This is a new one...

Found on one of the sites I go through:

The header of the ad goes something like: 'beware of scammers in amsterdam who claim to be house owner' or 'BEWARE OF SCAMMERS IN PARIS'.  You get the picture, right?

The body of the 'ad' reads:

Please beware of online scammer's pretending to be an house owner , because i was scammed THREE(3) times due to my anxiety to own a house. I was frustrated, but

It Ain't Easy...

(With a tip of a hat to the late Long John Baldry as I borrow the title...)

 What I have learned and read about scamming over the last four years has been a real education.  Not that I wasn't cynical enough after decades of working in community services and being an aware world citizen, but it has made me acutely sensitive to the idea that this planet is a buffet set out for the larcenous to

Giving credit where credit is NOT due...

While I was rummaging around some of the sites I read looking for some information tonight, I ran across this post (http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=18070) left earlier today.

I thought it was all very interesting and I don't think I'd heard of *that* variation before.  Now if I haven't heard of it, I'm sure a lot of other people haven't heard of it either so I think

I've got your number...

If you browse through the lists, especially the bios and Questionable Businesses, you've likely noticed that along with a lot of their phone numbers starting with 234 (the country phone code for Nigeria) that there are an awful lot of numbers starting with +4470.  I've been meaning for a while to write a bit about this number combo and tonight is as good a time as any.

This is one of the

And the light >clicks< on...

This is a slightly different response to the ones I receive when I send out a request for information about an ad. Click on the link that they provide to send in the information and I'm willing to bet that you will give some happy camper far more of your personal information than you should share.  Identity theft is the issue here.

If you require your credit score, deal directly (in Canada

People are the same all over...

For example, all these kind, hardworking, not very available, busy busy landlords want one simple thing ~ namely '...just need someone (Students or Anybody working in a reputable organization to rent the bedroom) with an open heart, love and clean to occupy it and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the house.'

Copenhagen:  Andre John (‘I am into Real Estate and Civil

Blunder Down Under

As I mentioned off and on in the earlier part of the blog, the Australian ads are just crawling with scammers. In fact, at one point, it was safe to estimate that over 95% of the ads being posted in Craiglist listings there were bogus. It may well be time for me to sit down and have a serious going over of that part of the world again.Anyway, thanks to a new Faker Street Irregular, we have a

A Rozario is a Rozario is a Rozario.... Unless it's not.

(Profound apologies to the shade of Gertrude Stein!)I thought the case of the mysterious Rozario Lorenzo had been laid to rest with my previous encounters but, lo and behold, a few days later I received another missive ~March 29, 2010Dear Quirked Eyebrow,I'm very glad I found your blog. The only record online that the person I'm dealing with is a scam is the email address s/he used that is listed

This which we call a Rozario, by any other name would smell as stinky

(With profound apologies to the shade of William Shakespeare...)So….A few weeks ago, I got an email from K saying that she had dealings with Rozario Lorenzo ~ rozario.lorenzo@yahoo.com aka rozario_lorenzo@yahoo.com ~ and felt that it was all too dodgy especially when Rozy was extremely insistent on using on Western Union, fading rapidly in the woodwork when K said she wanted to have a friend

They're pushing it to the max...

Thanks to Avanti for sending this yesterday."Another one to add to your list:Samantha Marshsamymarsh@gmail.comShe has posts for 2/2 condos all over Craigslist, including Seattle, Miami, Virginia, etc."My name is Samantha, I'm 52 years old, I'm a retired teacher and I'm the owner of this condo . I lived in this beautiful condo for over 5 years and loved every day of it. The condo is fully

At least one perspective....

While googling a scam phone number, I ran across this blog entry (http://maria-perspective.blogspot.com/2009/07/if-it-seems-too-good-to-be-true.html) from a writer who was living in Benin at the time, another West African country linked to the internet scam industry. Tuesday, July 14, 2009 If it seems too good to be true... The internet has been down at work over the last few weeks, so

Further adventures of Sheer-Luck Homes and Dr. What's Up...

There I was, muddling about, when I ran across these ads today in London's Craiglist (since I started writing this, they've popped up at http://property.vivastreet.co.uk/holiday+london-sw1e/two-bedroom-suite-apartment-for-stay-in-london/21437645 as well):£550 / 3br - three bedroom suite apartment in london (Kensington Square Kensington, London)Date: 2010-01-17, 7:01PM GMT Reply to: mailto:

Scammails A - E 2010

075010marquis@gmail.com (Marquis Granny)




A
a3a1273lam@yahoo.com
aaaarron009@ymail.com
aaaayyy97@yahoo.com
aadbiel@gmail.com (Adrina)  
aakellyswuw@rocketmail.com (Aaron Lam; ph: +447045730253,+447011173785)
aanunimofe@gmail.com
aanuowotopo@yahoo.com
aanuirede@yahoo.com
aanuireoluwa@yahoo.com
aanunimofeoluwa@yahoo.com
aanuoluwamaaabo@yahoo.com
aanuoluwanimofe@yahoo.com
aanutotayo@

Words for the new world...

I was noodling through rent ads on a rainy Sunday and decided to think of a word to describe scam ads. I've googled it and see where it has only been used twice (as far as I can tell) so I have decided to lay claim to it ~ or at least try to make it popular.So, for those of you seeking accomodations, pets, electronics or whatever on the internet (where scammers can be found in ever increasing

And you don't even have to send cash!

I found this in my mail this morning and just thought yah... yah... yah...

Being that this spam mail will reach out to however many gadzillions and may find it's way to some people who have been harmed through a scamming, I can see where those people might still be innocent enough to believe that this email may have some validity. In that way lies madness, folks ~ don't even go there.

And

What do I have against Western Union?

Well.... Nothing actually. They essentially do what they are supposed to - they move money from here to there. The fact that they take no responsibility in any of the end results is no real surprise but I doubt if there is anywhere where they promise to hold your hand and help you sidestep those big nasty scammers - I suspect they figure that you've done your homework.Which is about the size of