HP Forum Archive 14

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criminal spam Message #1 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 20 Jan 2004, 10:49 p.m. Has anyone else gotten a "business offer" from a steaming pile named Rowland Smart from Africa? He got my email address here but seems to know nothing about HP calculators. He does want access to my bank account though.

Re: criminal spam Message #2 Posted by Dave Shaffer on 21 Jan 2004, 12:02 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) Let me guess: he's from Nigeria or South Africa and has a few million dollars (of hot money) waiting for you if you just send him your bank account number. If this is the first time you've gotten this stuff, you are lucky!

Africa: The SCAM capital of the world Message #3 Posted by Mike on 21 Jan 2004, 12:32 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) I'm surprised you are just now hearing about this. These have been going out for years. Trust me. You won't get $30,000,000 by helping them.

U.S. Bank Message #4 Posted by NH on 21 Jan 2004, 2:44 a.m., in response to message #3 by Mike I never figured out how to run my own SPAM filter. My service provider gets rid of most of it, but some comes thru anyway. The other day I got a notice from U.S. Bank, stating that a computer malfunction had caused my account to be suspended. However if I would verify my name, address, and account number, my account would be reinstated. I don't have an account with U.S. Bank. Also, I'm not that dumb. But I am fairly dumb.... I was thinking 'do I send this to the police' ?? I decided, "naaaah, there is too much for them to follow up on, they won't care". And they would not have. HOWEVER, I could have gone to the local U.S. Bank Branch. I just realized that while you guys were posting. U.S. Bank would pursue it to the last dime, because it's their name being violated. And I would have, if I wasn't such a slow thinker. Hope that somebody else did.

Re: U.S. Bank Message #5 Posted by Ron Ross on 21 Jan 2004, 10:52 a.m., in response to message #4 by NH I am considering asking them to call me directly. However, I would then verify I am a good and valid email address. Oh, and my number. I would give them my number in the Bahamas, the 809 or whaterver area code that racks up a $25 a minute charge to some other legitamate businessman so the two of them can deal with each other.

A pure waste of time Message #6 Posted by Mike on 21 Jan 2004, 12:21 p.m., in response to message #5 by Ron Ross It is a complete waste of time to try and get back at these SCAMMERS. They use a shotgun approach and wouldn't contact you even if you gave them the correct address. They are only interested in getting passwords. This stuff is all automated. They send out millions of these and are only interested in the few brain-dead people that reply. I just delete them and move on. I certainly don't reply to them and let them know they have reached an active email address. I don't even report them because the authorities already know of these. There is little that one can do. Mike

Re: Africa: The SCAM capital of the world Message #7 Posted by David Smith on 21 Jan 2004, 5:42 p.m., in response to message #3 by Mike Darn, and I have used those megabucks to buy an HP-10 box...

Re: criminal spam Message #8 Posted by Namir Shammas on 21 Jan 2004, 4:34 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) This is the famous "Nigerian" scam that has been sent to thousand and thousand of people in the USA and Canada. My brother in Canada told me that a greedy lawyer there took the bait and end up spending a lot of moeny out of his pocket.

219 Scam Message #9 Posted by Thibaut.be on 21 Jan 2004, 5:00 a.m., in response to message #8 by Namir Shammas This one is well known, yet several people are crooked every year. The way it works is easy and quite efficient. First you have to pay a few 10's of bucks for adminstrative purposes. the a few more. Then you have to pay a few 100$ to bribe a guy at the bank. Then the chief banker needs to be bribed and wants several 100's of $. You think, OK, OK, I'll get zillions, it's worth a few 100's investment. But after you've spent several 1000's $, you think you're better off going to there. You'll meet the people, evrytime requesting a few dollars, and then they'll bring you to a secret place to sign the documents. Actually you're just captured and freed against a ransom... or killed. This story has happened to several people, amongst which one Belgian guy, who is (in vain) trying to sue his agressors.

Improves the gene pool Message #10 Posted by Mike on 21 Jan 2004, 12:23 p.m., in response to message #9 by Thibaut.be You say: "Actually you're just captured and freed against a ransom... or killed." I say: "This improves the gene pool."

