BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 05:42 PM

Do you know, I think this lockdown has brought all the 'rats' out of their holes! Today our village Facebook warned us all of two dodgy men going round the villages knocking on doors and offering to do rough garden work (cutting hedges etc). But they are wanted by the Police for stealing money from houses where they are offered work.
I had a phone call last year about loft insulation 'on a government grant' which was a load of rubbish. I merely gave the chap a stream of rude Malinke (which my husband unfortunately taught me hee hee) and he hung up.
I worry though about vulnerable old folk who might be taken in by these
nasty thieves.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 03:23 PM

Today I had a call I might easily have fallen for. The caller said "This is Matthew calling back in regard to the government-funded insulation - lagging you've had installed up in your loft area?" [presumably a question as the intonation went up at the end]. The accent sounded like south-east England, maybe someone who grew up on a London overspill estate. It was totally convincing apart from the fact that my loft insulation has been there for about 40 years and has no connection with any government scheme.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 03:14 PM

While not as amusing as Sandra in Sydney's email or as enticing as the hot/sexy Russian/Asian ladies, a report in my local paper is hard to believe. A couple of scammers had been prosecuted for trying to defraud an elderly man by telling him that the bank notes in his bank account had been switched for fake ones and he must withdraw the money and give the caller the serial numbers, and that a courier would then come to collect them. Fortunately a neighbour prevented him from giving away his money, but would anyone really believe that the money in a bank account was made up of actual identifiable notes?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 02:24 PM

Would you believe it? Having just posted that I'm worried about my Hot Russian Ladies, I've just seen a spam thing offering 'Sexy Asian Ladies'!! I wonder if these people read Mudcat? And why can't I be offered some Hot Russian or Asian MEN eh?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 04:22 AM

I'm really worried about my Hot Russian Ladies. Haven't heard from them in ages. I do hope they haven't succumbed to the virus!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 26 Jun 20 - 01:06 AM

Donuel, Little David was small, but oh my . . .
With his little stone he smote Goliath
Until he laid down and dieth.
Just because something is small does not mean it can't harm you.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Jun 20 - 10:33 PM

email comes from a (house) paint company in the UK, from their no-reply address!
subject - Account with (company name) message Dear Dr Adult dating Native American online, then an address which includes sexdatingirls

best I've seen for a while

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Donuel
Date: 18 May 20 - 08:40 AM

Do you mean Cohen or his business lawyer?

The hugest SCAM
We are arriving at 100,000 deaths a month early on June 1st.
Thats a third of all the corona deaths in the world.
WHY?
By Presidential order 29 states are reopening and no mask is a symbol of bravery and Freedom. The CDC has been cut and fired into oblivion.
The WHO had been defunded by the USA.
The pandemic has been declared a hoax and now its all Obama's fault.
Fox news says take the RED pill like in the Matrix and that the only problem we have is a lockdown by Democrats.

When a virus has an R value of 3 and a third of the country exposes themselves, the rates can only climb. People believe they are bigger than a virus and they would be foolishly RIGHT.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 17 May 20 - 06:36 PM

Apparently someone got into Trump's attorney's confidential files and is offering to ransom the embarrassing info for 42 million bux.

Several times in the past week I have received emails indicating that I have sent emails to people I have never heard of. On one occasion, one of the people, when I said it wasn't me, replied that I should go fornicate myself as he had my email so it had to be me. I gently explained, again, that obviously someone had stolen my edress and was using it to spread malware. No further response.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Donuel
Date: 16 May 20 - 09:56 AM

The clear and present danger right now is ransomware of business and lawfirms.
Often the hacker is a Russain government hacker by day and a criminal at night.
As I write a lawfirm of A list celebrities is deciding to pay to keep client info off the web.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: leeneia
Date: 14 May 20 - 03:50 PM

I tried watching that for a while, E, but I couldn't stand it. The guy irritated me so - the hair in his eyes, the overly-big glasses that aren't in the right place, and the beat-up clothes. He's trying to project "neglected child."

In contrast to that, the rapid-fire, half-mumbled posh accent is particularly out of place.

