# Have you seen this scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470 "2007-09-25T20:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/1 "2007-09-25T20:06:56Z")
I got an email thanking me for my purchase of some horseshit thing called MyMoneyChoices Tele-Seminar, for $87. I replied that I hadn’t bought the thing. Couple of days later I get a CD via Priorityl with the title mentioned above. Just the CD in the envelope. Nothing else. I go to my bank and they check things out. No charges to my accounts. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/2 "2007-09-25T20:07:57Z")
Betcha anything there’s some virus on the CD set to install itself on your computer when you insert it. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/3 "2007-09-25T20:13:51Z")
These are the outfits they listed, and as you’d expect, there ain’t no such company in Melrose. > **[Download As A Man Thinketh -- FREE eBook — As A Man Thinketh](https://asamanthinketh.net/)** > > Download a FREE eBook of As A Man Thinketh, the 113-year-old timeless classic by James Allen. Three formats so you can read on any device. [Goals-2-Go.com](http://Goals-2-Go.com) > **[Vic Johnson: Motivational Speaker and Author](https://www.vicjohnson.com/)** > > Motivational Speaker and Author Vic Johnson provides opinions and insights to maximize personal growth. No Dream Too Big LLC PO Box 1220 Melrose FL USA 32666 ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/4 "2007-09-25T20:15:45Z")
[QUOTE=Rico] Betcha anything there’s some virus on the CD set to install itself on your computer when you insert it. [/QUOTE] Sounds plausible. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/5 "2007-09-25T20:21:47Z")
If there are viruses and I scan the CD with AVG Pro, might the software detect them? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/6 "2007-09-25T20:26:33Z")
Who cares? Chuck the thing and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/7 "2007-09-25T20:30:54Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Who cares? Chuck the thing and be done with it. [/QUOTE] Well, Okay! 😛😛😛 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/8 "2007-09-25T20:31:46Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] If there are viruses and I scan the CD with AVG Pro, might the software detect them? [/QUOTE] Maybe, but why take the chance there’s other malicious stuff like rootkits? Like **Inner Stickler** says, chuck it. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/9 "2007-09-25T20:35:56Z")
Let X be the chance there’s something you want on the CD, and Y be the chance there’s something you _really_ don’t want. I think we can assume that Y \> 100 \* X. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/10 "2007-09-25T20:36:04Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Who cares? Chuck the thing and be done with it. [/QUOTE] But if he throws it away he’ll never really know, and more importantly WE will never really know. And what’s more important a virus-free system or fighting ignorance? I think we all know the answer to that. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/11 "2007-09-25T20:38:09Z")
I’m going to venture a guess that you’ll be getting an invoice in the next few weeks. Not going to bet against the virus/rootkit theory though. Just really doesn’t make economic sense as a distribution vector unless they were under the impression that you were a business and hoping to get a hook into a large and/or sensitive network. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/12 "2007-09-25T20:40:44Z")
[QUOTE=lalenin] But if he throws it away he’ll never really know, and more importantly WE will never really know. And what’s more important a virus-free system or fighting ignorance? I think we all know the answer to that. [/QUOTE] Okay. New plan. **BarnOwl** , mail the CD to **lalenin**. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/13 "2007-09-25T20:52:12Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] I’m going to venture a guess that you’ll be getting an invoice in the next few weeks. [/QUOTE] Yep, me too. Sounds like a more techy version of the book scam where you get sent endless books (thank you TimeLife et al) and then pestered for payment endlessly. ---
**Author:** ![\_len](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/c0e974/32.png) [@\_len](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_len)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/14 "2007-09-25T23:13:42Z")
How did the company get your mailing address from an email? Len ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/15 "2007-09-25T23:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=_len_] How did the company get your mailing address from an email? Len [/QUOTE] I don’t know. probably some company sold it - along with a million others, I imagine. The bank cancelled my credit card and gave me a new one, to foil the scammers. So, I’ll sit back and wait. BTW. in the OP when I asked about scanning the CD, I meant just putting it in the drive and scanning it there. I can right click the drive and scan the CD for viruseswith AVG antivirus, but not for other malware. Probably wouldn’t tell me squat, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/16 "2007-09-25T23:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] BTW. in the OP when I asked about scanning the CD, I meant just putting it in the drive and scanning it there. I can right click the drive and scan the CD for viruseswith AVG antivirus, but not for other malware. Probably wouldn’t tell me squat, though. [/QUOTE] If you have AutoRun enabled on your machine, Malicious software could run automatically on insertion - the damage could already be done by the time you start scanning the CD. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/17 "2007-09-26T13:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] If you have AutoRun enabled on your machine, Malicious software could run automatically on insertion - the damage could already be done by the time you start scanning the CD. [/QUOTE] Holding down the shift key as you put in the CD suppresses the autorun function. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/18 "2007-09-26T14:37:34Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] Holding down the shift key as you put in the CD suppresses the autorun function. [/QUOTE] Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/19 "2007-09-26T18:44:44Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] Holding down the shift key as you put in the CD suppresses the autorun function. [/QUOTE] Better yet, turn it off permanently. [http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-018](http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-018) ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470/20 "2007-09-26T18:53:44Z")
Yes, they’ll almost certainly bill you for it. Fortunately, you have no obligation to pay or return an unwanted piece of mail. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-seen-this-scam/420470.md?page=2)