by Tawnos
Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:29 pm
Found my way here via the old new thing, seemed apropos to share this since it happened a couple days ago, and I don't see it mentioned.
This was pretty clearly a scam, but it's not one I see documented on the site. A person I had not heard from in a while messaged me on facebook December 22nd with the following message:
I was away, and did not respond. On the 28th, I received this message:
The following conversation ensued, the very first comment tipping me off that something wasn't right:
This was the first tip off. I am not somebody this person would contact about personal information like this. Also, the English used did not match how this person would normally speak ("I and my family" - this person has only a wife, and he always referred to her by name). However, I decided to see what was up, maybe something tragic occurred and I'm the only one around
Ah, open with an explanation for why a person might need to send money to the Philippines. Not a bad gambit, though it seems odd this person would go there, it at least provides something that _might_ be plausible.
Other patterns are emerging that are further tip offs. The use of commas instead of periods is unusual. If anything, this person would typically overuse periods/ellipses in electronic communications. The "writing you in tears" is a detail intended to pull on heartstrings (ha, like I have a heart!
) and make the situation seem urgent. It was late though, and I wanted to go to bed, so I just verified in the very very rare likelihood this is real and not a scammer:
This is the giveaway, as it is a copy/paste from info the person would see on the first line of my facebook profile. As a bonus, it has the same capitalization that facebook uses, and doesn't include the text which wraps to the next line (and makes it make sense, as "California" isn't the name of a university). I think he realized the gig was up though, as he logged out about 10 seconds after sending that, and the next morning my friend's facebook account was deleted.
Anyway, something to be aware of, I haven't seen this before, but it was something that might have duped my less technically savvy friends. I'm guessing the next line would have been something about needing money wired for something - to get to the US embassy, to buy a ticket home, etc. Either way, something that might be worth reminding any of your social media-going, but less scam-savvy friends about: just because a person is logged in as someone you recognize, does not mean it is the person you know.
This was pretty clearly a scam, but it's not one I see documented on the site. A person I had not heard from in a while messaged me on facebook December 22nd with the following message:
scammer:HI
how you doing?
I was away, and did not respond. On the 28th, I received this message:
scammer:hi
how you doing?
The following conversation ensued, the very first comment tipping me off that something wasn't right:
Tawnos:hey <redacted>, how have you been?
scammer:Am not too good at the moment,I and my family are in a deep mess right now
This was the first tip off. I am not somebody this person would contact about personal information like this. Also, the English used did not match how this person would normally speak ("I and my family" - this person has only a wife, and he always referred to her by name). However, I decided to see what was up, maybe something tragic occurred and I'm the only one around
Tawnos:that's too bad
scammer:We are currently stuck in Manila Philippines,went there on a short vacation and was mugged at a gun point last night
Ah, open with an explanation for why a person might need to send money to the Philippines. Not a bad gambit, though it seems odd this person would go there, it at least provides something that _might_ be plausible.
Tawnos:ouch
everyone okay?
scammer:I was hurt on my head,writing you in tears now as we speak,All cash and credit card was stolen off including phone,it was a brutal experience and horrendous
Other patterns are emerging that are further tip offs. The use of commas instead of periods is unusual. If anything, this person would typically overuse periods/ellipses in electronic communications. The "writing you in tears" is a detail intended to pull on heartstrings (ha, like I have a heart!
) and make the situation seem urgent. It was late though, and I wanted to go to bed, so I just verified in the very very rare likelihood this is real and not a scammer:Tawnos:quick question: how do you know me? I need to verify something
scammer: did i ask you for money??
Tawnos:I don't know, did you? I'm trying to verify this is <redacted>, and that I don't need to call him and make sure his account is okay
Thus: how do you know me? <redacted> would know the answer to this, a person impersonating him would not
scammer:Computer engineering at California
This is the giveaway, as it is a copy/paste from info the person would see on the first line of my facebook profile. As a bonus, it has the same capitalization that facebook uses, and doesn't include the text which wraps to the next line (and makes it make sense, as "California" isn't the name of a university). I think he realized the gig was up though, as he logged out about 10 seconds after sending that, and the next morning my friend's facebook account was deleted.
Anyway, something to be aware of, I haven't seen this before, but it was something that might have duped my less technically savvy friends. I'm guessing the next line would have been something about needing money wired for something - to get to the US embassy, to buy a ticket home, etc. Either way, something that might be worth reminding any of your social media-going, but less scam-savvy friends about: just because a person is logged in as someone you recognize, does not mean it is the person you know.
