Switching the computer on in the morning can bring wonderful
news. Oh goody! An email saying I've won $1 million in the
British Columbia lottery without me even buying a ticket.
Hang on, someone else wants to send me a $5 million inheritance
from an aunt in Romania I never knew I had. Oh, and here's
someone whispering they have to get $10 million out of Nigeria and
want to hide the money in my bank account. All these folk need are
my bank details and a small transaction fee and the riches will be
on their way. The small transaction fee didn't arrive? Oh
sorry, there was a hitch. Just send a few hundred dollars more and
the money will definitely be on its way.
The scammers are also on the phone, calling people at home
saying somebody in the house has won an insurance claim or some
other undeserved windfall. Ah yes, we laugh. How could anyone fall
for such an obvious con? But many people do fall victim to these
scams. The conmen wouldn't keep doing it if it didn't
