6. Most “Princes” Aren’t Even Nigerian
Just because someone claims to be a Nigerian prince doesn’t mean that that person is even from Nigeria. Again, consider the case of the 14-year-old American boy who claimed to be a Nigerian prince and literally scammed the pants off of people. In fact, only about 6% of Nigerian prince scams come from Nigeria. The vast majority originate in the United States, and the United Kingdom has its fair share, too. However, the email scam did originate in Nigeria, and the country now has a special task force to try to end it.
Why would law enforcement in Nigeria be so intent on ending a scam that brings so much money and notoriety to their country? Because Nigerians hate the fact that their country has become synonymous with the email scam. It is seen by many as a land of deposed princes, fraud, and email scams, rather than a beautiful country with a diverse culture and rich history. For many people who only know of Nigeria through the scam, the country is equated with the fraudulent activity. Nigerians who live in other countries, particularly where the scam is common (like the United States), frequently get irritated because people think the country is a hothouse of fraud.