He almost has me rooting for the con man.
===================
Something similar happened on YouTube. A video showed a policeman finding and tenderly gathering up a three-year-old girl sitting alone is a cold and empty parking lot. Her mother had left her alone in a running car, and a thief had hopped in and driven off. When he realized there was a toddler in the back of the car, he left her in the safest place nearby.

All the comments on this video expressed sympathy for the thief because the mother, like this James Veitch, was technically the good guy but was so irritating.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 14 May 20 - 02:27 PM

Here's a really good YouTube TED Talk on corresponding with an on line scammer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QdPW8JrYzQ&feature=youtu.be

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Apr 20 - 09:51 PM

One morning recently I was woken by an American robot at 8.45 either telling me I had won $300 or needed to pay her $300 ... zzzz

Over the past few years we have received calls from Nicole from the NBN - National Broadband network - which is replacing/has replaced our broadband services across the country. I've even had 2 calls from her since I switched!

someone played the game & pressed button 1 to talk to a technician
I like Nicole, but I am worried for her, she never sounds happy when she calls. I press 1 to talk to a technician, because I am worried about Nicole's mental state, I'm pretty sure 99% of the people she calls hang up on her, but not me, I want to know she's OK. The technicians never let me speak to her either, which now, is making me wonder if they have her in some sort of hostage situation as she sounds Australian and has no foreign accent so she draws you in thinking it's not a scammer calling you, I mean Dave, one of the technicians has a strong Indian accent, so that sets my scam alert alarm off, but not Nicole.......poor Nicole.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: JHW
Date: 24 Apr 20 - 04:10 PM

A robot rang me this morning. Said 'we need to validate a £600 transaction on your Debit card'. I don't talk tp robots.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Apr 20 - 11:53 AM

wow! a lifetime supply!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 23 Apr 20 - 10:59 PM

I just got one of the funniest scam emails I have seen. Supposedly from Charmin [a brand of toilet paper] telling me I had won a lifetime supply of paper goods. It was so ridiculous I almost replied.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Mar 20 - 03:59 AM

does that mean you don't need to pay tax?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 20 Mar 20 - 07:55 PM

I have recently been receiving calls telling me that because of suspicious activity my Social Security account is being closed. I guess that means I'm dead--at least to the US government.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Mar 20 - 03:34 AM

in today's world of covid19 & subsequent cancellations of many festivals, concerts etc. it's good to get a laugh

FROM Dwain Stevenson Fin.
SUBJECT Mr Goodner Grouser Legitimate and reliable loan lender from Dwain Stevenson Financial Investment ... wants to lend me money, but as he sends from a Russian email address, I am suspicious.

and laughing

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Nov 19 - 06:15 PM

best laugh I've had for a while

An email from Mr. William R. Christ, tho it is apparently from Elana in Russia.

Subject - FORM UNITED NATIONS OFFICER!!! !!! !!

(8 exclamation marks! but I'll only use one) & the only part of the subject I can read without opening it is -

ATTN: Beneficiary, The United National Security Council, hereby receives your payment with reference number.#UNO/MAV

is is tempting to peek & see why they believe I have paid them, & what they want me to do, but ...

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 21 Oct 19 - 03:10 PM

Here's someone who made a hobby of replying to a scammer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QdPW8JrYzQ

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Sep 19 - 08:31 PM

& you haven't transferred your $100???

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Sep 19 - 01:37 PM

Got a goiod one today, titled "Bank of America Corporate Office":

Bank Of America
Wed 9/25/2019 3:03 PM
Bank of America Corporate Office
Headquarters 100 N Tryon St Charlotte, N.C 28255
United States of America.


