Originally posted on the News Herald website.
This was an actual phone call I had today.
Me: Hello this is Brady how can I help you?
Her: I need someone to get the Nigerian police to knock on a door in Nigeria.
Me: It's a scam ma'am.
Her: No it's not. There is a girl in Nigeria and she's been kidnapped and she's in trouble and I can't get anyone to help her.
Me: That's because it's a scam ma'am. How much money did you send them?
Her: I didn't send them any money. They sent me money and then I sent them some of it back.
Me: See, that's how they do it. They send you a fake check, you cash it and send them some of the money and then a couple of days later the bank realizes the check is fake and comes after you for the money.
Her: But the girl is in trouble. I'm trying to get the girl away from that man. He hurt her. But I can't get anybody to help me.
Me: You should call Paul Vecker at The Sheriff's Office. (When I talk to people who may have been scammed I always send them to Paul Vecker at BCSO. Hi Paul.)
Her: They all say Nigeria is outside of their jurisdiction.
Me: There is no girl ma'am.
Her: Yes there is.
(At this point my confidence was shaken, just a little bit. I mean maybe, just maybe, she had met someone in person and they had taken a trip to Nigeria and gotten kidnapped.)
Me: Ok, have you ever met the girl in person?
Her: No. You know how I met her.
Me: Online?
Her: Yes but I talk to her by web cam and by phone every day.
Me: It's a scam. There is no girl.
Her: I'm not crazy.
Me: I'm not accusing you of being crazy. I'm saying you got scammed.
And at that point she hung up.
Sigh.
