# Stupid email scam attempt (mild) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 10, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838 "2004-01-10T16:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/1 "2004-01-10T16:46:55Z")
I got an email this morning claiming to be from Citibank, asking me to go to a web page and enter my account/PIN “for verification”. Being on the internet a while, as soon as I saw the subject line I realize it’s a scam. But it still wouldn’t have taken Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out. 1. It’s riddled with misspellings, probably to get past my Bayesian spam filter (which it did). 2. The URL is an obvious mislead, looking like it goes to [citibank.com](http://citibank.com) but going to something like [citi-card.com](http://citi-card.com) 3. Banks NEVER send out emails like this 4. I don’t have any accounts with Citibank. What pisses me off though is that are many people out there not so internet-savvy, like my mom, who might be fooled by this shit. I forwarded it to her, and pointed out it’s a scam, so I know she’s learning, but it worries me. Fuck you scammers, fuck you with a rusty meat hook in the urethra. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/2 "2004-01-10T18:51:43Z")
I hope you forwarded a copy to Citibank, too. I’m sure they’d like to know that someone’s using their name to run a scam. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/3 "2004-01-10T19:14:02Z")
I got it, too. Here’s some of it: > [@](#): > > Dear Citi Mebmer, > > This e-mail was sennt by the Citicards serevr to veerify your e-mail > adress. You must clpoteme this porcses by clicking on the link > below and enteering in the small window your Citbiank ATM > full card nummber and PiN that you use on local Atm Machine. > That is done for your peorcttion -T- because some of our memebrs no > lgoenr have acecss to their email adrsseeds and we must verify it. > > To veerify your e-mail adress and akcess your Citi-Card account, clik on > the link bellow. If nothing hapepns when you clik on the link -L copie > and pastte the link into the addres bar of your web broswer. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/4 "2004-01-10T19:26:18Z")
> [@](#): > > That is done for your peorcttion -T- because some of our memebrs no lgoenr have acecss to their email adrsseeds and we must verify it. Well, that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/5 "2004-01-10T19:41:51Z")
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde uinervtisy, yuo shloud sned tehm yrou moeny. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/6 "2004-01-10T19:44:59Z")
But, but, but…they’re concerned for your peorcttion. Doesn’t mean abything to you? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/7 "2004-01-10T20:12:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*I hope you forwarded a copy to Citibank, too. I’m sure they’d like to know that someone’s using their name to run a scam. \*\* Yeah, I did forward a copy to [postmaster@citibank.com](mailto:postmaster@citibank.com). With some luck, maybe this person didn’t cover his/her tracks well enough and will get caught. Probably unlikely, but you never know. ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/8 "2004-01-10T20:33:22Z")
Don’t have much to add except that I got the identical email. Oh yeah, the bastards who sent it are scum who definetely deserve some prison time. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/9 "2004-01-10T20:44:32Z")
Heh. I just recently got 2 emails claiming to be from my ISP–one claiming my credit card number had been lost and I needed to click the link in the email to re-enter it so my access wouldn’t be cut off; and one claiming that my account had been broken into and the password changed, but they’d changed it back to allow me access, but they recommended I click on the link in the email to change it. Both links were disguised to look like earthlink URLs (one had a www.earthlink at the beginning but with that @ sign in the middle that signals it’s a big fake; I don’t remember what the other one was); both had hotmail addies as the return address and the reply-to address of the email. Are people really stupid enough to think an ISP will use hotmail addresses? Are people really stupid enough to think that in order to change their ISP password that they have to enter their name, address, login name, credit card number, PIN, that 3 digit security code from the back of the credit card, phone number and a whole bunch of other stuff (I clicked that link just to see what the scam was–there was other info it asked for too, but I don’t remember the rest of it)? When I change my password, I type in the ISP’s URL manually and then go to the password change page; all it asks for is my login name, old password and new password. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/10 "2004-01-11T01:42:32Z")
