They're still out there and people are still falling for it.

I've joked around on this blog in past about messing with idiot scammers attempting to fleece me for my hard earned but today I learnt that it's still happening. Worse though is the fact that people are still falling for it, handing over wads of cash in the hope of becoming rich or finding love with no idea what's really going on...

It was after an interview with a manager of a local money exchange that I learnt that people are still becoming victims to the scammers - I was curious to see if he had many customers coming in attempting to wire money to people they've never met in Nigeria:

'Oh all the time. It's pretty sad really, especially when you ask more questions and find out they're now madly in love with someone they've never met and are completely unaware that they're never going to meet this person or get their money back ever.'

Apparently it's a lot of lonely farmers who jump at the chance of possible romance and when someone sends an email full of stolen pictures of a African model and pretends to look for love...well one thing leads to another and soon the Money Manager has to take them aside and kick off a conversation with 'Look, I think there's something you need to know..'

Thankfully the money exchange services are more than aware of it and usually ask a lot of questions when the words 'I need to send this to Nigeria/Ghana to my future wife/business partner' are uttered. Questions along the lines of 'Have you ever met face to face?' and 'Did they contact you randomly by email?' Then begins the chat that Mr or Mrs Hopeful really doesn't want to hear, dreams are ultimately shattered but at least life savings are saved. That is unless you cross paths with someone who just won't take no for an answer:

'There was one guy who swore black and blue that I was full of shit and he was going to fly over there, marry his internet sweetheart and live happily ever after. I had to explain that if he did that there was the chance he'd never be seen again...'

Wow. These 419/love scams have been around for how long and people are still taking up offers that sound too good to be true? I get the desperate search for love sometimes, I really do. But if you haven't been attracting supermodels before in your day to day activities and randomly one contacts you and falls deeply in love with you over two emails...surely alarm bells must be ringing.

The farmer wants a wife. But in reality there's probably a guy using this pic to dupe you of your blood, sweat and tears. 

Remember kids...if it sounds too good to be true then don't throw thousands of dollars at it to see if you're right!