It all began on Monday. I had a lunch appointment at the Royal Overseas League, one of those timeless clubs in St James's, though not so timeless that I could afford to be late.

Millions of people receive emails claiming to be sent by a "Nigerian Authority" offering millions of dollars to the lucky recipient for just opening up a bank account. Most people are savvy enough to hit DELETE. However, for the numerous that have fallen victim to this scheme, they have lost thousands of dollars, their life savings, and in some cases, their lives, when trying to get their money back.

Many people might shake their heads and shrug their shoulders feeling superior that "something like that" would never happen to them - when in reality it already has, especially if they are trying to find love on a dating site.

From cyber boiler rooms all through out Nigeria, scammers zero in on their prey. They call them "maghas" (slang for gullible white people). These scammers spend hours extracting thousands of American e-mail addresses, sending off fraudulent letters, and then wait for hundreds of replies each day.

For the vulnerable and lonely, the scammers offer the irresistible hope and belief that they have found their true love and soul mate - without a question or a doubt. They are being offered the promise of life, love and riches beyond their dreams.