The Nigerian Scam meme, famously known as the 'Nigerian Prince' or '419 scam,' stems from a real-life advance-fee fraud that became a staple of early internet culture via email spam. These messages typically involve a high-ranking official or a wealthy royal who needs a small upfront payment to unlock a massive fortune for the recipient. In the world of memes, it is used to satirize obvious deceptions, absurdly high-stakes promises, and the naivety of the early digital age. It has evolved into a universal shorthand for any situation that seems too good to be true or blatantly untrustworthy, often featuring stock photos of people in royal attire or screenshots of poorly written emails.