African porkies

So I just this second deleted the latest edition of the Nigerian scam letter and was about to go back to work when I was struck by the depth of the narrative. This particular one goes on in depth to describe the players--their age, their families, their roles in the community...

I then started wondering if these scams are created by aborigines or immigrants? I just can't imagine a western con-man painting such a vivid picture of the personal tragedies befalling the late president so-and-so or his private secretary who is now writing. Never mind the contradiction that he says he escapes with his son in one clause and that he lost his two children in another. The resonant image the reader is left with is the steely eyes of young Patrice, barely a man and yet already scarred by terrible tragedy.

He was aged 66 years. I managed to escape to South Africa with my son Patrice, aged 17 where I am presently residing as a war refugee shortly after the capital city Kinshasha was overrun by rebels. I lost my wife and my two children, and all my possessions during the rebel onslaught on the capital city.

I guess I'm just an old cynic who hasn't been properly conned in a while. Actually, that's not true, I was conned recently by a squeegee-bandit on the north circular with an ingenious sleight-of-hand trick designed to keep me handing over pound coins...