Nigeria Scams. This article is a bit lengthy but worth the read. Your thoughts?

Question

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/nigeria.html

After reading this article, even though she's a victim, she's not. I believe she let her "greed" get the best of her and it landed her in a very compromising position. I feel bad for her but "some things in life aren't exactly free." Especially when it comes to money.

Answer 1

Your logic is messed up. Blaming someone for getting scammed is like blaming a victim in any other type of crime. It's not like the person went out of their way to get scammed. Someone had to go out of their way to scam her. They contacted her first. They preyed on her. That's wrong. The scammers should be punished. Not the person who got scammed. The Nigerian government is now trying to use the same messed up logic you're using. Instead of really doing something about the problem, they're blaming the people who get scammed. That's pathetic. They're trying to pass the guilt off on international victims rather than enforce the laws in their own country.

Answer 2

All scams are based on 2 things - greed and stupidity.

In a sense, the victim traps themselves, by thinking they're going to be filthy rich for "just breaking a law a little bit" or taking advantage of someone else's mistake.

They never think that;

Nobody is going to trust a perfect stranger with $40 MILLION.

Nobody hires an agent for their company at ridiculous salaries unless that person has established credentials.

Nobody awards a lottery win to someone that never entered the contest.

They just go ahead and plunk their money down.

In the same breath, I have to say that there are some really good scams out there - it's tough to figure the scam out and I can see how people desperate for money could think the scam's legit.

Answer 3

I think that she is a victim. Although she was being greedy, didnt seek outside advice regarding the claim, didnt stop complaining, didnt give up on the bank and seek a private credit protection program's assistance, she was a victim.

Answer 4

OK, I feel bad for her. At the same time people need to look out for themselves. There are wolves out there and the internet makes those wolves sit right at our door steps. Why would she then re-deposit another check AGAIN!!!! Why didnt she ask her bank. That is just silly.  

Answer 5

I agree with cannonball. I have read that the Nigeria's 419 scam has its origin in oil companies and organized gangs. If that be true imagine how well it would have been planned and played so as to look genuine?

Nigerian scams have grown to such enormous proportions that there are operators selling them to others for a fee (evident from the same letter we get from different sources). Nigerian scammers have moved into neighboring Benin, Gambia, Ghana etc and are operating as locals which gives the countries a bad name.