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A new low in the stupidity of e-mail scammers
SteveWallace - 10/1/17 at 05:32 PM

I had an e-mail the other day purporting to be from my bank. I'll not bore you will the full message as it contained the usual nonsense, but the link was embedded in the following sentence

"For full details and advice on this scam and how you can protect yourself, read below, or for more information about common frauds and scams, Click to visit our Security Centre"

This is the first time that I've had one where they admitted that it was a scam in the actual wording!!!

myke pocock - 10/1/17 at 06:25 PM

Yes, but if you clicked on it I bet they then have you. Quite canny really in its own way.

nick205 - 11/1/17 at 08:54 AM

I am similarly bemused by the lengths the scammers go to to try and "hook" people. I'm also astounded at the people who get taken in by them too. If there's the slightest doubt in my mind simply delete and move on.

Just yesterday I had a call from a withheld number to my O2 mobile. It was "Dylan" calling me from "Apple" about mu iPhone...I've never had an iPhone and don't want one either. Must admit my office colleagues found my "call dismissal" language a little surprising. Once explained they were in fits of laughter and asking if I could right them a "script" in case they got the call

SteveWallace - 11/1/17 at 09:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by myke pocock
Yes, but if you clicked on it I bet they then have you. Quite canny really in its own way.


I didn't need to click on it to see there admission that it was a scam, the quote that I included here was in the main body of the e-mail. It is sometimes tempting though to click on the link just out of curiosity to see where you end up, but I would never do it on my computer. Maybe I should write the links down and use the library's computer

garyo - 11/1/17 at 11:40 AM

The sad thing is that these emails are designed to be obvious, because then the scammers know that people that go to the next level are particularly naive, elderly, or with learning difficulties. By designing them such the scammers time doesn't get wasted having to subsequently manually filter out quick-witted intelligent people.

The best thing you can do, if you're brave enough and have the time, is to waste some of their time so as to indirectly protect someone less fortunate than yourself.

Ivan - 11/1/17 at 02:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by garyo
The sad thing is that these emails are designed to be obvious, because then the scammers know that people that go to the next level are particularly naive, elderly, or with learning difficulties. By designing them such the scammers time doesn't get wasted having to subsequently manually filter out quick-witted intelligent people.

The best thing you can do, if you're brave enough and have the time, is to waste some of their time so as to indirectly protect someone less fortunate than yourself.



LOL - wise words, maybe that's why they keep persisting with me - they're waiting for me to get old enough to fall for it - not such a long wait in my case.