Education: A Mirror of Society: May 2014

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many of us are accustomed to receiving spam emails containing dubious claims, questionable proposals and offers that are simply too good to be true. The sole intention of the senders is usually to swindle unsuspecting recipients out of their hard-earned savings.Sometimes, while reading through such messages, one is forced to ask:Did these people ever attend a basic English Language class?Their grammar is often so poor and their message so difficult to understand that one may delete the email before reaching the end.However, if scammers wish to improve their fortunes—or at least improve their English—help appears to have arrived in the form of a handy book titled English for Scammers.Before anyone misunderstands the title, the book is not actually intended to help scammers become better at committing fraud. It is a humorous business-English guide written by Dorothy Zemach and Chuck Sandy and published in 2014. Its real purpose is to help legitimate writers avoid the grammatical, structural and stylistic mistakes commonly associated with scam emails.<h2>Why “Nigerian” Scammers?</h2>You may have noticed the similarity between the original title of this review—English for “Nigerian” Scammers—and the title of the book.Nigeria has unfortunately become strongly associated with advance-fee fraud, popularly called 419, and with the activities of “Yahoo-Yahoo boys”, as internet fraudsters are commonly known.The expression “Nigerian letter scam” became internationally recognised because of fraudulent messages claiming that large sums of money needed to be transferred out of Nigeria. In such schemes, the recipient is promised a share of the money but is first required to pay certain fees or provide banking and personal information.However, internet fraud is not limited to Nigeria or Nigerians. Similar scams are operated from different countries, and even the so-called Nigerian-letter format has been used by fraudsters outside Nigeria.The quotation marks around “Nigerian” in the original title are therefore important. The intention is not to suggest that fraud is a Nigerian profession, but to reflect on the damaging reputation created by those Nigerians involved in it.<h2>What the Book Examines</h2>English for Scammers contains genuine examples of correspondence similar to the messages commonly sent by scammers.The examples are analysed for their:<ul><li>format;</li><li>tone;</li><li>forms of address;</li><li>spelling;</li><li>punctuation;</li><li>capitalisation;</li><li>grammar;</li><li>sentence structure; and</li><li>suitability for formal business communication.</li></ul>In other words, the book examines the small details that can make a letter appear professional—or immediately suspicious.If you are lucky enough to be a scammer, one or more of your messages may even have found its way into the book. You may need to read it again!That, of course, is said in jest.The book is not recommending fraud. It uses the strange and often exaggerated language of scam correspondence to teach legitimate writers how to communicate more effectively.<h2>Not Only for Scammers</h2>The book, available <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/408740">here</a>, takes readers through the step-by-step process of writing an acceptable business letter. This is what makes it useful to non-scammers as well.Its stated purpose is to help readers avoid writing like scammers and prevent their genuine business emails from ending up in the recipient’s junk folder. It teaches readers how to write clear, direct and appropriate business correspondence.This is particularly important for small-business owners and entrepreneurs.A person may have a legitimate proposal or genuine business opportunity, but the email may still be ignored if it contains:<ul><li>an unclear subject line;</li><li>an inappropriate greeting;</li><li>excessive capital letters;</li><li>spelling and grammatical mistakes;</li><li>an exaggerated story;</li><li>an unrealistic promise;</li><li>unnecessary references to religion or charity;</li><li>an urgent demand for action; or</li><li>a suspicious request for money or personal information.</li></ul>Such mistakes can make an honest message resemble a scam.Therefore, anyone involved in legitimate business communication should understand the common features of fraudulent messages and avoid reproducing them.In that respect, English for Scammers could become a useful companion.<h2>Structure of the Book</h2>The book contains eight chapters, and each chapter ends with exercises that can be used for self-study.The exercises may also be useful in business-letter writing classes and professional training programmes. A final examination at the end of the book allows readers to review what they have learnt.The approach is humorous, but the lessons are practical.Readers learn not only how to correct grammatical errors, but also how to use an appropriate tone and organise a message in a way that inspires confidence.<h2>My Personal Experience</h2>On a personal note, the book was a useful and gentle refresher on how to write—and how not to write—a formal or business letter.Formal-letter writing was something I had last studied several years earlier during my secondary-school days. Reading the book therefore reminded me of many small but important rules that are easily forgotten.It is a book I hope to keep for a long time. It could save me considerable trouble if I ever need to write a business proposal, formal request or professional offer.I would particularly recommend it to business start-ups, students and anyone who communicates with customers or organisations through email.<h2>Update: July 2026</h2>The book’s basic lessons remain useful, but online scams have become more sophisticated since it was published.Poor grammar and strange spelling may still be warning signs, but they should no longer be treated as the only indicators of fraud. Modern scammers can produce grammatically correct messages, copy official logos and impersonate recognised companies or government agencies.A well-written email can still be fraudulent, just as a poorly written email may come from a legitimate person who is not fluent in English.The most important questions are therefore:<ul><li>Is the sender’s identity verifiable?</li><li>Does the email address match the organisation being represented?</li><li>Is the offer realistic?</li><li>Is the sender asking for money or sensitive information?</li><li>Is there unnecessary pressure to act immediately?</li><li>Can the information be confirmed through an independent and official channel?</li></ul>Good English can make a legitimate business message more credible, but good English alone does not make a message genuine. <h2>Disclaimer</h2>This is not a paid review. It is my personal assessment of the book.I received a coupon for a free copy from the authors during the closing days of College Writing, an online English course taught on the edX platform by one of the book’s authors.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNTMKV9D_0eOjey2_JNLUp734s9pGi61e8sRgAKM5K8Rn5LIx08LeOtIhkvPvjLpmJThrUFNql-ygOB-OjB7x28hIWJAluuPHNH23fK97wRIU5wXFOderPQgr7bDtNFUAtFG8zwN1THc/s640/21433328-picsay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="English For Scammers Nigerian Scammers yahoo yahoo boys" border="0" height="400" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNTMKV9D_0eOjey2_JNLUp734s9pGi61e8sRgAKM5K8Rn5LIx08LeOtIhkvPvjLpmJThrUFNql-ygOB-OjB7x28hIWJAluuPHNH23fK97wRIU5wXFOderPQgr7bDtNFUAtFG8zwN1THc/s640/21433328-picsay.jpg" title="English For Scammers" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
</div>