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Step 1
Know the language of a West African investment scam email. The scammers frequently emphasize the need for secrecy. They will ask for your "strictest confidence" because their plan is "utterly secret." The emails also often prey upon people's sympathies. This is particularly true when the scammer pretends to be a widow or a political prisoner.
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Step 2
Understand where West African investment scam emails come from. Look at the originating address. Scammers usually send messages from free email services such as Hotmail or Yahoo. Some scammers go so far as to set up more "official-sounding" web addresses, but most go the quick and easy route by using a free service.
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Step 3
Think about the message's content in a realistic way. People have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to these email scams. This is because they see promises of $10 million and decide it's "worth it" to send $5,000 or $10,000 here or there. The emails sound too good to be true because they are. No one has ever made money by buying into a West African investment scam.
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Step 4
Forward the email to an appropriate place. Many email providers offer the option to "report messages as spam." You can also contact consumer-interest groups such as the Better Business Bureau.
