Venditoris: Beware of Scams

“This is a five billion dollar worldwide scam which has run since at least 1989 under successive Governments of Nigeria. It is also referred to as “Advance Fee Fraud” and “419 Fraud” after the relevant section of the Criminal Code of Nigeria, according to the website: Crimes of Persuasion website.

This same website has several sample letters and interesting anecdotes about this and other scams and ripoffs.

It is also known as: Nigeria Email Scams - Nigerian Advance Fee 419 Fraud advanced fee internet-mail web scams from South Africa and West African / Ivory Coast / Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation frauds. and it traps many in its web of misleading promises and appeals for help..with a twist.

We tend to follow the Number 1 Safe-from-scam Rule:

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!.

There are a few more helpful rules, but the best and saddest commentary is the one attributed to P.T. Barnum : “There’s a sucker born every minute!”