We the board of directors foreign operation department of Bank of America has taken this liberty to confirm the approved fund value sum of $4million United States Dollars only approved in your favor as your inheritance fund , In view of the determination and commitment of United Nation and World Bank Government to Ensure that every outstanding contract/inheritance debts are settled, But to our greatest dismay, despite all the effort made last year by past Government to ensure that most beneficiary receive their payment, record still show that a lot of Contractors/inheritance beneficiaries did not receive their payment due To their inability to settle some outstanding up-front obligation to the Federal Government

Following United States banking edicts articles of Federal Reserve Bank , the beneficiary must pay the signing fee of $100 in order to complete the fund process. All beneficiary of fund transferring out of Bank of America to various account holder beneficiary must cover the signing fee of $100 been required from our fund verification department here in the Bank .

This charge must be submitted to this bank from any branch of the law and shall give you a legal recognition as the beneficiary owner of this fund and the estate by law of the United States of America to enable the bank transfer this fund to your nominated account in few hours.

Remittance permit has been given by Bank of America creditor department and upon your complies with the payment of the signing fee of $100. We hereby-official states to inform you that as soon as you pay the required signing fee of $100 your fund will be transfer to you.
Best Regard.
Mr. Brian Thomas Moynihan
Chairman and CEO of Bank of America

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 05 Sep 19 - 04:24 AM

the FBI ANTI-TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION is after me (gulp), tho why are they using julio from Brazil's email address?

well they are actually after the folk club which is small & only charges $10 a head (last concert had 8 attendees) ...

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Monique
Date: 15 Aug 19 - 11:30 AM

I got this one a couple of times.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Aug 19 - 03:44 AM

best regards, wot a thoughtful correspondent!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Aug 19 - 11:35 PM

Here's an interesting one from South Korea:

Fraudsters know your old passwords. Access data must be changed.

Emmeline Mccarthy
Mon 8/12/2019 5:59 AM
Hello!

I am a hacker who has access to your operating system.
I also have full access to your account.

I've been watching you for a few months now.
The fact is that you were infected with malware through an adult site that you visited.

If you are not familiar with this, I will explain.
Trojan Virus gives me full access and control over a computer or other device.
This means that I can see everything on your screen, turn on the camera and microphone, but you do not know about it.

I also have access to all your contacts and all your correspondence.

Why your antivirus did not detect malware?
Answer: My malware uses the driver, I update its signatures every 4 hours so that your antivirus is silent.

I made a video showing how you satisfy yourself in the left half of the screen, and in the right half you see the video that you watched.
With one click of the mouse, I can send this video to all your emails and contacts on social networks.
I can also post access to all your e-mail correspondence and messengers that you use.

If you want to prevent this,
transfer the amount of $500 to my bitcoin address (if you do not know how to do this, write to Google: "Buy Bitcoin").

My bitcoin address (BTC Wallet) is: 3EvPG7C5vfpAnXvBfvNKTjb5vtQ4kmZhjh

After receiving the payment, I will delete the video and you will never hear me again.
I give you 50 hours (more than 2 days) to pay.
I have a notice reading this letter, and the timer will work when you see this letter.

Filing a complaint somewhere does not make sense because this email cannot be tracked like my bitcoin address.
I do not make any mistakes.

If I find that you have shared this message with someone else, the video will be immediately distributed.

Best regards!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Mar 19 - 06:00 AM

today's best spam's has the subject - I BRING YOU CALVARY GREETINGS FROM MRS SAZAN BONI - & she got my details from the Network Power Charitable Trust (wow!!) & a search for this trust found this site

I like this blogger's style

sandra

ps. I don't open spam, just widen my screen to see as much as I can so I don't know what Mrs Suzan is offering me!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 09 Mar 19 - 03:09 AM

Just in case, I have a small piece of elastoplast over the camera on my laptop, with the padded part over the lens so that it is usable when I want it to be, and the sticky parts holding it in place - not that a hacker would be likely to see anything 'pornographic', but they might be treated to the sight of me picking my nose occasionally, and I don't look my best first thing in the morning, if that would be a sufficient threat for a blackmailer to use against me.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: leeneia
Date: 08 Mar 19 - 05:37 PM

Thanks for the warning about the porn blackmail, EBarnacle.

