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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / September 2007[*NOT* OT] UseNet Scams
I've come across an incident of a scam recently going around UseNet and email that I think you guys should know about. This particular scam works really well in animal newsgroups (or private emails to the animal lovers who frequent them) because it tugs at the heartstrings, and people who love animals will go to any lengths to save an animal from suffering. This scam works better than "phishing" and money laundering scams from Nigeria - it seems even amateur con-men have picked up on it because it is so easy to get lots of money. The scam goes like this... A person finds a couple of kittens (in the dogs' newsgroup it will be puppies) - and one of them is horribly sick. They take the sick kitten (puppy) to the vet and the heartless vet demands hundreds of dollars before he'll treat the kitten (puppy). When the person can't pay (or questions the vet's diagnosis), the vet changes his mind and says the animal can't be saved and then euthanizes the kitten (puppy) in a particularly horrible and graphic manner (described in gory detail). Of course no real vet would do this, but the story makes for good drama and animal abuse is particularly horrifying to animal lovers. The heartbroken person goes home with the dead kitten (puppy) and has nightmares about the experience for days! Now for the hook... suddenly the *other* kitten (puppy) comes down with the same illness. Oh my, what is the poor person to do? If they don't up with the money to pay the heartless vet, he will surely, quite horrifically, kill the other kitten (puppy). Couldn't you please, hint hint, send some money to save the kitten's (puppy's) life. If you don't send money then you're a heartless monster and will be directly responsible and the cause of the kitten's (puppy's) torture and death. I know the wary here send money only to a vet and not individuals, but most vets will refund any money paid over the amount that is actually owed, so this isn't a fool-proof way of not getting taken. This particular scam is certainly not new - it's been around way, *WAY* before the internet. It basically holds the (imaginary) animal hostage and threatens it with death unless you give them money. It's just gotten easier to pull off with the anonymity of email (they no longer even have to have an actual animal to show you). It's also much easier to frequent animal newsgroups for a short (or even long) while and become like a real life friend to the posters there (and why would a real friend ever take advantage of you?). Anyway, just please beware of letting your heart control your pocket book. There are much more worthy causes to donate to than some scammer's schemes and I don't want to see you guys taken advantage of.  SignatureHugs, CatNipped See all my masters here: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/ > Anyway, just please beware of letting your heart control your pocket book. > There are much more worthy causes to donate to than some scammer's schemes > and I don't want to see you guys taken advantage of. In general, *any* message you get that's not from a person or organization you know to be honorable should be considered suspect. Even messages appearing to come from a known source could well be coming from a trickster who is forging the message origins. Any solicitation for funds or information must be first viewed as a possible attempt to deceive. I consider myself fortunate that all of the messages of this sort that I've received lately have followed known patterns, and have therefor been easy to identify. But you know what disturbs me even more than the sheer number of scam and phishing e-mails I receive? The thought that the scammers and phishers wouldn't be trying thier tricks unless a significant number of recipients actually respond to their attempts. >> Anyway, just please beware of letting your heart control your pocket >> book. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > wouldn't be trying thier tricks unless a significant number of recipients > actually respond to their attempts. That's the same thing I think about when I get one of those. And it almost seems like they have a secret network because as soon as you see one, you'll see hundreds like it (unless it's all just a few scammers with different aliases). Who was it on Hill Street Blues who always said, "Be safe, people!"? ;> Hugs, CatNipped >>>Anyway, just please beware of letting your heart control your pocket >>>book. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > aliases). Who was it on Hill Street Blues who always said, "Be safe, > people!"? ;> Of course, one reason something like the Nigerian scam succeeds is that some people see the prospect of receiving large quantities of money by way of a slightly less than ethical arrangement, and never stop to think "Why me?" If someone you've never heard of offered to share an inheritance (or whatever) with you in return for your providing them with your bank account number (or whatever) so they can move the funds to another country, wouldn't you be the least bit suspicious? > Hugs, > > CatNipped > Of course, one reason something like the Nigerian scam > succeeds is that some people see the prospect of receiving [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > so they can move the funds to another country, wouldn't you > be the least bit suspicious? I, for one, know I don't have any relatives who know a thing about me living in Nigeria or even in Europe. I can't believe people fall for this stuff. I'm sure I've got some relatives in Scotland. But we've never met. They don't know me and they sure wouldn't be leaving any money to me. Assuming they did, for some off the wall reason... I wouldn't expect to be notified via email. And they sure as heck wouldn't require my banking information in order for me to claim an