From Our Readers…

August 29th, 2009 by drmarkmessing 4 comments »

Scams of Interest Sent To Us By You

(Thanks for all the scam/spam mail!)

I guess we asked for it, literally…

So much interesting mail has been rolling in, we figured it was time to take a quick break from the Craigslist laptop saga and post some e-mails sent in by readers.

From West Africa to Iraq, people have been coming across millions of (US) dollars. They just need your help transferring it…

Sent to us from K.P.:

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 11:19:53 am
To: xxxxxxx@yahoo.co.jp
From: Mr Peter Kwesi
Subject: Let mw know if we can work together

Greetings,

I have interest of investing in your country as well as seek your services in a private and confidential matter. I am a senior Auditor heading computing department here in our bank.

On my routine inspection I discovered a dormant account that does not belong to anybody with a Balance of ($3.850 Million USD}.I write to seek your indulgence and assistance in transferring this fund to your country through legal means.
I am proposing to make this transfer to a designated bank account of your choice in your country for investment. At the conclusion of this transaction, you will be given 30% of the total amount, 70% will be for me.

Let me know if you can handle it.

Regards
Mr Peter Kwesi

We trust authorities – doctors, professors, religious and community leaders, and yes, even politicians. Mr. Peter Kwesi is a senior Auditor. He sounds important. Perhaps he even sounds like someone we would want to do business with and comply with his requests.

A colleague of mine recently posted a resume on a job search site and encountered many suspicious job offers. Internet fraud has permeated the job search market, too. This one also comes from K.P.;  we are posting it because we have seen many similar attempts:

—–Original Message—–
From: Shannon JANETTE
Sent: 8/28/2009 11:55:53 PM
To: xxxxxxx@hotmail.com
Subject: Accounting Manager USA!

Hello competitor,
We are glad to report you that in our stable company, the vacancy of transaction manager is opened. The world is smashed by a crisis, people lose their workplaces, and many companies are being closed. Our company offers a product in the field of services; therefore the demand on our suggestions remains even in so difficult period for the world economy.

The followings factors are required from you:
- industriousness;
- efficiency;
- to be the habitant of the USA;
- command aspiring to success;
- to have sure vital position;
- to have initial PC skills
- you must be more senior than 21.

NO INVESTMENTS FROM YOU ARE REQUIRED, you will be fully acquainted and trained for discharging of your duties. We need valuable staff. We will teach even a janitor to be a businessman!

Do not lose the chance of fully legal earnings with a dynamically developing company. We will help you to build a career which you always dreamed about. Your chance is waiting for you.
We wait for your resumes to the address xxxxxxx@gmail.com of our department of personnel.
With kind regards,

All scams work through exploiting human vulnerabilities, but perhaps I find this type even more appalling because it so it does so blatantly.  It preys on persons seeking jobs (kick ‘em when they’re down!), offering a part in a modern day Horatio Alger story, and an opportunity to “build a career which you always dreamed about.” From rags to riches, or janitors to businessmen.  And as we’ve seen in past scams, it builds on complimenting the mark and playing on their self image. Would you describe your self as industrious? Commanding and aspiring to success? If so, why not play in this game?

Speaking of appalling, this one was forwarded to me by a colleague and friend:

From: sgt.Patrick john <xxxxxxxxx@catsailor.com>
Date: Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Subject: Greetings from Iraq.

Dear friend,

I need your assistance.. My name is Sgt. Patrick John. I am in the Medical
military unit here in Ba’qubah in Iraq, i have $4.5 Million US dollars
that i successfully moved out of  the  country. I need a good partner
someone i can trust. It is oil business money we did with iraqi citizens
worth of 42 million USdollars, the 4.5 million stated is my part on the business and its legal.

I have made arrangements with a Diplomatic courier service that will move the funds out of Iraq as a family treasure. The most important thing is that i can trust you? Once the funds get to you, you take your 20% out and keep my own 80%. Your own part of this deal is to find a safe place where
the funds can be sent to.