Re: criminal spam Message #11 Posted by Fred on 21 Jan 2004, 5:29 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) Just few questions (off topic for HP museum site ... but). What is the exact definition of a SPAM ? What is the signification of the letters S P A M ? What is the exact definition of a SCAM ? What is the signification of the letters S C A M ? Subsidary question: How many SPAMs or SCAMS do you receive per day in your mailbox ? (for me it is around 100 or more per day whithout filter) Fred 12345 to delete

Re: criminal spam Message #12 Posted by Fred again on 22 Jan 2004, 9:11 a.m., in response to message #11 by Fred Just few questions (off topic for HP museum site ... but). What is the exact definition of a SPAM ? What is the signification of the letters S P A M ? What is the exact definition of a SCAM ? What is the signification of the letters S C A M ? Subsidary question: How many SPAMs or SCAMS do you receive per day in your mailbox ? (for me it is around 100 or more per day whithout filter) Fred 12345 to delete

100 a day easy, Message #13 Posted by Norm on 23 Jan 2004, 4:47 a.m., in response to message #12 by Fred again I get 100 spam a day easy, but the service provider catches most of it. Because of their filter, I get between 5 - 15 SPAM per day now. Everyday the spammers hack a new set of computers to broadcast their trash. Those are called 'Open Relays' (open means unsecure, relay means it moves files on the internet). Most service providers use a website to download the address of those machines, everyday. Then the service provider rejects ANYTHING that came from those machines. It has been in the headlines (last 3 months) that spammers have actually attacked the websites where the lists are kept....... so that the service providers don't know which machines are broadcasting SPAM. That's why on some days, you get a burst of SPAM that's atypically high. I predicted years ago that congressional intervention (lawmaking, prosecution) would be required. The trick is whether they will do it... w/o creating a 1's & 0's tax !

Re: 100 a day easy, Message #14 Posted by David Smith on 23 Jan 2004, 1:09 p.m., in response to message #13 by Norm Too much of this delicious spiced mystery meat comes from overseas for any US law to be effective. Any "Do Not Spam" list will turn into the juicyest source of email addresses know to subhumans.

called the FBI today, Message #15 Posted by NH on 24 Jan 2004, 12:56 a.m., in response to message #14 by David Smith Today I got a spam claiming to be from the FDIC (federal deposit insurance commission) and that they were suspending my bank account unless I logged into their OFFICIAL government website and verified all my bank numbers and identity. It was from, like, Carly@hotmail.com or the like. Well, seeing this to be a fairly serious case of fraud (impersonating FDIC, impersonating a government website by redirecting off an official sounding link) I did what is right. Try this sometime: Find out your nearest FBI branch office, in some major city. Call them. Tell them you received something that is impersonating a gov't office. They were very interested, and said they were already getting a number of other people calling about it also. They asked me to send it in (they wanted it by FAX) and it likely would be investigated. This is the correct way to do it. As this occurs across interstate lines, it is the FBI that handles fraudulent national spam situations. I have no idea if they would actually go after this spammer. One can only hope.

Re: called the FBI today, Message #16 Posted by David Smith on 24 Jan 2004, 11:23 a.m., in response to message #15 by NH Hi Norm, We need to verify your identity also... just what are those numbers? We think there is a guy named Captain Zener that is being impersonated by you. We promise that we won't tell anybody else.

Re: called the FBI today, Message #17 Posted by Veli-Pekka Nousiainen on 24 Jan 2004, 8:15 p.m., in response to message #16 by David Smith "David Smith"...c'moon that is a stolen identity aunless you can prove innocent... [VPN] )-|

Re: called the FBI today, Message #18 Posted by David Smith on 25 Jan 2004, 3:12 p.m., in response to message #17 by Veli-Pekka Nousiainen Well, I've used it ever since Radio Shack started asking for names with every purchase (over 30 years). My neighbor was Klorivon Moisthair. His friend was "Richard" Throbbin.

