# Scam (Internet and Otherwise) Omnibus Thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265>\
**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:** 41

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**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/801 "2024-08-21T15:52:38Z")

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I got the following email - _italics is my commentary added_ -

**Subject:** Re: MY NAME (ALL CAPS) - _(\<-- Re: typically stands for reply, this means they are sending my email back to me; yet I have **never** send an email with my name (especially in ALL CAPS) as the subject line. Without getting past the subject line I know this is bullshit.)_

**From:** {some name} | email address - {name}@national.shitposting.agency (\<-- _National Shitposting Agency??? WTF kind of company name is that? Well, I gotta read it now it at **must** be good with a name like that; surely it can’t be a shit job posting)_

Good time of the day {MY NAME, ALL CAPS} _(\<-- works with any time zone difference between sender & receiver; doesn’t give anything away that they might be in Nigeria, India, Russia or Myanmar)_  
Audacious, LLC **studied** - _(\<-- they studied my resume, not reviewed. BTW I didn’t send them my resume but they_ could _have gotten it from one of the job sites that it is on)_ your resume and would like to offer you a  
home-based position with our company as Customer Service Representative.

We do believe that your knowledge, skills and experience will be an  
asset to our business. _(\<-- I didn’t alter any weird CR/LF; this is how it is in original email body)_

We are currently hiring part time associates.

We offer a base salary of 3,500.00 USD per month plus additional bonuses  
and benefits. _(\<-- Why are these money mule/launderer emails ALWAYS $3500/mo; another dead giveaway)_

**Responsibilities:**

- Provide service to both prospective and current consumers
- Build and sustain effective business relationships with customers
- Creating an environment of great customer service through ensuring  
client transactions are processed accurately and effectively
- Ensures that all transfers are done in accordance to policy and  
procedure as well as in a timely manner (\<–_here it is, buried below a couple of ‘real’ requirements_)
- Processes transfers and currency orders
- Completes and submits reports to Accounting Department.

If you are looking for ways of getting more information about this  
vacancy _(\<-- Why do I need more information, you’ve already offered me the job. I accept, I accept, **I ACCEPT!!!** )_, if you are available and looking for a new professional **lunch** , (\<-- _but I get a meal out of it!)_  
then get in touch with our HR department

Yours truly,  
{some name}  
  
  
@running_coach, do you think Peter Mosse could finagle a gift card to Panera’s or Chili’s or even the Golden Arches from them for a lunch-&-learn to find out more about this _wonderful_ (& totally legal) position? Hmmm???

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/802 "2024-08-21T16:03:56Z")

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Probably not. They only know Apple or Steam cards that you send to _them._  
As far as the similar offers, they buy and/or steal scripts from each other.  
I’ll sometimes get emails from different scammers all claiming to be the same lottery/Powerball/Mega Millions winner.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/803 "2024-08-21T16:07:53Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Probably not.

I knew that, I was just wondering how many emails you could run a thread to, “Nope, sorry, didn’t get your $5 or $10, please try sending it a different way.” totally reverse the tables on them but only for a nominal amount,.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/804 "2024-08-21T16:15:48Z")

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Not sure, most of the scammers have a short fuse for nonsense unless they think they’re on the verge of getting money. it’s like fishing, you have to set the hook before you can reel them in.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/805 "2024-08-21T16:34:28Z")

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I always thought that scam was you were to become an intermediary forwarding money to them from the scamee & when the music stops you win some nice prizes:

- Jewelry - a nice pair of bracelets, interconnected by a short chain,
- Professional photo shoot, head shots for you to use - just two shots, one from the front & one from the side
- Free music; isn’t that what they mean by ‘a record’?
- Free housing from the government (that one comes later on, though)

  
Seriously, I always thought those customer service job emails were to make you into a money launderer on their behalf. Do you think they are to scam you out of your money? We're only quibbling over the specific reason that I want no part of 'em.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/806 "2024-08-21T16:43:05Z")

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> [@Spiderman](#):
>
> Seriously, I always thought those customer service job emails were to make you into a money launderer on their behalf. Do you think they are to scam you out of your money? We’re only quibbling over the specific reason that I want no part of 'em.

Some of the scam job offers involve them sending you a (fake) check so you can purchase the needed equipment.  
You deposit check, buy from the specified website(owned by the same scammer) and then the check bounces, leaving you out the money you spent.  
I’ve never had an offer to be a money mule.  
The vast majority of the scams I get are the “world-wide lottery/random ATM card award” type followed by “I need a person to handle material (pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, precious metals etc.) transactions in your country”.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/807 "2024-08-21T16:57:08Z")

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Oooh, I didn’t even think of buy (overpriced) equipment from us angle. I’m guessing if it’s never delivered you could open a dispute with your credit card.

