COMMENT 319065
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2012-09-12 03:20 PM |
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how do people fall for this?? geeze
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COMMENT 319072P
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2012-09-12 03:36 PM |
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Looks totally legit to me.....
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COMMENT 319076
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2012-09-12 03:48 PM |
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Don't forget the rental scam. The one I discovered listed a 3br/2bth condo on CL for something like 1200 bucks a month. I knew the complex in Carpinteria so I went to look at the condo- no way it was 1200 bucks, but I had to see for myself. The scam was to send a deposit to Nigeria for which you would recieve the keys and a contract could be signed when the scammer "returned home from travelling". There were misspelled words, bad grammar, nonsensical phrases, total amatuer hour. However, while looking at the local newspaper ads I saw the same condo for 2250 bucks, called the ad, it was the actual owner. He knew about the CL ad. They had his name and phone number and ran the CL ad with that info. Scam! They were hoping for an out-of-towner to 'rent' the condo sight unseen. Too good to be true? This one was.
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SHAGGY
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2012-09-12 03:49 PM |
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These have been going on for years nothing new here. We get at least 3-4 a month at our different email addresses.
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COMMENT 319079
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2012-09-12 03:53 PM |
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For a look at how professional scam baiters play with these guys for sport (and also to expose and prrosecute the perps) have a look at the website 419 Eaters. It's hilarious. 419 is Nigerian penal code for perpetrators of this sort of scam.
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COMMENT 319129
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2012-09-12 05:19 PM |
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We got the same letter at my job in Santa Barbara.
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COMMENT 319142
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2012-09-12 06:12 PM |
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Social Darwinism for those that fall for it...
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COMMENT 319157
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2012-09-12 07:07 PM |
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This is definitely the right site for such a warning. Nigerian scammers prey on the elderly.
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COMMENT 319163
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2012-09-12 07:26 PM |
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Dear Ventura Police Department: "Below are some tips to recognize a possible scam . . ." I like that under that heading it reads "Does it look TO good to be true?" And then advises that we look to see if there is a "poor command" of the English language in the text . . .
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COMMENT 319223
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2012-09-13 07:22 AM |
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Thanks, Ventura PD. Here's another scam: Burdening the taxpayers with wasteful exercises. If you're dumb enough to fall for one of these scams, you probably don't read lengthy articles either.
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COMMENT 319237
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2012-09-13 08:20 AM |
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How do we know the letter isn't legit, and the warning isn't a scam?..
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COMMENT 319284
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2012-09-13 09:31 AM |
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Many people who fall for these scams are the elderly. They are on a fixed income and see it as a way to possibly gain more income. They aren't "stupid" they just haven't heard of such a thing or they may be suffering from some dementia. I had a customer at a bank I worked at who fell for one of the Canadian scams. We told him not to wire this person any money but he was convinced he would get his money back plus more. He wouldn't even listen to his wife. Very sad.
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COMMENT 319330
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2012-09-13 10:50 AM |
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If you fall for this, you deserve to loose that money. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but you also should be elected for the Darwin Awards if they get you with this one.
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COMMENT 319341
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2012-09-13 11:12 AM |
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Usually they are from Nigeria where they apparently think most Americans are not only idiots but so greedy they would fall for the most inane scams, from being the hidden benficiaries of insurance policies, bank accounts, investments, plane crashes, lawsuit settlements, lottery winnings, etc. As if anyone anywhere would send a total stranger with a computer $90,000,000 million to mutually invest for them.
Usually the biggest give away of these scams is the fact these "bankers", "lawyers", "governments officials" and heirs with millions of dollars (sometimes they are in Pounds Sterling) to send YOU, have apparently flunked English class and write e-mails more illiterate than a 1st grader might compose.
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COMMENT 319367
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2012-09-13 12:15 PM |
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I work at a bank and have saved many many customers from falling prey to so many different scams. It has gotten to the point where I have trained our tellers to spot what I call The Common Scams: "Here is a cashier's check for 4500! Deposit into your account and send me 1500 in cash via Western Union as the processing fee!" "Hi Relative who is elderly or never hears from me, I am trapped/kidnapped/lost/in trouble with the law in a foreign country, please don't tell my parents and can you please send me cash via Western Union?"
"Hello, you have won a lottery. You have never heard of us but please give us your checking account information and SSN# so we can send you the money!"
Tip to you all: NEVER send a stranger $ through W.U. NEVER! only close friends and family that you actually KNOW are going to receive the money. Same goes for giving out your banking information. Don't be a sucker!
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COMMENT 319422
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2012-09-13 02:23 PM |
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Is there a way we can protect the elderly from these scams without making them feel that they are losing their independence?
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COMMENT 319284
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2012-09-13 03:27 PM |
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422 just educating them and letting them know what to look for. For instance "hey mom/dad/grandma/grandpa - have you seen anything like this before? These are new scams going around. If you get one send it to the police or FBI right away" Simple as that!
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