Oh man, that fake ID cracked me up too. My neighbor in the other office came over to see what was so funny.
Catch up: They want 50K, no explanation why. Because it was formatted as $50.000 USD, I sent a (fake) $50 transfer. unhappiness ensued. I explained that I sent the 50 as I assumed the extra “0” was a typo(reference to the core of the refund scam-whoosh). Since then, they’ve been trying to get me to resend the 50 while ignoring that they asked for 50K.
They wanted proof I sent the 50 so they got a bank statement screenshot.
It would seem you’re not paying her enough as she’s stooping to stealing whatever she can.
Bank statement attached.
Peter Mosse
And now they see a temptingly full bank account.
They’re still chasing the 50 bucks. Seems the 50K is forgotten. The receiver is claiming she never got the 50. No shit, Sherlock. Good thing my bank is closed weekends.
can’t you get intouch with your bank via online?
THE BANK IS CLOSED WEEKENDS. AM I CLEAR OR DO I NEED TO GO BOLD NEXT?
Peter Mosse
Haven’t heard from this clown until now. (since June 3)
Are you a mad man?
why do you refuse to pay your insurance permit document to have your funds?
It’s been three weeks. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting to give you this payment all this time.
Peter Mosse
You really fail .because my agent was ready to deliver your funds to you .but you always make failed payments to my office that is why you have not receive your funds
I wasn’t asking why I didn’t receive my funds, I was asking why you disappeared. Were you on a bender or in jail?
Peter Mosse
I can’t be in jail.because I deliver all fund belong to the right owner
Then you were on a bender. Does your boss know about your drinking problem?
Peter Mosse
You delay your own funds and authority knew it.
I’m not the one who’s choosing unreliable payment methods.
Peter Mosse
And so it continues.
I received not of this your claim payments and you know that. I and my agents ready to deliver your funds to you immediately I receive your funds
You claimed to never received the payments. I’ve given you proof I sent the payments, you prove you never received them.
Peter Mosse
when ever you sent payments .I went to bank to receive bank receive and your payment will not reflect in my account even bank can not see your transaction .why?
I only see empty slip .I want see your payment send to my account
That’s what you claimed. Have your bank send me a statement that the payments were never received.
Peter Mosse
Its your duty to sent statement of your account from your bank not bank you sent payment to
You’re an idiot. A statement of fact as in a letter or testimony, not a bank balance statement.
Peter Mosse
you are very stupid .idiot you did not sent any payment. you only sent empty slip
The slip wasn’t empty, it had writing all over it.
Peter Mosse
it was written all over the pepper but no payment was made just empty slip.you did it my account also did it in my branches account.all was empty slip
I didn’t send you a vegetable.
Peter Mosse
Even iTunes card you bought also fake
So you claim.
Peter Mosse
we are ready to dispatch your funds but you take it for granted
No, I take you for granted.
Peter Mosse
all the slip you sent was empty .I didn’t receive payment of any type no payment from you
Then prove it.
Peter Mosse
(It feels like this could go on forever.)
I got an email today. I think it must have been a scam, but if so it was very well done. It was (purportedly) from my internet security provider.
From: {companyname} Team <suppport@mail.{companyname}.com
To: me
Contents: thanked me for being a customer, said there was a problem renewing my subscription (alert! alter! common scam tactic!) because the credit card was declined (this part could have been true, since I had changed my credit card recently, and this was one payee I had not caught because I only pay them once a year). Then they offered a 20% discount if I would reinstate my subscription by clicking the button (another common scam tactic).
Not because I was certain it was a scam, but on general principles (never click a button in an email) I went separately into my account, to find out that my I am paid up until next April. But it did give me the opportunity to update the payment information.
Most of these “your internet security has lapsed, renew today!” scam emails have a lot of weird typography and stuff, possibly to pass through spam filters. This one looked very clean, no weird symbols or typography. The way they did it was simple: everything in the message was a photo, including the nice cleanly-typed message. They were pretty good, but my usual email hygiene practices saved me even though they accidentally(?) got two positive hits (my actual provider, my changed credit card).
edited to add: I only deleted it, I didn’t mark it as spam, just in case somehow it was real. I don’t want actual emails from my security provider to end up in the spam folder. Is there any chance it was real?
Nope. The “whole email is an image” is to evade keyword filters. No legit company would do that.
The fact you were indeed current, shows it’s a scam.
If your card was declined, I can’t imagine a discount being offered for renewal.
The “{companyname} Team” format looks scammish.
The email address I would expect to come from “billing” rather than “support”.
Someone tried to pull me into a romance scam on Facebook, I’m pretty sure.
Some guy going by the name James McCarty liked a two year old Facebook post of mine, a short snarky piece about Cyber Ninjas CEO ( renowned scam election “auditors” ) Doug Logan, which I thought was sort of an unusual piece to garnish a random like.
Then he commented asking if he could share it. I have had similar requests before which is why the account is public -and I replied sure.
Then he replied he was having trouble sharing it and he thought it might be because we aren’t friends so he asked me to friend him so he could. Although he shouldn’t need to, there are no restrictions on the post.
I looked at his account, and I saw more red flags than a Chinese military parade.
The handful of pictures show an attractive older man in uniform. He claims to be in the US military, stationed in Syria, with a US home city about 60 miles from the city I live in (that may be coincidence). And he’s widowed, of course.
The account is about a month old, it shows no friends.
He’s posted a couple of motivational/uplifting posts.
There are also about a half dozen random older posts from other people he shared, I guess that’s so people not looking closely will see older posts and think it’s a long-standing account.
