Symantec today has begun warning people about a nasty “419″ scam which is trying to take money from people who would like to donate funds for the people of Haiti.
A “419″ scam (aka “Nigeria scam” or “West African” scam) is a type of fraud named after an article of the Nigerian penal code under which it is prosecuted.
Below is a sample of one 419 style scam already circulating on the internet. The scammers used the correct postal address for the British Red Cross, and there is indeed a British Red Cross appeal for donations to help the victims of this disaster, but the BRC do not use Western Union for donations. Also, the email address supplied for contact is not one belonging to the BRC. Any money sent using the instructions in this email would not help anyone in Haiti; it would end up in the pockets of a criminals.
“Exploiting tragic world events for personal gain unfortunately seems perfectly acceptable for some cyber criminals, and the Haiti Earthquake 419 advance fee fraud example highlights that there are no boundaries on what they’ll attempt to profit from,” said Matt Nisbet, Malware Data Analyst, Symantec Hosted Services.
FBI Also Warns against donations to Haiti.
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As a Nigerian girl, I am most definitely appalled by the type of comments said about Nigerians. I have received emails like this before, and have not been dumb enough to reply to them. One of them told me that my aunt in England was stranded and in dire need of money…yur right… I live in America and I have actually been scammed out of my money, so guess what, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. There are always people trying to scam you out of your earnings…such as annoying american telemarketers..Ugh! But on another note, the person whomever they may be or wherever they are, should be ashamed, and disturbed for their lack of humanity. I am trying my hand here in america to raise money to give to the red cross for haiti. I cry so much as I view the images, and cannot believe that people would ever use this horrible earthquake in haiti for their own personal profit!
I don’t believe the scammers are sociopaths or psycopaths – they are young guys with dreams of making big money, living in one of the most corrupt nations in the world, seeing the tiny upper class get richer and the overcrowded masses in dire poverty – and they justify what they do based on the need to crawl out of the slums and the hopelessness. There is a great book by a young female Nigerian author called ‘I do not come to you by chance’ – the author’s name is Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani – that gives the story from the scammer’s perspective.
There is a belief that the Europeans stole from Africa over the years, so the 419 scams are their just rewards. There is also a general belief that money grows on trees in the West, so it won’t truly harm the sucker that is scammed…
A scam is a scam, I don’t care if it’s Jon Benet Ramsey calling from her grave. These people should be forced into birth control so they can’t keep having children they cannot afford and turning out criminals.
They may be victims of their environment, but taking out on other people is not an acceptable answer.
Cheers!
Why do you people always think every mail that looks like this is from Nigeria? Nigerians are good people. This could have been written by anybody..
You are a fool for saying we should be forced into birth controls.. Because someone wrote this.. the blame should be shifted to all Nigerians?
Anyone who would send money to Haiti deserves to be scammed. While the WHITE Western people are loosing jobs, living in tents and wondering where their next meal is coming from, to send money to a bunch of heathens is nothing short of treason.
I hope all the White liberal jibbering wiggers get taken to the cleaners.
james the justified with his soul lost aswel as his brain cells i thought i just take the time out inform you that ur logic is as flawed as probably your upbringing and your amateur attempt at political satire will cement u in history as one of the most pathetic bloggers hiding behind his pc you should be proud of yourself p.s this message from human to animal i really do pity you
It’s a Nigerian scam, I can smell it. Nigerians are the most notorious scam artist around, so keep you piehole opinion to yourself.
Regards,
It’s absolutely pathetic that anyone would take advantage of such a tragedy and play upon people’s charitable spirit to scam… Nigeria should be ashamed at having housed this rampant 419 fraud and it’s perpetrators for years… It gives bad name to everyone from the region.
The fact that it is called 419 scam does not mean it was done by Nigerians. Everything fraud related is now automatically said to be done by Nigerians without any valid proof.
For goodness sakes, this could have been written by anyone not from Nigeria, West Africa or Africa.
It could be a British person for all you know or someone from the EU or somewhere in the world.
Please give us a break and don’t blame everything on NIGERIANS. Or is it fare to say all White people are slave masters or all white or British people support the idea of slavery, apatheid or colonialism just because you are white.
Thank you.
:roll: It’s actually quite easy working it out and you don’t have to be an expert either. Read up on “email headers”.
Here is an example of what you will find having seen these all too often:
http://www.joewein.net/blog/2010/01/16/haiti-disaster-attracts-nigerian-scammers/
Where you are correct, it may not be from Nigeria, although invariably you will find it is linked to Nigerian syndicates abroad.
As for Africa – this reply is posted from Africa.
I am still trying to figure out if these scammers are sociopaths and/or psychopaths.