Scammers have started to impersonate real authorities

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 15 Oct 2010 Posts: 3

Usually 419 scammers have presented themselves as fake persons. But a couple of days ago I got one on one of my instant messenger accounts who actually tried to impersonate a REAL high ranking nato offiser.

He also really tried to use this "identity" to try to boss me around. But before long I figured out what it was all about.

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:43 pm

Welcome! Sadly this isn't as new as you think, scammers have been impersonating real people for an age in order to extort/extract/steal money.

Really glad to hear you spotted the scam in time, and I hope you stick around here a while and find out what we get up to to extract petty revenge Wink

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:49 pm

Welcome to eater, infidel. As mbl said, this has been going on for quite awhile. I can't count the number of emails I have received from the Director of the FBI, Robert Mueller. Some time back, someone posted an ID some scammer sent them that had the picture and hometown of former US President Jimmy Carter! Don't even ask how often we hear from the President of Nigeria. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:20 pm

About a year ago we mass-baited a lad claiming to be Lt Gen Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces in Afghanistan. The name in my second signature entry below belongs to a real Nigerian businessman. And then there is our friend Charlie Soludo, whom you will certainly encounter even if you are a casual baiter. He is Chairman of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:33 pm

Taking a high profile official job will expose your name, and it may used by scammers - That's basically a part of the job description. An occupational hazard if you like.

The ID-thefts that make me tick are the ones where a fairly unknown person has his or her identity stolen, just they happen to work in a bank or a law firm, and that fact could be useful or the scammers.

You can find an example of it here:
http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=188980&highlight=
That's a lad asking for torture and he gets it - Unfortunately there are more scammers, using this format Sad

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 11:40 pm

And then there are the lads that hijack a person's email account and send a "Help I'm Stranded, Send Money" format to everyone in their contacts list. Evil or Very Mad

I hope, Infidel, we have not made you feel foolish for your post. That is not our intent. I (and, I'm sure, everyone else at eater) appreciate you taking the time and effort to register and post your observation. What you saw was new to you and certainly is new to many people who don't receive a lot of scam emails or visit this site infrequently. You have done a service to many who are not familiar with the ways of these scamming scum. I thank you for that. Unfortunately for us jaded bastards immersed in this stuff, using real people to promote scams is all too familiar.

I do hope you stick around and help us dish out a little payback. Very Happy

Trophy Videos · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:21 am

Welcome, infidel. Very Happy

Around here, we use our "identities" to boss them around! Thanks for posting, and try bossing them around yourself. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 5:28 am

Here's the passport in the name of the US Ambassador to Nigeria:

(This is the real Robin Renee Saunders)

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 15 Oct 2010 Posts: 3

Raga Man wrote:

I hope, Infidel, we have not made you feel foolish for your post. That is not our intent. I (and, I'm sure, everyone else at eater) appreciate you taking the time and effort to register and post your observation. What you saw was new to you and certainly is new to many people who don't receive a lot of scam emails or visit this site infrequently. You have done a service to many who are not familiar with the ways of these scamming scum. I thank you for that. Unfortunately for us jaded bastards immersed in this stuff, using real people to promote scams is all too familiar.

The thing that made me want to share this particular incident was actually that he had me for a little while. Usually I spot these people right away. But this time I actually had to exchange a couple of messages on that IM client. Not so many, though. I will rather not share the dialogue here in the open, as it happened on an account that belongs to my real person. But I managed to get one of his email addresses out of him, so PM me anyone that might be interested in baiting the bastard Wink

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:36 am

@Infidel666 - I read this as you have completely dropped the lad - Very wise.

A basic rule here is that "personal involvement" spells "stay off" - Do not bait the lad, not even from a anonymous account. The main reason for this rule is that the lad has RL details about you and the remote chance that the lad would make a link between them and your baiting character is reason enough.

With that said - There are plenty of them, so stick around, read the sticky's, get a mentor and bait safe.

BTW - Welcome on board Smile

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 15 Oct 2010 Posts: 3

Chuda, the killer cat wrote:

@Infidel666 - I read this as you have completely dropped the lad - Very wise.

Yes, I just blocked him from contacting me on that IM, as soon as the bell rang in the back of my head.

Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:02 pm

@Yastreb - That's the one! That is Jimmy Carter's pic and his actual birthday and hometown. Amazing. Very Happy

@Infidel -

Quote:

he had me for a little while

If he had you, it is a safe bet others will be fooled as well. Hence, the value of your post. Thanks again!

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