I haven’t run the pictures through an image search yet, but there is an amusing detail in one of the photos, the name patch on the military uniform reads “JAMES”. Dude, it’s not like you work in a gas station, I’m pretty sure that patch would have your LAST name. Plus, it looks photoshopped.
But the Syria thing is the giveaway, I’m sure after we talked awhile he’ll need me to do something financial- like cash a check or send someone gift cards -that he can’t do himself because he’s in Syria. Or receive a package full of cash or valuables that ultimately requires me to pay some sort of customs or delivery fee.
I didn’t friend him and probably won’t. Sometimes I like to play with scammers but I’m pretty sure this one’s going for a long game and I’m not up for it.
That’s the usual one I get. By any chance did he give his rank?
No, but I really didn’t engage with him. There is not really any insignia on the uniform, looking at it I’m not even sure it’s a US uniform, it looks weird. But I know nothing about military uniforms.
Here’s the picture, I’ve masked the face because I’m sure it belongs to someone not involved with the scam.
I didn’t find a match through Google but I doubt there’s a bar in Syria that serves Newcastle Brown Ale.
ETA: The solder’s real last name is James, that looks real. The scammer is not aware the military would use last names on uniforms.
That’s why he used James McCarty.
The uniform is real but I think the black items might not be standard.
The pattern in the picture @Ann_Hedonia has is the “Universal Camouflage Pattern”, which the Army used for its Army Combat Uniform from 2005-2019, and that camouflage used dark colors for its accoutrements, so the rank tab, name tape, etc. would all be period appropriate for a fairly recently retired (3-10 years) soldier.
Speaking of rank tab, that’s a First Sergeant, I think. Looks more like the open diamond than the star of a Sergeant Major.
I’m going to guess that’s a legitimate picture of a First Sergeant James taken about 5-10 years ago, and your scammer found it on the internet someplace and tried to adopt the identity.
Try a reverse image search perhaps?
I did that. Nothing came up.
FWIW, I ran a reverse image search on the unedited photo this morning and got a couple hundred hits, mostly from scam watch sites like this one.
Not that I had any doubts.
I ran foul of a taxi scam last night in my own city.
It’s been a long while since I’ve been out to a show or large event in the city. Booking a taxi from home over the phone brought a proper registered taxi with a meter and cost NZ$42 (which I would expect given the advertised rates and length of journey).
On leaving the event centre in the evening and starting to wonder where to stand and ring for a taxi, I was approached by a guy asking, “Do you want a taxi?” and - feeling relieved at not having to wait in the cold for potentially half an hour - I took up his offer.
Happily chatted with him until I he dropped me off at my house and charged me NZ$105. Only then did I notice he didn’t have a meter.
So now I’m very aware that my city’s taxi regulator is ‘concerned’ about unlicensed taxi operators. A good reminder to check the fare before you get in a taxi.
I checked, and the most you can put on a prepaid Visa card is $15,000. Ask if they intend to send you 1333 separate Visa cards.
The guy upthread who has gotten eight fake payments is still around, looking for a ninth.
New bait, one of those who doesn’t read.
Salaam Alaikum,
Are you in need of investor for your projects?. We are running a project funding program which I feel you may benefit from. We fund viable projects as soft loan at a very low rate of 3% ROI for a 10 years period with an option of early repayment without penalty.
Sectors of Interest: Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Health, Aviation, Tourism, Retail, Real Estate, Construction, IT & Communications, Technology, Education, Energy, Engineering, Utilities, Telecom, Mining, Maritime and host of other profitable ventures.
We fund project from 1 million USD/EUROS to 500 million USD/EUROS.
We finance ongoing and fresh projects.
Kindly forward your project plan to my email address for review by our investment team and commencement of your project funding procedure and funding.
Allah Blessings
Dr Ismail Hussain.
My current project is fucking with scammers. I could use a million or two.
Peter Mosse
Kindly forward us your project plan for our review and commencement of your funding process.
I don’t have a project plan. It’s more of a reactive process. I just freeball it and adjust as it develops.
Peter Mosse
Salaam Peter,
Kindly provide us with the below for the issuance of our loan agreement so you can get yourself acquainted with our basic standard process and terms.
Name of CEO/Owner.
Name of Company.
Address of Company.
Required loan duration.
Required loan amount.
Provide the above to enable our legal team prepare and issue the loan agreement for your perusal.
Allah Blessings
Dr Ismail Hussain
I don’t have a company, I’m a free-lancer. But I’ll start with a million. What are your standard repayment terms?
Peter Mosse
Salaam Peter,
Kindly provide the informations requested in my previous email if you are interested in our debt financing,
Allah Blessings
Dr Ismail Hussain.
CEO Peter Mosse
Mosse Fire Bricks
760 Meadow Dr.
Loris, SC 29569 USA
$1,000,000 USD
120 months
Peter Mosse
Salaam Alaikum Dear Mosse,
Find attached the loan agreement for your review and clarification and finalization.
The terms of the agreement are our standard terms and must be adhered by every intending borrower.They are simple,straight,flexible and self-explanatory.
If the terms are understood and accepted,fill out your bank account details and other requested informations and return for issuance of the final version for your endorsement and commencement of the final step.
I look forward to acknowledgement and reply.
Allah Blessings.
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Qasim
Chief Executive Officer.
Vincecorp Investment Co.
I’ve forwarded the Agreement to my attorney for review. I’ll let you know what he says.
Peter Mosse
Waiting for panicked response. Or no response.
He doesn’t know what “ROI” stands for either.
Or he’s hoping the intended target doesn’t know. It’s hard to tell how much the poor English/lack of knowledge is a deliberate trap for the gullible and how much is sheer ignorance on the part of the scammer.