# Scam (Internet and Otherwise) Omnibus Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265 "2022-04-04T18:23:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/41 "2022-06-02T17:32:10Z")
How would that be any different from cops doing undercover work? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/42 "2022-06-06T12:01:41Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The latest is he is preparing the claims paperwork so it appears he bought the bullshit. I thought he had since tumbled to the fake ID. Nope. Got this. > I wish to inform you that I have submitted your details to the bank and I will return to the bank by tomorrow or next to collect the bank acknowledgement Letter upon the approval of the Application I submitted, they will issue me an acknowledgement Letter which I will email to you by attachment and let you know the next procedure. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/JojDTTE.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/JojDTTE) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/43 "2022-06-08T13:25:11Z")
OK, next round. The dimbulb is taking two days each time I respond to his emails despite the fact I’m answering his emails within a couple of hours of receipt. This time, he sent a letter detailing the documents I need to submit to The High Court of London, complete with Microsoft WordArt “seals”. Even though his email stated that the docs were being submmited, I played dumb and asked how i was supposed to obtain these documents. A. Death Certificate issued by the Hospital or National Population Commission. B. Letter of Administration issued by the Federal High Court London. C. Fund Legalization Certificate D. Inheritance Fund Clearance Certificate E. Change of fund ownership Certificate F. Copy of your Identification (Such as International passport or driver’s license). I still can’t believe he accepted my ID as real. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/44 "2022-06-13T15:56:58Z")
It’s been several days since I last heard so I thought he finally figured it out. Turns out he’s pretending the Court is taking it’s own sweet time. > Hello Mr. Mosse, > > Good evening from us here and happy new week to you and your family. > > My chambers are still waiting for the probate office of the High court to issue the requirements > > and the documentation of the inertance papers as required by United Kingdom law on inheritance. > > I will update you as soon as possible because my chambers will follow all the inheritance laws until > this > fund is successfully in your account. > > I await your prompt response. > > Sincerely, > Attorney Matthew Layton. > Senior Solicitor/Advocate ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2022, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/45 "2022-06-14T12:08:21Z")
Got this lovely document detailing the fees for the probate documents. Comic Sans? Really? [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/IIqwuJE.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/IIqwuJE) My reply was say that in the States, probate fees come out of the estate, is that not the case in the UK? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/46 "2022-06-15T17:55:39Z")
> You will not be required to appear in court in person because your appearance > may cause many difficulties and some questions that you might not be able to answer. No shit. This is the way we’re going to split the proceeds. > 1. 40% for me as the initiator > 2. 30% for you as the beneficiary > 3. 25% for charity of our choice (yeah, right) > 4. 5% for all the expenses incurred during the cause of this transfer example Court documentation/probate,banks,logistics etc ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/47 "2022-06-15T20:34:39Z")
This is getting nuts. He sent two agreements for “Peter Mosse” to sign and “he’s” identified by the number on the US Citizen ID I sent him. (Post 32) What’s interesting is there has been no indication yet on how he’s planning to extract money from me. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/48 "2022-06-15T20:45:12Z")
I’m going to guess that eventually the funds will be coming but he’ll need a verified account to deposit them into. Alternately, it’ll be the all good to go, but some amount is needed to finalize the paperwork, which they’ll be happy to reimburse “you” from the 5% you quoted earlier. I will say this person has put a LOT more effort into this than the norm for these threads. I wonder if they’re going to ask for big bucks during the payoff scenario. Since it seems to look so official, they may be paying the angle of big slice of few pies, rather than spam/scam which is more common. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/49 "2022-06-15T20:51:26Z")
> [@ParallelLines](#): > > Alternately, it’ll be the all good to go, but some amount is needed to finalize the paperwork, which they’ll be happy to reimburse “you” from the 5% you quoted earlier. The dude is(supposedly) in the UK. It would be weird for me to send money from the States when he’s there. I’m assuming there’s some plan for me to give him money or hijack my (fake) bank account, there just hasn’t been a hint yet. I do have fake wire receipts and checks ready to go. I’ve seen scambaiters on Youtube go much farther than this, it’s just the longest I’ve gotten someone to go(I don’t get much spam to begin with). ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/50 "2022-06-15T21:04:08Z")
Hey, maybe this one is for real! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/51 "2022-06-15T21:05:35Z")
Not a chance. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/52 "2022-06-15T21:08:08Z")
Since I’ve signed “legal” documents swearing I’m the relative of the dead guy, maybe he’s got some blackmail in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/53 "2022-06-15T23:11:36Z")
