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County's treasurer falls for online Nigerian banking scam
Thomas Katona, 56, sent up to $1.25 million in county funds and his own life savings to con artists after falling for one of the notorious online Nigerian banking frauds. "Every part of this makes you wonder, 'What was he thinking?' " says the spokesman for Michigan's Attorney General. (Detroit Free Press)
January 19, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
Thats funny. Nigerian email scams make me laugh. Sometimes I like to reply to them just to mess with the guys sending them....
Posted by: Dan | Jan 19, 2007 11:31:15 AM
if you want the absolute best story of making scammers look like fools, read this
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/30/419_plonker/
they somehow got the scammers to carve them a replica of a commodore 64 keyboard.
Posted by: boynamedsue | Jan 19, 2007 11:36:03 AM
I was wondering how long it would take Obscure Store to pick up on this story.
Posted by: | Jan 19, 2007 11:38:22 AM
Do people that gullible (?) really exist? The Nigerian Scams should be added to the list of world's biggest lies: The checks in the mail. I won't c*m in your mouth. etc.
Posted by: Heather | Jan 19, 2007 11:56:32 AM
D'oh!
Posted by: Rutabaga | Jan 19, 2007 12:01:28 PM
http://www.scamorama.com/
hilarious reading
Posted by: d_m_arnold | Jan 19, 2007 12:02:03 PM
I don't believe this guy is that stupid and that there's something else here that we're not getting. Perhaps, as another commenter at the paper's site wrote, his scam is to make himself look like he was scammed. The money is really in an offshore account in his name somewhere. After he serves his five years in prison, he'll get out and live in the Cayman islands a happy man.
Posted by: oxhead | Jan 19, 2007 12:03:07 PM
In joy and greetings find you I hope.
I am Fullabul Krapulla, assistant to the Director Of the Depatment of Agriculture in Uganda. I your name was given at a conference as a person of discreet sensibilities for a proposition of business.
Recently we were told to increase our soil organic admendment program possibilities. The director assigned my job to find the feritlizer in amount 100 million for to pay with full authority of choices.
If bought from Nairobi cattle ranchers fertilizer will take 100 million cost. If bought from Nigerian cattle ranchers same amount of feritlizer will cost 25 million.
Proposal to be you buy feritlizer for 25 million U.S. funds from Nigerian cattle ranchers, the Department buys fertilizer from you as independent contractor 100 million U.S. funds. We split 75 million U.S. funds in proportion 66% you 33% me.
Please all banking records send you.
Posted by: David | Jan 19, 2007 12:16:54 PM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2mKRAjCsid8
this is the truth behind your supposed "scams"
jerks.
Posted by: boynamedsue | Jan 19, 2007 12:36:45 PM
Yes BNS, because every true movie like that is always under "comedy" at youtube.
Posted by: David | Jan 19, 2007 12:53:28 PM
David,
I realize that sarcasm and satire don't always translate over the internet, but how in the world could you not tell that BNS was joking?
Posted by: oxhead | Jan 19, 2007 1:10:07 PM
"I won't c*m in your mouth. etc."
Hey wait a second now. You mention this as if it were a bad thing.
Posted by: Cameltoes | Jan 19, 2007 1:11:59 PM
Oxhead, you're right.
Sorry, BNS; had a flashback to a co-worker that thought the "Blair witch project" was all true and took it out on you.
Posted by: | Jan 19, 2007 1:17:37 PM
Didn't say it was bad. Said it was one of the world's biggest lies. It is a bit of a shocker if you weren't expecting.
Posted by: Heather | Jan 19, 2007 1:45:18 PM
The Blair Witch Project wasn't true?
Posted by: oxhead | Jan 19, 2007 1:47:41 PM
oops, that anon poster was me; unclicked the 'remember' box.
Yeah, Oxhead; the person I worked with walked up to me and said "I watched the "Blair Witch Project" 14 times this weekend and I believe I know who the killer was. Think there's an FBI reward?"
Posted by: David | Jan 19, 2007 1:52:44 PM
I have seen these scams for years and it amazes me that anyone falls for them but they do and if you think about it they only need one in a hundred thousand to fall for it and they make money. It is appalling that someone who held that kind of a public trust was stupid enough to fall for this. As I recall the hook is that the people think they are going to be able to take the scammer and steal their money and that urge must be so strong that they don't see themselves getting in trouble with it. Kind of like what makes people marry
Posted by: TomW | Jan 19, 2007 3:56:08 PM
This is mostly likely not the whole story here. There is something that this guy has left out, yet if he was actually that asinine, then it's his own fault. There are so many scams on the web these days and here is a website to look at, if you're not sure if a site or business is a scam or not.
www.ripoffreports.com
Posted by: Bucklusio | Jan 19, 2007 8:16:45 PM
Another good site for reports on this type of scam is
www.quatloos.com
Posted by: David | Jan 19, 2007 9:30:26 PM
Snopes also covers scams.
Posted by: Beav | Jan 20, 2007 2:54:59 PM
I wonder if some of that missing Iraq Reconstruction money got to Nigera!
Posted by: Sean | Jan 21, 2007 7:34:51 AM
