419 scams and others

[der_kluge]

You know, I had an idea today.

I wonder how costly it is to set up a 1-900 number? Or something like a 1-900 number that isn't so obvious.

If I could set something up, and then have them call me, I could charge them $10 a minute and just babble with them incessently.

I could theoretically "fish" for scammers encouraging more and more to call me, and just retire in a few years.

$10 minute = $600 per hour.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

I could theoretically "fish" for scammers encouraging more and more to call me, and just retire in a few years.

Sorry, kluge. You're assuming the scammers would be using their own money to pay for the phone call. The more likely result would be they'd charge it to a credit card. A credit card that had been stolen, one way or another.

The best thing to do is to just delete the emails.

 

[Nareau]

You know, I had an idea today.

I wonder how costly it is to set up a 1-900 number? Or something like a 1-900 number that isn't so obvious.

If I could set something up, and then have them call me, I could charge them $10 a minute and just babble with them incessently.

I could theoretically "fish" for scammers encouraging more and more to call me, and just retire in a few years.

$10 minute = $600 per hour.

Heh, if you're interested in screwing around with these guys (which I don't recommend...messing with anybody involved in organized international crime seems like a Bad Idea), you should take some tips (and laughs) from http://www.419eater.com/

Spider

 

[der_kluge]

HAHA!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/21/scammers_nabbed/

 

[ThirdWizard]

mmmm just desserts.

 

[Turanil]

It's not enough these scammers be arrested. I want them be hanged...

 

[reveal]

The first paragraph is a bit wrong. Here's the corrected version.

The FBI and Spanish police have arrested 310 people in Malaga, Spain in connection with a €100m bogus (email) lottery scam run by Nigerian gangs. It is the biggest 419 bust in history, and may result in drastic reductions of scam mails for maybe a month at most.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Man, I hate spam. Except of course, if it is on a sandwich.

 

[der_kluge]

I got another Nigerian scam yesterday. Unlike the other ones, this guy actually used a semi-reputable email provider (go.com), which I think is owned by the Disney corporation.

So, I forwarded the mail to abuse@go.com and postmaster@go.com asking for the user's account to be ceased. I got a response back this afternoon thanking me for the notification, and that the account would be investigated. In the email was something interesting.



> 0.9 MILLION_USD BODY: Talks about millions of dollars
> 0.8 URGENT_BIZ BODY: Contains urgent matter
> 0.6 US_DOLLARS_3 BODY: Mentions millions of $
> ($NN,NNN,NNN.NN)
> 0.0 LINES_OF_YELLING BODY: A WHOLE LINE OF YELLING DETECTED
> 0.7 NIGERIAN_BODY2 Message body looks like a Nigerian spam
> message 2+
> 1.6 NIGERIAN_BODY1 Message body looks like a Nigerian spam
> message 1+
> 1.3 PLING_PLING Subject has lots of exclamation marks
> 0.7 NIGERIAN_BODY4 Message body looks like a Nigerian spam
> message 4+
> 1.0 NIGERIAN_BODY3 Message body looks like a Nigerian spam
> message 3+


The responder "evaluated" the message, and it had a score of "7.6; 5.0 needed". In other words, they used an algorithm to determine if it was SPAM or not. This message scored a 7.6 on the spam-o-meter, and you only need a 5.0 in order to pass. I'd never seen anything like this before.


So, for those of you playing at home, one way to shut these guys down is to remove their ability to send out emails. I also mentioned in my email to go.com that I had notified the federal authorities (not a lie). That will also get their attention.

 

[Mark Causey]

Pling Pling! Heh.