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Geek Culture / One of those great scams

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dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:02
Well my mum recently broke up with her boyfriend of 10 years and started doing this online dating thing through Match.com. She started talking with this guy who originated from Ireland or something, and sounded, acoring to her "Dreamy".

Well she said that something seemed fishy with his stories, when he asked her for 2500$ to help him fly home from Iraq to our state so he can see her since he was in the army and his commander or something said he could leave Iraq early if he paid. My mum caught on to the BS and asked me to see if I could trace where his emails were coming from. So I looked in the header, found his IP, and used ip2location.com to find out where he lived. The lookup showed Nigeria. This supposed dream irish guy in the Army is actually from Nigeria and was trying to scam her.

How amazing. Just felt like I should share it with everyone.

Sigh
19
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Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: The Big 80s
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:05
Quote: "since he was in the army and his commander or something said he could leave Iraq early if he paid"

This commander would be in a whole heap of, well, stinky stuff if it got out he was accepting money to get people outta Iraq. But of course, its a scam lol

Keep your Hope & Change to yourself, I choose Liberty! Stop by for a chat! [IXE]Nateholio on irc.maxgaming.net:6667 #GarageGames
Happy Cheesecake
15
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Joined: 16th Jun 2009
Location: My non-vice-presidential refrigerator.
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:06
Nice catch, man. Hard to believe someone could go so low as to do something like that.

I'm sorry. Actually (and unfortunately) it's not that hard to believe...

dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:12
Quote: "This commander would be in a whole heap of, well, stinky stuff if it got out he was accepting money to get people outta Iraq. But of course, its a scam lol"


The money was actually supposed to be for traveling (Plane tickets).

Quote: "ard to believe someone could go so low as to do something like that."


Indeed. Sort of good thing that we don't have 2500$ to throw around, she wouldn't have ever done that for a man. xD

xplosys
19
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Joined: 5th Jan 2006
Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:13
That's pretty funny, now that you found him out. I guess there's nothing they won't do. It'd be interesting if you could find a way to string him along for a while.

Brian.

Seppuku Arts
Moderator
20
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Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:14 Edited at: 19th Nov 2009 02:14
Some people are horrible. It amazes me, yet I already know the type already exist, but man, they suck. Playing people's emotions like that is sick. Perhaps he ought to a try a scam that doesn't require him to sink so low. I'm glad you found him out.

Sigh
19
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Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: The Big 80s
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:19
Quote: "The money was actually supposed to be for traveling (Plane tickets)."

Still illegal, the military pays to return you to your home of record after you finish your service (if you dont get a dishonerable discharge). Even if you have a dishonorable discharge, they can't just leave you in a foreign country, gotta pay for your way back to US soil. I could go on and on but wont.

Keep your Hope & Change to yourself, I choose Liberty! Stop by for a chat! [IXE]Nateholio on irc.maxgaming.net:6667 #GarageGames
KeithC
Senior Moderator
19
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Joined: 27th Oct 2005
Location: Michigan
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:24
Why are these idiots always from Nigeria?

xplosys
19
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Joined: 5th Jan 2006
Playing: FPSC Multiplayer Games
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:26
I think it's a national sport.

dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:29
What's strange is my mum is all excited that someone attempted to scam her xD

Hey, she likes it when exciting things happen.

Robert F
User Banned
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:34
you should tell her to keep talking to the guy. Tell her to tell him that she can't talk for a while because she is going on Vacation to Nigera.
Zeus
18
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Joined: 8th Jul 2006
Location: Atop Mount Olympus
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 02:48
Quote: "I think it's a national sport."


Lol.

demons breath
21
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Joined: 4th Oct 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 03:10
Quote: "you should tell her to keep talking to the guy. Tell her to tell him that she can't talk for a while because she is going on Vacation to Nigera."


Keep playing with the guy a while.

puppyofkosh
18
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Posted: 19th Nov 2009 03:16
Yeah I'd continue to screw with the guy.
dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 03:27
I think she already told him she found out. I did a small google search and found this post:

http://ww.delphifaq.com/faq/male_scammers/f5790.shtml?p=0

My mum said that's exactly what happened with her.

Anyway, just thought it was funny

Oh and it also turned out that the person he is pretending to be is a real person. Found a profile thing on some site about him but lost it. xD

Darth Vader
20
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Joined: 10th May 2005
Location: Adelaide SA, I am the only DB user here!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 03:32
Quote: "I think it's a national sport."



So true. I tired to sell my iPod touch (still trying) on eBay and other sites, so I thought I'd give craiglist a try. I was getting like 5 emails a day, offering me exuberant amounts of money if i could ship it to Nigeria and then to a pastor's wifes daughter to play with also in Nigeria. I even got fake paypal emails.

