These people made a lot of money. Far more than their law-abiding countrymen. It's organised crime. People have been murdered by them. Honestly they are ruthless.
**
Some victims have appointed private investigators in Nigeria or have individually travelled to Nigeria, without ever recovering their money. There are cases of victims being unable to handle with the losses and committing suicide.
In November 2003, Leslie Fountain, a senior technician at Anglia Polytechnic University in England, set himself on fire after falling victim to a scam; Mr. Fountain died of his injuries.
In 2006 an American living in South Africa hanged himself in Togo after being cheated by a Ghanaian 419 con man.
In 2007, a Chinese student at the University of Nottingham killed herself after she exposed that she fell for a lottery scam.
In February 2003, Jirí Pasovský, a 72 year-old scam victim from the Czech Republic, shot and killed 50-year old Michael Lekara Wayd, an official at the Nigerian delegation in Prague, and injured another person, after the Nigerian Consul General explained he could not return $600,000 that Pasovský had lost to a Nigerian scammer
Kidnapping
Osamai Hitomi, a Japanese businessman was attracted to Johannesburg, South Africa in a 419 scam and kidnapped on 26 September 2008. The kidnappers took him to Alberton, south of Johannesburg and demanded a $5 million ransom from his family. Seven people were arrested.
On 23 September 2008, a Kenth Sadaaki Suzuki, a Swedish businessman, was attracted to South Africa and kidnapped. He was taken to a house in Rosettenville in Johannesburg and steals of all his belongings. Thereafter a ransom of €20,000 was demanded from his family. Two people were arrested. They are also associated to the kidnappings of three American citizens and perhaps other similar cases.
On 2 June 1996 in Lomé, Togo, 419ing kidnappers held a Swedish businessman for $500,000. Swedish police and the kidnappers discussed before the kidnappers released the man on 12 June 1996.
Murder
29-year old George Makronalli, a Greek man, was murdered in South Africa in December 2004 after his family rejected to pay a ransom.
Kjetil Moe, a Norwegian businessman, was reported missing and finally killed after a trade with Nigerian scammers in Johannesburg, South Africa (September 1999).
One American was murdered in Nigeria in June 1995 after being lured by a 419 scam. From 1994 to April 1997, 419 scammers murdered 15 people in total.
**