I've still got to get up to speed with the new spams - but unfortunately I've both been busy and most of the spams I've received recently are rather boring and unimaginative.
But there are two that merit being here.
Craigslist scam attempts. I mean reasonable and perfectly ideal housemates, just the ones we were looking for, rrright?
1. "helen smith"
Urgent reply needed
From: "helen smith" helen.smith82@yahoo.com
Hello,
I will like to know if your apartment is still available for rent,
kindly get back to me as soon as you read my mail,
Looking forward to read from you.
Regards
Helen
Rright. Fine. Yes if the ad was put on less than 24 hours before, you got your urgent reply that you kindly requested. But we got back nothing for 3 days.
Meanwhile we got a second interested one. One who sent 3 x the same email (the "helen smith" above only sent her email twice)
2. "frank smith"
I wonder if they are related?
room wanted
"frank smith" franksmth79@gmail.com
My Name is frank smith,im 25yrs old i am a zoologist by
profession and also a professional miner,i will like to know
if the room is still for rent i am currently working in Rip of
benin in for a private mining offshore Firm on
contract,about my parent. Dad is from south Dakota and
my mum is from Elizabeth city NJ.She now lives in
london.I would have really love to call you about the
place but calls can't be made out or received down
here due to the off shore location were the site is
located. There some few things i would love to know
about theplace...things like what is the rent for
amonth?and the security of the place?and i hope paying
month to month will be ok for you?i love cleaning very
much and maybe sometime i also like to cook if i have
a chance.i don't stay out late and i don;t have late
night guest as well.i love pet but i don't have one.im
looking for a 1 bedroom to rent for 3,6 to a year,i
respect other people privacy a lot.what do you think i
will need to bring when coming?I will be starting my
masters along with a professional exams coming
soon.
Oh, very good mister frank smith. I'm impressed at anyone being a zoologist, professional miner, AND getting their MSc started at the age of 25 - and with those articulated grammar skills.
While I was silently wondering if I should reply him explaining I need someone for the room as my millionaire wife (or husband? which one will sell better..) just died and I really need him to help me get the HUNDRED MILLION US dollars abroad, Ii'll just need his bank details...
Well, then we hear again from this "helen smith" again.
"helen smith" again
Re: Urgent reply needed
"helen smith" helen.smith82@yahoo.com
Hello,
Thanks for the quick responds, and am very sorry for the late reply is due to my occupation, I will like you to know much about me.
I'm female, and i am from United State ,I speak English,and i am 28years of age.I am
I currentely working with the Federal Agency of Works and Environmental in United State.
am on a research programmed,and i am desperately looking for a place to
stay, Am the neat type,honest,responsible,trustworthy and hardworking person
I love music and pets so much, am quiet, easy going person and fun to live
with. I'm 5"7' tall . I always love to go on date but seldom party. I swim
for fun and sometimes play tennis ,i also like watching football,basketball,
i don't keep late nights neither will i have overnight guest around and i
know that you will like the kind of person i am.I read about the room on
your add and i would really want to secure the room before my arrival, more
so to know if it would be possible for me to pay for the room before my
arrival,So i will like to know the total amount of the room per month and
the utility included. All these information are very important so that i can
submit my proposal to my Organization. My Organization will be responsible
for all the fees so,i will like to know the mode of payment,to know the nest thing to do before my arrival. I dont mind seeing more pics of the room and surrounding and I will need the following information to get the payment to you.
1 Full name as it will appear on the payment.
2 Address.
3 phone number.
I would be glad to see your quick response.
BEST REGARD
Helen
Now, just to have fun what should I do? Hi helen, sorry the room is gone but my friend frank has a room..
Hi helen, please send me FIVE THOUSAND UK POUNDS and call me to this number in Nigeria and I will help you make MILLIONS of dollars...
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10 comments:
I can confirm that this is correct. I have received same emails from Frank and Helen.
Do not ruin your day that you found perfect room mate.
Rob
Also attaching one of the emails I received. I will not try to get the final email from the pranks.
I knew that there could be something wrong as I never received email back for my questions related to dates and phone numbers to talk about the details.
_____
Hello Robert,
Thanks for writing me back,
I'm absolutely okay with the breakdown details of the apartment. I will be making the payment for the first 1 months rent in advance before I move in. I'll be so happy if you can reserve the room for me and removing the advert from the site because i'm so much interested in getting the Room.
My organization will be responsible for all the fees and the payment will be sent by cheque as I stated in my previous Email,so paying my rent would not be a burden for me,I will be moving immediately you confirm the cheque.
Looking foward to read your full information so as
to issue the cheque.
1,FULL NAME
2,ADRESS
3,PHONE NUMBER
Regards
Helen
Heh. I figured I would want to see if "frank" or "helen" would also send me a copy of their work visa and ID card, somehow doubtful of that unless they would find a picture of those in the internet to start with.. :)
I've received 2 almost identical ones. One said she is from France and the other from Finland. Neither offered to supply requested information including Police Report so I could verify it here. I only accept U.S. Money Orders and they wanted to pay by a bank check! I guess they think we are stupid but they sure write a good line! Audrey
A good question is what will they do with the Name and Address? Esp if the seller (or advert poster) is in Europe where privacy laws are stricter!
I responded to Frank after he responded to my post on Craigslist. And he is pretty insistent in getting the address and name during the few exchanges! What good will this do to him? I actually found your blog post after I first responded to him when I grew suspicious that it could be a spam but am going along just how far this gets.
I sent him a response back saying "What part of cash don't you understand?" And later sent him another email containing the following:
" Alright, here's the deal, the Italiane Postal services agreed to help me verify the check you will be sending and eventually will deposit into the seller's account. So send it to: [Postal service address]
And indicate on the check that it is for, as in his account name, Ubert Narciso Ivan Cesare Eugenio Fabrizzi
Make sure that the post will receive this in the next two days. After I verify this, I will send you the address where you can have some staying nearby to pick it up. "
Let's see what Frank has to say about this!
I'm so glad I found this. I have had more than 10 emails like this, in fact the one from Helen is, word for word, exactly the same email I got from someone named Joanna. All the emails sounded very similar, which is what made me very weary of them. Also, the vocabulary is so bad, even though I had someone mention they were a Harvard graduate. Thank you again for putting this post up.
I was getting a hunch about a reply I got for a room share so I decided to google the scam and voila. The interested party needs and urgent reply yet she takes 24 hours to get back to me and she has a phony story very similar to the ones posted on here.
I just emailed a Michelle Murray back saying my room was rented. She had ALOT of interest in my name and address, I also had an email from Gustavo Gomez. I am a little worried as I did send him my address but I used a nickname.and no last name.cash and carry with craigslist
Thx for posting these warnings. I recieved an email requesting a room from "Jenny Sloper". The verbage in her letter was Identical to that of the first posting in this blog. This scammer claims to be a Humanitarian Officer from Toronto, Canada,
Reading this blog allowed me to stop this early.
DOES ANYONE know what the endgame was suppose to be?
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