Australia: 60 Minutes - Sun 13 May - Nigerian Scams

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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 10:27 pm

I just saw a trailer and they will be doing an 'expose' of Nigerian scams. It looks like they have some footage of scammers being busted but it could be old stuff. Let's hope they spend some time explaining the various scams and how they work. 60 Minutes is Channel 9's flagship current affairs programme so hopefully they will do more than show pics of mugus running away from a film crew like the last time they did an item like this.

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 10:32 pm

With only a quarter of an hour (assuming that they have three items as usual) I doubt that there'll be much depth.

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:23 pm

Is anyone able to make a recording of it, for those of us outside Oz?

Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:38 pm

There will probably be a link on the Channel 9 website after the broadcast. I will check. Channel 9 has run other stories about these scams but they have always been pretty lame and uninformative. This programme likes to think it has a little more gravitas so let's wait and see.

419Eater is my life Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 377

Gnasher wrote:

... hopefully they will do more than show pics of mugus running away from a film crew like the last time they did an item like this.

Yeah, they should show Mugus running around on fire! Or jumping off a roof! Or even singing YMCA!

Now that would be some good television! Laughing

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:02 am

Just watched it. I thought it was a major improvement on Channel 9's other 419 related stories. Still had a few bits of rotting flesh hanging off it in typical 60 minutes style, but a surprisingly good story overall. Could hardly believe the figures being quoted: millions of dollars a MONTH being ripped out of Australia alone by these shitbags. Shocked

I knew it was bad but that's still worse than I thought if it's accurate.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:04 am

Wasn't too bad really. Got to see some arrests in Nigeria with the co-operation of the EFCC and the involvement of police at the local level in QLD at least. The self-importance overture by the reporter wasn't overwhelming. There is definitely some well-equiped cyber cafe's in Nigeria and by the negative reaction of the ordinary people on the streets of Nigeria after one of the cyber cafe's was raided the reality of just how dependant Nigeria is on scam revenue is obvious.

Sadly, the typical victim, in this case by "Graham" was portrayed as dumb, stupid and gulliable (I think at least two of those words were actually used). This won't help to encourage other victims to come forward. Still worth watching.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:08 am

I was pleasantly surprised too. But also depressed because it shows the VAST scale of this 'business'. The Queensland Police now have an internet scam squad which is a good start. The victim portrayed has lost everything (home, business, savings) to several scammers over the course of SIXTEEN YEARS. And even now I think he secretly hopes the millions he's been promised are still out there. He said he wasn't going to send any more money but I'm not convinced. Crying or Very sad

This is a transcript off the Channel 9 website. Can't see any video link.

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=266309

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:10 am

Yeah I saw the program pretting funny when the efcc guys stared hittting the lads I kinda feel sorry for the guy but I think he was a bit of an idiot ot keep going for 16 years

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:15 am

Quote:

even now I think he secretly hopes the millions he's been promised are still out there

That seems to be a recurring theme in the 419-related stories I've seen. Regardless of how much money the victim has sent, and how many times it's been explained to them that it's a scam, they still entertain vague hopes of getting their hands on the loot one day.

*** There seems to be about 3 seperate threads on this topic. Any chance of combining them somehow???

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:21 am

I think it's the same 'madness' that takes over gambling addicts. They pour so much money into that slot machine, that poker game, that lottery that they can't detach themselves from the Big Win and walk away. Of course with gambling the pot of gold is real, albeit almost impossible to reach. Scam victims don't seem to be able to grasp the fact that the jackpot was never there in the first place.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:35 am

I must admit as an Aussie and 419er I was a little disappointed. If the extent of the problem in Australia is as claimed, and there is no reason to question that, then the emphasis should be on educating the masses. I fully accept that once hooked, it would be an addiction, so I think a story with sympathetic and investigative treatment of the victim would be wholly appropriate, so that viewers could see the steps involved in the scam and become aware of the techniques used.
From my viewpoint it only serves to harden my resolve to disrupt the activities of these scavengers. I was also disappointed that the many thousands of baiters were not given a mention.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:40 am

I guess it wouldn't do any harm to drop the journo an email setting out your concerns? He might want to do a follow up piece but will probably also want to interview a baiter. Anyone up for it? [hides behind the sofa]

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 11:11 am

Gnasher wrote:

...He might want to do a follow up piece but will probably also want to interview a baiter. Anyone up for it? [hides behind the sofa]

Hehe, you're the one with near-on 2K in posts so far mate.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 11:25 am

Missed it

Gnash, what said up ^^ there is so true, and we live in a country based on gambling, pretty sad?

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 11:27 am

I saw it

a guy got scammed and after he relized he go scammed he kept paying them... So sad Crying or Very sad

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:03 pm

Did anyone record it? I'd like to see it, I dont get FTA terrestial TV here very well, analog is just snow and Digital drops out even with the biggest baddest antenna and amp so I couldnt watch it Sad

On a side note I wonder if that is the victims real name? I used to know a Graham Schoenfisch in the RAAF, I hope its not the same person. Cant imagine it though as he was an officer and very inteligent man.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:39 pm

I would guess this guy is in his late 50s/early 60's. Wife called Dot (natch). Lives in Queensland. It's a pretty unusual name - it could well be him. And he doesn't come across as stupid - he just got sucked into the hole and kept on digging as many victims do. I think it was very brave of him to go on national TV and admit how he's been taken for a long and expensive ride.

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 3:42 am

It's very sad that a guy was so stupid and lost everything. I feel very sorry for his family.

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 3:59 am

There is a video link there now

HUGE LONG PAGE-BLOWING LINKY

Not quite a Newb Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 29

man i love how they dob in their bosses that was the funiest shit , it seemed they wernt offered any lower sentences for dobing them in yet they wanted to bring them down with them

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 4:50 am

All the head slapping was rather amusing Smile

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 5:13 am

Thanks for the linky

Smile

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 5:49 am

Link insists that I have to download M$ software, don't want to do that.
Anyone else have a different link?

Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:35 am

I know all the slaps we give them are fun, but when you see it on TV, that's priceless!

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