why do scammers do it

[issey6cats]

backstory i have been talking to a supposedly american soldier who is supposed to be serving in afghanistan for the last week, well i know this is one of the scams going round,

so i played along with him gave him all the right answers except my real name etc, as i use my maiden name not my married name (am seperated) and after a week of saying he is really falling for me yeah right he asked for a top up for his phone lol,

told him forget it i aint got no money and funnily enough he has killed contact on skype, so single ladies watch out the scammer soldiers are around again and i feel sorry for very lonely ladies who fall for this one

my ex's friend got scammed, he only sent a small amount but she asked for thousands.

There's an awesome website here www.419eater.com/

Read the letters archive, it's people who lead the scammers on and make them do stupid stuff, all the while promising them the money is on its way.

The idea is that all the while they are wasting the scammers time, they are stopping someone else who is potentially vulnerable from being scammed.
Some of them are pretty extreme, but very funny!

Because they want money and vulnerable women are usually ripe for the picking

The basic answer is they do it to get money.
There are a few troll like ones who do it for power and kicks but it's mostly money.
They often have a "script" to follow and dont care in the least about the emotional not to mention financial mess they create.
It's all fiction to them.

419eater has a sister site www.scamwarners.com/forum/index.php

It is always useful to read their forums.
Its also useful to google the name and email given.
Beware of anyone you have never met in person asking for money. Red Flag.
Do not send money via Western Union or Moneygram to someone you dont know in person- these payment can be collected anywhere in the world if they have the transaction number and security question/code.
Red Flag and klaxon