From Dream to Real

10 February 2020 @ 02:16 am

Thank you for visiting my journal.

I set this up as an easy means of providing updates for my donation page and to log thoughts, progress and reactions to things I encounter while working my way toward my goals. I get emails from a lot of scammers, so I also use this space to break down their scams and hopefully help others avoid falling for their lies. For whatever reason, having a donation page seems to attract them.

For those who haven't visited my donation page, feel free to check it out. I have posted my aspirations and challenges there along with a call for help. I promise not to assault you with a huge manipulative pity-party. Your decision to help is entirely yours. Plus, I don't view myself as someone to pity. I feel I'm lucky with regard to my position in life. I am challenged however. Read my web page and consider helping me make my dream come true.

UPDATE: As a token of my gratitude, I now offer a handmade gift for donations of $10.00 or higher. Read more about it here.

Thanks again for visiting. Scroll down for news and updates.

You may also donate from here if you wish.

Total Donations	$20
Goal Amount	$8000
Scammers Debunked	17

PS - If your browser has trouble opening my donation site, you can read a copy under the LJ Cut.

( Three Cheers for the LJ Cut. )

Tags: doormat

Current Mood:

Friendly

05 October 2007 @ 10:47 pm

Sorry for the lack of updates

As of today, the donation page is up to 650 hits.

My apologies for the lack of updates.

Here's a rundown of the past few months:

Suffered deep vein thrombosis as a result of hormone treatments I was taking to shrink fibroid tumors in my abdomen. The hormones caused my vessels to constrict and I developed clots in my legs. Fortunately, none of them broke off or moved to vital organs. Pulmonary embolism isn't something I need in my life.

Sought treatment. It was tough to get doctors to take me seriously. My regular doctor was out of town and the helpline for my insurance company told me not to go to the Emergency Room unless my toes turned blue (utter nonsense -- DVT doesn't work that way). The stand-in doctors at my doctor's office blew me off by saying it was just a muscle strain and all I needed to do was go home and put ice on my legs. My regular doc returned to town and I called her. SHE set me up with radiology and they found the clots with no trouble. I was treated immediately.

My insurance company decided not to honor any of my medical claims relating to this. They claimed none of the care was within network, even though my primary care physician, hospital and corresponding radiology unit are all from their care directory. I have begun the appeal process, but insurance companies' reputation for dragging their feet means I'm going to have to pay everything or deal with collections agencies. I'm estimating my medical bills are going to total out at over $6,000. I don't know where the money is going to come from. My treatment isn't even done yet. The clots are gone, but I'm going to be on blood thinners for a few months and those require frequent blood tests.

I am still employed, though barely hanging on by my fingernails. I've been looking for other jobs for several months, now. It's hard not to feel hopeless in my situation. I don't know how to make things better other than to keep going. I hate to let go of a dream. I really hoped I could find to way to get my business started and make things better for myself and my family. I don't know how that's going to happen. The money isn't there. It's going to be even worse with me having to take care of unexpected medical bills.

All the signs were there. Arrows pointing to a shift in destiny. A way to serve my community and be self-sufficient. A means of meaningful work. Dangle this prize before me and keep raising the hoops. I've tried and tried. I can't jump that high. God is such a tease.

Tags: selftalk

Leave a comment

23 June 2007 @ 07:38 pm

(no subject)

As of today, my donation page has seen all of three new hits this week.

Yet, I managed to get five scam offers sent to my email.

They're all reimages of some of the same scams I've already broken down here. I don't really feel like posting them because I'd just be copying and pasting the same stuff. Still forwarded everything to the proper authorities, though. I encourage everyone who gets scam offers to turn them over to the authorities. They deserve it. Especially the ones who insist on pitching things as if your I.Q. is -5.

LiveJournal is in a flurry of permanent account offers this week. I think it goes on for two weeks or something like that. The idea of an acount I'd never have to pay for again is appealing, but I can't spare the $150. Too bad they don't offer a payment plan. It'd be neat to keep this journal over five or ten years and look back at everything I did to try to get this business launched.

Tags: selftalk

19 June 2007 @ 09:37 pm

Something to Share

I saw this over on MSN and thought I'd post it, here. It's an article on the oldest and most common scam themes going around. Read and protect yourself.
____________________

MSN Money: 8 Zombie Scams which refuse to Die
Article by Amy C. Fleitas, Bankrate.com
Original article here.

There are no new scams -- just new suckers. Scam artists add new spins to age-old scams and go in search of victims. Yesterday's snake-oil salesmen are today's e-mail hucksters for nutritional supplements.

