From: Warren Brown <wkb@...>
Date: 2003-06-05T05:01:48+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Weekly News [OT]

Holden,

> You have lost me, which scam are you referring to?

    I was going to reply off-list, but I realized that there are probably
other people on this list that may not be familiar with these scams.  For
those interested, see the ruby-talk archives
(http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/ruby/ruby-talk) for the following messages:

        72374,
        72571,
        72730,
        72731,
        72737,
        72729,
        72738,
        72760

    These are all variations on what is called the "Nigerian Scam" (see
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm for more information), so
named because it thrives in Nigeria (I read once that it was the second
largest industry of that country).  They all hinge on getting the recipient
to pay some up-front fees or even just divulge their bank account
information in return for the promise of millions of dollars.  The
perpetrator then drains the victim's bank account.  The scam itself has been
around since at least the 1920s in various forms, but it has flourished with
the introduction of email.  That is why this list receives on average more
than one per day.

    - Warren Brown