encodics writes "News.com is carrying a story today about how Nigeria is asking Microsoft for help in fighting scammers." From the article: "Microsoft will provide technical expertise, training and other security resources to Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is tasked with fighting cybercrime in the country. Nigeria was initially slow to respond to the problem of '419' e-mail scammers operating in the country, who were duping unsuspecting Internet users out of thousands of pounds by promising a share of the secret multimillion-pound fortune of a deposed African dictator. " Microsoft Helping Nigeria Fight Scammers Log in/Create an Account | Top | 143 comments (Spill at 50!) | Index Only | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 143 comments 0: 138 comments 1: 111 comments 2: 65 comments 3: 15 comments 4: 9 comments 5: 6 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. This just in - Copy of letter sent to Bill Gates by coastin (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:17PMRe:This just in - Copy of letter sent to Bill Gate by east coast (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:44PMRe:This just in - Copy of letter sent to Bill Gate by Darby (Score:1) Friday October 14, @10:53PMRe:This just in - Copy of letter sent to Bill Gate by east coast (Score:2) Friday October 14, @11:13PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. DIR SIR OR MADAM (someone had to do it) (Score:5, Funny) by Humba (112745) * on Friday October 14, @03:17PM (#13792837) Chairman tenderBoard of nigerianNational petroleumCoporation (n.n.p.c)Tel:+234-80-33013920Fax:+234-1-7597156Dear:sir/madam,I guess this letter may come to you as a surprise since i had noPrevious Correspondence with you. I am the chairman tender board of nigeria National Petroleum coporation (nnpc) i got your contact in the course of my Search For a reliable person with whom to handle a very confidential Transaction Involving the transfer of fund valued eight million two hundred Thousand United states dollars ($8.2m) to a safe foreign account.The above fund in question is not connected with arms, drugs or moneyLaundering. It is the product of over invoice on contract awarded in2005 by nnpc, to Microsoft for providing technical expertise, training and other security resources to Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is tasked with fighting cybercrime in the country. TheContract has long been executed and payment of the actual contractAmount Made to the foreign contractor leaving the balance of $8.2m u.sDollars in A dormant account which my colleagues and i now want to transfer out of Nigeria into a reliable foreign account for our personal use.--H [ Reply to ThisRe:DIR SIR OR MADAM (someone had to do it) by k3s (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:35PM419, Phone numbers screwing me up... by gerf (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:47PMHow many have fallen for these scams? by TomRC (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:21PM Statistics for 1997-2005 (Score:5, Insightful) by ianscot (591483) on Friday October 14, @03:32PM (#13792974) From the National Internet Fraud Watch [fraud.org] site, here are some: Internet Fraud Statistics from 1997 through the first half of 2005 [fraud.org] According to those Nigerian money scams were 8% of the total, with an average of two-and-a-half grand lost per victim, in 2004.(I can't say this group isn't overstating the problem to boost its own importance, but those are stats, anyway.) [ Reply to This | ParentRe:How many have fallen for these scams? by gunpowda (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:33PMRe:How many have fallen for these scams? by neologee (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:37PMRe:How many have fallen for these scams? by Rinnt (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:51PM Whaddya mean, thousands? (Score:5, Funny) by SysKoll (48967) on Friday October 14, @03:21PM (#13792872) thousands of pounds by promising a share of the secret multimillion-pound fortune of a deposed African dictator. Thousands? Only thousands? What a rip-off. My deposed dictator offered me $350 millions for only $500 of participation. [ Reply to This$500? "It's a total rip-off" by benhocking (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:26PMAbove comment is a "Rip-Off" by gerf (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:56PMRe:Above comment is a "Rip-Off" by WilliamSChips (Score:1) Friday October 14, @06:22PMRe:Whaddya mean, thousands? by bergeron76 (Score:2) Saturday October 15, @12:53AM//High-Fives Coastin and Humba !! by kulakovich (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:22PM Isn't that a bit like (Score:4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 14, @03:22PM (#13792879) asking McDonalds to solve a food shortage problem in Africa. [ Reply to ThisRe:Isn't that a bit like by bigtrike (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:56PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by Gordonjcp (Score:3) Friday October 14, @04:30PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by karnal (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:33PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by operagost (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:44PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by Xugumad (Score:3) Friday October 14, @05:10PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by ehiris (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:21PMRe:Isn't that a bit like by Xarius (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:38PMNigeria's a nice country ... by FreeUser (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:22PM MS providing scammers free copies of MS Money (Score:5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 14, @03:23PM (#13792893) In hopes that they will use it, significantly slowing down their ability to manage their ill-gotten gains. [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold.Helping... by b1gk1tty (Score:3) Friday October 14, @03:23PMCorrect me if I'm wrong but... by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:25PMRe:Correct me if I'm wrong but... by hcob$ (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:50PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.where to apply??? by GillBates0 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:26PMDictator? by Otonotachibana (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:26PMRe:Dictator? by ChocoBean (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:42PMscam?? I call this American TV by 0110011001110101 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:26PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Crazy foreign spam! by Morgalyn (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:28PMRe:Crazy foreign spam! by Morgalyn (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:31PMRe:Crazy foreign spam! by hcob$ (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:52PMI got a lot of those by temojen (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:24PMOh no! by porcupine8 (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:31PMRe:Oh no! by ethx1 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:52PMWhat about the money? by Poromenos1 (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:31PMThe REAL letter... by kulakovich (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:31PM Well look at the bright side... (Score:4, Funny) by Yonder Way (603108) on Friday October 14, @03:35PM (#13792987) (http://yonderway.com/magnus) Nigeria was initially slow to respond to the problem of '419' e-mail scammers operating in the country, who were duping unsuspecting Internet users out of thousands of pounds by promising a share of the secret multimillion-pound fortune of a deposed African dictator. At least they are combating the obesity epidemic. [ Reply to ThisRe:Well look at the bright side... by Wilson_6500 (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:21PM Check out today's Foxtrot (Score:5, Funny) by pmike_bauer (763028) on Friday October 14, @03:35PM (#13792991) On a related note check out today's foxtrot comic [ucomics.com]. [ Reply to ThisLetter to nigerians from M$ by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:36PMNigeria should be careful by bogaboga (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:37PMRe:Nigeria should be careful by $raim_n_reezn! (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:48PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.As I read the rhythm & lyrics jumped into my h by Quirk (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:38PMLet's do this right... by pieterh (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:39PMThe trouble with these scams is... by pmike_bauer (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:41PMRe:The trouble with these scams is... by i_should_be_working (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:54PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Scambait: 419eater.com by digitaldc (Score:3) Friday October 14, @03:44PMRe:Scambait: 419eater.com by HappyDrgn (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:02PMRe:Scambait: 419eater.com by misleb (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:10PMRe:Scambait: 419eater.com by markh1967 (Score:2) Friday October 14, @06:26PMRe:Scambait: 419eater.com by dogfriend (Score:1) Friday October 14, @08:24PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.huh? by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:45PMRe:huh? by Reliant-1864 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:30PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:huh? by swimmar132 (Score:3) Friday October 14, @04:42PMRe:huh? by ethx1 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:45PMRe:huh? by Fizzl (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:47PMRe:huh? by Fizzl (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:56PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Ya sure by holden_t (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:45PMI'm getting $20 million from a Ugandan for $350 by MBCook (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:46PMMS05-$30,000,000 patch by Skiron (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:47PMWait... by misleb (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:47PMRe:Wait... by southpolesammy (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:15PMRe:Wait... by Detritus (Score:2) Friday October 14, @07:01PMRe:Wait... by The Cydonian (Score:2) Friday October 14, @10:40PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.oh the irony... by namekuseijin (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:47PMi feel no pity for their victims by hsmith (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:47PMGreat idea by marlinSpike (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:48PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Interesting and funny read by Failover (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:50PMCould be either! by phuked (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:51PMI got an email by Quiet_Desperation (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:52PMAnd a timely Foxtrot by Quiet_Desperation (Score:2) Friday October 14, @03:55PM They asked Microsoft first.... (Score:5, Interesting) by WoodstockJeff (568111) on Friday October 14, @04:02PM (#13793261) (http://abusedemailaddress.com/) ... because most of the ones we've received in the past few months are sent by MSN/HOTMAIL users. While many actually used MSN.COM or HOTMAIL.COM accounts, Microsoft has a few hundred "vanity domains", for which there is no accountability whatsoever - attempts to report the spam get bounced, because there is no "abuse@" for these domains, and abuse@hotmail.com will only accept reports of hotmail.com accounts, just as abuse@msn.com will only accept them for msn.com accounts.It's a nifty little scheme - use one of the vanity domains, and you can send spam for months. The mail is delivered through HOTMAIL.COM servers, so blocking by IP doesn't work. Unless, of course, you are willing to take the colateral damage of blocking all HOTMAIL and MSN customers.Which, it turns out, might not be much real damage at all... [ Reply to ThisRe:They asked Microsoft first.... by gstoddart (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:23PMRe:They asked Microsoft first.... by WoodstockJeff (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:07PMRe:They asked Microsoft first.... by bani (Score:3) Friday October 14, @04:28PMRe:They asked Microsoft first.... by Tenareth (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:27PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Isn't it obvious? by RedNovember (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:04PMCounting the number of morons: by EmperorKagato (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:40PMHow about starting with Hotmail, Microsoft? by bgalbrecht (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:42PMGet out that email tracker! by hanshotfirst (Score:2) Friday October 14, @04:45PMClippy by datasetgo (Score:1) Friday October 14, @04:45PMDuh! by se7en11 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:01PMRE: Microsft Helping Nigeria Fight Scammers by Siddly (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:04PMHow about the relay scammers? by Zaphod-AVA (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:08PMRe:How about the relay scammers? by haaz (Score:2) Friday October 14, @10:18PMhonestly by CDPatten (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:09PMNigeria involved? by c0dedude (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:10PMWhat's Nigeria's motive? by mustbepatient (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:12PMHow big a loss would it be if we cut off Nigeria? by Cheirdal (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:14PMRe:How big a loss would it be if we cut off Nigeri by aaron.rowe (Score:1) Friday October 14, @07:49PMI call bullshit. by blueadept1 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:35PMYes, and by Kafka_Canada (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:35PMSo all of Nigeria will go to Outlook by gelfling (Score:2) Friday October 14, @05:43PMGood choice... by Eric Damron (Score:1) Friday October 14, @05:46PMNew "Solution" For a Very Old Problem by NaijaGuy (Score:1) Friday October 14, @06:35PMIt's not just Nigeria... But it's always Microsoft by glowworm (Score:1) Friday October 14, @06:53PMNo more than a token measure... by Kahless2k (Score:1) Friday October 14, @08:17PMSomeone at MS has a sense of humour by FishandChips (Score:2) Friday October 14, @08:18PMThankyou by polyp2000 (Score:2) Friday October 14, @08:22PM"Fight Scammer"? by atrocious cowpat (Score:1) Friday October 14, @08:24PMFamous scam from D. Mac Bride (of Sco infamy) by gilboooo (Score:1) Friday October 14, @08:31PMThey are very creative ... by kbahey (Score:2) Friday October 14, @10:45PM Dear Prince Olemeade (Score:4, Funny) by Anonymous Writer (746272) on Friday October 14, @03:32PM (#13792973) I am writing to acquire your assistance in recovering significant assets I have acquired from monopolistic business practices. Due to a recent antitrust lawsuit settlement, the funds are being held up by a bunch of government lawyers.I am willing to pay you $50 million dollars to help me liberate these assets, please provide your banking information so I can wire you the funds.Sincerely, Bill Gates [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Pounds?!? by VJ42 (Score:1) Friday October 14, @03:40PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.16 replies beneath your current threshold.