Only today, these shysters don't personally swoop down on small towns with loud, rapid-fire, slick pitches. They slither through dial-up and cable connections and crouch in your e-mail inbox, on Web sites, or attack by telephone, disguising their identities behind nameless, faceless modern technology.

Don't get sucked in. By learning the eight basic scam types, you will be able to spot any scam -- no matter what new spin it's given by clever con artists.

Advance fee scams
Advance fee scams are easy to spot: You pay a fee in advance for receiving a credit card, loan or scholarship. In return, you get nothing valuable -- either the scammer disappears or you get a bunch of worthless junk.

For example, one reader called to tell us about an advance-fee credit card scam that had tricked her. She paid a fee in advance to receive a new credit card. What she got was a list of banks that have credit cards -- all for the hefty price of $198. You should never pay in advance for a credit card. Even credit cards that have a fee will include the fee in your first billing cycle -- after you have received the card. (To compare fees and rates on credit cards, try MSN Money's Credit Card Analyzer.)
Searching for a loan may lead you down a similar path. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission spotted several fake loan ads. The ads look real and even use the logos of real banks and credit unions. But the phone number in the ad will lead you to an imposter on a cell phone who asks for your personal information, tells you where to wire money for a fee, then disappears -- stealing your cash and identity.

You should also be wary of offers for scholarship searches that require paying an upfront fee. You can find most of this information yourself -- also for free. Ask your local librarian or school counselor for help in researching scholarships. (For more, read "The insider's guide to scholarships.")

The prize that will cost you
It should go without saying that if you get an e-mail saying you won something -- and you didn't enter -- you should just delete it. This is a common scam.

Here's how it works: The e-mail says you've won, but to receive your lottery winnings or whatever the prize is, first you must pay the taxes or a handling fee. You hand over your cash and you never hear from this person again. Or, you are told you won a hotel or resort stay, but in order to use your prize, you have to pay for your own airline ticket -- booked through the agency that is awarding you the "prize." The ticket price will be inflated to cover the cost of the hotel.

If you didn't enter anything, you didn't win anything. And even if you did enter, taxes go to the government, not to the organization running the contest.

Also, do not give out personal information such as your Social Security number or bank account number to anyone to claim a prize. They're just trying to steal your identity. (For more on protecting yourself, read "Safeguard your Social Security number" and "Keep thieves out of your bank account.")

Be wise about online auctions
There are several things to be careful of when bargain-shopping online. Even a noodle-brain can research an item quickly and discover its worth. If you find an item priced far too low, it may be a scam -- a fake item, a stolen item, an item in really bad condition or something you will pay for and never receive. This is especially important in online auctions, where the pressure may be high as the bidding reaches the closing time.

Never agree to pay by cash or money order -- these methods of payment are untraceable and offer you no protection. You may also want to be wary of escrow companies because they are easily faked. In the best scenario, an escrow company takes your payment and holds it until the seller sends you the item. However, auction scammers have set up Web sites for fake escrow companies. This means you send the escrow company the money and you never get anything in return.

When paying for an item in an online auction, you should pay with a credit card if possible.

And no matter how great a bargain it may seem to be, never buy anything online from someone who approaches you through instant messaging or e-mail. Often, what happens is the contact person will tell you they have the item you are bidding on and will sell it to you for less. They may even lead you to fake Web sites they set up. By registering on the site, you provide them with all the information they need to steal your identity -- and of course, you never receive the items you paid for at their site.

To stay safe, only shop sites you know and trust. (For tips on safe buying, read "The smart bidder's guide to auctions.")

Watch for jobs and employment cons
There are several types of employment scams. The most notorious tricks include being recruited for an illegal job, identity theft through job applications and bogus employment fees.

Fraudulent job opportunities often involve work-at-home offers. One of the newest appearing on job boards is the "reshipper." You are offered a good salary for receiving packages at your house and reshipping them overseas. The scam has several complicated layers, but basically, you pay out-of-pocket to ship the packages overseas, you get paid with a fake check and the packages were paid for with stolen and fake credit cards.

An added hit to this scam: The information you provided in your job application made you a victim of identity theft. The scammers then use your information to apply for credit cards to buy more merchandise.

Other scammers don't bother to create the elaborate reshipping scheme -- they just tell you that you got whatever fake job they posted, then request your personal information "for the human resources department" and use it to steal your identity.

While hunting for a job, you may encounter someone who promises you a job, but only if you will pay a fee for processing, administration or uniforms. Steer clear of these people, even if they promise you a money-back guarantee. Use employment services that charge the employer -- not the potential employee. Don't pay fees for uniforms. If you must pay for a uniform, ask that it be taken out of your first paycheck.

