If you stood to gain 40,000 Euros, would you photograph your own penis again and again at the insistence of an amorous Englishwoman you've never met?
Patrick would. Patrick is one of the many African 419 scammers who send unsolicited e-mails to try to bilk naive westerners out of their life's savings. Some people, hip to the ruse, love turning the tables on the shysters. When one of these avenging angels, Cap'n Pugwash (posing as 'Patricia Heliotrope Kearney') began exchanging mail messages with Patrick, endless hilarity ensued — at the swindler's expense, natch.
My only regret is that when 'Patricia' demanded e-mailed proof of Patrick's circumcision, he'd already had the procedure done, presumably at birth. How sweet it would have been if he'd actually snipped off his foreskin in desperate pursuit of his mark's money (40,000 clams buys a lot of painkillers and gauze!).
Other than that, the whole story is absolutely perfect. Patrick must have spent weeks if not months trying to get his grubby hands on the dough (time he couldn't spend on victimizing others), and all he has to show for it is a string of very funny webpages that mercilessly, er, expose him.
So three cheers for Cap'n Pugwash. Take a look — if your sense of humor is anything like mine, your jaw will hurt from all the laughing. And if you'd rather curl up with an equally hilarious book by Mike Berry, who is perhaps the world's number-one scambaiter, search no further.


It took some time to read through but it was brilliant. I also enjoyed the rest of the website.
Posted by: Myrtle | Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 05:51 PM
Oh man! They have taken it down! Any idea if it is reposted elsewhere?
this link (http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/) has been replaced by a site warning you not to respond to spammers!
Posted by: Rose | Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 11:32 PM
never mind, i found it, your link is still good, mine wasn't...
Posted by: Rose | Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 11:52 PM