Ma’am, you are the :
Janella Spears doesn’t think she’s a sucker or an easy mark.
…So how did this otherwise lucid, intelligent woman end up sending nearly half a million dollars to a bunch of con artists running what has to be one of the best-known Internet scams in the world?
…[She] fell victim to the “Nigerian scam,” which is familiar to almost anyone who has ever had an e-mail account.
…Spears received just such an e-mail, promising her that she’d get $20.5 million if she would only help out a long-lost relative – identified in the e-mail as J.B. Spears – with a little money up front. “That’s what got me to believe it,” Spears said.
It turned out to be a lot of money up front, but it started with just $100.
The scammers ran Spears through the whole program. They said President Bush and FBI Director “Robert Muller” (their spelling) were in on the deal and needed her help.
They sent official-looking documents and certificates from the Bank of Nigeria and even from the United Nations. Her payment was “guaranteed.”
Then the amount she would get jumped up to $26.6 million – if she would just send $8,300. Spears sent the money.
More promises and teases of multi-millions followed, with each one dependent on her sending yet more money. Most of the missives were rife with misspellings.
When Spears began to doubt the scam, she got letters from the President of Nigeria, FBI Director Mueller, and President Bush. Terrorists could get the money if she did not help, Bush’s letter said. Spears continued to send funds. All the letters were fake, of course.
She wiped out her husband’s retirement account, mortgaged the house and took a lien out on the family car. Both were already paid for.
For more than two years, Spears sent tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Everyone she knew, including law enforcement officials, her family and bank officials, told her to stop, that it was all a scam. She persisted.
Spears said she kept sending money because the scammers kept telling her that the next payment would be the last one, that the big money was inbound. Spears said she became obsessed with getting paid.
…Now, Spears has gone public with her story as a warning to others not to fall victim.
She hopes her story will warn others to listen to reason and avoid going down the dark tunnel of obsession that ended up costing her so much.
Spears estimates it will take two years to dig out of the debt she ran up in pursuit of the non-existent pot of Nigerian gold.
I hate to see goodhearted people lose all their money, and I’ll try not to dance around this woman’s financial grave, but…OH MY GOD. This thing reads like a story on The Onion. Is this kind of stupidity even possible? Are there actually adults in a civilized society out there who are that gullible? I mean, really????
It reminds me of the Bad Mortgage People: Doing something patently ridiculous because you’re so driven by greed that it blinds you to all objective reality.
My 11-year-old niece could’ve figured this one out.
I’m tempted to run a poll, to see if one single person reading this right now hasn’t known – for years! – about the Nigerian email money scams. But I won’t because I think that if even one person said they didn’t know, I would have to cut myself in despair. And then the terrorists win.
Steve@Hog on Ice did a whole book on this. I guess that I must be well hidden because I have never received anything like that.
Wow, half a million dollars? She needs to have a big S emblazoned on her forhead. And I sincerely hope she hasn’t contributed to the gene pool…
Mr. Stoutcat has just started receiving emails like this from MAJID NASSIR (yes, in ALL CAPS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH), who promises untold riches if only… yeah. Not sure why we’re suddenly on his target list, but whatever. They’re hilarious to read just because they’re so patently scams. I simply can’t imagine anyone falling for this.
I love my wife beyond all reason, but I would divorce her and take the kids if she did this. Or I’d have her put in a loony bin. This isn’t simply irresponsible, it’s freaking insane.
WC Fields was right … sucker born every minute, and two to take ‘em.
It’s just like Daddy said – “Sometimes you just can’t stop a dumbass.”
At least Ms. Spears isn’t begging anybody for a bailout.
Here is some good news. I’m afraid that if Rachel overdoses on bad news then I’m going to see too much dog butt.
The kid was raised in Texas
Makes me nostalgic for the good old days, when people this stupid would be eaten by bears before they could reproduce. Let’s just hope she never had children.
Wait a second – she sent $400K to the scammers, wiping out her husband’s retirement account, and mortgaging her paid for house/car – but it will only take 2 years to get out of this hole?