If you do decide to pay a company to help you find a job, ask for all details of its services in writing before you agree to anything. Some companies may promise jobs, but just deliver a stale list of job openings they found in newspapers or online.

Ignore offers that promise insider information for federal government jobs. All federal government jobs are announced to the public, and your local library can help you find the listings.

Get rich quick! and other bamboozles
When people are down on their luck, they may turn to get-rich-quick or money-making schemes. Somehow the scammers make old scams, such as the Nigerian scam and pyramid schemes, seem like plausible ways for you to make a lot of cash in a hurry.

You've probably been courted by the Nigerian scam, also known as the 419 scam (named after the section of the law pertaining to it). It comes in e-mail or letter form and may start, "Dear Sir, I got your information from a confidential source. . ." The letter then goes on to tell you a story of a huge amount of money hidden overseas that the writer of the letter wants to put in your bank account. In return, he promises you a big cut of the cash.

Long story short: Any checks you receive from this person will be fake. The con will ask you to keep part of the money and send him the difference. Shortly after you send him the difference by mail or wire, his check bounces and you owe the total amount to your bank. Warning: Sometimes, people are told by their banks that the check has cleared, so they wire the difference to the Nigerian scammer. But don't be too sure: The scammers sometimes forge a cashier's check, which fools the bank into prematurely reporting the check as "cleared." Once the forgery is discovered, the bank will try to hold you liable.

Secrets of pyramid schemes
Like the Nigerian scam, pyramid schemes seem like a fast way to make a lot of money.

If you've never heard of pyramid schemes, here's how they work: One person convinces several people to join a club or business. The only way to make money is to get more people to sign up, too.

For example, certain groups that call themselves "gift parties" require that everyone who joins donate $4,000. All the cash goes to the person who is at the "top." You are told that as soon she has received a certain amount of money, she will step down and nominate the next person to be on top.

While these schemes seem like an easy way to make cash, inevitably, the only person to make money is the one at the top -- who usually gets busted or blows town before the group figures out that the math doesn't work.

The old axiom is true. If it's an easy way to make money, it's probably illegal, a scam or just a really bad idea.

Bypass the bogus charity
No one wants to be the bad guy -- the selfish lout who can't spare a little change for the orphans of Sept. 11 or children who are cancer patients. But that doesn't mean you have to be a sucker. If you want to give to charity, by all means, give away -- but check out the charity first.

Never give payment information to anyone calling or e-mailing you, claiming to be with a charity. Ask them to send you paperwork on their organization. Then research the organization online and with the Better Business Bureau to make sure it's legitimate -- and that you've got the right contact information. For example, an e-mail circulated in 2001 claimed to be from the Red Cross. It said it was raising money for victims of Sept. 11. While the Red Cross is a legitimate charity, the e-mail led people to a Web site set up by con artists.

If the charity representative pressures you to give immediately, get even more suspicious. Legitimate charities withstand scrutiny, and never hesitate to prove they are who they say they are. (For more on wise charitable giving, read "How to tell a good charity from a bad one.")

Keep your eye on identity theft
Identity theft is not new, but it is on the rise, running rampant over the Web at breakneck speed. The thieves need only a few elements to victimize you -- usually, your name and Social Security number will do. Obtaining this information is often intertwined with other crimes -- advance fee scams and bogus job offers among them.

The name for this scam is "phishing" -- as in fishing for your information but with a "ph" as in "phony."

Almost any scam can be sprinkled with a smattering of identity theft -- advance fee scams, fraud jobs and online auctions included. All it takes to become a victim of identity theft is a leak of your personal information. Your garbage may be targeted. (That's why you should shred anything that has your account numbers, Social Security number or that says you are "pre-approved" for credit -- before you throw it away.)

Telemarketers and e-mail spammers may attack you under the guise of protecting your accounts, auction transactions and credit cards. Some even pretend to be law enforcement or government agents. (Read "22 ways to foil credit card thieves.")

If anyone from any company you do business with or that claims to be a representative of a government agency (like the police or FDIC) demands your personal information or an immediate payment for any reason, ask for a number and tell them you will call them back. Then get the number from a different source (bank statements, credit card statements or the phone book) and ask if the call was for real. Four bazillion dollars says it wasn't.

If this bet is wrong and there is some particularly friendly company making these sorts of calls, it won't mind if you say you need to call back.

Remember that clever phishing con artists are always looking for a new angle -- they may say they are from various different companies or agencies. Don't get caught off guard. (For an in-depth look at how to protect yourself from phishing scams, read "Protect yourself from the Internet's biggest fraud.")

