Scam (Internet and Otherwise) Omnibus Thread

running_coach · September 21, 2023, 3:16am

I finally heard back on the Ambassadorship.

Dear Mr. Peter Mosse

During our General Conference meeting held 15th September 2023, We contacted the secretary General of United Nations(António Guterres) of which three names were chosen in our Database of Foreigners that will be a partnership with the United Nations High Commissioners of Refugees for the investment programs.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce Mohamad Kabbah son of Sierra Leone politician who served twice as the 3rd President of Sierra Leone, from 1996 to 1997 and again from 1998 to 2007, An economist and attorney by profession, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah spent many years working for the United Nations Development Program and was killed by rebels March 13, 2014 at Freetown capital city of sierra Leone.

Before the death of Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah he deposited the sum of US$ 8 Million under the United Nations depository vault, which I was mandated by God to assist his son (Mohamad Kabbah) who is currently seeking asylum with the United Nations High Commissioners of Refugees to search for Foreign Investor in your country United States of America due to Market and Economic Instability affecting Africa countries.

The United Nations is using this single opportunity to appoint you as its Foreign beneficiary to(Mohamad Kabbah) if only you can assure United Nations that when you receive the funds for the child you will protect the funds, invest it in a profitable business, educate the child and make life worth living for him.

Thank you very much and we hope to receive your positive response.

Sincerely Yours
David Mensah

Greetings upon the day, Mr. Mensah,

Cool. When do I start?

Peter Mosse

Still no mention of money. I’m sure that’s coming.

running_coach · September 21, 2023, 2:26pm

The UN thing is still ongoing. Getting info out of them is like pulling teeth. I’ll post the sequence later when it’s done for the day.

Just got one asking if I need a logo.

Alana Petrovic

Business Development Executive

Graphic Design Company, Canada

That’s such an original name. Not to mention this Canadian company is in India’s timezone.

Roderick_Femm · September 21, 2023, 4:13pm

I unfortunately fell for one of these (although I did not finish and click the last link, because I was finally, belatedly, suspicious) after I had made a large appliance purchase online from the same company that the survey was supposed to be from. They got enough out of the transaction (“here’s a live one!”) that I have been inundated with surveys and other email scam attempts ever since.

My most prolific sender is “Dan” at “vegepizza” dot com, who masquerades as various financial companies who have offers that I might be interested in. So not a survey scam, just someone who bought the results of a survey scam, i.e. my email address, as a potentially rich target. I get from two to six emails from this sender every single day.

Anyway, as far as the survey scams go, I partly blame the proliferation of real surveys from marketing companies who only have this one arrow in their quiver and who use it for the most trivial of transactions (how did you like this phone call? how likely would you be to recommend this company based on this phone call? Give me a break!). I never do these real surveys any more, just because they are so annoying and pointless.

smithsb · September 21, 2023, 4:54pm

I have won an entire Kobalt tool set. I just need to fill out a questionnaire and pay shipping and handling (freight can be expensive). Alas, I have just a few dollars and cents on my debit card for these opportunities. If anyone would like to contribute (don’t do this - scam), I would gratefully share in this wonderful prize. What’s more amazing, I never entered the contest but still won. How’s that for luck. I’m still waiting on my free iPad though, so there may be some delays. Took me awhile to roll my eyes facing forward again so I could type this.

Skywatcher · September 21, 2023, 5:13pm

My current favorite is “your name came up for a _____________ reward!”

You don’t even know what my name is! Not to mention that your email clearly is not from who you claim to be.

ParallelLines · September 21, 2023, 8:51pm

Got the one mentioned here today:

It appears to be from Coinbase, showing a receipt for crypto purchases, and unlike a lot, has no obvious language cues, and I looked at it a lot longer than I normally do as I got another “Your information has been compromised” letter after the state of Colorado had a breach, but almost everything matched the example in the article above.

And it sailed right past Gmail’s (adequate) filters. So be careful all.

