-but many mistakes are funny - and often a fun is a mistake
ore something like that ;-)
I'm Going To Be A Millionaire!!
(110 posts) (19 voices)-
maizeydaze
MemberRM, there are videos and pictures of the pranks you mentioned on the 419 Eater site that I posted above. Be aware that several of the signs may be offensive to some readers.
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberThanks, Maizey, color me blind as a bat. I musta blinked and skipped a few posts. I've only tried baiting the scammers once, to see how far the clown would go to "prove" he/she was an african princess stranded in a refugee camp. I sent a photo of a Lear Jet I claimed to own and promised to fly over and rescue her the next time I was on business in Egypt. I got a blurry picture of what I guess was an old API photo of the "princess" and her dad (a coffee plantation owner before he was executed) plus a few funny replies to questions like -
"how easy is it to access the internet in a campful of 10's of thousands of starving people) and "can't your french lawyer afford a better/more credible email address than yahoo.com?"Posted 16 years ago # -
maizeydaze
MemberRM, wish I were half as witty as you! How I would love to give them a run for their money. Next time you're in my neck of the woods, would you give me a ride in your jet?
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberGuaw-rhon-teed, m'dear! Might be awhile, though. I'm busy working on my second million bucks. (got tired of working on the first)
Posted 16 years ago # -
LeKanaw
MemberWell, I really don't understand...
Just rcvd word from my lawyers that the messenger they sent to FwF address on my behalf came back empty handed.
How is this possible? You wouldn't give me a fake address now, would u FwF??But I DID SENT u the cake - Chocolate & Mango - as u asked!!
I have proof! You even gave a big smile for the camera!
Darn...
The deal is off, give me my cake back!!
Where's my sword?? Oh yeah, now u are in BIG trouble!Agora já não se pode fazer confiança em ninguém... 8-(
Bye, MPosted 16 years ago # -
FreewareFan
Member@ LeKanaw Hey, lady, you'd best check up on those lawyers you sent over here! All I know is that they left here with $300,000 in cold cash for you. So, you'd better check up on those shifty lawyers.... you know how they can be. They probably over-billed you, and when they were done, you were left with nothing!
And thanks for the cake, it was GREAT! But I don't think I can send it back to you now... you see, the form it's in now, you wouldn't want... too smelly.. lol
Posted 16 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruThat was an awesome story re The powerbook scam. I was riveted. Thank's for a great read
WR
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberThese reverse scams are "funner" when the victim turning the tables can spell better than the Nigerian. Sadly, not the case, here, but this long oldie is still pretty amusing. -
Posted 16 years ago # -
http://www.scamorama.com/
http://www.potifos.com/fraud/
http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/Reported scams & links - for people who like to read these and laugh at the stupid people who get suckered in.
Humor: Which Nigerian Spammer Are You? Take The Quiz
(The quiz would've been funnier if they would only give you the results via email). ;)Posted 16 years ago # -
copmom
MemberGee whiz! I've been sitting here reading all about that scambaiter and his anus laptops and just realized I've killed over an hour following it. Boy it sure is great that someone has scammed a scammer! It's really funny how the tables can be turned. They can sure dish it out, but can't take anyone doing something to them! Never mind all the honest people they bilk out of their money pulling their stuff! They should all rot you know where!
Posted 16 years ago # -
sukibabe
Games JunkieI just received my first Email from Dubai, from Mr. Mona Al Rashdi, currently Head of Corporate affairs with a reputable bank here in U.A.E.
Same scam different senario!The only website that has this Email address of mine is the one I set up specificly for Give Away of the Day!
So if they are the only one to have this exclusive address for the newsletter, how did this scam get there??????
I have 4 other Email addresses and have not had any problems!
His Private Mail is: monaalrashdi@box.az
Final ending is: Regards, Mr.Mona Al Rashi .
______________________________________
PeoplePC Online
A better way to internet
http://www.peoplepc.comHave fun with it as I won't bother to play this game!
If It happens again, that Email address and the give away newsletter, will be deleted!
Suki
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
Membersuki, before you go indicting GAOTD, you need to better understand how pervasive, intrusive and exploitive spam harvesters have become. There are many types of spammers. Some use lists they buy, some use spiders that scan millions of web sites to pluck emails off web pages or from text or from tricky email stunts*, some use software that automatically generates MILLIONS of potential email addies based on dictionaries or even from random alphanumeric combinations. It costs them nothing but a little time to dump MILLIONS of spam on a network, and they do this 24/7 using slave computer distributed processing (thanks to people who don't practice safe computing).
