The Nigerian Prince e-mail scam is a modern interpretation of the Spanish Prisoner scam that dates back to the late 18th century. Originally, businessmen were contacted by an individual allegedly trying to smuggle someone connected to a wealthy family out of a prison in Spain. The scammer promised to share money with the victim in exchange for a small amount of money up front to bribe prison guards. The scam has persisted, shifting to requests for assistance purportedly coming from a Nigerian prince. While Nigeria is most often the nation referred to in these scams, they originate in other nations as well. The scam is also known as the “419 scam”; 419 refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud (in Chapter 38: “Obtaining property by false pretenses; Cheating”).
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_scam)
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