Nigerians call scams like these "Four One Nine," so called by reference to Article 419 of the country's criminal code, which concerns fraud. Yet Nigeria's 419 scammers have a far longer pedigree
Internationalizing Nigerian Criminal Code, Chapter 38 Mar 21, 2002 Inside the SCAM Jungle: A Closer Look at 419 Scam Email Nigerian scam, also called “419 scam” as a reference to the 419 section in the Nigerian penal code, has been a known problem for several decades. Originally, the scam phenomenon started by postal mail, and then evolved into a business run via fax first, and email later.
Nigerian Letter or “419” Fraud — FBI
The Story behind the Nigerian Phishing Scam | PCWorld Mar 28, 2010
Nigerian scam, also called “419 scam” as a reference to the 419 section in the Nigerian penal code, has been a known problem for several decades. Originally, the scam phenomenon started by postal mail, and then evolved into a business run via fax first, and email later.
Internationalizing Nigerian Criminal Code, Chapter 38 Mar 21, 2002