*Have you ever forwarded a "funny" email to others without stripping the header info and all the other email addresses listed on that email; or worse, bulk emailed something to all your friends by foolishly putting their private addies on the TO: line instead of the BCC: line? If so, you've helped a spammer collect fresh new victims. Sure, you might have forwarded it only to a few "safe" friends or relatives, but once out of your hands, you can't control where those emails get passed around. In 24-hours, that email could have circled the globe 50 times. Eventually, such email ends up in the hands of a spammer who simply copies all the addresses and uses or sells them. If you get a funny email or chain letter that's already been forwarded a number of times, you can bet one of the email addies in there belongs to a spammer who sits back waiting for his own email to come back to him with new addies on it!
Over the years, I've occasionally had spam arrive BEFORE I've even USED one of my simpler throwaway addies, so you opened the door simply by creating an email addie. If, during the 2 weeks you've been a member, you registered with any vendor site (which you have to do sometimes), you've greatly increased the chances that a spammer sniffed out your email. Heck, your own computer could have been compromised before you found GAOTD or downloaded anything, and you might not know it.
I urge you to read this and the other enlightening links at the bottom of the article, then surf Google for hundreds other sites offering answers to why/how you get spammed and tips to minimize it.
FYI - not surprisingly, a couple email addresses I've registered with GAOTD vendors (who often seem to be relatively unknown, east european developers) are being spammed continuously but they're unimportant addies I either purge monthly or discontinue using. I NEVER open the emails, always report them to the email service provider as spam, never register using personally identifiable info and always use a discardable email addie to register with any company, even those I should "trust". I trust very few people, and don't trust ANY Internet connection or off-site computer server/storage system.
Posted 16 years ago # -
suki, I have a gmail account I have NEVER EVER used and I get about 150 spams in it a month. I got the email way back when Gmail first started as a back up for my other one if it goT filled with spam as I know the "good" names get used up fast. So much for that. :(
It's NOT GAOTD. RM is correct. What he said is true.
Posted 16 years ago # -
funkymom
Memberalso lots of spammers send to random (probably computer generated randomizer) addresses that might not exist. as soon as the message is opened they know that it's a legitimate address. then, i'm sure, they not only continue sending but probably sell the info as well.
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberYep, Funky, that's what I meant by generating millions of random addresses. If you open just about any email (especially with HTML graphics enabled), you pretty much guarantee the darn thing "phoned home" using what's called a web beacon. That tells the sender which email address is live, their software automatically does a merge/purge of existing mail lists, and yes, they sell 'em. When you're talking about millions of addresses being tested, a fraction of a cent per address can add up; but the real maney is done by hackers who just trade addresses so they can make money on their own spam and phishing scams.
Posted 16 years ago # -
sukibabe
Games JunkieI have been a member of the Forums for only 2 weeks, but I have been on this site far longer.
It just seemed strange. When FreeWare started this thread, I thought it was funny.No I don't do bulk emails, and I hate it when I get one from a friend that does it.
I told her that I don't wan't my email address associated with that kind of crap!Didn't mean for you to get upset about it. I only get spam about Viagra on my other address's, lol. If I don't know the sender, it gets sent to spam control.
In this case I blocked both of the senders address's.
Suki
Posted 16 years ago # -
LeKanaw
MemberWell, darn! And I thought I was being smart!!
I knew about every precaution to take & everything else u all said.BUT, I NEVER knew *NOT* to open the eMails!! Duhh what a dummy!!!
But... I don't know h2 determine if it's spam, if I can't open it.
We are always careful to whom we give our addresses to.
But still, we do subscribe to several organizations, like Greenpeace, R.A.I.N, Save the Internet, etc, and of course many music sites.
Sometimes it's not clear *who* the eMail is from, unless u open it.Till recently I hardly have had *any* spam at all, and those I know where they are coming from...
So, how do u do it, then??? Please enlighten me!
Peace, ManuPosted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberSilly Canadian, methinks you're teasing me. It's pretty easy to decide which emails shouldn't be opened. The most accurate tests include:
1) divining rods
2) the highly technical eeenie meenie mineee moe approach.Seriously, most legit senders don't fill out SUBJECT lines with vague, cryptic and often misspelled phrases, and most recipients know not to open unsolicited email, especially with SUBJECT lines like -
"Hi"
"How Have You Been?"
"LOw price$ for rX phaRmcey Meds"
"imPrEsS yor woman 2nite"
"Free Naked Pictures of ______ "
"Congratulations! You have won!"
"Urgent Bank Security Alert" with "undisclosed recipients" in the TO: line
A good spam giveaway is seeing your own email address sitting in the FR line. (doesn't apply if you talk to yourself a lot, but it could be a sign you need help)Will you accidentally miss something important? Rarely. Will you still open some junk? Probably. Should you disable HTML graphics in your email options? Oh yeah.