“Federal” ministry of justice? In the UK? They’re not a complete federation, just a unitary state with devolved areas that have their own assemblies (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) as well as electing Members of Parliament to Westminster. There is no _English_ assembly; England _only_ has Members of Parliament at Westminster. Besides, the British minister of justice probably has some picturesque late-medieval title, like “Lord High Executor of the Queen’s Justice”. Reminds me of when I got a phone message about my student loan from the Federal Ministry of Education. There is no federal ministry of education in Canada; education is handled provincially. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/54 "2022-06-15T23:28:08Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Got this lovely document detailing the fees for the probate documents. > Comic Sans? Really? Nitpick time! 🙂 1. They didn’t put “United States of America” under the address in South Carolina. 2. “Federal”? See previous post. 3. “Cents”? Not for UK pounds. It would be “pence”. 4. If you put “GBP” before a monetary amount, you don’t need to put the currency’s symbol £. That’s more like normal sloppiness though, along the lines of saying “$200.00 dollars”. 5. The UK phone number at the top is “+44 20 7xxx xxxx”. I’m not certain, but I think that if the local part of the number (the last 8 digits after the area code 20) starts with a 7, it’s a cellphone. The accounts department can’t afford a landline? 6. “Dear Sir/Madam” when they already know that the target is a “Mr”? 7. “Despatch” is a valid variant spelling though. Cite: English family. Grew up learning all kinds of weird trivia. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/55 "2022-06-15T23:33:49Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > > [@running\_coach](#): > > > > Got this lovely document detailing the fees for the probate documents. > > Comic Sans? Really? > > Nitpick time! 🙂 > > 1. They didn’t put “United States of America” under the address in South Carolina. > > 2. “Federal”? See previous post. > > 3. “Cents”? Not for UK pounds. It would be “pence”. > > 4. If you put “GBP” before a monetary amount, you don’t need to put the currency’s symbol £. That’s more like normal sloppiness though, along the lines of saying “$200.00 dollars”. > > 5. The UK phone number at the top is “+44 20 > 7xxx xxxx”. I’m not certain, but I think that if the local part of the number (the last 8 digits after the area code 20) starts with a 7, it’s a cellphone. - Yeah, I noticed all those except for the phone number since I’m not familiar with how different countries format those. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/56 "2022-06-15T23:41:36Z")
Okay, I just checked. I was wrong about the phone number… mobile numbers in the UK, the area code starts with 7: +44 7xxx xxx xxx. So +44 20 7xxx xxxx is a properly-formatted London number. Cite: > **[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_the_United_Kingdom)** > > Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom are administered by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). For this purpose, Ofcom established a telephone numbering plan, known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, which is the system for assigning telephone numbers to subscriber stations. > The numbers are of variable length. Local numbers are supported from land-lines or numbers can be dialled with a '0'-lead prefix that denotes either a geographical region or another service. Mobile phone numb... ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/57 "2022-06-16T19:17:57Z")
The latest… > Hello Mr. Mosse, > Good evening from us here and how are you doing today? > > All your returned MOU and the Authorization letter is noted and we need to make payment for the probate documents so we can secure the probate documents by next week and forward them to the bank for processing of the fund. > > **This expenses will be out of pocket expenses** which will be settled from the **5% mapped out for it.** I will send **our account officer details to you for the half of the payment** while I will settle the remaining half as i’m working very hard to secure this fund latest by next coming week. > > Let me know immediately. Good thing I obey without questioning the contradiction. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/58 "2022-06-16T19:26:37Z")
I have a question, if I may interrupt this fantastic scam baiting. I often get calls about “your energy company owes you an apology, press one to talk to someone.” What’s the scam? I can’t keep these idiots on the phone long enough to find out. Is it just trying to get me to move to a different, more expensive, gas or electric company (like the calls to get me to change long distance providers back in the stone age)? Or, is there something more? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/59 "2022-06-16T19:30:50Z")
I haven’t heard the apology version. Usually, they claim you’re behind on your bill and you only have minutes/1 hour to pay up or get cutoff. Oh, and they only take gift cards. It could be an attempt to trick you into either switching or revealing your account number so they can hijack it. Might be this. > **[Overpaid your utility bill? That’s probably a scam](https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2020/10/overpaid-your-utility-bill-thats-probably-scam)** > > You get a robocall saying you paid too much on a utility bill. To make up for this mistake, they say, you’ll get a cash refund and a discount on your future bills. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/60 "2022-06-16T19:34:59Z")
This is more like, “you’re paying to much for your electricity”, but the number is always a obviously spoofed number and the hold voice is the same as all the rest (sped up version of “your call is very important to us…”). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265.md?page=4)