email scam

[Aussie Hawk]

John,

Please don't miscontrue my mentioning 'the evolutionary tree, it has nothing to do with race. I myself am quite hairy and use that saying about my own family in jest refering to our Neanderthal origins. In my previous post I was incinuating the scammer was as thick as a Neanderthal, nothing more. Just wanted to set the record straight ;-)

[Corvanti]

i'm not a "computer guru" by any means - but it seems like making sure your "e-mail filters" are set a little higher than "allow all mail" or similar wording, will take them to your spam section. i scan thru the senders in my "spam box" every few days just to make sure there's not a legit mail misdirected (it happens occasionally). then delete them all without opening.

sometimes, as we've seen here, a spammer will "take over" or gain access to someone's email account. don't respond to a silly request especially for $$$. if you can contact the person - offline is best, advise them of the mail. usually a change in the password on their email account will stop this.

"gurus": please correct or add any info above if needed!

[53commander]

I am going to retire tomorrow and live out the rest of my days on some Caribbean island because according to an email I received today from the Nigerian Diplomat he has just arrived in San Diego with my 3.5 million dollars and all I have to do is call and verify some information.

[showbizkid]

An addition to what Kerry said above: I've noticed some folks occasionally post their emails here on the Forum "in the clear" - that is, out in the open. It's a practice I'd discourage. Although non-registered members cannot view user profiles and get information from them, emails in Forum messages are open for all to see.

[GThawkwind]

Over the last three days I received 5-6 calls from "Windows Operating System"...and they wanted me to let them have access to my computer because they could fix errors they knew about.
Steve...by way on Mumbai...wouldn't take no for an answer.
From looking online, I see they want $299 to fix your computer.
An IT expert let them have access to a virtual unit he had and wrote about it. When they figured out he was playing along, they deleted many of his files and called him a name.
It seems we have to not only be content with their attempts to rip us off, but let them vandalize our property...and take insults from them as well.

A friend of mine had this one happen tp her, they had her convinced at first, but she was getting very suspect, so she had me take over the phone call, and I set him straight.

[rkapteyn]

So...what do you folks have against all the unsuspecting postal employees that have to handle this stuff????

He has someone pick it up.
I would not mail it.

[rkapteyn]

I indeed received a 1700.00 bank draft and a request to refund the overage of $1350.00 by money gram.
I suggested he take 5 of my universal parts so he would not need to be refunded.
No reply
I emailed him again saying that I am still holding on to his check and will not cash it until I receive his reply.
My check for the 1350.00 overage is ready to be send as soon as I heard from him.

Poor Gary!!

Robert Kapteyn

[warrlaw1]

They target lawyers, too. The Law Society has to post scam alerts every time a member gets duped (they are also the insurance company). Then they charge the dupe with "Failing to be on guard....".

[wolfie]

I sold a motorcycle on E-bay some time back when this scam was relatively new and got the whole fake check routine. Sent a check for $2450 more than I was asking for the bike. I was supposed to wire the money to a "shipper". Even after I told my bank I felt like this was a scam and explained what the "buyer" had asked me to do the teller insisted a cashiers check was guaranteed and this was safe. Luckily I didnt believe her either and took the check to another (my new) bank to open a new account. The teller there agreed with me that this was too strange,took info from the check and investigated the next morning before releasing money or even opening the account. She called before 10 AM that day to tell me the check was bogus, not to send anyone anything. Federal law enforcement would not get involved and said the minimum amount they would even accept the report on was just under $2500 and they would have to be able to prove the scam had netted $28000 in a time period (maybe a year, wasnt longer than that) before they would pursue prosecution. A guru friend tracked it down and determined the e-mails were originating in KY, not Nigeria.
Another popular scam at that time was to list something on E-Bay with a low buy now and claim the item (usually a car or motorcycle) would be shipped from usually Italy directly to your home at no charge when questioned. I was interested in a BMW listed in NC. After numerous e-mail communications I finally got a cell phone number from NC. The woman I spoke with had no accent at all and seemed like a genuine North Carolinian. She answered all of my questions correctly until I asked to come test drive the car. Then she started into the whole story of this being her husband who had died recently in Italys car. She was trying to sell the car so she could afford to have it shipped rather than leaving it to rot in Italy. I suggested she sell it in Italy and hung up. I really wanted that car too. Steve