In seeking some form of rational explanation to comprehend the
underlying reasons for the widespread, relentless, annoying scams on the
Internet, looking at the classic strain theory (CST) puts things into a
helpful context. According to an article in Youth & Society (Agnew, et
al., 1997), individuals engaged in any kind of wrongdoing - such as scams
involving phony spam-spawned email promises on the World Wide Web - are
very likely people who were (or are) unable to "achieve their goals." The
dominant goal, as has been very obvious for many years, is "monetary
success or middle class status." Significant segments of society, the
journal article continues, "are said to be prevented from achieving this
goal through legitimate channels" - and somehow, getting a good education,
and doing an honest day's work and saving and investing for the future are
concepts that haven't worked for this deviant segment. And so, certain of
these individuals "employ illegitimate means to achieve their goals," such
as theft, "striking out at others in their anger, or retreating into drug
use." And in this particular case, fraud on the Web might be better
As to the "Nigerian Money Offers" email scheme - which anyone with
email has no doubt seen in their "in box" - the persons behind this phony
presentation may be having success, and don't want to stop, or perhaps they
can't stop - like the drug smuggler who needs to make "just one more run"
to put money away for the future, and only then will he quit. It may be
that a fairly young, Web-savvy, technology-empowered individual - or small
group of friends - started the Nigerian letter scam with just a few
mailings, to try to make money because he (or they) didn't have good enough
grades to get into the college his parents wanted him to go to. Or didn't
want to go to college and was hooked on drugs, and needed money to keep his
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