Lol, I wrote back to one of them along the lines of, "I've managed to get your IP address from the email, and I've handed it over to Nigerian police with all the relevant information, they are onto you so you better watch your back... Their coming..."

Felt justified after that

dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 05:29
Quote: "Lol, I wrote back to one of them along the lines of, "I've managed to get your IP address from the email, and I've handed it over to Nigerian police with all the relevant information, they are onto you so you better watch your back... Their coming...""


Haha, awesome! We should do the same. :o

Anyway, my mum is now telling all her friends.. >_>. I gotta admit, I'd be kinda embarrassed that I almost got pwned by a Nigerian scam. Though the only way is to laugh it off. Even though she DID say something seemed off from the first few messages. So meh.

Anyway, at least we all know what some people will go to to scam someone...

Grog Grueslayer
Valued Member
19
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Joined: 30th May 2005
Playing: Green Hell
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 05:54
It's a common scam. My friend used to talk to "Russian Girls" online at my house (he doesn't have the internet).

They would always send him pictures of themselves (beautiful models) and they would always fall in love with him after the second message.

After a week or two of messages back and forth they would tell him how much they would love to hop on a plane to see him but despite their high paying job (at the hospital or school usually) they can't get to America because they don't have enough money to get a passport.

He never sent them money but amazingly they would announce that they got enough money together and showed a scan of their passport to prove they were just a day or two away from being in his arms (looking closely this "new passport" was usually issued many years earlier). Now the only problem for them was they didn't have money to get on a plane.

I don't think he ever sent any money to any of them... at least he tells me he hasn't.

2D Analyst
AGK Developer
21
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Joined: 2nd May 2004
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Posted: 19th Nov 2009 05:57
$2,500 dollar amount sounds too even to me. Yes, there are scam from Nigeria and especially selling products to people there.

Every expression counts on www.BlogoBerry.com
dab
20
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Joined: 22nd Sep 2004
Location: Your Temp Folder!
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 06:10
Quote: "My friend used to talk to "Russian Girls" online at my house (he doesn't have the internet).
"


haha sounds hot

Quote: "$2,500 dollar amount sounds too even to me. "


indeed. :o

Yodaman Jer
User Banned
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 06:59
Well now I know that those ol'-fashioned dating interwebs are not the place to look for a soul mate.

Interesting story. I definitely would have screwed around with the guy for a while, leadin' him on for a bit just to see where things got to. Could be quite hilarious.

Programming is too difficult for me, unfortunately...darn.
Dazzag
22
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 09:47
Hmm, how about anouncing that you are actually a cross dresser and is he ok with that. Google around a bit and send some revealing pictures of basically an obvious (if you know what I mean) bloke in a dress. Ideally smoking a cigar with a pint in the other hand. And a beard. On his face. But make sure they know you have the money ready. If they like that sort of thing. Never know you may end up with hilarious photos of the guy in a dress and stuff. Then remote control the guy a bit (photos at church, schools, palaces, zoos...) before emailing the photos in a chainmail/facebook group/youtube clip. Would be good if it worked.

Seriously though even if 1000 people rejected scams I'm betting they still get enough to make a good living. I watched a program a while back showing how old people are easily convinced. Even with everything I tell him my Dad once fell for a lottery scam. They live in Cyprus and he got snail mail saying he had won the spanish lottery (they were there on holiday about 5 years ago). Just phone this number. I even told him at the time it was rubbish (how on earth can you win without entering the lottery, plus what there they ask for your address when you buy a ticket?). Thanks to my sister (complete idiot about such things) he phoned them up. Luckily he didn't pay anything to them but cost him a fair bit for the phone call.

Honestly, these people are scum. Apparently there are websites dedicated to mucking them around, although they come with warnings because a lot of these people are in dangerous gangs and the like. ie. don't push it too much.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Phaelax
DBPro Master
22
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Joined: 16th Apr 2003
Location: Metropia
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 10:03
Quote: "Indeed. Sort of good thing that we don't have 2500$ to throw around,"


Most of those guys over there get that every month and have nothing to spend it on. After a few months over seas I'm surprised he didn't have that money on hand himself.


> SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0
> 0 rows returned
Fallout
22
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Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 10:21 Edited at: 19th Nov 2009 10:22
I got scammed the other day. I went to the dentist and the guy said 'Your teeth are fine .. btw, do you want some of this sensitive toothpaste?. 'Yes' I replied. Then I got to the reception to square up, and it cost me £10 for a tube smaller than a half eaten pepporami! Can't believe I fell for that one.

I then burnt down the practice.

I too think it's cheeky though, that these clowns will do anything to swindle people out of money.

crispex
17
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Posted: 19th Nov 2009 12:07
419 scams are as old as the internet itself. I had someone try to rip me off of a laptop I was selling on Ebay by sending me a fake PayPal email receipt, then they wanted me to pay the $432 fee to shop it to Nigeria.