OttoDaFe · September 22, 2023, 2:11am

My Coinbase communications — about one a week — tell me that my (nonexistent) account has been suspended. I’m sure the embedded link would take me to a very helpful page where I could supply the information necessary to get it reinstated.

aurora_maire · September 22, 2023, 2:34am

I had a weird experience last night. Yesterday I received a Visa reward card from AT&T for upgrading to fiber. I went online to activate it. After I did that, I checked my email. When I went to the junk folder to delete its contents, there was an email from “AT&T Customer Support” that had been received while I was on the AT&T website just minutes before. I opened it, thinking it could have been misidentified. It said I was the September winner of a $100 gift card and I should click here now! Obviously a scam but it was a strange coincidence.

running_coach · September 22, 2023, 2:55am

To continue:

Greetings and peace be upon you this day Mr. Peter Mosse,

Thanks for your prompt response.

1)Can you be able to visit our office in Ghana for recognition?
If not then our legal department can represent you.

2)Attached is the United Nations Ocha Form, kindly fill it and submit it back.

3)You have to apply for a United Nations Diplomatic Passport and United Nations Access Card that will identify you as a United Nations Ambassador which will enable you to receive goods and services from Africa as United Nations Relief Materials.

As soon as you are able to present the above requirement then we can proceed.

Note that your appointment certificate will be issued to you 22nd September 2023.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards
David Mensah
(bogus form attached)

Greetings in return, Mr. Mensah,

I cannot travel to Ghana.

The Ocha form is asking for a deposit. How much?

If I’m being appointed an Ambassador, why do I need to apply for the ID card and passport?

Peter Mosse

Dear Peter Mosse

Thank you very much for your quick response ,content clearly understood.

The money deposited is $8 Million USD.

It is the duty for all Ambassadors and Humanitarian Officers of the United Nations to apply for a Diplomatic Passport and United Nations Access Card that will identify you as a United Nations Ambassador which will enable you to receive goods and services from Africa as United Nations Relief Materials.

Being appointed as Ambassador does not guarantee Diplomatic Passport and United Nations Access Card that will identify you as a United Nations Ambassador.

Benefits of United Nations Ambassador

The United Nations will allocate funds belonging to the refugees to you for investment purposes with benefits and to carry out humanitarian action without discrimination, to relieve suffering, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

Your understanding will be appreciated.

Regards
David Mensah

What’s the deposit certificate number and how do I apply for the ID cards?

Peter Mosse

Dear Mr. Peter Mosse,

The Deposit Certificate Number is UN/OCHA/001479

The United Nations Diplomatic Passport and United Nations Access Card will cost you $3,700 and the fee has to be paid to Greenfort so that the documents can be done in your favor.

Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Sincerely
David Mensah

Form attached. What is Greenfort?

Peter Mosse

Dear Mr. Peter Mosse,

Thank you very much for the attached form received.

Greenfort is the assigned company by United Nations that will get the Access Card and Diplomatic Passport in your favor.

As soon as you get the $3,700 fee paid to Greenfort then we shall proceed fast.

Note that your appointment certificate will be issued to you today.

Sincerely
David Mensah

Is Greenfort going to contact me or are you going to tell me how to pay?

Peter Mosse

Dear Mr. Peter Mosse,

I can give you instructions on how to make the payment.

Await your response.

Regards
David Mensah

Then do it.

Peter Mosse

Are you getting the payment done today?

Await you response.

David Mensah

Yes.

Peter Mosse

DEAR PETER MOSSE,

BELOW IS THE ACCOUNT DETAILS TO MAKE THE PAYMENT OF $3,700

BANK NAME:ECO BANK GHANA LIMITED
BANK ADDRESS: 19 SEVENTH AVENUE ACE,RIDGE WEST ACCRA,GHANA
ACCOUNT NAME: GREENFORT GHANA LIMITED
ACCOUNT NO: 3441002203431
SWIFT CODE: ECOCGHAC

AWAIT THE RECEIPT OF PAYMENT TO ENABLE US PROCEED FAST.

