How Stupid Do They Think I Am?

These guys got a good head shake from me as I was sorting things out this morning. The blue ‘net’ was a link to some ineedfinancialhelp dot net site. I am not even going to bother visiting these guys’ site because I think their last note is the best advice they give – there are a lot of scams on the internet.

My main red flag here? Sent to “undisclosed recipients” when the guy says that he got my information from somewhere online and is worried about me in particular. Secondary: A fast Google brought up a number of warnings about the site.

The hands down BEST is from Jana’s MySpace Blog where she recounts her narrow escape from these guys. Thank you, Jana, for sharing your experience. I’m glad to hear you evaded them and proved vigilant to their scams.

Hi,
I am Getty i saw your Ad In net And Decided To Contact You.I fell victim of scams in the internet twice after losing $8,000 before i was referred by a friend in Canada,that she got her loan of $30,000usd from a reliable and trust worthy loan company based in the United Kingdom,i doubted and refused to believe her,until she showed me the mtcn slips she use in having her loans..i was convinced and i applied for loans in Harry James loan company.He is very reliable and a God fearing man,he assured me and i got my loan under three days, Since then i have invited lots of my friends who are desperately in need to contact the loan company via e-mail:harryjamesloans@gmail.com and non have had cause to regret.Don’t be deceived by scams in the internet, they are legit and real,there are alot of scams in the internet

I’m not sure what these nitwits are after, but they are targeting AOL AIM users.

_________________________________________________

Dear AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) user,

Your AIM account is flagged as inactive. Within the following 72 hours it’ll be deleted from the system.

If you plan to use this account in the future, you have to download and launch the latest update for the AIM. This update is critical.

In order to install the update use the following link. This link is generated exclusively for your account and is available within a certain period of time. As soon as this link is not available anymore you will get another letter.

Thank you,

AIM Service Team

This e-mail has been sent from an e-mail address that is not monitored. Please do not reply to this message. We are unable to respond to any replies.

_________________________________________________

I’ve got this one with a multitude of different subject lines, both to AOL and AIM and saying everything from download critical update to telling me my account will be deleted.

First off, folks, if you have an AIM or AOL account, open your account as you normally do, NOT using this email’s link!!!!

One you are logged in look for the help links and they’ll guide you to if there are any updates. In my experience with AIM, they generally tell me when it needs updated as soon as I open it and I can choose to update or not.

Good ways to spot this scammer – most companies tend to send notices to the email they have on file for you. BIG flag there. They also tend to host their updates on their own website, not something that looks like…

http://update.aol.com.terfkiof.com.pl/products/aimController.php?code=……..

Oh goody, I get to help  “Mr. Duke” handle his investment portfolio… how much you wanna bet I’d lose my life savings if I did?

The following is an e-mail I got today from a “Mark Duke Esq.” wanting me to help him with “repatriating the funds and property left behind by my late client”.  What does he need for this?

My name, phone, fax, address, occupation and age…

Hmmm… isn’t that the kind of things that are needed for identity theft?  Why does he need that information anyway?  If he is having me help with a legitimate “repatriating” then he should know who I am and everything – right?

It don’t help his case that he sent it through a e-mail I know for a fact adult XXX e-mailers have got in their directories.  Not exactly the most trusted contact means.

This one’s another scam.  If you’re lucky all you’ll lose is your life savings, but I’m thinking they are more interested in taking your identity with this one.  Delete it, and any like it, and don’t let them sucker ya.

Greetings,

I am Barrister Mark Duke.I am reaching out to you as regards the handling of an investment portfolio.

I am soliciting your assistance in repatriating the funds and property left behind by my late client before it is confiscated by the government
and declared unserviceble by the bank where the huge deposit is lodged.

My Client died intestate and every attempt to trace any member of his family has proved unsuccessful and abortive. Do note that your identity or
country of origin does not matter.

