At present, Nigerian 419 scam is often associated with e-mails. It dates back to 18th century when people got letters in which they were asked to give a small amount of money and they were promised to get a lot of money in return. Now this scam is especially popular as the Internet provides almost unlimited opportunities to scammers. However, the scam can also be applicable in real life settings (McCaroll, 2011).
The aim of the scammer is to make the victim believe he/she will get huge money for almost nothing. In order not to get scammed in this way, one should think carefully about his/her investment. It is good to consult your friends and your family. It is essential not to make quick decisions. Of course, it is necessary to remember that “if it is too good to be true” it is likely to be a scam (McCaroll, 2011).
Switch out scam is another popular scam. In contrast to the Nigerian scam, it can hardly be implemented online. It is often used in retailing or in business deals. The scammer distracts the victim’s attention and switches the product with something of low value. At that, the scammer can be a buyer as well as a seller.
Of course, scammers do not sell and scam people in shops and boutiques. However, these scams are often practiced during a bit unusual deals (e.g. when you shop online and get the product from a person meeting him/her in the street or in a cafe). In order not to be scammed in this way, people should be very attentive and quite distrustful. Sellers should never lose sight of their products and it is essential to check whether the amount of money is right. One cannot trust a person he/she does not know.
Naples scam is quite an old type of fraud, but it is still used by scammers. It also needs live communication, just like in case with Switch out scam. It is based on people’s nature as well. People’s guilt is the tool scammers often use in this scam. Thus, the scammer pretends talking on the phone and runs into a person. The scammer makes it seem that the victim is the one to run into her (as usually it is a female).
The phone is broken and the scammer seems devastated. The scammer also stresses that she needs the phone badly. The victim feels guilty and is bound to give some money to the scammer. Not to become the victim of such a scam, it is important to be attentive while walking down the streets. Furthermore, one should not give away money so easily. It is necessary to try to find other solutions. It is possible to suggest borrowing your mobile phone to make a call.
What impressed me most in the film is that the Nigerian 491 scam is put in real life settings. This scam is associated with letters and e-mails. However, the filmmakers extended the boundaries. Another thing that impressed me is the way they scammed a very adult man who is a shrewd business man.
What is more, the man knows quite a lot about frauds and scams. However, he has been still scammed. This film illustrates the universal truth. People tend to want to get easy money and people’s greed and sometimes being inattentive make scammers so successful.
Reference List
McCaroll, R. (Executive Producer). (2011). Scammed. Web.