419

Although I don't seem to get them anymore, the net has been exploding with mockeries (even tshirts) of 419 scams recently. "419" refers to the Nigerian penal code number referring to this offence, which has been going on for a long time. They typically involve an unsolicited email, like this:



FROM THE DESK OF: MR SAMULL BAYO.
DAIMOND BANK OF AFRICAN COTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC.
ATTENTION:

I am Mr samull bayo Foreign Remmitance Director of DIAMOND of BANK Africa. in the capital city of cotonou de Benin republic.

This is a very confidential proposition for you. On November 21st 2002, a Brazilian Oil consultant/contractor with the Benenoise Solid Minerals Corporation, Mr.Mauricio Jose De Matos made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at US$8,000,000.00 (Eight Million Dollars only) in my branch.



It goes without saying that you never get the money, and in some cases wind up dead (people have actually been convinced to fly to places where they are subsequently robbed and killed). So despite the mirth with which the scammers are dealt with these days, its important to remember that there are some dangerous people involved. In any event, this morning I was checking out the web page of MC frontalot, who (I think!) I went to berkeley high school with, who has written a song about it, and it got me thinking about what a strange trajectory this scam has taken.

Its a common misconception that this scam originated recently because of ready access to email, but it actually dates back to the 1920s. Indeed, the first time I heard about a 419 scam was not on the web, but when I overheard a conversation when I was still a grad student in San Diego. A man was talking to his friend about how his father was about to send money to some African guy, and that they were just sending him a processing fee, and the deal would be complete; soon they would be rich (in hushed whispers!). And this is the essence of the scam: what is a $1000 processing fee when you will be receiving millions, right? The scam survived all these years because it is such an effective one. The scammers must have been overjoyed when they discovered the internet: millions of ready customers only a few clicks away. And I think for the first 5 years it probably improved business a lot, but now it would appear that the vehicle of its recent success is also the vehicle of its destruction. There are so many scam the scammers sites, that you almost feel bad for them when you see pictures that they have sent holding signs like "Ivannastiff Kockupmianus". or not.

anyway, we're off to annot(warning, shockingly bad flash animation) for the weekend with some friends to boulder and take in the sights.