Anyone seen this before?

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 2

I occasionally get 419 scams in my e-mail and I typically just delete them and move on. However, today I got an e-mail that left me a little concerned. Here's why:

(1) The e-mail subject line used my full name, correctly. There is nothing in my e-mail address that would hint at what my name is.

(2) The e-mail body discussed the name of a relative of mine who is real, though dead. The relatives' first name is uncommon. It is not something that would occur to someone by chance.

I did an ego search of the internet to see if there was any way someone could connect my e-mail address and my proper name. The only thing I could come up with was a rather obscure genealogy site that I posted to several years ago.

There was nothing on this site, however, that connected me to the relative mentioned in the e-mail.

I am concerned because this 419 scammer possesses details of my personal life that doesn't seem to be readily available on the internet. It's kind of freaky.

Has anyone see this before?

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:45 pm

Welcome to Eater.

If you got the Email to your RL "offical" Email, I can see someone linking your name to the Email addy. I got a few to my work Email that had my last name and a long lost (although dead Rolling Eyes

) relative name... once in a while they got a name that could have matched one of my relatives... most times, they didn't.

As tempting as it may be to see how much, if anything, they know, I suggest not to bait this one from your personal Email. Search for the Email addy that sent you the AFF Email... or the Email addy they listed in the Email body. See if you get a hit in any of the search engines. Also search for your "relative" name... see what comes up...

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 Dec 2008 Posts: 2

Well, it isn't my RL work address but my standard personal address for friends and family and that is something in the nature of "[email protected]".

I did a search on both the lad's name and his e-mail address and came up blank in both cases. I can search my relative's name, but there is nothing to either tie it to my e-mail address or my RL name.

I am into genealogy and so I suppose it is possible if someone did some in-depth research they might be able to connect the two. But it certainly isn't simply picking a name off of a guest book type deal. I suppose it is also possible that, unlikely as it seems, it's sheer coincidence.

It just seems odd to me, that's all. There are three bits of data here (my RL name, my personal e-mail address, and my relatives name). I can't find anything just casually searching the internet that would tie those three bits of data together.

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:14 pm

If you don't reply, nothing will happen. He'll turn his attention elsewhere.

Even if he writes again, still don't reply. He'll move on.

419Eater is my life Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 366

@@marky10

He may have just been reading through the obiturary and then googling for name hits on the names of the survivors. It is a lot more work than blind scamming but I'll bet it is more successful.

A few years ago I got a dead bank account scam that referred to a plane crash that killed a man. It pointed to the newspaper stories. The "we can't trace his relatives and government will take the money line" was pretty funny. The man in question had lived two doors from my mother in law.

p.

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:23 pm

Can you post the email here (including headers)? With all personal details XXX'd out.

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:28 pm

Could be pure coincidence.
Could be a friend or relative kidding you up.

Sherlock Holmes would draw up a list of anyone you know who would have all the information. Mrs Marple could then lock them up in a country home until the perpetrator is asked a "killer" last question by Columbo and Bob's your Uncle, unless he is named Bert or Margaretta.

My instinct says it's the latter, and is either female or male.

Laughing

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:38 pm

Johnathan Creek would prove that although it seemed cut and dry whodunnit, it was actually specially trained ants, using a crossbow and laser beams.

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:51 pm

Roycropper wrote:

Johnathan Creek would prove that

He's back for a new one-off special over Christmas. Boxing Day probably as I've checked the listings up to Christmas Day.
I can't wait!

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

I seem to remember a newspaper report of a victim losing a lot of money a year or two back, where the scammer was said to have got the information from a genealogy site. It was in Australia if memory serves.