Comments on: I are chosen by God

By: Vader

Vader — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:32:54 +0000

So now I’m worrying the “Woe unto him that lieth in wait to deceive because he supposeth another lieth in wait to deceive” thing. I’m not supposing here, but still.

By: Vader

Vader — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:41:52 +0000

On reflection, that story won’t quite work. I need to have some money to be defrauded of. How about a seventy-year-old Methodist lady living on a tiny pension in a small but fully paid for house who is just looking for a miracle from God?

That should do it.

By: Adam G.

Adam G. — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:31:59 +0000

I’m thinking more along the lines that I’m an seventy-year-old Methodist lady living on a tiny pension in a tinier trailer who was just looking for a miracle from God.

do it.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:53:04 +0000

Or: With your throw-away email, set up a free throw-away texting phone # from http://www.pinger.com/textfree .

You actually get a free real phone number, but it’s for texting (send/recv) only. No voice, no voice-mail.

With all the land-lines being abandoned, and all the pager (remember those?) numbers being abandoned, (and all the new area codes that don’t have to have a “0″ or “1″ as the 2nd digit) there have been lots of phone numbers opened up. So many that Pinger.com is giving them away for free.

You can also download a free Pinger/Textfree app for your iphone/Android device, but that is not as secure/safe as using their web interface from a public terminal.

By: Vader

Vader — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:49:55 +0000

I’m reflecting on what the goal is here. It goes without saying that I’d like to waste as much of the scammer’s time and effort as possible. Ideally, I’d like this to end with a knock on his door by a law enforcement officer. However, it’s a Hong Kong address, so I suppose the potential is there for this to end with a bullet in the back of his head, which is a bit more than I’d like to accomplish.

For that matter, given it’s a Hong Kong address, I might want to take precautions to ensure i don’t get a knock on my door by a gang of thugs from the Triad. So some caution is in order.

I find myself reflecting on the fact that, if every person hit by this email responded with a “Yes!! YES!!! Where have you been all this time?” that was approximately as sincere as the one I’m about to send, he’d rapidly be swamped. Too bad I can’t organize such a thing.

Bookslinger, the advice to use a throwaway email from a public internet site is good, but I want to play them just a bit before revealing my hand. Rameumpton, your approach would twig them at once that I’m trying to rescam them, though it may be worth keeping in mind for some point further down the road. I’m thinking more along the lines that I’m an seventy-year-old Methodist lady living on a tiny pension in a tinier trailer who was just looking for a miracle from God.

By: Rameumptom

Rameumptom — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:52:45 +0000

Vader,
Or tell them you are also a disabled war veteran and are interested in also doing charity work. Perhaps they can use some of their $10M to invest in your charity?

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:26:34 +0000

Go to a library or other place where you can use a public internet terminal anonymously. Sign up for a new email at a free email service. Email the scammer from the this new throw-away email address (from the public terminal), tell them you received their email, and that you’d like to help them out. Ask them to call you. Give them the phone # of your state’s attorney general or the non-emergency (full 3+7 digits) number of your local police dept.