{"id":2996,"date":"2009-08-10T07:04:55","date_gmt":"2009-08-10T11:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geneveith.com\/?p=2996"},"modified":"2009-08-10T07:04:55","modified_gmt":"2009-08-10T11:04:55","slug":"internet-scammers-are-people-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2009\/08\/internet-scammers-are-people-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Internet scammers are people too"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

You know those e-mail scams you get from Nigeria? Well, it turns out that the promises of untold wealth if you help with a financial transfer and other scams, including romantic connections, have become a major industry in that nation. The Washington Post<\/em> has published a fascinating portrait of the so-called yahoo-yahoo boys who are in this particular line of work. From Worldwide Slump Makes Nigeria\u2019s Online Scammers Work That Much Harder<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Banjo is a polite young man in a button-down shirt, and he is the sort of guy on the other end of that block-lettered missive requesting your \u201cURGENT ASSISTANCE\u201d in transferring millions of dollars. He is the sort who made Nigeria infamous for cyberscams, which experts say are increasing in these tough times.<\/p>\n

U.S. authorities say Americans \u2014 the easiest prey, according to Nigerian scammers \u2014 lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year to cybercrimes, including a scheme known as the Nigerian 419 fraud, named for a section of the Nigerian criminal code. Now financially squeezed, Americans succumb even more easily to offers of riches, experts say. . . .<\/p>\n

\n The scammers, known as \u201cyahoo-yahoo boys,\u201d are glorified in pop songs such as \u201cYahoozee,\u201d which gained even more fame after former secretary of state Colin L. Powell danced to it at a London festival last year.\n

\u201cMy maga don pay\/Shout alleluia!\u201d goes another Nigerian anthem, which celebrates, in slang and pidgin English, that a victim \u2014 maga \u2014 sent money. . . . <\/p>\n

Felix and Banjo said they started as college students. Their campus, one state away from Lagos, teemed with young men with fancy cars, designer clothing and beautiful girlfriends \u2014 scammers all.<\/p>\n

In the lingo of swindlers, Felix said he went \u201con the street.\u201d He got \u201ctools\u201d: formats, or \u201cFMs,\u201d for letters; \u201cmailers,\u201d or accounts that send e-mails in bulk; and huge lists of e-mail addresses, bought online.<\/p>\n

In good months, he said, he has made $30,000, which he blew on clothes, hotel rooms and Dom Perignon at \u201cVVIP\u201d clubs. These days, he lamented, proceeds are down 40 percent. . . .<\/p>\n

In good months, Banjo said, he has made $60,000.<\/p>\n

But in these tough times, the scammers said, they are relying more on a crucial tool: voodoo. At times, Banjo said, he has traveled six hours to the forest, where a magician sells scam-boosters. A $300 powder supposedly helps scammers \u201cspeak with authority\u201d when demanding payment. A powder, rubbed on the face, reportedly makes victims viewing the scammer through webcams powerless to say no.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter what, they will pay,\u201d said Olumide, a college student, adding that he is boosting his romance scams by wearing a magical, live tortoise hanging from a cord around his neck.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know those e-mail scams you get from Nigeria? Well, it turns out that the promises of untold wealth if you help with a financial transfer and other scams, including romantic connections, have become a major industry in that nation. The Washington Post has published a fascinating portrait of the so-called yahoo-yahoo boys who are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,26,29,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","category-law","category-media","category-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nInternet scammers are people too<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You know those e-mail scams you get from Nigeria? 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