We should scam the scammers by sending them our illegal immigrants instead of our money. Then we could kill two birds with one stone.

Or better yet, we could email the scammers that they have a package to be picked up but it will cost them a bunch of money. After they pay, just send them to pick up our illegal immigrants.

Or even better than that, we could forward all of the emails we get from these scammers to our illegal immigrants. That is, if they have email.

The so called "Nigerian email scam" might have roots in Nigeria but the scammers are not all from Nigeria. I just wish the media would clear that up and stop dragging my country's name in the mud. There are many honest Nigerians in the world working hard for their money.
There are just as many dishonest scam artists in the US. Why isn't America seen as corrupt then? Every country has dead flies in their bottle of perfume, just remember that.

Out of 10 email scam offers I receive, 9 are from Nigeria. What I don't undestand is why anyone even opens this trash.

"The so called "Nigerian email scam" might have roots in Nigeria but the scammers are not all from Nigeria." True. And not everyone named Ponzi runs a Ponzi scheme, but these things are named after the first person or place unfortunate enough to become widely associated with it.

Having said that though it's no coincidence that there's an extremely wealthy neighborhood in Nigeria nicknamed the 419 for obvious reasons.

Has anyone read out loud the grammatical expressions contained within these "Nigerian Scam" e-mails?

They surely sound Middle Eastern to me - terrorists looking for funding perhaps?

...just One Man's Opinion

One Man's Opinion,
What you are saying is not far fetched at all, there certainly is that possibility.

Brian, forget about the misspelled Postmaster's name. Look at the language format. No federal agency would ever send such a poorly written document. Run-on sentences, mispelled words, 'Inland'???Give me a break. Anyone who responds to this deserves to be scammed.

Jim - You make the error of assuming that Americans educated in government schools can even recognize run on sentences and misspelled words. The government schools insure that they know that sodomy is normal behavior and that they know the address of the nearest abortion clinic, but the students graduate clueless about reading and writing. Thank the government schools that these scams are so effective - an uneducated populace will always fall for them.

"There are just as many dishonest scam artists in the US. Why isn't America seen as corrupt then?" - Toady

Not true. There are more scam artists in the US than in Nigeria. But the *domestic* scam artists don't use email and they don't like foreign scam artists cutting in on their market. And if it is any comfort to you, I see all the corruption everywhere.

I am a nigerian and I will love to stick up for Nigeria. But At this stage, let us as Nigerians put all our sentiments behind us and try to face this matter Squarely. 419 is a Problem and a disgrace. Yes there is corruption in the world, in fact it is a human trait. But if a few nigerian have decided that the strength, ability to work and learn cannot be used for a good purpose. Rather to come up with different ways of stealing from others. As a nigerian living in 2007, we should be prepared to take what the world is saying about us. Is there any nigerian that would say 419 is not happening in Nigeria? until we have worked to clear this illness in nigeria. We have very little right to say anything to the rest of the world(US media) We should clear our name. A true Nigerian is intelligent and hard working,but greed has covered our eyes from top to bottom. All we want is quick money. let us go back to our roots were there was pride in working. When it comes to 419 I hate to hear that the media is dragging or name to the dirt, we did it by our own hands. only us can clean this up. my friend if you don't like to hear the media talk about this turn the TV off. or do something to stop this nonsense among our people.

Max... I really have to wonder what "government school" you attended. I grew up attending American public schools, pretty recently, and was a typical average student. Most of my peers and I have no trouble recognizing a scam, whether it be in the form of Nigerian email, or homegrown religious charlatanism. Couldn't tell you offhand where the nearest abortion clinic is, as I'm not planning on having one anytime soon, and am more a fan of adoption anyway. As for so-called "sodomy", I'm not terribly interested in the private details of other people's sex lives, but I detect a note of frustration on your part, perhaps that other people might be having more fun than you.

Back when I was a used car salesman in a big city downtown location a Nigerian fellow would come in on saturdays and bug the heck out of my guys with all kinds of phony deals for TV sets, stereos, Armani suits. Despite my warnings,one of my porters actually went out back one saturday with his two hundred bucks, gave the money over to the fellow,waited for a hour and ,you guessed it,got ripped off.Anyway, the Nigerian doesn't come in for about two months and then one saturday,there he was, big smile,same scam. I went for the scam,met him out back and beat the crap out of him a,called out the porter who took all his clothes and called the cops from the nigerians cellphone.He never came back again,ever.

Warren, well stated regarding Mad Max. You sorta stole my thunder but were exquisite in your rebuttal of Max's comments. It is the elderly who, most unfortunately, fall victim to these types of dubvious ploys. They are more likely to respond to something official looking out of their old fashioned sense of genuine trust of people. Yet it is that very trait that infact makes them very vulnerable. Max, grow up and get a life.

Some of the comments above are really true, and same time upsetting about nigerians. Tell me a nation in the whole world where there no scammers or some fraud going on. It is only obvious when it's a nigerian involved. How come we don't blame these so call people who want to help the scammer by participating in their dirty deals? We have nigerians working in high places and doing pretty well. We can not use the minimum parts to generalise on the fact that nigerians are good people. The point is let the people who want to participate in these scams prepare to get whatever from their willingness to get something out of it. They are equally greed!

i think its all about the Americans been greedy themselves. Why on earth would someone ask you to send money to wipe another person's account? or why would you wanna have a chemical to clean a black paper to make money. Its called foolishness. Greedy, greedy Americans, yet they claim they have it all.

enough of this nigerian blackmail.

Due to the ignorance of many Americans, they are able to believe everything that they hear. Someone walks up to you and tells you that they are Nigerian and you just believe without asking any question is really sad. Most of these scams are perform by other African countries but it is labeled “Nigerian Scam”. A perfect example is the guy who came to confess on air about being a scammer. If you know how to read peoples accents you will clearly tell, he is Ghanaian. F.Y.I Nigerians DO NOT pronouns the word “just” as “jest”. Many of these people that get caught claim to be Nigerians and give the innocent Nigerians that make a good and honest living a bad name. No kinds of fraud are good, but please stop labeling Nigeria with that name. Maybe if we stop being greedy and looking to reap where we never sowed, we’ll never be victims. In identity theft, someone has or stole our identity but in scams such as “bring $25,000 and I’ll wash $15B for you”, you put yourself in that situation. The media does not even help matter.

I am a Nigerian and it is obvious how an average American may have fallen for a Nigerian scam. Americans in general are not exposed, they are isolated and are raised in an environment where trust and abiding by the law are the norms. This is a good thing, but it exposes them to scams, nonetheless, they are greedy also. These scammers prey on Americans general attitude of trust, but it works well to the advantage of the scammer when he meets one who has trust, and yet greedy. Its human nature. An American kid who has been sheltered all his life will never be as smart as a Nigerian, who grew up in Ajegunle in Lagos.

There are places in the USA that send their old computers to places such as Nigeria. STOP SENDING !
I am so tired of my in box containing email form a " Mother Mary" or "A rich relative that died and has no one to leave his money to" or "Some one is very ill and not expected to live and will need you to except money from this person when they die." They even go so far as to have a fraud lawyer or banker call you( 5 am in the morning)We Americans are kind but when we get mad we get Damn Mad and go after our wrong dooers. '''this scamming is harassment and measures need to be imposed to crack down on this now...