Greetings! I am contacting you about a business opportunity...

Have you ever wondered, as you hit Ctrl+D on all those Nigerian "business opportunity" e-mails, exactly what kind of person might actually fall for such a scam?

If you have, look no further than former United States congressman Ed Mezvinsky. ABC news reports that Mezvinsky has two years to go on a seven-year prison term connected to e-mail spam scams. It's part of a 20/20 report on e-mail scammers.

Initially, Mezvinsky became the victim of "just about every different kind of African-based scam we've ever seen," federal prosecutor Bob Zauzmer told 20/20 for a report to be broadcast this evening.

But then, says Zauzmer, Mezvinsky began to steal from clients and even his own mother-in-law to raise the money to try yet another scheme.

"He was always looking for the home run. He was always trying to find the business deal that would make him as wealthy as all the people in his social circle," said Zauzmer.

As Jesus says, "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

You would have to be in the grip of some pretty ferocious greed, augmented by some rank foolishness, to ruin your life in an attempt to get rich in "business opportunities" with an anonymous e-mailer.