Heh. I remember the first time I got one of those emails. It was kinda cool, actually. Like one of those “now you know you’ve made it” type of moments.
What!?
You think my money isn’t coming? Wait till I tell my Nigerian contacts – they’ll set you straight.
They always reassure me.
PG:
I was going to say “I hope the husband divorced her.”
Mec:
I was expecting each next line to be something about how now she’s in line for her big bailout.
also, it’s funny you post about an email scam, because officemate and I were just talking about all the “wanna hook up” spams he’s been getting recently. Makes him feel ginda popular! (no, he’s not stupid, it was just a funny comment)
At a school I attended, I just happened to walk behind a classmate sitting at a computer and glanced at the screen. He was responding to an e-mail from India with his SSN (the format is easy to see) and bank information. I said I hoped he wasn’t giving the info to someone in another country and expecting to get anything. He quickly minimized the screen and said he wasn’t. I told him those were scams and took a lot of money. I walked away and he finished writing and sent the e-mail off. He avoided me from that point on.
I got one from Bahrain which said he wanted me to disperse his fortune for which I would receive 10% of the funds since I was an honest person (little did he know me).
Some people get obsessed with stuff, and just can’t stop. It sounds like with her, it became an addiction, almost. Certainly once you’ve lost the first $1,000, the gambler’s temptation to throw good money after bad is very likely to kick in.
Maya… wait… you mean that nice Ukranian girl who e-mailed me last week DOESN’T really want to hook up with me? But she swore if I sent her airfare to the states, we’d have one heck of a good time!
I’m sorry but I couldn’t stop laughing while reading this story. I was thinking the Onion too.
“She became obsessed with getting paid.” HUH?
At what point did she finally say,
“I really think I’ve been ripped off.”
Just think back to November 4.
It sure looks like a gambling addiction to me. It’s just a new manifestation.
I’ll bet anyone here exactly 100 billion Nigerian Naira (approximately $1.78) that she voted for Obama if she voted at all.
As I read this, I just KNEW that I was reading about an Obama supporter. She probably donated nearly as much money to him as well.
This is why the good Lord made some of our reflexes involuntary. If she had to think to breathe, she’d be dead inside of two minutes.
If I were her employer, I’d have to wonder what other poor decisions she’s made on my behalf.
DW – the funny thing is, she was doing both at the same time.
You know, I’m reminded of a quote so old I don’t know where it comes from.
You notice that all of these messages are inviting you to participate in a crime. And people expect the person at the other end of the line to be honest??
Nearly being taken in by one of these online scam artists, I can safely say that these people are going to the Special Hell. Yep, that one.
I’m sorry – this went on for over two years? And other people (her husband included) knew about it?
If my wife ever did something like that, and as soon as I found out, she would be removed from all of our accounts. I guarantee my attorney and banker would help me.
How did she mortgage the house without her husband signing on? How did she drain his retirement account without his help?
Methinks she is not the only gullible one in that household.
Check out – it’s a great website documenting tales of people scamming the Nigerian scammers out of money themselves. (Ironically enough, often by pulling the Nigerian scam back on the scammer!) A typical story is something like “I’m thrilled to have your email because I’m a priest in charge of my church’s $25 million Endowment. We could certainly help war widows and orphans with your money. I’d love to send you the $1,000 processing fee you need, but here’s the deal – I’ve taken a vow of poverty so I have no money, and I’d need $40 to pay the bank fee to get the withdrawal and the money order. Perhaps you could send me the $40? Otherwise, I’ll have to go ask the bishop for permission and then I’d have to tell him about this and you asked me to keep it confidential.”
The amazing thing is some of the scammers fall for this!!!!
For crying out loud. This moron is compounding her stupidity with self-imposed public humiliation? She must be a masochist of the first order.
+1. Her husband is probably too embarassed to have his name out there, that’s all.
