Nigerian money scams: What should we do?

Recently silicon.com published the transcript of an email conversation with a Nigerian man, attempting to carry out the infamous 419 scam.

Since then we have been inundated with emails from readers recounting your experiences of these email scams and also asking for advice on what to do about them.

Here, we have put together some advice and information for anybody looking to do more than just hit 'delete' upon receiving one of these emails.

In the first instance, the easiest thing to do is to forward the mail to the sender's ISP. In the case of the individual silicon.com was dealing with we forwarded a complaint to Yahoo.com which was the provider of the webmail account being used by the hapless Mr Madu.

Most major ISPs will have an Abuse@ email address for just such a purpose but beware - we've heard of very few cases of ISPs taking action against these spam scammers. Several readers wrote to us confirming a 'couldn't care less' attitude on the part of some big-name ISPs.

Taking things a step further, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) has a dedicated section of its site to deal with West African Organised Crime - specifically the 419 scam. silicon.com encourages anybody who receives this type of email or wants to find out more about the scam to visit the organisation's website.

Similarly readers may want to visit the 419 Coalition which is fighting this form of fraud. Both sites offer practical advice on what to do when you receive one of these emails.

The US Secret Service is also acting to crack down on these frauds across the pond. For more information, click here.

The problems associated with these scams are more far-reaching than the annoyance of spam, or the crimes which befall those who are suckered in. There is also the question of international relations - most starkly illustrated by the killing of a Nigerian diplomat in Europe this week.

Over the years, Nigeria's infamy as the centre of these frauds has become a cause of great embarrassment to the authorities there. After all, no developing country wants to be inextricably linked with widespread fraud when it is trying to build bridges with the developed world. As such the Nigerian government, in association with the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, has set up a website offering advice and information for those who receive these scams. Visit the website here.

Whoever you report to, don't expect to hear that you've sparked an international operation that results in the arrest of a dozen Nigerian con artists. While there have been instances of arrests, the law has typically been slow to concentrate resources on this area.

For your own peace of mind you may have more joy blocking the spam in the first instance. Spam filters are out there which will combat the problem of email overload and will pick up many of these 419 mails. You find what you are looking for here.

But perhaps most importantly - we've said it before and we'll say it again - the best advice is to remember that if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is. This is a rule that covers any kind of online offer.

Let us know what you think. Email editorial@silicon.com with any comments or suggestions.