ABC 20/20 expose

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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:12 pm

Tonight ABCs 20/20 will broadcast an expose on Nigerian scammers.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:20 pm

I've got my DVR all ready - seeing a story about 419s on one of those 20/20 type shows is what brought me here.

Master Baiter Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 106

His life is in danger know (the ex scammer) he would have to go underground after the interview

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 135

Excellent news..........can somebody tape a copy and throw it up here?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:10 pm

I was ready to point out that this is a repeat, but it does seem to be a new episode. I'll try and record it.

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:00 pm

^^^Dang Homer, that is one lovely avatar Laughing

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:14 pm

This is a link to one of the on-line reports.

This is another one

Worth wading through adverts to see.
Quite instructional. (The first one at least)

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:48 pm

Nice one slowfreddie

Thanks for posting

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:25 am

WOW that was actually interesting thanks oops & slow.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:29 am

I was disappointed at the miniscule length of the piece. Not enough warning to my liking, but I'm not a network executive...

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:40 am

20 minutes, broadcast to a national audience... well, at least SOME people watching the news will have some information they might not have had before.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:49 am

I'm encoding it now. It should be up somewhere within an hour.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:55 pm

OK, an hour and six minutes

http://www.rogepost.com/n/1121805445

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:50 pm

I saw the show. Call me cynical, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the whole thing was scripted by ABC to present better than an actual live sting. What if, for example, they'd ID'd the doctor vic who lost all the money, then got to the scammer (whose name, incidentally, was never given, just "Eric"), then paid him more than he'd make scamming, then set up a scripted "sting" in the hotel room? Who was the other guy sitting on the sofa, never identified - part of the scam? How in the world does anyone confuse black construction paper with coated money? The networks have a history of "enhancing" their shows to improve ratings. While I think the video shows a real scammer, I think this episode is one example of such enhancement. Still, better a scripted sting than no scam coverage at all. JMHO.

Master Baiter Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 106

^^ true

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 2:18 pm

Those victims seemed rather sanguine about the whole thing don't you think? How come Eric doesn't have the police after him?

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 3:32 pm

If I recall correctly they showed the details of the actual sting operation on a previous show about 9-12 months ago. This appeared to be a followup with the scammer.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 63

This was a follow up to a piece they did several months back.

Regardless of whether it was scripted or not, that mugu cant go back now.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:25 pm

Really does warm your heart to see a lad break down like that.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:21 pm

pilgrim wrote:

The networks have a history of "enhancing" their shows to improve ratings. While I think the video shows a real scammer, I think this episode is one example of such enhancement.

No, you see, this was an American show. They don't do that over here. Wink