There REALLY ARE stupid people out there. Absolutely. YES. I live near some real dolts. I used to think they were “conniving.” Because I couldn’t accept that people could actually be that STUPID and CLUELESS and OBLIVIOUS to obvious shit. But yes, YES, they CAN be. They really CAN be that stupid. Once I realized that was possible – truly, really, possible — I started feeling kinda sorry for them.
Sorta. People that stupid are also annoying.
The root of this isn’t stupidity, insanity, obsession, gullibility – though it passes through all those things, once she got rolling. What motivates these suckers is just plain, good old fashioned greed. She wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She had a lot money – but she wanted LOTS more – and in a ‘get it quick without any work’ fashion. Having lots of money and getting more isn’t the problem – it’s my life’s mission! – but the ‘get rich quick’ when you know wealth takes WORK – that’s just plain greed. She deserves all the wreckage she’s brought upon herself.
She must have run across their and so thought they were legit.
S’s Cat:
It is possible the house was only in her name. A lady at work took her husband off the house when they were separated, and he’s still off now that they are back together. But about the retirement account, that I can’t figure out.
yes, but she’s brought it upon other people too. I’m still favoring the husband in this.
So, if she isn’t an easy mark, who would be? Some guy who just drives around chucking cash at pedestrians? Really, what is easier than the Nigerian e-mail scam? Just, like, saying, “Give me money?” I know I don’t really want to fall into the mental abyss that is this woman’s mind, but I’d love to know what could qualify someone as a sucker in her world.
Everytime I get these kind of emails, I respond with something that’s a derivation of “right after you come over and blow me”. The idea that people would give up personal information, banking info, etc. is just mystifying.
A lot of times these are structured like … you help me get 10M into the country, I give you 10% … meanwhile … the 10M would be taxable to you, and you’d owe 40% plus with most state tax rates. Whoever said this is all about greed hit the nail on the head. It’s a fancier version of the bum holding the “God bless you, I’m handicapped, impotent, a war vet, fighting cancer, will work for food, etc.” and just need a donation … they often leave off “to go buy more drugs or booze on your dime, you pathetic chump”.
I don’t know about that. Ever hear the case of ?
A friend of mine and his buddy used to play games with those scammers and had an email list to which they’d foward copies of all the back-and-forth emails. More than once, they got the scammers to play along for several weeks and MANY message exchanges. They’d introduce various characters along the way, (Ernest T. Bass, banker, etc.) and paint these detailed scenarios. They’d “send the money” by “Western Union” and tell the scammer to go to the local office to pick it up. When he responded that the money wasn’t there, they’d “discover” that their “secretary” had sent the money to the wrong W.U. office, have to “call it back”, and on and on and on. Some of it was pants-wettingly funny!
I think she’s planning to drum up publicity as a “victim”, then go back to the banks that gave her the car loan and mortgage and push them to modify or forgive the loans. She’ll threaten them with bad publicity for refusing to “help a victim”, AKA the typlical Big Mean Bank story.
She’s too stupid to think of that herself, of course, but I’m sure someone else thought it up and advised her. If I were the bank, I’d tell her to stuff it! But I’ll bet they cave and cut her interest rates.
Rachel – you forget pride. You are embarrassed, once started, to admit to yourself that you have been cheated – that you allowed it.
Shame is one of the con-artists’ best tools.
Puh-lease, everyone knows the Nigerian ones are scams.
Of course, I’m sure my recent letter from Mrs Arafat asking me to help her get her late husband’s millions out of Tunisia is the real deal.
Story implies no such thing except it takes place in People’s Republic of Oregon, so chances are if she was the odd Republican you can be damned sure the Press would have let us know. Name That Party! Ooops I forget we’re not supposed to talk politics around Rachel. Sowwy. Here I thought this business was dying out. But she kept it up for two years and didn’t listen to anyone.
Quick survey:
I note the pre-approved credit card applications in the mail have cut way back. It takes infrastructure to issue a physical credit card.
The mortgagemongler phonespammers have kept right on, indeed, they redouble their efforts. All it takes to hijack mortgages is a printer.
Is there a credit crisis or not?
btw Michelle from Cardholder Services remains the steadfast Woman in My Life.
