fisherman

Dear Mr. L -

On the Nigerian 419 Scam: My wife is considered an expert on 419 and is quoted in articles in national newspapers and magazines. She's developed friendships with several people knee deep in 419, including Brian Wizard, who wrote a novel based on his 419 experience with real life Nigerian thugs a few years ago. Brian did exactly what you are thinking about - responded to a solicitation, lead them on, and saw just how far he could go - including a trip to Europe, a hotel with a suitcase of money, etc. It was a good read.

My suggestion is that you live this experience vacariously through Brian's book, since there have been several deaths related to 419. It may seem like a joke to you, but these people are seriously scarey and operate in the U.S. - or anywhere there is a Nigerian Embassy or Consulate. There's too much money and political involvement for there to be humor on their end. 419 is the largest income-producing activity in Nigeria after the export of oil.

You can contact Brian Wizard at brianwizard.com. He's an interesting guy who writes folk/rock music, writes books mostly based on his Viet Nam and reentry to the world experiences, paints, etc. He's a hard guy for 419ers to track down - unlike tracking you down at your next concert!

I'd be happy to discuss this further in a private message.

Fisherman