I will give you more information upon your response. You should respond by
sending the following:

1. Your full names

2. Tel & fax numbers

3. Complete Address

4.Your occupation and your Age

If Interested Please Reply me Via my
PrivateEmail:markdukeesq2008@yahoo.com.hk

I humbly look forward to your soonest response.

Yours Faithfully,
Mark Duke Esq.
London, U.K

I got another letter from the Domain Renewal Group. Those of you who have been here before have probably seen me complain about this scam in an older post about them (posted here). They are one group I would not mind seeing go belly up, or shut down by the BBB or someone. They target people that own their own domain and send them letters that … well, I wish my camera was working, because this letter should be seen. I’ll try to replicate the header information… Oh… let me see if I can get my scanner to work…

Here we go, took a few, but I have scanned the latest letter I got from them and blacked out any personally identifiable information. Click on the thumbnail to see the 800×1023 pixel image so you can (I hope) read what they send people.

For those of you who can’t view the image, or just don’t want to, it opens by saying:

As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification of the domain name registrations that are due to expire in the next few months.

It then goes on to talk about how when you switch to the Domain Renewal Group you get “our best savings”, this is important, because this is *THEIR* best savings, not *THE* best savings. For example, my favorite domain name registrar Plato Host at www.PlatonicSolid.Info (which is, yes, my brother – transparency in plugging the guy here) he charges $12 for domain name registration, less than half of what this Domain Renewal Group has as their “best price”. And when you talk to him on the phone or in e-mail, you get a very knowledgeable guy that can answer questions in clear easy to understand and hear English – not some outsourced to another country working on a commission English as their third language person who does not know anything other than how to collect your credit card information. You might recall the Confusing Phone Call I got back in June, which lead to another one that made me point out that Domain Name Theft is a Serious Issue and ended out with my conclusion that They Are Persistent, I’ll Give Them That.

Renewal of a domain name for $30 is highway robbery and these guys get away with it because they are sending their letters to people they find on Who Is (I assume that’s how they find people) and catching ones that read the first line, tear off the bottom of the letter and send it in to renew the website. Websites that in the cases I have got were not even due for 6 months or more.

Don’t let them catch you in a scam and sucker you into paying twice what you should have to pay for your website.  If they are not really less than your normal hosting company put that letter in the paper shredder or your fireplace.  And if they are cheaper than your hosting company shred or burn their letter and look for someone like Plato Host to work with instead.

I got the following to a Forum private message area – this guy tosses out all of the keypoints for catching attention.  Politics, Religion, and a sick little sister who needs to get out of the country with her older brother so they can continue their education.  Yeah, sure.  I particularly love the “Please for your good information this transaction Is 100% risk free and in no way connected with any illegal transaction” part.  ::shaking head::  They’re not asking you to do anything illegal, they just want you to let them clean out your bank account – you won’t get in any legal trouble… unless you can’t pay your bills after helping them to your life savings.

_________________________________________
From Susan and Williams Alfarouk / Appeal for Assistance.
Dearest,

Greetings in the name of God. We are Williams and Susan Alfarouk Appeal for Assistance. from Sierra Leone .

I am writing you from Rep of Cote ‘Ivoire where we Have been taking refuge after the brutal war and Murder of our parents by the rebels during the renewed Fighting in our country Sierra Leone . Because of the war our late Father sold his shipping company and took us to a nearby country Cote d’Ivoire where he deposited US$18, 300,000.00 Million(Eighteen Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in his foreign account with one of the bank here in Cote ‘Ivoire.Please, We have prayed before contacting you with the trust in God that you will be of help to me and my Sister is seriously sick now coupled with the current political situation in Ivory Coast now,We are seeking for your assistance to transfer this Money to your account for a good investment Project in your country and also relocate to your country with my younger sister susan to further our study.We are willing to offer you 15% of the total sum for Your assistance.Please for your good information this transaction Is 100% risk free and in no way connected with any illegal transaction, Please Help us to get out of this terrible situation and our Almighty God will bless you Please kindly call us +22547734565 for more discussion.or email (sussan.willi02@yahoo.com)

Best Regards
Williams and Susan Alfarouk