Just how stupid are people?

robert@fm · 22 Jun 2002, 07:41 AM

I've just received, for at least the tenth time, a spam offering me the "International Driving Licence", which is said to be "a licence which cannot be revoked".

Pull the other one — a "licence which cannot be revoked" would (if there were such a thing) defeat the purpose of the activity covered being subject to licence...  (And I've read somewhere that the so-called "licence" referred to in this transparent scam is in fact not a licence but only a permit, valid only in conjunction with one's actual licence...)

But there must be people around with IQ less than their shoe size, to fall for such nonsense...

Liz · 24 Jun 2002, 10:11 PM

That is still nothing compared to people who will give out their Hotmail password to ANYONE who asks (type passwordrecovery123@hackmail.com), or who fall flat into the hands of the Nigerian scam spam gangsters... And people do both.

Liz

esTester · 28 Jun 2002, 02:58 AM

I have seen sites that say that you can steal anyones hotmail passwords if you follow some steps like the following:

1. Create a message to passwordrecvoryforhotmail4621@hotmail.com (something like that)
2. Include the accountname of the person you want to hack
3. Include your password
4. Include your accountname

Now if anyone does that, their stupid.

mklose · 28 Jun 2002, 07:51 AM

I got three really "nice" peaces of spam today which I wanted to share.

(both German)

The first:

(translated)

---------------------------------------

Thankyou for signing ip for your newsletter. You will now get approximately 90 emails from

- partners
- forum members
- advertisements

If you did not sign up, or wish to be removed from the list, click here:

<link>

-------------------------------------------

OK, so they're gonna send me "lots" of spam every week unless I "opt" out. The link contained no unique ID, so I clicked on it. [Admin: please do not try and circumvent the profanity filter on this forum - thanks!]

Two seconds later I was asked if I trusted bla bla bla to install an "internet connection manager update". required to view the website.

The poor people that clicked yes and did not abort. It is a dialer program that I suppose changes your standard internet connection to dial a "0190" number (in the US: 900 number) which can cost up to several hundred Euros per call and you don't even know it, thinking you're just dialing up your ISP.

the second which is getting on my nerves as I am getting it every day now:

Something about a conspiracy theory that the governments have invented a device which sends out radio signals to manipulate your thoughts. It comes in 3 languages, German is the correct one, all others look like fish translations.

It comes with a lot of links all going to different sites, so I am not sure what the point of this spam is apart from to create panic because they're not selling anything. But in the past few days I have got this one entitled "Entschuldigen Sie die Störung" at least 15 times. It all ends up in the junk folder, but still, I wonder when it will stop.

the third:

"Someone that knows you really wants to meet you but is too shy to tell you that is why they have used our service.

To find out who it is, click on this link and then you can decide if you want to get in the person again or not".

Sounds reasonable, except the spam obligatory numbers and letter mess at the bottom, a high spam value because of forged headers, missing date etc. And the link was already not working (it went to lycos, someone must have already written to the abuse department before me).

I got a spam with a different text but the same forged headers, same format more or less - and this time the link worked. An adult site - again wanting me to download a dialer.

I don't even have a modem connected to any of my windows machines LOL ;-))

robert@fm · 16 Jul 2002, 08:39 AM

I tonight got two copies of the "Get Govenment Grants!!!" scam — I remember hearinng somewhere else about this; the scammers make loads of profit selling lists of grant-giving organisations which (1) mostly don't give grants directly to individuals; (2) don't just give out cash willy-nilly (one has to show a purpose for wanting the money — something to benefit one's community, not just oneself — and back it up with spending projections, regular progress reports and such); and (3) waste a lot of time (and hence money) every year fending off hopeful idiots who've fallen for this scam and are out for their "free cash"...

Kyle Babich · 16 Jul 2002, 09:03 AM

A few days ago I got 4 Nigerian scams in less than 24 hours at 3 different addresses.

I guess their machines got to the k's.

kchess79 · 16 Jul 2002, 09:14 AM

I am so, so, so sick of the Nigerian scams. And I have an email buddy in Nigeria who says no one will email him anymore because of them (poor guy). Evidently, lots and lots and LOTS of people have fallen for this one! I'm not sure how...

