I Do Not Come To You By Chance
By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

INSIDE NIGERIAN EMAIL SCAMS

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's debut novel is I DO NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE (Hyperion; May 5, 2009; trade paperback original; $15.99)

You've seen or heard about the Nigerian email scams, the ones that offer you a huge percentage of a fortune if you'll just help out the sender who is stuck in some unfortunate circumstance... There are real people behind these scams, called 419ers, a reference to Nigeria's legal code. And there are real victims of these scams. Even with increased regulations in Nigeria and heightened awareness around the world, 419 maintains a stronghold on Nigeria and its economy; revenue generated from 419 still accounts for a significant portion of Nigeria's economy, second only to revenue from oil.

Nigerian author Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani becomes the first writer to explore the culture of 419 through fiction in her novel I DO NOT COME TO YOU BY CHANCE. Nwaubani's knowledge of the phenomenon makes her an expert on the subject: she knows 419ers and former 419ers personally and can discuss the cultural and economic implications of 419 in Nigeria.