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Another day, another scumbagFollow

#1 Nov 02 2007 at 6:00 PM Rating: Good
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After hearing about people pretending to be relatives of 9/11 victims to cash in on charity, I can't say that I was surprised to read this.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/02/wildfires.email/index.html

Quote:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new e-mail scam is using last week's wildfires in California to prey on people with generous hearts.

The IRS calls the scam an "opportunistic attempt to profit at the expense of the victims" of the wildfires.

The Internal Revenue Service is warning Americans about an e-mail hoax that claims to be from the tax agency and asks for donations for wildfire victims.

Anyone who clicks on the donation link is taken to a fake Web site that asks for the person's bank account numbers.

Instead of using the numbers for charity, the scammers can launch a number of identity theft ploys.

"This is very reprehensible," IRS spokeswoman Michelle Lamishaw said Friday.

"It's an opportunistic attempt to profit at the expense of the victims of these wildfires as well as the generosity of people who would like to help them."

The agency was tipped off by taxpayers and agency employees who received the e-mail and knew it was a scam, she said.

The scam has "popped up both on the East Coast and on the West Coast, so we imagine that it's a fairly large number of e-mails that went out" she said.

The e-mail uses the IRS logo and Lamishaw called it sophisticated, with few clear signs that it's a hoax. However, the e-mail itself is a clue.

"The IRS as a rule does not even send e-mails," she said, "so if something appears to come from the IRS it's 99 percent sure that it's a scam."

The fires are blamed for 14 deaths and charred more than 508,000 acres, destroying about 1,600 homes.


You've got to appreciate the tastelessness of the Internet scammer mind. I know most people here wouldn't fall for an email from the "IRS" asking for charity donations, but I figured it was worth a warning. Has anyone gotten an email like this?
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#2 Nov 02 2007 at 6:03 PM Rating: Decent
Seriously, I know people who would do that...
#3 Nov 02 2007 at 6:04 PM Rating: Decent
LobsterJohnson the Sly wrote:
Seriously, I know people who would do that...
Are you talking about yourself? Because I know you totally would. Smiley: grin
#4 Nov 02 2007 at 6:06 PM Rating: Good
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I don't get emails like that. However, on a totally unrelated note, I've won the Internet lottery so if you guys don't see much me anymore, I'm off living it up in the lap of luxury.
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#5 Nov 02 2007 at 8:12 PM Rating: Decent
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Heh, I got 2 different emails like that, I called em right away to figure out if it was real or not, they told me no about 3 weeks ago, they never give me money so I was kinda suspicious :)
#6 Nov 02 2007 at 8:13 PM Rating: Good
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I have never gotten an email like this...actually...I've rarely gotten any spam email whatsoever...
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#7 Nov 02 2007 at 8:19 PM Rating: Good
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I got an email from a nice [insert South American country] man who wanted me to claim someone's inheritance and split the profits with him. Since that would be totally illegal even if it wasn't a scam, I deleted it. I spent some time wondering where these weird people were getting my email from. Smiley: dubious
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Mazra wrote:
I looked out the window and saw a big fireball in the sky. I'm not going outside until it's gone.
#8 Nov 02 2007 at 8:24 PM Rating: Good
Why would you use the IRS as a front for trying to scam people? I wouldn't send them a dime more than I had to under any circumstances. I don't even have a problem with paying taxes, but they are really just a bunch of clowns.
#9 Nov 02 2007 at 8:25 PM Rating: Decent
Lady Tasera wrote:
I got an email from a nice [insert South American country] man who wanted me to claim someone's inheritance and split the profits with him. Since that would be totally illegal even if it wasn't a scam, I deleted it. I spent some time wondering where these weird people were getting my email from. Smiley: dubious
WAS IT PERU!? I BET IT WAS PERU!
#10 Nov 02 2007 at 8:26 PM Rating: Excellent
Any disastrous tragedy that would inspire good folks to donate will inspire bad folks to take advantage of good folks.

That said, I have created a fund to assist good folks who have been dislocated by the horrible fires raging in California. If you would like to contribute, contact me in PM's with the amount you wish to give to the victims and your routing and account numbers. I will also accept all major credit cards, just make sure to include the verification code from the back of your card, or I won't be able to ensure the moneys end up with those that so desperately need the help.

God Bless.

Edited, Nov 2nd 2007 9:27pm by Barkingturtle
#11 Nov 02 2007 at 8:26 PM Rating: Good
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Lady Tasera wrote:
I got an email from a nice [insert South American country] man who wanted me to claim someone's inheritance and split the profits with him. Since that would be totally illegal even if it wasn't a scam, I deleted it. I spent some time wondering where these weird people were getting my email from. Smiley: dubious
I bet he was going to claim the inheritance of a rich Nigerian prince. I mean, he must be dead, since that ******* still hasn't sent me that money he promised...
#12 Nov 02 2007 at 8:43 PM Rating: Decent
is Happy on Friday!
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i got an email from my self offering to sell me genuine rolexes....

i swear to god, had the same exact email adress... freaked me out xD(yea, i changed my password lol)
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Am I the only one who clicked on this thread expecting actual baby photos [of Jinte]? o.O

Except if it were baby photos, it would be like looking at before and afters of Michael Jackson. Only instead of turning into a white guy, he changes into a chick!
#13 Nov 02 2007 at 8:48 PM Rating: Good
Professor Jinte wrote:
i got an email from my self offering to sell me genuine rolexes....

i swear to god, had the same exact email adress... freaked me out xD(yea, i changed my password lol)
Do they look like good knock offs? I've been wanting to buy a fake rolex, but people want too much for them on ebay.
#14 Nov 02 2007 at 9:06 PM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
I got an email from a nice [insert South American country] man who wanted me to claim someone's inheritance and split the profits with him. Since that would be totally illegal even if it wasn't a scam, I deleted it. I spent some time wondering where these weird people were getting my email from.


Thats easy, companies that you legitimatly give your email address to sell their emails lists to differnet companies for a pretty hefty profit.

That and you really should stop going to those **** sites...
#15 Nov 03 2007 at 6:12 PM Rating: Decent
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I saw this and immeadiatly thought of the TV show Fonejacker.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zPGjeAPrLog
#16 Nov 03 2007 at 8:16 PM Rating: Excellent
In the last month I have been the winning ticket holder in 12 lotteries in countries I have never been to and I have 690373568735867 relatives that want to give me an inheritance provided I give them my bank account number and personal data since they know me so well and, again, live in countries I have never been to.

Maybe I can use some of that money I apparently have scattered all over the damned planet for this scam...
#17 Nov 04 2007 at 12:10 AM Rating: Decent
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I once got a mail from a man named Bill Gates. He claimed I'd won some sort of world lottery where my email address had been randomly picked and I'd won the sum of $2,500,000. All I had to do was send him my bank account details.
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#18 Nov 05 2007 at 3:26 AM Rating: Decent
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in before "Its a Trap!".
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#19 Nov 05 2007 at 4:13 AM Rating: Decent
no but i have received several e-mails pretending to be from the IRS asking for account information.

sent them off to spamcop to be blocked.
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