So, this is a bit of a long story, please bear with me. As it has a happy-ish ending and a public service message.

Recently, because I’m a big time porn celebrity, a highly coveted Playstation 3 found its way into my hands. I wasn’t sure what to do with it as I’m not really much of a gamer. I considered giving to someone on my website’s promotional team, maybe I’d give it away to one of the loyal readers of my blog (ah-hahahahahahahha – just kidding, sorry to tease you…or AM I???) or perhaps just keep it laying around the office for my loyal, talented and hardworking employees to waste valuable work hours with.

In the end I did the American thing – I put it up for sale on Ebay.

Before long I got a ‘Buy It Now’ bid which closed the auction. However, the bidder had zero feedback and had just registered to Ebay this week. Obviously a shill bidder or a scammer. After filing the required paperwork with Ebay I noticed something in my inbox – a note from the bidder. How odd, I thought. Here’s the email:

“Hello Thomas, I need to send a surprise gift to my Son who went on a course Overseas in 497 6634 3452 this it for you to ship out the item (Nigeria) and his birth is coming up this months and luckily i came across your item,as i see that your item is in good condition for that.I will be making the payment through Paypal.kindly send me your Paypal Account Email Address Or Your Invoice,So i can make out your payment immediately & Paypal will notify you of my payment as soon as it has been comfirmed by them & your paypal account will be credited as soon as possible..let me know how much it will cost you in shiping the item to my Son in NIGERIA Using the courier service Royalmail Or Parcelforce Global Express (EMS) & send me the total amount for the item including the shiping cost to Nigeria.So i can make out payment Immediately.I choose the Postal Service Is safe Cheaper & Affordable. Make sure you get the package ready for shipment, You can ship the item as soon as you recieve the paypal confirmation.Please mail me now Cause it`s urgently needed. awaiting your fast reply.”

Here’s the public service announcement: never send anything to Nigeria, if you do you are a dumbass. Nothing. Ever. Never, ever, ever to Nigeria. Even if somebody comes to your house with a Glad bag full of $100 bills, it’s a scam. Nigeria = Scam.

The more you know…cue music.

So just for fun I sent the “bidder” a PayPal invoice and in return I got a some-what realistic looking receipt. Of course a quick check of my PayPal account revealed no payment. So I sent the bidder the following email:

“Dear Nigerian Email scammer, I”m sorry — I”ve been pulling your chain all day on this. You have to be smoking whatever they smoke over there to think anyone will fall for this.

You need to try harder! Come up with a new scam! Take some initiative, history is made by the bold, my friend! This scam would work ten times better if it were original!!

I respect the fact that you are doing your best to hustle us dumb Americans, but this scam is old news.

Merry Christmas and good luck in your future email scamming endeavors!”

Much to my surprise I got the following a few hours later:

“Dear Thomas,

I really appreciate your mail. It really touches my heart. I don’t mind leaving this scam artist work, What leads me there was that my mum and dad divorced and they neither cater for my needs again, so i decided to do what people do overhere which is scam. I don’t want to be a scam artist, i want to go to school but no sponsorer. Please, if you should in any way be my friend and advice. I will really appreciate it. I await your Mail. Thanks”

So I asked for the scammer’s address and sent him off a $100 traveler’s check I had leftover from a recent trip.

Like my old Dad always told me – It’s never a bad policy to take care of people.

So who needs a Playstation 3?

And PS - Ordinary Pornstar blog is awesome.