�Evolving scams�

There are still people receiving the traditional “419” scam which usually starts with a plea for assistance from a young woman in West Africa who tells a sad story about being orphaned and alone, sometimes in a refugee camp, but who has a massive inheritance in a bank account in another country and that she needs assistance in liberating that money. In return for that help the victim is offered a share of the supposed fortune.

Of course, none of this is true. There is no fortune, there isn’t even an orphaned girl. It’s all about the money the scammers sending the emails will eventually demand from the victim. After announcing that there’s some fee to be paid to facilitate the payment, they’ll raise the pressure on the victim until they pay up, then demanding further payments until either the victim realises they’re being scammed or they simply run out of money.