Re: called the FBI today, Message #19 Posted by Les Bell [Sydney] on 26 Jan 2004, 2:54 a.m., in response to message #15 by NH Norm, that wasn't spam, that was an example of what is called a phishing scam. However, a fax would not reveal any of the information that might have been useful to the FBI: 1. Email headers that showed where teh email really originated. 2. The target of the link, rather than the text it displayed. I've been peripherally involved in investigating some of these scams, and someone has fumbled the ball badly on this one. I'd have to say, this is NOT the way to do it. . . --- Les [http://wwww.lesbell.com.au]

. . . How do you KNOW you reached the FBI??? Message #20 Posted by Paul Brogger on 27 Jan 2004, 10:53 a.m., in response to message #15 by NH My motto: "Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get me!" ;^)

Re: . . . How do you KNOW you reached the FBI??? Message #21 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 27 Jan 2004, 9:47 p.m., in response to message #20 by Paul Brogger You know that you really reached the FBI because they returned your phone call, even though you didn't leave a message.

419 Scam-baiting Message #22 Posted by Clive on 21 Jan 2004, 5:53 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) This is called a 419 scam - 419 is the Nigerian law code banning this form of scam. Several websites have been set up for the sole purpose of "scam-baiting" ... where people respond to the emails with equally false information in order to waste the scammers' time & money. You can read about their efforts at http://www.419eater.com/ and http://www.scamorama.com/, amongst others. Happy reading.

Re: 419 Scam-baiting Message #23 Posted by Diego Díaz on 21 Jan 2004, 9:58 a.m., in response to message #22 by Clive Hi, Yeah!, I know this guy... he wanted to buy $6.000 in Clonix's from me <;-)) LOL... No comments... Cheers from Spain.

Re: 419 Scam-baiting Message #24 Posted by Mike (Leavenworth, KS) on 21 Jan 2004, 12:32 p.m., in response to message #23 by Diego Díaz this is beeing addressed to some extent by our friends at the US Government. http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml

Anyone can recommend a good SPAM filter Message #25 Posted by Miki Mihajlovic on 21 Jan 2004, 11:00 a.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) I know that this is not a place for this kind of discussion but SPAM affects us all so I was wondering if anyone (from personal experience) can recommend a good SPAM filter. I know that there are many out there not hard to find but as I said - "from personal experience". About the Nigerian SCAM, I have been contacted by them first time about 20 years ago (long before emails) through regular mail. My professional association publishes the members names and addresses annualy so that's how they got bunch of names then. It has got only worst since then. 1234 to delete.

Re: Anyone can recommend a good SPAM filter Message #26 Posted by Victor Koechli on 21 Jan 2004, 11:48 a.m., in response to message #25 by Miki Mihajlovic Two suggestions: I use Mozilla Thunderbird at work, its SPAM filter is excellent and probably misses one out of several hundred SAPM mails. I use Apple Mail at home which is said to have the best SPAM filter available. However, you have to be the lucky owner of a Macintosh and OS X in order to use it... Cheers, Victor

I'm not alone? Message #27 Posted by db(martinez,california) on 21 Jan 2004, 10:04 p.m., in response to message #26 by Victor Koechli I thought i was special and the only one to get this scam stuf. Obviously Mr. Rowland Smart thought i am "special" too, but in a different way. That 419 baiting site is hilarious. "The Chruch of Bread and Wine" indeed!

Re: Newer Scam Alert Message #28 Posted by tbcab@aol.com on 21 Jan 2004, 10:33 p.m., in response to message #1 by db(martinez,california) One of the current scams operating over the internet works like this: A "buyer" emails a seller in response to a classified ad, wanting to purchase the advertised item. Upon agreement of price, the "buyer" agrees to pay via cashier's check from an American bank. The "buyer" wants to pay you a significantly larger amount (e.g., $4700 for a $300 item), with you retuning the balance (less a $200 fee for your trouble) via Western Union wire, or some such thing. The scam is in the fact that the cashier's check is counterfeit. After you have refunded the cash balance, eventually (usually about 2-4 weeks for a cashier's check)your bank will notify you that the check was counterfeit, and debit your account for the full amount. I have received these emails from "Indonesia," "UK," and "West Africa." Who knows where they were really from!

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