Temporarly away from the Phoenix Sentry.
David R
21
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Joined: 9th Sep 2003
Location: 3.14
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 13:51
Quote: "I think it's a national sport."


You kid - but it pretty much is. Scams are a huge commercial sector in Nigeria, so the government has no vested interest in shutting them down. True story.

09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
Fallout
22
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 21:41
So are you telling me my Nigerian diploma I bought last year is no good?

Tom J
19
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Location: Essex, England
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 22:08 Edited at: 19th Nov 2009 22:08
The 419 eater site is quite amusing, this guy messes around with a scammer for so long, it's just ridiculous

http://www.419eater.com/html/bigman.htm
zeroSlave
15
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Joined: 13th Jun 2009
Location: Springfield
Posted: 19th Nov 2009 23:53
Tom J, that is awesome. I just read through most of it and must say that it was hilarious!!

There's something in this room that makes you can't speak well.
demons breath
21
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Location: Surrey, UK
Posted: 20th Nov 2009 03:47
Harsh - I almost felt sorry for the guy...

Lemonade
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Posted: 20th Nov 2009 06:52
Quote: "Harsh - I almost felt sorry for the guy... "


Lol, me too. That guy is such a lier. The video they made was hilarious.
Fallout
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Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 20th Nov 2009 09:32
That is a cracking read. He felt so tantalized by the thought of $50k, he commissioned a bust to be carved. What a fool.

Darth Vader
20
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Joined: 10th May 2005
Location: Adelaide SA, I am the only DB user here!
Posted: 20th Nov 2009 15:34
It is just so funny! I can't believe that the guy was actually stupid enough to keep going along the ride!

can't wait to see the video though lol!


demons breath
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Location: Surrey, UK
Posted: 20th Nov 2009 16:41
You'd think a scammer would be more cautious than most about this sort of thing...

lazerus
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Posted: 20th Nov 2009 18:38
page 2 now, and i have laughed in the middle of deto several times...

Yodaman Jer
User Banned
Posted: 20th Nov 2009 20:47
Holy cow, that was a long read! I gave up halfway through page two and just skimmed through the rest. I loved the video that they actually were able to make, that was quite hilarious!

Programming is too difficult for me, unfortunately...darn.
Phaelax
DBPro Master
22
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Location: Metropia
Posted: 21st Nov 2009 13:09
I've read the 1st page of that link Tom posted, omg is this funny!


> SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0
> 0 rows returned
Darth Vader
20
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Location: Adelaide SA, I am the only DB user here!
Posted: 21st Nov 2009 14:32
I couldn't help but read the whole thing! It was so funny!

Phaelax
DBPro Master
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Posted: 21st Nov 2009 14:53
I've finished the whole thing now, and the monty python video was amusing too. (the parrot is a duck now!)


> SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0
> 0 rows returned
MSon
20
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Location: Earth, (I Think).
Posted: 21st Nov 2009 21:51 Edited at: 21st Nov 2009 22:00
That link was pritty funny, I hate to say it as im not one to usually suggest any type of sersorship, but there should be a way to ban any communication with Nigeria, eMail and Web, i use to get loads of scam emails from there, never applied to any, i dont know anyone there, as im sure most people dont, if i where contacted even legitimatley by someone from nigeria, i wouldn't respond based on where it originated from, i guess its ashame as im sure there are legit companies and people there that would like to use the web, but i guess they should get a better goverment that would do somethink about there reputation.

And Dib, make sure that man was reported on the site, theres usually a lin k to report thinks like that.

the most realistic scam i have been offered was one that resembled an email from the tax office relating to tax rebates, i think that was dodgy within this country though as i gt the email within one month of applying to the tax office for my real tax rebate, i noticed that was dodgy when they asked for payment before they could work out what i was owed, I think someone got my email address from the tax office as they new certain facts that i told them including time period i was claiming for which i told no one else.

Everyone Be Cool, You, Be Cool.
Grog Grueslayer
Valued Member
19
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Playing: Green Hell
Posted: 21st Nov 2009 22:46
The only ones I get are from people fishing. It's amazing the number of banks that think I have accounts with them and they need me to login right away.

MSon
20
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Location: Earth, (I Think).
Posted: 21st Nov 2009 22:53
I use to know someone at work that fell for one of them natwest emails, she was an older woman, i advised her to contact her bank before anything happened to her account, it is ashame, but it is mainly older people that fall for these kid of tricks, thats why i havn't given my mum an email address, she would be likley to reply to any email, regardless to weather she knows who its from or not.

Everyone Be Cool, You, Be Cool.

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