Literature on 419

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

Does anyone read widely on the subject of 419 scams? If so what have you read and would you recommend it?

I have read most of the books on the poll and enjoyed them all with the possible exception the one by Stevens only because the first 70 or so pages are just examples of what a 419 letter looks like which holds no interest to me because as a baiter I've seen thousands. I suppose to the casual reader that may hold more interest but it didn't do much for me.

I think Tive's Exploits of the Nigerian Con Man was my favourite work because with Tive being Nigerian it give some insight into local 419 scams taking place in Nigeria (yes folks it isn't payback for slavery 419 con men scam their own people, in fact they need to do so at first to get the resources they need to be able to scam westerns such as fax machines, phone lines etc which don't come cheap).

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:55 pm

I read 419eater.com, and highly recommend it. I daresay the collective knowledge and works relating to 419 here is vaster than in any other single place, article or publication. And it's all free Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:18 pm

^^^^ What Ivor said. I've been following 419eater.com and a few other sites for close to 3 years now. I just don't think buying any one of those books would be more entertaining or broaden my knowledge on the topic. If I knew people who spoke English I'd probably buy one as a present or something.

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:39 pm

Don wrote:

... If I knew people who spoke English ...

If you want to find people who can write English, don't bother looking around here. Laughing

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

I've been reading 419eater for almost 2 years now, so those books would not hold much interest in me. The only book i'm ever planning on buying (dealing with 419) is Shiver's book, once it makes it to the USA.

However, i'm not much of a reader to be honest.. If a book is really good (The Shining, or The Exorcist *1970's version*), I'll read a chapter or two daily. Even reading *most* of shiver's bait's.. the book would be a great resource to myself, and my family (I think my dad might buy it too).

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:02 pm

419 books make good bathroom readers. Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:10 pm

I'm reluctant to make a selection as that the only book on 419 that I have is the Scamorama book, and I'm not yet finished with it.

I've read numeious posts here; I've learned a great deal from this site, as well as from Scamorama.

Baiting Guru Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 4012

I think that even if you have been reading eater for years Laughing

this here is still worth having a look at : http://www.haverford.edu/pols/faculty/glickman/Articles/
=> http://www.haverford.edu/pols/faculty/glickman/Articles/CJAS_Text_final_1-35.pdf

Also have a look at http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/pdf/research/africa/Nigeria1106.pdf

and http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/2004/reich.pdf

But it is true, there is not much good literature about 419, in particular not much good scientific research.

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:54 pm

^ Uh oh... that drug connection bit was new to me. I'm glad that I heeded those "bait safe" warnings when I started this hobby.

Baiting Guru Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 5905

Not much interest in wide reading around here then Laughing

Yes there is a lot of repetition in such books of things you can pull off the net. The only one I found to cover things that you couldn't find on the net was Tive's 419 Scam: Exploits of the Nigerian Con Man as he includes information on local 419 scams although in that book there is some info you can get off the net too.

I think it is a good idea to read more than one source though just to check your own values and ideas against those who may see things a different way but maybe that is just the wishy-washy social science graduate in me Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 2301

I don't read for "fun" anymore. Sad

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:14 am

I have both the one from Shiver and that one from Scamorama. Though it was hell getting via the nets... (aside from the sick amount of money I had to pay, but well worth it!).

I showed them to my pops, but seemed he enjoyed more Scamorama...

Also, I remember there was a book about the exploits of a 419 scammer, but I can't seem to remember the name...