We’ve all gotten the emails.  Dear sir, I’ve just inherited a large fortune but need your assistance in getting the money released.  Please provide me with you bank account, and I will share the money…

But nobody actually responds to those emails, right?  Well apparently, there are more suckers out there than I’d realized.  According to a study by an investigation firm, Ultrascan, $9.3 billion was stolen in 2009 as a direct result of these scams!  Those figures are up from $6.3 billion in 2008.

These scams are typically referred to as 419 scams, referring to article 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code (the country where these scams first originated).  The reason in the huge growth is that scammers are now focusing their efforts on emerging Internet markets, like China, India, South Korea, and Vietnam.

So what’s the solution?  Apparently, one isn’t in sight.  While a growing number of people in the US and Europe have gotten wise to the attempts, much of the rest of the world still needs to catch up.  And furthermore, it’s virtually impossible for law enforcement to go after scammers outside of their country.  Personally, I have come up with a solution: just email me your social security number, and I’ll share it with you