Most scammers choose to offer something unrealistically good – a huge inheritance, a lock-box stuffed with cash, an investment that will double your money in 30 days, a cure for Alzheimer’s, a magic ingredient that will make you lose 10 Ibs in weight every week with no effort and so on.
But others try offering what seems to be a sensible and needed service with no unrealistic claims.
The radio station receives about a dozen emails every week offering photo solutions, image editing, image correction, photo retouching etc.
This is all the same thing under a slightly different label.
These are services offered by genuine companies but these emails stand out as scams because
The email ‘from address’ is obviously fake e g. royalmail.co.uk
The ‘from address’ contains a first name such as Shon but bottom of the email is signed off with something different e.g. Sam
The emails are sent to addresses that are on spam email lists
There is no company name
There are far too many emails for it to be genuine
The emails have an assortment of names on them – typical of large scale scammers.
Unusually these emails are reasonably well written i.e. not full of the usual spelling or grammatical errors.
But they are just a simple scam – never reply to unsolicited offers.
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Many scammers try to take advantage of holidays, events or anything in the news and as it’s Valentine’s Day soon, currently they go for that.
Scam #1: Valentine’s Day E-Card
There’s always lots of ads for electronic cards (e-cards) and especially around public holidays. If you want to try sending such cards – it’s better to find a website yourself rather than clicking on an advert.
If you receive what seems to be a Valentine’s e-card then be careful as many are created by scammers and sent out by the million. Rather than clicking the link to see the e-card – hover your cursor over the link and see if it does link to the website you expect. If it does then go to the website (do not click the link) and see if there is a card waiting for you. This doesn’t guarantee the e-card is safe but does exclude most forms of the scam.
Scam #2: Valentine’s Gift Cards
A Valentine’s gift card may seem a good idea and the adverts try to convince you they are the safest way to please someone.
But many are scams so beware inputting any confidential details and paying online. Make sure the site is a reputable one.
Scam #3: Buying Flowers Online
If you look on the Internet there are many choices of flower shop offering to deliver the perfect Valentine’s day surprise, but there are also pop up scam flower shops. Many offer beautiful bouquets at amazing prices (photos copied from a legitimate site of course) and some are taken in by this.
Always pick a reputable seller – preferably with well-known bricks and mortar branches around the country or at least one that has been around for some time and built a good reputation.
Scam #4. Online Dating
For some, this is a time to turn to online dating to look for the right partner. There is a huge array of websites and APPS offering to find your Mr Right or Miss Right, but there are also many new such sites and APPS appearing all of the time. Many of these are legitimate and do a good job but some are scam sites simply looking for confidential information and your credit card details.
Choose a site or APP that has a good reputation rather than a bargain offer.
Once in the world of online dating there are many scammers who post fake profiles and try to hook up with a number of people. They create very appealing profiles but their intention is to form a bond very quickly then start to get money from you – maybe a small gift or help to pay translation costs or money to visit you.
These people will likely research you online by looking at any profiles and posts on social media so they can see what you would like and use that to entice you further into a relationship.
If someone you have never met professes undying love for you then it’s going to be a scam.
Scam #5. Social Media Posts
Posting romantic moments on social media is very popular this time of year – but be careful before you click on any poems, letters , quizzes, surveys etc. directed to you on social media.
APPS on Facebook and other sites are not necessarily as safe as you expect, especially not just because they are about romance.
Stay safe.
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There are lots of scammer’s messages advertising cures for diabetes. But they normally quote type II diabetes which is due to lifestyle factors including weight, diet, levels of exercise etc.
Type II diabetes can be helped by lifestyle changes plus an improved diet and more exercise.
But type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body cannot produce enough insulin and is normally diagnosed in early childhood.
Changes to lifestyle, diet and exercise cannot cure type I diabetes and it’s a lifelong illness.
But some scammers are so stupid they claim to have the magical cure for type I diabetes.
“Type I and II diabetes can be cured with this simple food within 7 days”
This is just dumb and hopefully anyone with type I diabetes knows enough about the disease to know this is just a pathetic scam.
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Email titled “Finally: You Can End the Embarrassment of Cellulite”
“Stop cellulite from running your life.”
“Naturally eliminate every single trace of cellulite from your entire body, permanently, in just 21 days.”
Then comes the supposed proof by listing quotes from satisfied customers, such as:-
“I jump out of bed each day with joy. I had never felt sexier in my entire life”
“The spark is definitely back in my marriage”
There is a link to click to watch a video which will reveal how a special protein can turn your cellulite skin silky smooth.
This is all just a scam of course.
There is no such protein.
The email is not from a medical establishment or a pharmaceutical company but from managehealth.download which is an Internet address intended to be used for downloading software or media etc.
And the last part of the email is the usual sections taken from a random book hoping to fool the Internet service provider spam filters.
It’s all rubbish.
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There are numerous scams based on the idea of free or almost free power generation in your home.
No-one enjoys paying the electricity bill so it doesn’t take much to interest people in an alternative to the big electric suppliers.
This scam below is one of the stupidest in a while.
”Did you know that Australia had one of the most gifted minds and brilliant inventors of all time?
I guess you didn’t
Unaipon’s biggest invention was a ground-breaking alternative power generator that was powered by nothing more than the Earth’s magnetic field.
Rumours say that some physicians screamed when they first saw it.
His invention became a threat to him and he was killed by this large energy companies.”
This is appalling stuff. The scammer thinks the word “physicians” means people who work in the field of Physics – not true.
The Earth’s magnetic field is very powerful because of it’s enormous size but it is incredibly weak at any specific point. The tiniest magnet you can buy can easily make a compass needle move away from magnetic North and hence is stronger at that point than the Earth’s magnetic field. You’re not going to get worthwhile power from something so weak.
And to claim the person was killed by an energy company.
How ludicrous can you get?
Australians would not believe such drivel and neither should anybody else.
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So, what rubbish emails and calls have there been to Brooklands Radio station in the last few days?
First email is a scam claiming to be from WhatsApp and advising me to click a link to update to the latest version. But then WhatsApp don’t send messages from lifeteen.com
Yahoo warn me that my account will be terminated unless I click on “Cancel Request” to avoid closure. Email is from plazaassociatersinc.com – not Yahoo. So I wont be clicking.
Apparently doctors are stunned by a new drink that shrinks your belly. You can take 10 sizes off your belly and it has been seen on Shark Tank in America. Does anyone believe this load of rubbish?
The Honourable General John F. Kelly – secretary of US Department of Homeland Security informs me I have an unclaimed fund of $5,000,000 in West Africa and he is having it transferred to Washington for me to collect. He just needs a copy of my ID card, full name, home address, mobile phone number etc. The Head of Homeland Security is currently Elaine Duke – the scammer has not kept up to date and of course there is no $5,000,000
Yahoo tell me I’ve won $5,000,000 in their lottery. Funny how the figure $5,000,000 keeps turning up in different scams. The scammer just wants my confidential details to verify I am the winner. I don’t think so.
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Most scammers choose to offer something unrealistically good – a huge inheritance, a lock-box stuffed with cash, an investment that will double your money in 30 days, a cure for Alzheimer’s, a magic ingredient that will make you lose 10 Ibs in weight every week with no effort and so on.