**psalzer** · 16 Jul 2002, 10:27 AM

There's a fax version of the Nigerian scam, too. A few have come into my office and one did just today, as a matter of fact.

Liz · 19 Jul 2002, 10:31 PM

Yep, and before that, snail mail... We get some of those people sending from us too (before we catch + kill them off); it is almost entertaining, if it weren't for the fact that some "victims" actually fall for it...unbelievably enough!

Liz

emailmaniac · 20 Jul 2002, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Liz
...it is almost entertaining, if it weren't for the fact that some "victims" actually fall for it...unbelievably enough!

Aww, heck! You mean I've been waiting in vain to see my checking account go suddenly from USD $46.11 to USD $88,000,046.11? Darn! And here I was getting all set to take the entire emaildiscussions gang out to dinner in Paris!

C'est la vie...

Dave

texaschick2 · 30 Jul 2002, 09:02 AM

See I used to have Aol and every time I would chekmy mail (about once a day) it would be filled with e-mails that were for porn, free whatever they were selling, to reduce my mortage, and many other things and it was ike oh my gosh. I never went to n e thing that said they where going to send me stuff like that but i got it anyways. It really botherd me.

Crystal

robert@fm · 15 Aug 2002, 10:48 AM

I've just received, from someone I've never heard of ("bcnubb" <bcnubb@omi.o>), a message titled "W32.Klez removal tools" and saying "Go to www.mcafee.com for details" (presumably in a pathetic attempt to make it look legitemate).  It also has a 113Mb attachement called "setup.exe", as if I'm going to be dumb enough to click on such an attachment after receiving it out of the blue from an unknown source...

**CyberSmurf** · 16 Aug 2002, 01:59 AM

I have received e-mail with the subjects "W32.Klez.E removal tools " and "W32.Elkern removal tools".

These were just tricks used by later versions of the Klez virus to propogate.

DrStrabismus · 18 Aug 2002, 11:17 AM

My favourite spam was a url with the words

"It's a porn site, if you don't like porn, don't go there"

robert@fm · 20 Aug 2002, 02:39 AM

More spam:

I've today received three (more) copies of the "Copy any DVD" scam which offer to sell me, for $99, a utility I could download free (and which isn't nearly as miraculous as the spammers claim)...

22 Jun 2002, 07:41 AM	#1
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	Just how stupid are people? I've just received, for at least the tenth time, a spam offering me the "International Driving Licence", which is said to be "a licence which cannot be revoked". Pull the other one — a "licence which cannot be revoked" would (if there were such a thing) defeat the purpose of the activity covered being subject to licence...  (And I've read somewhere that the so-called "licence" referred to in this transparent scam is in fact not a licence but only a permit, valid only in conjunction with one's actual licence...) But there must be people around with IQ less than their shoe size, to fall for such nonsense...

16 Aug 2002, 01:59 AM	#13
CyberSmurf Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: British Columbia Posts: 4,008	W32.Klez removal tools I have received e-mail with the subjects "W32.Klez.E removal tools " and "W32.Elkern removal tools". These were just tricks used by later versions of the Klez virus to propogate.

24 Jun 2002, 10:11 PM	#2
Liz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 4,652 Representative of: Runbox.com	That is still nothing compared to people who will give out their Hotmail password to ANYONE who asks (type passwordrecovery123@hackmail.com), or who fall flat into the hands of the Nigerian scam spam gangsters... And people do both. Liz

28 Jun 2002, 02:58 AM	#3
esTester Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 968	I have seen sites that say that you can steal anyones hotmail passwords if you follow some steps like the following: 1. Create a message to passwordrecvoryforhotmail4621@hotmail.com (something like that) 2. Include the accountname of the person you want to hack 3. Include your password 4. Include your accountname Now if anyone does that, their stupid.