I probably shouldn't have done the nude Pilates while drinking champagne. Good thing my computer doesn't have a camera.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Mar 19 - 04:20 AM

best spam for a while, especially as it is sent to my folk club!

sender M.L.U.A. (hovering over this address shows it is really, truly a yahoo address) subject Re: Mrs I.U.A.
& I'm addressed as Dear Beloved

dunno where Mrs I.U.A comes from cos I don't open spam, I just widen the window to read as much as I can.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Nov 18 - 05:33 PM

good one, Jos

I've been getting some persistent calls, mostly daily around 2pm, but one even came at 8.50pm. All come from a call centre, ya know the ones that you pick up & say hello & there is background noise until someone takes the call.

A caller with a thick Indian accent starts saying hello, & as I always immediately hang up on any voice saying they are (name) from (organisation) I have no idea what they want. Sometimes I let the call go to the answering machine & of course they hang up!

A couple of years back I inadvertantly paid my electricity bill late, adding the $15 they charge for late payment. Sometime later I automatically hung up on (name) from (electricity supplier) who was probably calling to ask if I needed a pre-payment plan! Anyway, I didn't cos I just forgot I had the bill.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 08 Nov 18 - 10:03 AM

The telephone threats to discontinue my internet within 24 or 48 hours have been arriving regularly since August. Today the electronic 'woman' sounded quite angry and threatening, saying BT are going to discontinue my internet TODAY. But BT do not supply my internet connection - maybe she is so angry because she can't find it.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 02 Nov 18 - 12:04 AM

Here's a really new, nasty one.
I recently received a series of emails telling me that a hacker had attacked and penetrated my computer[s] and wanted $900 in bitcoin to call off the attack. it supposedly originated with me to me and the sender claimed to be an entity on the Dark Web. It forced me to do something I should have done all along, back up all of my data on external disks and record all of my program keys. A friend tells me this bit of nastiness is becoming increasingly common but is not real. The scammer does not have access to your files or camera although they have hacked your email password.

Here's an article about a similar scam.

https://www.businessinsider.com/new-email-scam-uses-old-password-fake-porn-threats-webcam-video-bitcoin-2018-7

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 23 Sep 18 - 03:47 AM

I did like the phrase '...the cold hands of death...' in Joe's example. As he says, very creative!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Sep 18 - 08:25 PM

quote - I secretly locked up the money in a trunk box and deposited it with the Red Cross here in Damascus

& how big is this trunk??

so I asked Google 'how much space does a billion dollars fill' - I thought it would be a bit much asking about $47,500,000.00USD Million - but one of the related searches is this one about what 121 trillion (US debt) looks like

but getting back closer to the bloke's $47,500 million How Much Does a Billion Dollars Weigh

alas, Your search - how much does $47,500,000.00USD dollars weigh - did not match any documents.

oooh, this is fun, but I really must stop playing & do stuff that needs to be done!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 22 Sep 18 - 04:28 PM

Despite the disappearance of the Hot Russian Lady, I now have some Hot Valentines who are said to be 'single, sexy and waiting for me'!
I'm afraid they'll have a long wait, poor lassies.

Joe, that's a classic 419 scam! Would anybody nowadays reply to that and expect the person to deliver?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 22 Sep 18 - 04:15 PM

A month later and "Shirley" the Cadbury's smash alien is still threatening me almost daily with having my internet connection discontinued within 24 hours. Why does she bother?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Sep 18 - 03:25 PM

And keeping up with news events, here's another one from Syria. Ya gotta admire the creative writing.

Hello,

Please is it okay to communicate in English?

My name is Mr. Jak Abdullah Fraam am a Syrian Widower. I desire to transfer a contract sum amounting to $47,500,000.00 USD Million from my country under a very legitimate arrangement. Due to the prolonged civil unrest/war in Syria, as well as the daily life-threatening attacks by ISIS terrorist group the economy has remained
stagnant.

I've already lost my family, my Wife and daughter to the cold hands of death during an attack targeted to end our family. I and my son were not around during the cross fire. we were at the hospital for checkup when the attacked our home killing my beloved Wife and my daughter and setting the house ablaze. I am in tears writing you this mail.She (my late Wife) was a very successful contractor in the oil city of Syria and was privately dealing on gold dust and bars before his untimely death. Expectedly, we jointly has some reasonable amount of money, which I desire to invest in the Real Estate sector, Travel & Tourism, Hotel Management and other interesting sectors in United Arab Emirate.