inheritance. The ones I find most amusing are the ones that ask you to exchange money in return for some service. Of course, you have no idea what the services actually is, but they guarantee you $2000-7000 a week just for transferring money from one account to another between the U.S. and Europe. Oh, right. As if a legitimate European business couldn't open a bank account in the U.S. Excuse me? Why do people fall for this sort of thing? Jill >> Of course, one reason something like the Nigerian scam >> succeeds is that some people see the prospect of receiving [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> inheritance (or whatever) with you in return for your >> providing them with your bank account number (or whatever) Excuse me? Why do people > fall for this sort of thing? > > Jill Greed and stupidity, in that order. It's what all con games rely on. Andy >>> Of course, one reason something like the Nigerian scam >>> succeeds is that some people see the prospect of receiving [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Andy Many of the current ones also focus on an aspect of greed many people are unfamiliar with. They convince their marks of all the wonderful things they can do to help others with the proceeds. They've got more than one preacher or church treasurer with this version. Play with your charity's funds and increase them tenfold. Must be the will of the Good Lord. (They don't recognize the desire to look heroic on someone else's dime as greed, but it surely is) We used to have to endure this when we would visit my MIL. She would have some sweepstakes or other lying around, and regale us with the stories of all the things she was going to do for us and give us with all her almost certain winnings. And be extremely miffed that we didn't appreciate her limitless generosity or that we had to bring up tiresome details such as the fact she had never entered said sweepstakes in the first place. Jo >>Of course, one reason something like the Nigerian scam >>succeeds is that some people see the prospect of receiving [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > As if a legitimate European business couldn't open a bank account in the > U.S. Excuse me? Why do people fall for this sort of thing? Because greed tends to render some people blind to reality? (I think that particular ploy is known as "money laundering", but why would the launderers be so desperate they need rely on the services of strangers they know nothing about?) > I consider myself fortunate that all of the messages of this sort that > I've received lately have followed known patterns, and have therefor been > easy to identify. Earthlink's Spam softwear catches most of the crap, although sometimes they slip through. The one's that amuse me most are the ones with "scare" titles like "Your account will be terminated unless you reply immediately". The "account" for which I must provide confirming detail is either with Amazon or Pay Pay (with whom I've never HAD an account), some American bank (which ditto - never an account there). The ones that really amuse me are those ostensibly from overseas banks when I live in the US. (Especially the messages in Cyrillic, Oriental or Middle Eastern alphabets!) > But you know what disturbs me even more than the sheer number of scam and > phishing e-mails I receive? The thought that the scammers and phishers > wouldn't be trying thier tricks unless a significant number of recipients > actually respond to their attempts. One of the earlier "Nigerian" scammers used to arrange a "meeting" with their "marks" at some hotel in London. Apparently the hotel got quite a few lost travelers inquiring in vain for the person they were supposed to meet. (I think Scotland Yard got involved in that one - hope they managed to catch the scammers!) > I've come across an incident of a scam recently going around UseNet > and email that I think you guys should know about. This particular > scam works really well in animal newsgroups (or private emails to the > animal lovers who frequent them) because it tugs at the heartstrings, > and people who love animals will go to any lengths to save an animal > from suffering. This scam works better than "phishing" and money (snippage) Sorry, but anyone asking me for money or my banking information for any reason whatsoever is immediately killfiled. I don't swallow these scams. Having been online since around 1986, which may be longer than some folks here, I dunno <shrug>... I figure I'm more net knowlegeable than these newbies are. Therefore I don't fall into that stupidity trap. But thanks for the warning for those who may not know. Jill >> I've come across an incident of a scam recently going around UseNet >> and email that I think you guys should know about. This particular [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jill Well, sometimes it's a bit different when it comes from a "friend" though! Hugs, CatNipped >> I've come across an incident of a scam recently going around UseNet >> and email that I think you guys should know about. This particular [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jill It sounds like a variation of the Spanish Prisoner con game, which dates back to 1588 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Prisoner. There are probably earlier versions of this confidence game going back to classical times. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >>>I've come across an incident of a scam recently going around UseNet >>>and email that I think you guys should know about. This particular [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > probably earlier versions of this confidence game going back to classical > times. Proof of the adage: "If it works, don't fix it!" ;-) (Most "con-games" have been around a long, long time - the details may change with the times, but human greed is pretty much a constant.)
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