Yeah, what’s up with that? The crooks known as Countrywide who already pulled a fast one on me when I bought my house, have sent me offers to refinance every single month for the last year. I can’t figure it out …
Come on! It’s a shame article. At the end it says it will take her two years to recover the 100K she lost? Wish I made that money
oops Sham
Whoa. My eyebrows climbed so far up my forehead they’re lost in my hair. And they haven’t come back down yet.
The foolishness of that woman is breathtaking.
isitaboutmycube:
I love that site. I especially love the ones where he gets the spammers to send him stuff, like carvings and paintings. And who can honestly keep a straight face when he gets these same people to tattoo “Baited by Shiver” on prominent body parts?
As for this lady, anybody that stupid deserves to wallow in financial ruin.
You might also enjoy the . I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard when I read it.
S’s Cat —
Not necessarily. A good friend of mine’s wife drained his retirement, 401 and sold their house for gambling. He was a contractor and she simply convinced everyone she dealt with she had his permission. Bankers, his HR, everyone went along. It can happen.
I love getting these. I play them along as long as I can. Much fun, and it keeps them away from other people.
Wow. She must have no access to a TV or radio. She totally missed the whole Mary Winkler story. And like the last 400 years of people shouting about Nigerian prince money scams. Sad.
And what the heck? Only two years to make back all that money? It baffles the mind.
I sometimes really, really enjoy laughing at completely stupid people, even though I know that I shouldn’t.
I’m sure that makes me an unsympathetic and basically evil person, but what the hell – at least I’m being made really, really rich by my Nigerian minions.
Mwahahahaha! Ha! Hahaha (or something)!!!
ABC news did a segment about this about 3-4 years ago.
Here’s another in the series:
wait a minute….you’re saying they’re Nigerian? These letters came from the Actual Nigerian Gov’t.? So what’s the problem? Don’t criticize this woman….I bet she’ll be getting a check any day now and you’ll all feel pretty silly when she does. I am pretty tired of all this cynicism on the intarwebs lately….lighten up! You all think you’re so smart. I happen to be in the middle of a similar deal as we speak….and I am expecting a HUGE payoff! What a bunch of maroons you all are. Har, Har….that’s me laughing all the way to the bank! SUCKERS!
I feel so privileged. I have gotten scam e-mails from just about every country out there. Nigerian e-mail scams are just so passe’.
One of my former co-workers fell for this same scam, rather horribly. The ….s who set up these scams prey on the weak. I can’t help but feel sorry for them after what happened to my co-worker.
Ma’am? Step.Away.From.The.Keyboard.
What a tragedy. What an idiot.
Hell, I stopped sending money after 50K, when I never received the deed for my Nigerian chinchilla ranch.
Britain is one of the centres of 419 scams…when something fraudulent happens here people usually look at each other and just say …Nigerians?….it doesn’t just happen on the internet either as they now work in banks and government here.
Hmmmm … even kittens (who Wachel sez are assholes) can see through that one.
:-)
Well, I saved my nickels
and I saved my dimes
For I knew
there would come a time
When I would fall
for a scam called 409.
The entire Obama campaign was a Nigerian Scam. “Please give me money, and when I am elected, you will be paid back ten-fold.”
Anyone can be scammed, and I do mean anyone Mr. High and Mighty. All it takes is the right pitch at the right time. FBI employees who investigate fraud have been successfully scammed, some Nigerian scammers themselves have been scammed by their own marks.
Mostly, the people who get scammed, are the arrogant ones who figure that all those other victims were stupid rubes.
So, which scam did you fell for, kevin?
Gee, Kevin. Did you fall victim?
These scams are ridiculous and so obvious it appalls me that anyone with half a brain could fall for them.
No, Shaw-WOW!
And remember. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups – as was so recently demonstrated.
The husband was probably denied a divorce by a judge because she’s too stupid to be left on her own. Also, she’s going to use a “scam” she just learned about on some unsuspecting Canadians. ;-)
Gee, am I red in the face! I was too eager to send off my post I forgot to finish my thought.
