How to Trick an Online Scammer : Here's How to Scam the Scammers

Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations. Every year, more than $4 billion is lost to online scammers. Today, it is estimated that more than 300,000 Internet scammers ply their trade on the information superhighway. Nearly everyone has received emails offering millions of dollars from a lost heir or a prince in need of assistance. In this short story, a humorous exchange of email between the scammer and the author, the author takes a scammer on at his own game, leading through a twisting plot that would rival the best international spy novels.