The ScamSurvivors FAQ.

Why are these scams referred to as "419 scams"?

"419" refers to article 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which deals with obtaining property by false pretences. A large percentage of these scams originate from, or have links to Nigeria. 

Where do they get my email address from?

At some point you left your email address on a site. Possibly when joining up for something or leaving a comment on a guestbook. Some sites actually sell the email addresses of their members, and there's software that "scrapes" the internet looking for email addresses. People try to fool the software by editing their email address so it can be worked out by a human, but not software and not picked up.

What kind of scams are involved?

The scams are many and varied. From pretending to fall in love to selling nonexistent animals to pretending to be a hitman. If there's a way to make money, then a scammer will use it.

Are there any common signs to look out for?

Briefly, any request for money, unexpected emails from places dealing with money - especially banks or government figures - or mention of large sums of money. Even the romance scams, which are the ones that tend to have the longest amount of time before the money request will still have that money request.

Why do they use Western Union?

It's an easy way to receive money anonymously. The money requests will usually have a question and answer the scammer will give you to use when you make the payment. The reason for this is that they can then pick the money up without the need for ID. The question and answer is a legitimate service Western Union offer to aid those who have had their ID lost or stolen that is abused by the scammers. 

If I sent money, can I get it back?

The money is gone. The amount of times a scammer has sent a person's money back are so small as to be not worth mentioning.

But I had an email telling me the scammer is arrested and I can get my money back.

This is called a recovery scam and is simply the same scammer trying for one last payday off you. Don't fall for it. Their plan is to tell you that they can get your money back, but processing fees/bribes will need to be paid. Even worse, they may send you money by scamming someone else into sending it to you. This puts you at risk of being arrested as an accomplice to the scammer. 

Should I contact the police?

Of course. However, due to the fact the scammers are in a different country, there's nothing they can do except make a report. 

How do you know they're in another country? My scammer told me he was in the USA.

Hidden in every email is something called headers. These show the path the eail sent before it arrived to you. By learning to read the email headers (which is actually very simple) you can often find out the true location of the scammer. 

My scammer is from Sunnyvale/Mountain View in California.

This is a common misconception people make. Sunnyvale is Yahoo (sometimes shown as Inktomi) and Mountain View is Gmail. Gmail hides the real location of an email and only shows its own location. Yahoo sometimes does this too. 

Should I get his email address shut down?

Is it Yahoo/Gmail or any of the free providers? Remember that accountant.com, lawyer.com and a lot of the other "occupation.com" addresses are also free addresses from mail.com. If so, then no. The scammer will have several other accounts ready for this. All you'd have done is inconvenienced him for a few minutes and made any information about his email address posted online redundant. If it's a paid for account, then kill it. Basic rule of thumb, free is to be left alone, paid for is to be shut down.

Are the scammers male or female?

Most 419 scam varieties are run by males, even the one when the person you're talking to claims to be female. If you do talk to a female, they're either an accomplice, friend or family member. In my years of experience, only one I ever dealt with was a female, and many were definitely not, no matter what they claimed. Most Russian scammers are males too, with females being paid to make calls and take photos. Scammers from the Philippines are much more likely to be females or ladyboys. 

Should I confront my scammer with what I know?

No. Let me rephrase that. NO!!!
Once you realise you've been talking to a scammer, drop him like a hot potato. You run the risk of two things here. Being sucked back into the scam or having the scammer threaten you. Take it from the years of experience we have here. Dropping your scammer immediately without even a single word is the absolute best thing to do.

I know who the person in the pictures the scammer used is. What should I do?

Let us know. Being able to tell people that their scammer is using stolen pictures and being able to prove it is one of the best ways to convince them. That being said, do not contact the person in the pictures. The forum staff know how to deal with these situations and what the best course of action is. If we feel that the person needs to know, then we can do it through the site's email system.

I'm the real person in the photos. What should I do?

We understand that you're just as much a - and I hate to use this word - victim of the scammer as those who sent money to him and we completely sympathise with your situation. This is why we try and post who the photos are stolen of as often as we can. Having the photos here will both make them less valuable to the scammer and act as a place to show that you are not the person sending the emails. Your best course of action is to comment in the thread with your photos that the scammer is using your photos without your permission.

The scammer included a list of other people he's emailing / I've found his face book page and there are innocent people he's in touch with. Should I tell them?

Again, this is something best left to the forum staff. Scammers often email or befriend other accounts they own. We can tell what accounts are genuine and what ones are the scammer's.

Should I post his details here?

Absolutely, 100% Doing so will help save others from being scammed by the same scam.

What should I post?

As much as possible, but the essentials are he scammer's stolen photos, emails, his email address and the email headers if you know how to get them. Just be sure to take out your own email address when you post them. The more you post, the more likely someone else is of finding it and not being scammed.

My friend/relative is being scammed, but doesn't realise it. What can I do?

We can help. Give us as much information as you can and we'll help you. Even the smallest detail could be the one that proves they're a scammer.

My scammer found out I reported him and is threatening me. I'm scared. What should I do?

Ignore him. His threats are nothing but words.

I see people discussing "baiting" a scammer. What is it, and can I do it?

There are two types of baiting involved here. One is simply to pretend to be a "mark" for the scammer and post up his details. All this involves is setting up a fake account and waiting for the scammer emails/messages to roll in, then posting them up to make his scam available to search engines. All that's required is proof it's a scammer, and that can usually be found within the first two emails. Often it can even be found in the first one they send you. Anyone can do this, and we explain how to do it HERE.
The second type involves stringing the scammer along even forther to waste their time and help keep them away from real people who may pay out. This is much more complex and dangerous for those who have been scammed before. We would recommend talking to Slappy or myself about it, and we can point you in the right direction, telling you which version is best for you. Both types damage a scammer's business, but one puts the baiter at more risk than the other and really isn't suited for everyone. 

Thank you. How can I help your site?

Spread the word. That is the best thing you can do for us. Post any scammers you get here, and tell people about us. Doing that will help raise awareness and save others. If you want to help financially with the running of the site (and there is absolutely no obligation) then we have a donate link at the bottom of every page. However, getting the word out is the most important thing and won't cost you a penny. Tell your friends and relatives. Write to your local media offering to share your story. Anything that gets the word out.