My own part is sending it to you.If you are interested I will furnish you
with more details. But the whole process is simple and we must keep a low
profile at all times. I look forward to your reply and co-operation, and I
thank you in advance as I anticipate your co-operation waiting for your
urgent response,you can contact me through my below email
address,xxxxxxxx@yahoo.com

My Regards,
Sgt. Patrick John

First off, I must apologize to Sgt. Patrick John, as posting this on MtM was probably not his idea of “keeping a low profile at all times.” But once again, the scam plays on the authority of the scammer (a sergeant in “the Medical military unit”) as well as on the mark’s self image – are you a good partner, someone this soldier can trust? It has another interesting element, however, in that it plays on the reader’s sense of adventure. There you sit in front of your computer in your quiet home town when suddenly you receive an offer to play a part in a secret mission, sneaking oil money and a family treasure out of Iraq through the Diplomatic courier service.  We may have to follow up on this one…. Oh yes, I am going to label it “to be continued….”

But finally, we must end today’s session with a tragedy:

business deal
I am Mr Soumaila Sorgho,banker by profession in BURKINA FASO , WEST AFRICA and currently holding the post of manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of Bank of Africa (BOA). I have the opportunity to meet unclaimed funds of ($5.5 Million Dollars) belong to our deceased customer who died along with his entire family in a plane crash. This is the site the of plane .http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1815680.stm

Hence; I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 60/40 if you agree to my business proposal. Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your return mail at : xxxx_xxxxx@voila.fr

Perhaps providing a real link to a real plane crash makes the whole story believable. You are supposed to be left thinking, “well, the plane crash is real, so this banker must really must need my help in claiming these $5.5. Million Dollars [sic]“? Let’s call it the foot in the door to the willing suspension of disbelief.

And more of the same exploitation of tragedy.

Have a good day!

-M.M.

Have you encountered a scam that you would like us to share? If so, please feel free to send any information – stories, e-mails, screen captures, etc. – to drmarkmessing@yahoo.com. We’re always looking for new deconstruction projects!

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You’ve Got Scam Mail!

August 18th, 2009 by drmarkmessing No comments »

Edition #1: The Traveling Scampersons

After posting the laptop ad on Craigslist, we decided to let it sit out in cyberspace for a few weeks to attract flies. In total we received about four dozen inquiries, of which only 2 or 3 were legitimate.  The other 45 or so reeked of scam. One can not overstate the need to adhere to “the rules” to avoid scams. Nonetheless, we here have become fascinated with influence and persuasion tactics – used in many domains for both good and ill – so in depth examination of the psychological mechanisms employed in these scams is warranted.

Note the number of people who wish to buy a laptop while traveling or out of state. Maybe it’s the summer holiday season? Or maybe it just gets around that “buy locally” suggestion?

Note: I have excerpted some of the e-mails for the reader’s ease and also added bold font to highlight the relevant aspects, but as usual, spelling and grammar is left intact for flavor. But let’s explore:

Thanks for you reply,i am located in Remsenburg city in NY but
currently out of state ,i really need to buy this and send to my son
schooling outside the state as a gift .I have been trying to buy this
on ebay but its so very stressful buying on ebay.
I will offer you $550 for the item and $150 for shipping so as to
close the auction as soon as possible.I will be paying through PAYPAL
because i have a verified account with paypal.So kindly get back with
your paypal email address so i can make payment into your paypal
account.
Get back to me if my approval is granted.I would like to see the
pictures please.

A few points:
1) This one is interested in buying “the item.” If you were really interested in purchasing something -a computer, a car, or a food processor – and were writing to the seller, would you call the item “the item?”
2)”…so as to close the auction as soon as possible.” One great tactic for closing a sale, or scam in this case, is to get the deal done as soon as possible. We see it in car sales (“if you buy before walking off the lot…”) or in late night infomercials (“if you call in the next 30 minutes…”). We see it in scams, too.
3) Note the small requests – send pictures, is the item in good condition, etc. – that permeate these scam attempts. They likely serve to both feign legitimate interest in “the item” and to built commitment in and rapport with the would be victim. You are left thinking “I sent the buyer pictures so they must be a legitimate buyer.”