I was involved with a few foreign money launderer ones from where I worked; got the request (& subpoenas) for the records. Dear, nice federal agent, I am more than willing to talk to you, kind of generically, on the phone; however, for any specific information or for me to send you something, like account detail, you need to get me something more formal. I’m not losing my job to a phishing call. In fact if you email or fax (remember those back in the day) a subpoena I’ll start working on pulling everything for you, that way when I get the original, raised seal one in the mail I didn’t need to take extra time to do the research, just sent the pile of paper over to you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/808 "2024-08-21T17:10:16Z")

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> [@Spiderman](#):
>
> Oooh, I didn’t even think of buy (overpriced) equipment from us angle. I’m guessing if it’s never delivered you could open a dispute with your credit card.

If you paid by credit card. There’s always Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, etc.  
Also, now the scammer has your credit card info.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/809 "2024-08-21T17:22:20Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> this your fund saying that you a die yesterday on an author car crash

I a brain a hurt

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/810 "2024-08-21T17:28:55Z")

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> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Went to Tractor Supply for horse treats and there was a truck selling meat outside.

Read this too quickly and misparsed it. Thing is, it still made sense as I’m sure selling horse meat (in the US) would be a scam.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/811 "2024-08-21T17:35:14Z")

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> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> Read this too quickly and misparsed it. Thing is, it still made sense as I’m sure selling horse meat (in the US) would be a scam. -

At the very least it would be foal play.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/812 "2024-08-21T17:37:55Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> At the very least it would be foal play.

To which I would say, “Neigh.”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/813 "2024-08-21T17:38:44Z")

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I only buy stuff from the web using PayPal (if the site offers it) or a credit card.

Like I said, we’re just quibbling over which scam this is, we both agree it’s some sort of scam. I just loved the supposed company name it came from (@national.shitposting.agency); that made me laugh out loud.

  
I just came across another form of 'scam'; it was to enter a \*legitimate\* contest. I figured they'd take & use my email & I could just unsubscribe later but there were two mandatory check boxes with \*only\* a Yes option to the question of "please subscribe me to your newsletter(s)"

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/814 "2024-08-21T17:41:16Z")

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> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> > [@running\_coach](#):
> >
> > At the very least it would be foal play.
> 
> To which I would say, “Neigh.” -

You’re not a knight who says “Ni!”?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [August 21, 2024, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/815 "2024-08-21T17:43:02Z")

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> [@Spiderman](#):
>
> Like I said, we’re just quibbling over which scam this is, we both agree it’s some sort of scam. I just loved the supposed company name it came from (@national.shitposting.agency); that made me laugh out loud.

If it’s actually @national.shitposting.agency, then some scambaiter got to the scammer before you did.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/816 "2024-08-21T18:05:09Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Notice that despite being held in the US, the lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board.

See, it makes sense, because it is a German car.

But hey - let’s forget about that crummy beemer, there is a check of 1 billión USD coming in.

Makes me wonder who are the 1 million idjits who contributed $1,000.00 each to my future wealth…? … suckers!

> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> If it’s actually @national.shitposting.agency, then some scambaiter got to the scammer before you did.

yep, makes it sound like some S-E-asian outlet (who might not reckon the evident)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/817 "2024-08-21T18:30:50Z")

</div>

> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Went to Tractor Supply for horse treats and there was a truck selling meat outside.

Do we live in the same town?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/818 "2024-08-21T18:34:01Z")

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I’m in western Pennsylvania, but I’ve heard that Tractor Supply stores are into things like this to attract customers.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/819 "2024-09-07T00:16:17Z")

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Can any of you make sense of this message I dredged out of my spam file? It doesn’t seem to have any point. Why break up my email address? What do the numbers mean? What do they want from me?

[[Subj line]: Make

[From]: AAA Department [uuuhhh995@gmail.com](mailto:uuuhhh995@gmail.com)  
— | — | — | —  
[To, my email address with periods interspersed]: [xxx.xx.xx.xxxx.xx@gmail.com](mailto:xxx.xx.xx.xxxx.xx@gmail.com)

91935665

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-internet-and-otherwise-omnibus-thread/962265/820 "2024-09-11T22:08:55Z")

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New one to me. 360 Lifelock scam. “We are charging you for automatic renewal. If you don’t want this, call this number and we’ll refund your subscription.”

From checking, it’s a scam to get you CC number and information.

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