That’s how she’s gonna make up that $400,000 in 2 years. 8-0
She’s lucky it will only take two years to dig out from under her stupidity.
Also, why in the heck did her husband not removed the financial keys from her hands? HELLO????
If the bankers and/or brokers fail to follow proper procedures, it is all too possible for one spouse to drain the other’s retirement accounts or borrow money on jointly held property. The victim has effective legal recourse against the firms involved.
Can I get her email address?
I want to contact her in two years after she has gotten back on her feet.
That woman deserves to be dope slapped. We need to bring back the stocks. It’s because of idiots like her that I have to delete tons of those things from my in-box each day; because a few idiots fall for it, the scammers keep harassing everyone else.
Seriously – this stupid-ass chick gets to have a husband and I don’t? Life isn’t fair.
Years and years ago – before the internet was more widespread – my father actually got one of these scams as a LETTER. Yes, a real, physical letter on that blue air-mail stationery.
He took it down to the local FBI office but said he was tempted to keep it as a trophy of sorts.
(My graduate adviser got one too…he ALMOST fell for it. I couldn’t believe it when he walked in to the lab with the letter, showed it to us, and asked us if we thought he should respond. I felt like someone in the audience at a horror movie. Fortunately we convinced him that it was NOT for real but I’m still amazed that such an otherwise-intelligent man was so gullible)
I have very little sympathy for folks that are this stupid.
Where was her husband while this mental handicapper was spending them to the poor house?
Whenever I get wistful for the “Blessed Estate” I read a story of some wedded horror like this and thank G-d He has spared me.
U can has FREE cheezburger! Just email me your name, social security number, bank routing number, and bank account number, and cheezburger will be immediately sent as email attachment!
Remember: Cheezburger! NOM-NOM-NOM-NOM-NOM-NOM
Yeah, I get three or four of those a week and I keep my account exceptionally restricted. They are good to use as an excuse when relatives send emails, e. g., Don’t bother me now. I just won the Malaysian National Lottery!
P.S. Is the dupe Canadian, I hope?
I had a ton of fun with a guy who spammed my work email address—I strung him along for awhile, and threw Nigerian email language back in his fact, so it’s too long to post here. I threw it up on my blog to share for now…
A friend of mine returned his letter from Publisher’s Clearing house by registered mail. No one at work could convince him that he hadn’t won ten million dollars.
Sorry, some people are too stupid to pity.
It’s like forwarding the chain letter to your entire address book and Bill Gates will send you $100,000. This is not joke. It’s how Microsoft tests it new software. Really!!!
People need to learn to push the delete button.
Her story (the years of being strung along, the squandering of resources, the endless hope of the big payoff) reminds me of some of the survivors’ tales posted in the comments section of “Amway: The Untold Story.” Google ye.
I came close to falling for a phishing scam- this only a year or two ago when I knew better.
Got an e-mail that had something to do with Paypal, and I did have an account. Apparently I suffered a bout of temporary retardation because I entered my username and password on the fake page, which was a copy of the real one.
Immediately I realized how stupid that was and changed my username and password, along with wiping my account information clean. Tracked down the ISP and web host and sent them each an e-mail which I’m sure they promptly ignored.
It’s greed. Anyone who falls for these big money scams is just greedy because they want all that money.
Calling this the “nigerian” scam is, of course, terribly racist. Just thought you’d like to know.
Gee, I’ve only gotten one or two of the Nigerian (or similar) emails. I got no rich friends in other countries :-(. Mostly all I get are viagra and penis enlargement emails, but when I get done, I’ll really be a super stud!
At least they finally got the sex right – I used to get breast enhancement emails all the time.
Sad, really really sad. But I can truly help her get her money back. All she has to do is mail me her bank account number and PIN and I will — using my own funds because I am heartbroken at what has befallen her — fetch that money back for her and deposit it in her account.
Wait! You said she’s been completely cleaned out?
Never mind.
I figure if people are retarded enough to microwave their cats, they can fall for an obvious scam like this.