As you may or may not know, the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union have made it nearly impossible to successfully operate any type of investment here in Syria or to even transfer money from here to other parts of the world. For this reason, I am contacting you in great confidence with the hope that you could help me get this money into any of your nominated bank account anywhere in the world.

Please I would like to know how convenient it might be for you to assist me in this way. The entire capital at my disposal is $47,500,000.00USD Million. I secretly locked up the money in a trunk box and deposited it with the Red Cross here in Damascus. My sincere intention in writing you is to plead with you to kindly accept the money box. This is because we cannot do any bank transfers from here following the war. I am offering you 30% of the total money, 10% will be mapped out for refund of any expenses you incurred in the process of handling this deal and you will also invest the remaining 60% on our behalf for a duration of 10 year with remuneration of 3.5-5% annually from the profit after tax incurred in the investment.

I have to take this chance because I have no other alternative but to trust somebody. I cannot risk my life here to avoid an end to my family lineage.All I have is my only son. He deserves a decent life since I want him to grow up in a peaceful environment.I'm planning of relocating to UAE with my son and invest the money in accordance with law.

I anticipate your positive response and on receipt of your information I will provide you with further details. Please kindly reply me on my personal email address: [e-mail]

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Jak Abdullah Fraam

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 10 Sep 18 - 02:30 PM

Regrettably, most of those that call, used spoofed phone numbers so the sanctions won't work on them.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Sep 18 - 03:53 AM

I see the UK government is going to put in place stiff fines for companies that trouble people with unsolicited marketing phone calls, especially Ex-Directory numbers and those on the Telephone Preference Service list. 'Blooming good n' all' as they say here in Norfolk!

We're getting that blinking 'Eco boiler' number ringing us again. They try and tell you you can have a 'free' new boiler installed. But it's only for those on a very limited income, and we don't qualify anyway, so I can't imagine what their game REALLY is.

Sometimes there's only silence when one lifts up the phone, so they must be random-dialling. But their number is always the same (01603 390115) which is Norwich-based. We have caller display, so we don't bother to pick up now.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Sep 18 - 10:26 PM

For the last month I have been taking a different approach--sending reports to the phishing reporting sites of companies they claim to represent. I seem to be seeing a sudden decrease in these solicitations. They are not gone but they are reduced to about 8 per day. Too bad about those lovely young Russian women, though.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Sep 18 - 08:29 PM

3 spams arrived overnight - 2 boring donations, one will give me $100 million! (I wonder if they are American dollars as they are worth more than Australian dollars) but the 3rd is different

sender - iluminati (really & truely sent by a woman from domain ch which is Switzerland & used a lot by spammers according to google)

subject - Join the Illuminati Secret Brotherhood and get $3,000,000.00

hmmmmm, sender is different to subject - wow, a typo in a spam email (shock, horror)

It's a very old scan -hoax.co was warning against them 10 years ago. As I didn't open it I dunno if the text was the same as this example.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 10:15 AM

email I sent to my 3 techy mates about the latet piece of spam


It was allegedly from fresherdoing.online so I went looking for info about their website & found this. I do like the writer's style!

http://www.ninjahedgehog.co.uk/3919/#more-3919

(extract)   What kind of business has three Marketing Heads (Kaylee, Mike and Rebecca), thinks that a personal blog is a business, claims to be UK-based when it isn’t and uses a URL which doesn’t even link to an active website? www.fresherdoing.online, that’s who. Or www.seoleadsquote.com. Or both. I’m struggling to keep up with the bullshit.

The website www.fresherdoing.online was registered by Roose Taylor ([e-mail]) but doesn’t actually exist. As bullshit names go, that one really is ridiculous, but I’ve added Roose’s email address to [e-mail] anyway.