28 Jun 2002, 07:51 AM	#4
mklose Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 693	I got three really "nice" peaces of spam today which I wanted to share. (both German) The first: (translated) --------------------------------------- Thankyou for signing ip for your newsletter. You will now get approximately 90 emails from - partners - forum members - advertisements If you did not sign up, or wish to be removed from the list, click here: <link> ------------------------------------------- OK, so they're gonna send me "lots" of spam every week unless I "opt" out. The link contained no unique ID, so I clicked on it. [Admin: please do not try and circumvent the profanity filter on this forum - thanks!] Two seconds later I was asked if I trusted bla bla bla to install an "internet connection manager update". required to view the website. The poor people that clicked yes and did not abort. It is a dialer program that I suppose changes your standard internet connection to dial a "0190" number (in the US: 900 number) which can cost up to several hundred Euros per call and you don't even know it, thinking you're just dialing up your ISP. the second which is getting on my nerves as I am getting it every day now: Something about a conspiracy theory that the governments have invented a device which sends out radio signals to manipulate your thoughts. It comes in 3 languages, German is the correct one, all others look like fish translations. It comes with a lot of links all going to different sites, so I am not sure what the point of this spam is apart from to create panic because they're not selling anything. But in the past few days I have got this one entitled "Entschuldigen Sie die Störung" at least 15 times. It all ends up in the junk folder, but still, I wonder when it will stop. the third: "Someone that knows you really wants to meet you but is too shy to tell you that is why they have used our service. To find out who it is, click on this link and then you can decide if you want to get in the person again or not". Sounds reasonable, except the spam obligatory numbers and letter mess at the bottom, a high spam value because of forged headers, missing date etc. And the link was already not working (it went to lycos, someone must have already written to the abuse department before me). I got a spam with a different text but the same forged headers, same format more or less - and this time the link worked. An adult site - again wanting me to download a dialer. I don't even have a modem connected to any of my windows machines LOL ;-))

16 Jul 2002, 08:39 AM	#5
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	I tonight got two copies of the "Get Govenment Grants!!!" scam — I remember hearinng somewhere else about this; the scammers make loads of profit selling lists of grant-giving organisations which (1) mostly don't give grants directly to individuals; (2) don't just give out cash willy-nilly (one has to show a purpose for wanting the money — something to benefit one's community, not just oneself — and back it up with spending projections, regular progress reports and such); and (3) waste a lot of time (and hence money) every year fending off hopeful idiots who've fallen for this scam and are out for their "free cash"...

16 Jul 2002, 09:03 AM	#6
Kyle Babich Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 540	A few days ago I got 4 Nigerian scams in less than 24 hours at 3 different addresses. I guess their machines got to the k's.

16 Jul 2002, 09:14 AM	#7
kchess79 Master of the @ Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,142	I am so, so, so sick of the Nigerian scams. And I have an email buddy in Nigeria who says no one will email him anymore because of them (poor guy). Evidently, lots and lots and LOTS of people have fallen for this one! I'm not sure how...

16 Jul 2002, 10:27 AM	#8
psalzer Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,654	There's a fax version of the Nigerian scam, too. A few have come into my office and one did just today, as a matter of fact.

19 Jul 2002, 10:31 PM	#9
Liz The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 4,652 Representative of: Runbox.com	Yep, and before that, snail mail... We get some of those people sending from us too (before we catch + kill them off); it is almost entertaining, if it weren't for the fact that some "victims" actually fall for it...unbelievably enough! Liz

30 Jul 2002, 09:02 AM	#11
texaschick2 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Maine(I hate it! I used to live in texas till about a few monsths aga!) Posts: 1	See I used to have Aol and every time I would chekmy mail (about once a day) it would be filled with e-mails that were for porn, free whatever they were selling, to reduce my mortage, and many other things and it was ike oh my gosh. I never went to n e thing that said they where going to send me stuff like that but i got it anyways. It really botherd me. Crystal

15 Aug 2002, 10:48 AM	#12
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	I've just received, from someone I've never heard of ("bcnubb" <bcnubb@omi.o>), a message titled "W32.Klez removal tools" and saying "Go to www.mcafee.com for details" (presumably in a pathetic attempt to make it look legitemate).  It also has a 113Mb attachement called "setup.exe", as if I'm going to be dumb enough to click on such an attachment after receiving it out of the blue from an unknown source...

18 Aug 2002, 11:17 AM	#14
DrStrabismus The "e" in e-mail Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2,804	My favourite spam was a url with the words "It's a porn site, if you don't like porn, don't go there"

20 Aug 2002, 02:39 AM	#15
robert@fm The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 4,681	More spam: I've today received three (more) copies of the "Copy any DVD" scam which offer to sell me, for $99, a utility I could download free (and which isn't nearly as miraculous as the spammers claim)...