This is a variation of what is known as a '419' confidence fraud scam. It's called this because 419 is the international country code for Nigeria, where most of these scams originate.

Learn more about how this works, here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud

Some people like to toy with 419 fraudsters. The most popular site for this is 419 eater:

http://www.419eater.com/

- Jeff

God,that site is so funny! I loved the scammers who photoshop heads onto bodies waaaaay to small. I think I spent a couple hours thumbing through there laughing my ass off.

I watched this episode of Dr Phil (we all have our dark secrets) and they talked to a bunch of women that fell for this kind of scam.

Only in this case it was "I'm a charming, handsome english guy, stranded in Africa. Please help me. Send me money for a plane ticket and other things..." Not only did these women it buy it but carried on online relationships with the fraudsters.

I don't know what disturbs me more: People willing to do that to another person, or the people disturbed enough to believe it.

Wow, and I thought that I was gullible. Apparently not. There is no way in hell that I would fall for an email that said something like "Please help me, I'm stranded ______ (fill in the blank)." Then again, maybe gullibility isn't the issue here. This seems to fall more under the common sense category. Hmm... There are a lot of people lacking common sense. Apparently, people have found a good way to exploit the lack of common sense, through email none the less... idiots.

you have to remember that common sense is not taught in the home anymore.most of the people under the age of 25 in america are looking for that get rich quick scheme and will fall for about anything.me.i doubt everything even if it looks good,i have to question whats the catch.i've missed out on a few deals because of it.but they're marked up as learning experiences.