Hi,
Thanks for your quick response..am okay with the price and conditions
of this item and Why did you want to sell the item,How many do you
have available?and Does it have accessories and original box?..i am
located in Chicago and i am not in state presently to complete this
transaction with you locally by cash…so am purchasing this item as a
gift…and am willing to make deal with a serious and legitimate
seller due to too many scam out there…i’ll pay $150.00 USD for the
shipping charges confirm via USPS Global Speed post (EMS) shipping via
my PayPal account..making it a total of $700.00 USD..and i will make
the total if you can help me handle the shipping perfectly..You can
send me your PayPal email ID or a PayPal money request via PayPal and
i’ll make with the Payment right away…

Hope to hear from you soonest
Thanks

Again, the buyer is interested in “this item,” and they are requesting some small bit of information (“does it have accessories and original box?”) from us. Interestingly, they are apparently satisfied with the price and conditions regardless.

This one made the list, however, because of the line “and am willing to make deal with a serious and legitimate seller due to too many scam out there.” As you will see in future posts, our endeavors here at MtM are teeming with irony. This tactic probably is intended to have two effects. First, complimenting the would be victim as a “serious and legitimate seller.” People like to do business with those they like. And people like those who compliment them. Secondly, it is likely intended to disarm the victim’s reservations: “If this buyer is concerned about scams, how could they be a scammer?” I could also see this tactic having the reverse effect, however. The mere mention of scams may automatically prime the concept in the would be victim’s mind, thus making the victim more fearful of fraud. The bottom line is don’t be fooled by compliments or apparent concern with scams.

thank for your quick respond,i would have agreed to pay by Cash
but i am currently out of State right now, and i will offer you $600
for the item and $200 for the shipping cost to my twin brother located in abroad via EMS,and I think paypal is the only online best payment method
because they are safe,trustworthy and secured,so all you need now is togo and set up your paypal account at www.paypal.com and get back to me with your paypal email account for the payment.

By now you should all be seeing a pattern. Buyers are traveling and shipping “the item” to someone abroad. And they want to purchase via Paypal because they are “safe, trustworthy, and secured.” Note the language, likely intended to get a victim thinking in safe, secure, and trustworthy terms.

PayPal, obviously, is too a hotbed for scams (more info on PayPal scams can be found here and here). Perhaps we will delve into that world with later work. For now, however, we had so many fraudulent PayPal offers that we took the policy of simply responding that we did not have a PayPal account and would not be setting one up. One potential “buyer” responded with this:

why don’t you use/accept PayPal,???
PayPal is safe and secure.PayPal is KING.
I live outside the area and will pay enough money for the shipping.
YOU MIGHT NOT SEE SOMEONE WHO WILL PAY YOU IN CASH AND BUY OFF THE Laptop.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU CONSIDER MY OFFER AND AM GONNA PAY YOU WHATEVER ITS GONNA COST TO SHIP IT VIA UPS NEXT DAY AIR DELIVERY TO Chicago.

In addition to the use of the “safe, secure” language, this buyer invokes scarcity. They want me to feel as if doing business with them is a rare opportunity and if I do not act I may miss out. I MIGHT NOT SEE SOMEONE WHO WILL PAY ME IN CASH!!!! This is explained to me in caps and italics with emphatic punctuation, nonetheless. As an aside, this buyer does use an interesting caps scheme: “BUY OFF The Laptop… NEXT DAY AIR DELIVERY TO Chicago.” A cut and paste form letter, perhaps? Thoughts?

I’ll leave you to ponder that.

More coming soon: West African specials, sob stories, and perhaps even a fraudulent check or two….