Products that are too good to be true
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Remember that a con artist makes a career of using excuses and explanations to lead you away from your common sense. When dealing with your money and personal information, never allow yourself to be rushed, threatened or persuaded against your judgment.

Don't believe offers that claim to have found a way around the law -- like reasons you don't have to pay your bills or taxes, promises to clean up your credit history or claims that you can get a new Social Security number or a new driver's license if yours was revoked. And claims of "miracle diets or pills" that can enhance your features or help you lose weight should be regarded with skepticism at best. (For details on one popular marketing trend, read "Low-carb gimmicks leave you fatter and poorer.")

Keep in mind that offers that are too good to be true aren't confined to the Internet or telemarketers. They can also be found in mail offers, the ads in the back of magazines and in brick-and-mortar stores. Stay vigilant and trust your gut.

Tags: articles, reference

Current Mood:

calm

16 June 2007 @ 10:29 pm

Guardian Pyramid Chain Letter Scam

Here's one I haven't seen in a couple of years. It's the good old fashioned email pyramid scam. I don't think I've gotten one of these since 2002.
____________________

From: Audrey H aph71181@h------.com
Replies to: aph71181@h------.com
Subject: $4.00 investment = $16,000 in 3 weeks - Easy Money!

$4.00 investment = $16,000 in 3 weeks - Easy Money!

Make $$$ FREE As seen on Oprah & Dateline

$4 makes $16 000 in 3 weeks

You read right! This program was featured on the highly regarded Oprah show
And 60 MINUTES. And, as it was told on the show, you will make at least
$16,000 deposited into your paypal account with only a $4 investment.
UNBELIEVABLE! I know when I decided to try it ,just reading about Oprah's
show inclusion, PayPal's involvement and only a $4 investment I decided to
give it a try! Thank goodness I did! There is no limit to the income you can
generate from this; you can do it over and over again!

If you follow the instructions TO THE LETTER, you will reach thousands of
people!
HONESTY,FAITH, AND INTEGRITY are what makes the system work. PayPal is a
name I'm sure you have at least heard of<and you can get an acct for FREE! (
www.PayPal.com)

The very 1st step to this program, in fact, is setting your PayPal acct-if
you don't have one yet. It's Easy!
NOTE: To receive debit and credit cards payments on your behalf and to
receive more than $500 in your account you need to upgrade to a Premier or
Business acct. It is completely free to upgrade, but they take a very small
percentage of your take. That works for me!

INSTRUCTIONS(please follow in the correct order!):
A.) SET-UP YOUR PAYPAL ACCT ( if you don't have one yet)

B.) SEND $2 FROM YOUR PAYPAL ACCT. TO THE 1ST PERSON ON THE LIST FOLLOWED
WITH AN WITH A MESSAGE IN THE NOTES BOX STATING "PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR
MAILING LIST"
(*THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT-THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM LEGAL!) NOW SEND $2
FROM YOUR PAYPAL ACCT. TO THE 5TH PERSON ON THE LIST FOLLOWED WITH AN EMAIL
THAT STATES "THANK YOU, I"VE JOINED"

C.)REMOVE THE TOP EMAIL ADDRESS, BUMP UP THE OTHER FOUR EMAIL ADRESSES ONE
SPACE,AND ADD YOURS TO THE 5TH SPACE.

D.) KEEP SENDING THE LETTER UNTIL YOU RECEIVE 20 "THANK YOU, I'VE JOINED"
REPLIES IN YOUR INBOX. THIS GUARANTEES AT LEAST $16,000 AND THIS IS HOW YOU
KNOW IT WORKS!

*DO NOT TRY TO PLACE YOURSELF IN THE 1ST POSITION. IT WILL ONLY REACH THE
PEOPLE YOU SEND IT TO AND THEN YOUR NAME WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST!

THIS PROGRAM WAS FEATURED ON "OPRAH" BY SOMEONE WHO THOUGHT IT MIGHT WORK
AND TOOK A CHANCE (ONLY $4) AND BECAME WEALTHY! THAT, FOR ME, IS REASON
ALONE!
*If you do this the way it was designed it will reach thousands by the time
you hit the #1 spot.

REMEMBER TO KEEP SENDING YOUR LETTERS! (if you need an entensive list of
people to mail to-more than 20-there are lots of good ones on the web and in
the yellow pages,such as "Dateline" mailing list.) or (check out Web Traffic
Marketing.com ).

*It is important to send $2 to the 5th person on the list followed by the
email that states "THANK YOU, I've Joined". This lets the 5th person keep
track of the progress of the list; that person is the guardian of the
system! If there aren't at least 20 replies then 5th person keeps sending
the letter until there is! (That's why the 5th person gets $2!)

