U.S. Economic Woes Lead to 419 Spoof

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October 3, 2008, 09:10 AM — 

The New York Times is reporting that the current economic crisis has led to a spoof of the classic 419 (aka Nigeria) spam scam. Everyone who has an email address has received at least one 419 spam. Named after the number given to the section of the Nigerian criminal code dealing with fraud, these emails claim to come from a desperate foreign national or lawyer who needs your bank account info-and promises millions in return. People who fall for it find their bank accounts emptied. The spoof reads in part:

"Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you...Read the rest of the article

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