Good idea is to issue a challenge if you're unsure about an attachment a friend sends you... tell them you don't open attachments unless they explain what's inside. Suki has the right idea... better to chew out a friend who forwards crap and who doesn't practice safe computer than to catch whatever they've got.Sadly, the same dummies who still rip open "You're A Winner!!" mail from Publisher's Clearing House & Reader's Digest Prize HQ will continue to open every teasing email landing in their Inbox. A new sucker really is born every minute.
Hi, Suki, I wasn't upset. In fact, I can't state absolutely that GAOTD or their WordPress server hasn't been compromised. Maybe Bubby's tired of working for peanuts and is selling us all out. :-)
Posted 16 years ago # -
LeKanaw
MemberSilly Yank urself, Duhhh
No more cake 4u!! :-( And no chocolates either...No teasing here, honest questions.
Huhmm, what does this mean or *where* is it:
=>... in the FR line
How u do this in Gmail:
=>... disable HTML graphics; My non-Gmail accnts don't get any spam.Thank u buddy, I know I already should know all this, bit of a dummy.
Sorry to bother u w kindergarten questions...Hubby just arrived home.
1° question: So, did u get any more Mango spillings from RM! Bwahahaaaa
As a running gag, it's one of the funniest!!
Ciao, ManuPosted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberLekanaw, I just made a large batch of dark chocolate mint fudge, so nya nya nya.
Speaking of "doh"... FR = FROM
While I'm showing my age, BCC = Blind Carbon Copy... since most programmers are too young to know what carbon copy is, I've noticed a trend towards labelling the line BC, for Blind Copy. The idea is that if you put addies there, they won't show up in the header meaning NOBODY but the sender knows who got the email, so there's no way for a spammer to copy the addies. (unless he's infected your system with a keylogger or backdoor or he's hacked into a server somewhere)As for disabling HTML graphics, dunno about Gmail. This might help - http://www.g04.com/misc/GmailTipsComplete.html
Many email providers allow you to accept Text Only email, or set your preferences so HTML graphics are blocked. You usually have to drill down into the OPTIONS or PREFERENCES sections. I honestly believe that Yahoo and Juno intentionally hire those with the lowest aptitude scores to write their documentation/FAQs, considering how the morons manage to bury answers in oblique places if they manage to answer questions at all.
This might explain why you're getting spam on Gmail -
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/05/how-to-bypass-gmail-spam-filters.htmlPlease say good evening to the hubster for me.
Posted 16 years ago # -
funkymom
Membermuch of my junk mail is obvious (see runes examples above. but, i use (some of)my e-mail accounts for things such as surveys, freebies and contests. these generate a lot of junk mail (not necessarily true spam), and i do sometimes have to open an e-mail i'm unsure about. if it turns out to be spam, i mark it as such(reporting it) and delete it. but, i've definitely been glad at times that i decided to open it.
it's a risk, yes, but one i am willing to make.
Posted 16 years ago # -
RunesageMagik
MemberPlease understand that I'm only trying to raise the level of appreciation for how some of the most damaging worms and viruses - the kind that compromise/destroy HD's or steal data and haven't yet been put on virus def lists - can arrive in emails that need only be opened to release the infection. If your computer is used mostly for play and socializing, a crashed hard drive isn't the end of the world. OTOH, if your computer is used both for your livelihood (home business records, on-line banking and passwords, etc) as well as for your kids to download games or music, then their downloads or the opening of an unsolicited email could spell disaster for all.
Those who skip a spammy email will live to email another day.Posted 16 years ago # -
funkymom
Memberrune- i'm not judging, or upset. i know you are putting out some very helpful information.
i'm just bringing up my situation. you are right that(for now) my computer is pretty much entertainment-music, games, etc. but i would be upset if i lost it all.i'm a daredevil and a risk taker (sometimes), but i do try to be as careful as i can in my circumstances.
Posted 16 years ago # -
LeKanaw
MemberHi RM
Thank u for the explanations, for the links, and as always, for the humour :-)
Will read, explore, implement - will let u know!=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
About "Doh":
I always thought Chantho said Doh (as in "Dô"), realized recently she says 'tho (as in "chantho)". Anyway, the second Time Lord killed her. Sadly she was the last of the Malmooth.
Anyway, that's why I say "Duh", don't want any confusions just in case The Doctor passes by... Who knows! Bwahawaha :-DHubster sends a *BIG* Thank You for making me laugh so often.
Luved ur Nya Nya Nya. Added it to my Icons Folder! :-)
Don't know what I'll do w it, but u never know, could come handy... ;*)
Peace, ManuPosted 16 years ago #
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