of fraud will be conducted on a case by case basis at the discretion of the local Secret Service and U.S. Attorney's Office.

If you ever receive an e-mail or fax from someone you do not know requesting your assistance in a financial transaction, such as the transfer of a large sum of money into an account, or claiming you are the next of kin to an wealthy person who has died, or the winner of some obscure lottery, DO NOT respond. These requests are typically sent through public servers via a generic "spammed" e-mail message. Usually, the sender does not yet know your personal e-mail address and is depending on you to respond. Once you reply, whether you intend to string them along or tell them you are not interested, they will often continue to e-mail you in an attempt to harass or intimidate you. If you receive an unsolicited e-mail of this nature, the best course is to simply delete the message.

Due to a number of aggravating circumstances, such as the use of false names, addresses, stolen/cloned/prepaid cell phones and remote email addresses, verifying the location of and subsequent prosecution of these persons or groups is difficult. The act of sending an email soliciting strangers' assistance in a financial transaction is not, in itself, a crime. The installation of a credible spam filter and contacting your Internet Service Provider may help deter these unsolicited emails. However, there is currently no available program to completely block these types of messages.