Tag: scammers

Scammers Targeting Elderly Are Caught

A Canadian con man who was caught on video bragging about stealing from the elderly was among 200 people charged by US Authorities with defrauding seniors.

Andrew John Thomas boasted about his sweepstakes scheme at a 2016 conference for postal scammers in Whistler, British Columbia, authorities said.

“My ability to whore my beautiful talent to sell this s— to people who don’t need it. It’s hard to be, it’s hard to be proud of it, but well I’m good at it.” said Thomas.

Authorities say Thomas masterminded the swindle of more than $4.5 million annually by duping senior citizens into believing they had won large sums of money. He targeting elderly Americans typically notifiying them via mail that they’d won a sweepstakes prize and all they needed to do to claim it was to pay a processing fee and money for taxes.

The mailings instructed recipients to return a response card with a processing fee in order to accept the bogus winnings. They received no money — only more solicitations. While many stopped sending money after realizing they had been duped, others continued to do so in hopes of claiming the prize.

U.S. law enforcement officials  announced what they labelled as the largest ever fraud enforcement action involving elderly Americans, charging more than 200 people and bringing civil actions against dozens more.

Agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, (the enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service), executed search warrants at 14 locations that some of the same fraudsters have run for years.

Officers from the Vancouver Police Department in Canada served dozens of search warrants as part of the enforcement action.

This was a clearly a well organised and effective take-down of a lot of scammers by co-ordinated action between US agencies and the Canadian Police.

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Bob Servant Fights Back Against Scammers

Bob Servant likes dealing with scammers – and playing them at their own game.

The book “Delete This at Your Peril” gives eight of his best dialogues with scammers and they are very funny.

This is the story of Peter’s Pots by Bob Servant.

A typical scam email arrived.

“Dear Beloved,

I have a job offer for you. My name is Peter Anderson and I work with Union Ventures Inc . Ltd. We extract raw materials from Africa for clients in America and Canada.

We are looking for a representative in America to work for us part-time and are willing to pay you 10% for every transaction. These payments would come to you in your name. You cash it, deduct your payment and send the rest to us via Western Union.“

Bob replies: This sounds very interesting indeed. Can you tell me more about the raw materials you trade in as  my friend Frank Theplank is also a trader in raw materials.

Peter:  Union Ventures is number one registered company in West Africa that deals on all kinds of raw materials.

Bob: Frank asked me if you deal in rubber, timber or china pots?

Peter: Yes we deal in rubber, timber and china pots and can do discounts for your friend.

[lots more emails about various products, nights out, freezing weather, favourites foods etc. – all very silly, but the scammer doesn’t seem to notice]

Bob: Frank needs 2,000 pots for the end of the month for a major reworking of Dawson Park. It’s going to be “Frank’s World of Pots”.

Then a long description of Frank’s World of Pots – with lots of very silly features.

Peter agrees to provide the pots quickly and wants a $10,000 deposit.

Bob: The 2,000 pots are to be filled with different things. Some plants but also surprises like chocolate bars, yo-yos, magazines and Chinese food.

Peter: I think what you and Frank are to do will be a great success and I am glad Union Ventures will be part of this. The order will only take us a week and we will have the entire factory working on it. You must pay the $10,000 through Western Union so we can start on the work.

Bob:  Frank just called me from the dog track to say I have to make sure the pots are suitable for people to put their hands in without risking the hand getting stuck. This must include motorbike riders who haven’t taken their gloves off.

Peter keeps insisting on the payment by Western Union and Bob agrees but then invites Peter to come over with the delivery of pots and stay at his house.

This exchange goes on for weeks until eventually Peter makes an ultimatum and the game is over.

Bob’s website is at http://www.bobservant.com/

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Bob Servant Says Delete This at Your Peril

bob_servant_bookBob Servant likes dealing with scammers – and playing them at their own game.

The book “Delete This at Your Peril” gives eight of his best dialogues with scammers and they are very funny.

It is described as “One Man’s fearless exchanges with the Internet Scammers”

Bob typically gets the scammers interested  by agreeing to pay them then his ‘demands’ become more and more ridiculous and some of these scammers are so dumb and so desperate they fall for it.  Whether the scammers are offering African millions, Russian Brides or get rich quick scams, Bob can outdo them with his outrageous ideas.

e.g. Scammer  to Bob after a dozen emails.

Bob: What is happening?? I don’t sell animals. I only said I could get some lions to help you.

Then you say you need a leopard and I say OK.

Now you are saying the lion has to talk?

What is this madness?

Send me the £1,700 that we agreed immediately.

Needless to say, Bob never sends any money but he does keep the scammers tied up dealing with his messages and provides a great laugh for us.

Nice one Bob.

The book is available on Amazon and other websites.

Bob’s website is at http://www.bobservant.com/

Stop-Scammers Has a Database of Female Scammers

victorian_criminalSTOP-SCAMMERS.COM 

This website is all about female scammers who lure men into fake relationships in order to scam money from them. The site has an impressive amount of information including over ninety thousand photos of scammers, twelve thousand scam letter sets and seventeen thousand published reports.

Stop-Scammers.com says it is the place to find the most up-to-date information on female scammers anywhere in the world. The database lists known scammers together with corroborating evidence like correspondence, photos, countries of known operation and documentation commonly used by these international thieves.

SCAM SCENARIOS

There are many scenarios including she feigns  illness and needs money for treatment, or she needs money to fly to meet you but the most common is called the standard scenario.

STANDARD SCENARIO

The scammer maintains regular correspondence but all of the letters have only general content, lacking in details. After a few letters, she needs to start getting money from you. Maybe to buy a computer or to pay a fine or for a language course – could be any reason. She may claim her money was stolen or that she has to escape from her home. Whatever the reason – she wants money and as long as you keep providing it then the relationship continues. As soon as you stop paying, the relationship stops and you won’t hear from her again

 

Go to http://fightbackonline.org/index.php/guidance/19-websites-and-resources/21-website-of-female-scammers-stop-scammers-com  for further information.