ELIDOR: původ je ovšem opravdu alžbětinský, anglicko-španělská nota hrála na strunu plánované invaze Filipa II. Španělského do Anglie (to je ta porážka španělské Armady 1588, co si někteří z nás pamatují jako dějepisný výkřik ze základky)
The advanced fee fraud
Advanced fee frauds have their ancestry in one of the oldest frauds known, the
“Spanish Prisoner” scam. It originated in England in the late 16th century during the
reign of Elizabeth I when England was under threat of invasion by Spain. Under this
fraud an individual was approached by the fraudster with a convincing story about a
wealthy compatriot of his who has been imprisoned in Spain by King Philip II under a
false identity. The fraudster claims that this prisoner cannot reveal his identity
without serious consequences and is relying on him to raise sufficient money to
secure his release. He then offers the victim an opportunity to supply some of the
money, with a promise that he will be rewarded when the prisoner returns.
Once the money has been paid the conman reports difficulties in securing the
prisoner's release. Additional funds are therefore requested and then more and more.