-M.M.

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I Have Been Marked!

July 15th, 2009 by drmarkmessing 5 comments »

“I began to feel slightly uneasy. You know I am not used to such ceremonies, and there was something ominous in the atmosphere. It was just as though I had been let into some conspiracy — I don’t know — something not quite right; and I was glad to get out.” – Joseph Conrad

Let the Scamming Begin…

Adventures in Craigslisting

Dear readers, I have been marked. In due time I will explain the origins, methods, and purposes of this project, but there is no time for that now as events are already unfolding. We will begin the story in the middle, or — more exactly — just after the beginning. Several days ago I posted an advertisement on Craigslist in an attempt to sell an old laptop computer. Soon my inbox was filled with inquiries and offers; however, being a devout skeptic, I was suspicious of every inquiry received. Not one seemed like a legitimate buyer! Those of you who have walked the CL path probably know the feeling: it is an interesting journey down one of the most wild and lawless boulevards in cyberspace, a step through a dark portal into an arena of the most dishonest of human intentions. Probably not what the founding fathers of the internet would have hoped for.

A more thorough analysis of the responses to my ad will be posted soon, but I wanted to provide some examples. I’ve left the messages verbatim to provide a more pure flavor of their art, but I’ll spare you all the [sic]s:

Good day, My name is Ann Bon and I am an engineer, I would like to buy your item for a cousin of mine, who is celebrating her birthday , Her parents are both dead , so she now works as a missionary due to their tragic car accident, I would love to her this item has a special gift to her, I want you to know that I will be sending payment through Money Order, it is a safe and assured method of sending money, I dont mind paying $600 for this item, I will also like to let you know that once payment has been approved, I will like to ship the item through my fedex account so that you dont have to pay for any shipping cost.
Please Kindly get back to me with your full name and address so that I can send payment as soon as possible because I want her to recieve a special gift as your item as soon as possible…
Thanks
Ann

And here is another:

Hi……I am interested in the immediate purchase of your item,for my colleague in West Africa Nigeria who is on Research Program,does it have its original box,accessories and work perfectly? Get back to me with your PayPal email address so i can transfer the payment to your PayPal account and i will pay you $900 including the shipping cost.
Thanks

Interesting, no? If, hypothetically, I were setting out to not to sell a laptop but rather to explore the psychology of internet scams, I should be elated to have snagged a seemingly authentic Nigerian 419 on my very first cast! Rather than do the sensible thing and simply ignore these inquiries, I have chosen to respond to them and play the part of the perfect mark. And I am, in fact, interested in studying the psychology of these scams, both the tactics employed by the scammers and the vulnerabilities exploited in the victims.

I am a people watcher by nature and nurture, both fascinated by and trained to study human minds and behaviors. So I am going deeper into the world of internet scams and deeper into the scams themselves. And, as the plots progress, I will record the developments here, so that we may all watch it develop; the in vivo observations will be educational and very likely humorous (if only in the ‘watching a bad movie’ sort of way).

As a public service announcement, if you feel that you may be the victim of a scam, many other online resources are abound and I strongly suggest you consult them. You will surely learn something here, but watching me play the part of the mark may not be the most expedient solution to your problem. I should also note that I intend for this to be a fully interactive experience, so if readers have any insights, suggestions, or experiences with such scams that they would like to share, feel more than free to comment or e-mail me (and please let me know whether I have permission to share your thoughts or experiences for this project’s purposes). Until then, I have work to do filtering and responding to the best (or worst, pending perspective) inquiries to my ad. Current criterion for selection include the use of classic and novel con tactics, psychological intrigue, interesting story potential, and flat our humor value, although I am also willing to take suggestions for additional criteria. While I work, I would recommend this story to interested readers, as it underscores the severity of the problem and has served as one of many motivating factors for this project.

COMING SOON: The best of the worst responses to the laptop ad, critiqued and categorized!

M.M.

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