I got one of those earthlink ones yesterday, too. It was actually very well done — they matched the color and logo scheme of most earthlink correspondence, and there were no typos or bad grammar. > [@](#): > > Dear Earthlink valued customer, > > We have noticed that an un-authorized access attempt was made to your account at [www.earthlink.net](http://www.earthlink.net). Our security software has blocked access from the intruder to your account, but the un-authorized user’s attempt managed to replace the password on your account. > > The password has been restored for mail and internet access, however the intruder may still be able to get access to your account and or any personal information that you might have used with your account. > > To avoid further problems with your account such as credit-card number, or personal information loss we advise you to replace the password to your account as soon as possible. > > \*To change your password, click the button below. > > Continue > > \*[Earthlink.net](http://Earthlink.net) has no responsibility or liability if your information is lost or stolen if you decide to leave your password the same or elect not to change it per our request. I didn’t bother to check the button; I just forwarded a copy of it to [fraud@earthlink.net](mailto:fraud@earthlink.net). ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/11 "2004-01-11T01:52:55Z")
I got that Earthlink scam yesterday too. The site it sends you to doesn’t have a domain name, just an IP address. It appears to be hosted in South Korea. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/12 "2004-01-11T02:02:37Z")
I’ve been getting a lot of eBay and PayPal scam letters, all of them wanting me to click on a link and re-enter my information…ummmmmm, no, I don’t THINK so. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/13 "2004-01-11T05:03:04Z")
The one I got was the same as YWalker except mine had a virus attached to it. I really hate the people that send these. ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/14 "2004-01-11T11:47:34Z")
I’ve continually get the spam emails, even with the filters on. I’ve gotten the EBay ones–and I’ve never had an account there. I keep getting ones for prescription drugs on the internet. Every once in a while I get the -way- porno ones (ICK!); the perps of these spam seem to have found a loophole in many filters by “disguising” the subjects of the mail with 1’s replacing l’s or even i’s in some cases (i.e., pen1s). The ones I get the most, though, are those Nigerian scam ones; I’ve also gotten them from Ghana, South Africa and even the Philippines. Will the authorities ever be able to put an end to this crap?! GAH! ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/15 "2004-01-11T12:36:51Z")
Hey, how about putting in fake CC#s and passwords to waste their time? It might not do anything, but it’s kind of fun imagining them trying to figure it out, perhaps thinking that you just made a single typo somewhere. It’s, uh, therapeutic 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tazmanian\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@Tazmanian\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tazmanian_Devil)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/16 "2004-01-11T15:41:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tarragon918 \* > \*\* The ones I get the most, though, are those Nigerian scam ones; I’ve also gotten them from Ghana, South Africa and even the Philippines. Will the authorities ever be able to put an end to this crap?! GAH! \*\* I just got the South African diamond mine one last week. For a small fee (bullshit), I can share in whatever profits come from the mine. If I had had a horseshit detector wired into my computer, that e-mail would have pegged the meter, then broken it. I’ve also gotten ones for enlarging breast sizes…too bad I’m a guy. Penis enlargements are yet another common type of spam I get in the bulk mail folder. I feel like replying to those ads, "As it is, mine is so long, I have to look out for shutting doors, people walking, rocking chairs, etc., so I don’t think I’ll be needing your product’. Idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/17 "2004-01-11T16:02:51Z")
I got spam for a Jessica Simpson sex video. Just enter your credit card info first. ---
**Author:** ![Tazmanian\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@Tazmanian\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tazmanian_Devil)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/18 "2004-01-11T16:16:14Z")
And for reasons beyond me, some people seem to think I’ll waste my money on a Paris Hilton sex tape. I’ve got better things to do with my money, like save up for that root canal I’d enjoy more than a Paris Hilton sex tape… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/19 "2004-01-11T16:19:17Z")
The Earthlink fakers have been busy – I’ve something like five so far in 2004 alone. They HAVE been getting better, they now spoof the source address so as to make it look on a plain mail-reader like OE like it came from an EL addy. But if you care to waste about ten seconds opening the message source code and/or tracking path, they’re busted. The eBay/PayPal-ers, though, just plain don’t get that a legit business of that magnitude would NOT spell-spoof its own name… ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838/20 "2004-01-11T16:40:34Z")
Harrumph, I’m miffed that scumbag scammers don’t think I’m worth their time to send me a fraudulent e-mai.l [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-email-scam-attempt-mild/223838.md?page=2)