Never Underestimate...

...the power of stupidity.  I do find it a little unsettling that people still fall for this, although after a few seasons, To Catch a Predator still managed to find enough adult men to want to have sex with underage boys and girls...including some who had seen the show before.  So it comes as little surprise that this woman in Oregon lost $400,000 to a classic Nigerian scam.

You read it right.  FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.  Here's a quote:

Spears told KATU-TV about the scammers' ability to identify her relative by name was persuasive.

"That's what got me to believe it," She said. "So, why wouldn't you send over $100?"

$100 is one thing, but "she mortgaged the house and took a lien out on the family car, and ran through her husband's retirement account."  Because they said her millions were "guaranteed."

Folks, if you learn one thing from this site, it is that people who expect to earn your trust through veiled internet communications and "official" foreign documents are probably full of shit.