-----------
There’s a mobile phone number of 07760 195 738 listed for the UK address, so I may check that out multiple times during the middle of the night, just in case it belongs to someone who thinks it’s alright to send me shit.

====

and a spammer replied!!

hi,

We are not spammer, we just offering our service.
if you feel that you are not interested in similar service you can reply as you are not interested.
i believe you have listed your email somewhere over google for these services

i do apologies for inconvenience caused

Best Regards
Rahul Mishra


& ninjahedgehog replied to him

If you search for a definition of spam email, you will find that the sending of emails to email addresses which have been harvested online or which have been purchased as a list, meets those definitions perfectly. The only place I used the email address which you contacted me via is on this website.
If I haven’t requested information and if I haven’t used your services historically, any communication you send me is spam.
Therefore, you use spam as a marketing method which makes you a spammer.

spammer did not reply to this!

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 08:28 AM

And now I find a message on the right thread but my apology on the wrong one. Time to do a 'restart' of my laptop, methinks.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 08:25 AM

Oops - I meant to post that to the 'funeral plans' thread. How did that happen?

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Jos
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 07:53 AM

I keep getting phone calls with a message that seems to have been recorded by those little aliens in the Cadbury's Smash advertisements some years ago, saying they are BT Openreach and they are going to disconnect my internet connection in 48 hours because it has been 'compromised'. As I don't have a BT internet connection I am not going to fret about it.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 07:29 AM

Crumbs Thompson, thank goodness I sent him off with a flea in his ear then!
That renting scam thing is awful. But would one transfer money into an unknown person's account on trust? I suppose students can be a bit inexperienced and an easy target.

It's very discouraging to realise there are such dishonest predators about. Norfolk villages could be seen as easy hunting grounds, as there are a lot of elderly folk living in them, and being fairly isolated, the Police take ages to arrive if summoned.

I've been getting quite a few Spam messages in my email box recently saying 'your Amazon order is ready to dispatch'. I know full well whether I've ordered something or not, and these are all con-merchants.

Sadly, my 'hot Russian lady' hasn't been in touch for yonks. I do hope she's okay.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Thompson
Date: 22 Aug 18 - 07:07 AM

The "roof check" thing is nastier than you know, Senoufou - it's common for supposed roof menders go up on the roof, break a few slates/tiles, then come down and tell you your roof needs mending and cheat you out of money.

Here, they say "I'm doing a bit of work for your neighbour and I noticed you had a couple of broken tiles up there…" To which I ask "Which neighbour?" "Oh, the fellow over there." "What number? What's his name?" and their enthusiasm visibly dies away.

==

The wire transfer scam is being used in Ireland in a particularly nasty way. Due to the incompetence and capitalism-worship of our current government we're in the middle of another housing crisis, because the banks are allowed to sell vast numbers of defaulting home loans to vulture companies. These then rent the homes out at monstrously increased and still-increasing rates. Both rents and home - or "property" as it's tellingly referred to - prices are skyrocketing.

So as students prepare to find flats for their next year, advertisers offer flats and ask for several thousand euros to be transferred to their account "because the landlord lives abroad" or "is abroad at the moment". When the would-be renter arrives at the door, either the keys provided don't fit or the address doesn't exist. The supposed owner has of course disappeared and the real owner can't do anything.

Subject: RE: BS: All the Scams Aren't in Nigeria
From: Senoufou
Date: 21 Aug 18 - 02:51 AM

Joe, I rather like the name Jerry Brain.

We've had some men coming round the village offering a 'free roof-check'. We have a sticker at the door which says 'We don't buy anything at the door' etc. The chap was wearing a hi-viz jacket with the word FREE ROOF CHECK emblazoned on it, and he silently pointed to the word 'FREE'.
I don't him not to be so blooming daft. He was obviously trying to sell something. No doubt some sort of anti-moss roof treatment or some such.
He started up with more spiel so I'm afraid I told him to bugger off and shut the door a bit firmly.

If husband is at home, he opens the door and glares at the person. He can be terrifying - they don't expect an African with huge muscles. But on this occasion he was out.