ATTACHED IS APPOINTMENT CERTIFICATE.

SINCERELY
DAVID MENSAH

Receipt attached.

Peter Mosse
(fake payment screenshot)

Dear Mr. Peter Mosse,

Thanks for the payment receipt received.

I will update you as we proceed.

Regards
David Mensah

I am looking forward to his unhappiness.

ParallelLines · September 22, 2023, 2:56am

You make them so happy ---- briefly.

running_coach · September 22, 2023, 3:02am

I’ve often wished I could see the moment they see what they think is a fat paycheck. And when it all comes crashing down.

OttoDaFe · September 24, 2023, 3:50pm

In my junk mailbox this morning:

– {email name}!!! You have won an 90$ CVS gift card!

As if that weren’t enough, hovering over the “sender’s” name revealed … nothing. Reported as phishing and deleted unread.

Al128 · September 25, 2023, 7:12pm

a very adequate short version of my past sex life

pullin · September 27, 2023, 12:10pm

Update: Never heard from anyone about the check. We deposited it in a seldom-used checking account we use for transfer/quarantine. After 10 business days the money was still there, so we moved it to our regular bank. I guess it was legitimate, since it cleared with no problems.

I guess it was a legit overpayment for a medical procedure (there have been a lot this year).

Mama_Zappa · September 29, 2023, 6:22pm

Hey, I won an iPad a week or so back, too!

I forget what caused the link to appear on my phone - might have been an app ad or something. But I just had to fill out some survey info, then click on one of several bubbles, each of which might have said “you won!”. Well, the second one did. And I saw that it wanted me to pay a fee of 10 bucks or some such.

I had been pretty sure it was a scam anyway, but I googled it and sure enough - it’s an identity theft / fraudulent charge scam of some sort.

One of my credit cards was compromised a few months back. The timing was shortly after we had a sudden trip to Florida (family emergency) in late February; I used it 3 or 4 times on the trip. I didn’t review the charges for 3 months, and when I did, I saw recurring charges from several different places.

There was a charge for 5 bucks or so initially, then two separate monthly charges (for 30ish and 60ish bucks). Each to a different “company”… though the second or third time for one of those, the company name changed but the amount was identical. All in all, 400 bucks or so spread out over 3 months.

For “fun”, I called the number linked to one of the transactions. “Thank you for calling customer service, please wait for an operator”. It didn’t specify the company name. I waited, got an operator, and said “got a credit card charge, just trying to find out who the company is”. The operator said they were a call center servicing a number of clients, including purveyors of nutritional supplements and male enhancement products.

Yeah, totally legit.

I called the numbers on the other transactions, and was greeted by an IDENTICAL recording. I googled the business names, and came up with legit-sounding businesses that had nothing to do with the supposed merchandise, nor were they places I’d had anything to do with.

I called the credit card issuer, and luckily they were going to let me off the hook for all the charges, even the 2 or 3 that were older than the legal cutoff (60 days).

Over the next month, all the charges got reversed. Some of them SEVERAL times (??). Then in August, some of the reversals got un-reversed as someone realized things had been over-reversed.

At least one of the un-reversals was a duplicate: e.g. if there were 3 fifty-dollar charges, they reversed them 5 times (two more than they should have), and they un-reversed 3 charges (meaning I’ve been shafted out of 50 dollars). But, they failed to un-reverse one of the OTHER extraneous reversals - so as far as I can tell, I’ve come out very slightly ahead.

My best guess as to what happened was that the card got skimmed at one of the places I used it on the trip. I’m kind of wondering what the plan was, though. I’d always assumed that a thief would want to make a couple of trial charges, then go for something big while the card is still active. Maybe the merchant is part of the scam, making repeated smallish charges on a large number of fraudulently-obtained accounts, and hoping that enough cardholders don’t notice them.

RealityChuck · September 29, 2023, 11:22pm

Got a phone call and let it go to my machine.