12. The First Nigerian Prince Scam Happened a Hundred Years Ago
At about the turn of the twentieth century, an ad appeared in newspapers all across the country: Prince Bil Morrison, from Nigeria, wanted some American pen pals. The request and wording in the ad were so moving and touching that many newspapers published it for free. “Prince Bil Morrison” soon received a flood of letters from Americans who wanted to correspond with someone in such an exotic location as Nigeria. It was in one of the farthest reaches of the entire world, and they could make a prince from that strange land their very own personal friend.
As the letters built up, the “prince” decided to ask the people who were corresponding with him to send him four dollars and an old pair of pants. In exchange, he would send them some worthless baubles – ivory tusks, emeralds, and diamonds. Lots of old pants and four-dollar donations poured in, but the donors didn’t receive anything in return. Authorities began an inquiry and discovered that Prince Bil Morrison was a 14-year-old kid in America. Due to his age, they couldn’t press charges and had to end the investigation. Nevertheless, he sparked a trend among con artists: trick Americans into thinking that they are helping someone in an exotic location, and they will take the whole bait, hook, line, and sinker.