An expert was asked why scammers still used the “Nigerian prince” email scam today, more than 20 years after it first began being used in the late 1990s. The obvious answer is, because it still works and the cost/risk/reward makes it worthwhile for the scammers.
The interviewer understood how people could be tricked by scammers who updated the script – substituting Ukraine for Nigeria or crafting the message around an expat CEO vs. a Nigerian prince. But, the interviewer asked, “Why are there still scammers using the words ‘Nigerian Prince’ in their emails, when everyone knows this is synonymous for a phishing email scam?”
The expert said the scammers do this to eliminate anyone who is aware or suspicious. Those people won’t respond. He said that way, the scammers can focus their attention on a small group of more gullible, less suspicious targets.
That makes total sense to me.
It was how I worked in sales. My goal was to narrow down a big list of “potential buyers” to a small list of potential buyers who had money, a need for, and an interest in my product. I called this process “getting to the no.” The faster I could eliminate wide swaths of prospects who would never buy, the more I could sell.
I did the same thing with online dating. My major cut-off criteria were mutual attraction, interested in a monogamous relationship (with me), no little kids, and not batshit crazy.
When I was looking for my second dog, my criteria was 10-20 lbs, 1-4 years old, relatively healthy and no major behavior issues (eg. attacks other dogs, runs away constantly, hates people).
Regular readers of my blog may have noticed I’ve been doing the same with my posts. I no longer tiptoe around subjects that some people may find objectionable (religion, politics, calling out BS) . I use language – sometimes coarse, other times eloquent and occasionally obscure – to hone in on what I’m trying to say.
I’m not purposely aiming to offend anyone. On occasion, I’ve deleted or edited posts after hearing from a reader or realizing I may have inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings. It is one of the reasons I anonymize most of the people I write about.
But, for the most part, my thinking is: if you don’t like what I write, then don’t read it.
It’s mostly a moot point anyway. The majority of my posts are only read by me. I don’t promote the blog, use SEO or do anything to drive more people to my blog. A few friends check in from time to time. Otherwise, it’s just me and people who are having a second hernia surgery or are training their replacement at work (my two most visited posts).
So if you’re reading anything here and it doesn’t suit you, feel free to cut my blog out of your life. It’s OK. In fact, it’s probably better for both of us.