*Make sure your email address that you add to the list is the same one you
used on your PayPal account to ensure that PayPal delivers the funds to your
account properly.

*When your name gets in the 1st position, 8000-15,000+ people will be
sending you $2!

HERE'S THE LIST:

**List removed** -A.L.

The only thing left to do is to mail out 20 copies of this letter, and if
you don't receive enough replies, keep mailing until you do! It will be well
worth the effort.
BELIEVE ME!

DO NOT TRY TO PUT YOURSELF IN 5TH PLACE WITHOUT PAYING, AS PAYPAL WILL
AUTOMATICALLY NOTICE THIS AND DELETE YOUR ACCOUNT AND POSSIBLY PURSUE LEGAL
ACTION, SINCE THIS IS A LEGITAMATE PROGRAM AND THEY ARE A PART OF IT!

Please give it an HONEST effort, and you will be so glad that you did when
you see your PayPal account!
Remember to keep in mind the most you spend is $4, the equivalent of a
couple of coffees, with the opportunity of banking thousands of dollars
directly into your PayPal account.

***This is 100% legal. Refer to US Postal and Lottery Laws, Title 18,
section1302 and 1341, or Title 18 section 3005 in the US code. Also, in the
Code of Federal regulations, volume 16, Section 255 and 436, which states a
product or service must be exchanged for money received. In this case, you
are being placed on a mailing list service for $2!

Testimonial:
Mary Gaithers, Colombus, SC: I have only one thing to say...WOW! I sent out
a total of 142 copies before I received my 20 replies, like the instructions
said. Then I went on a short vacation. When I got back, my account had over
$14,000 in it already and the money was still coming! I'm still floating on
air (especially with my new car). I was skeptical that the guardian system
worked, I admit, but reading that it was featured on Oprah and the fact that
it is only $4 made me do it. Now I realize it is the formula that makes this
letter work! Thanks!
GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER:

DON'T EVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!

IF YOU CHANGE NOTHING, THEN NOTHING CHANGES!

whats 4 dollers give it a try
____________________

Problem One: "As seen on Dateline and Oprah (and 60 Minutes)." No program with the journalistic integrity of Dateline or 60 Minutes would ever risk its news credibility promoting traphery such as this. If this scheme were featured on any of these shows, it was used as an example of a rip-off, not as a legitimate money-maker. I also took this scammer up on her challenge and visited the transcript archives for Dateline and 60 Minutes. Nothing promoting this scheme was ever posted.

Problem Two: Legitimizing scam by claiming it's legal. Pointing to US Postal and Lottery laws? Okay, let's check out some laws. According the the Federal Trade Commission, who'd be a far more reliable source on what is and isn't legal, starting or merely forwarding letters like the one above is against the law. It is a Class IV Felony. Title 18, section 1302 &1341 of the US Postal and Lottery Laws actually state that chain letters (e-mailed or otherwise) are illegal "if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants." It doesn't matter if you're being added to a paid mailing list service. You are still liable for prosecution. You can read more about chain letters by visiting the FTC's Chain Letter Page or the one posted by the US Postal Inspection Service.

Let me emphasize: Class IV Felony. People go to jail for this.

Problem Three: Attempting legitimize with PayPal. PayPal is in on this? Oh, I don't think so. If they were in on it, they wouldn't be in business. It's true that PayPal would terminate and account and possibly turn an offender over to the authorites. It isn't because PayPal is being cheated. It's because it's against the law. Class IV Felony.

As an extra gem, I wanted to post another helpful link I found while poking holes in this scam. It's the US Postal Inspection Service's Index of Mail Fraud Schemes. Lot's of different styles of fraud listed here. Might make a handy reference.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"You bore me."

16 June 2007 @ 01:08 pm

(no subject)

As of this afternoon, the donation page is up to 615 hits. No new donations, though.

I hate to tell myself this, but I think I may have to give in and launch the business on credit cards. I hate-hate-hate that idea. The last position I want to be in is where I'm up to my eyelids in credit card debt and I lose my job before the business really gets rolling. It took me so long to recover from the last layoff, and I still don't have my savings back.

Stagnating drives me nuts. I hate all this waiting. I hate not being able to move ahead with my plans because the fundung isn't there. The more I read about people making enough through donation sites to pay off $100,000 debts, the less I believe it. How are those people getting $100,000 when I can't even get $8,000? I ought to be a slam dunk compared to these other cases. I manage my money correctly. I didn't race out and run up $100K on credit cards or buy expensive new cars simply because the credit was there. At least with me, you know the money is going toward getting my business started. It isn't going to Citibank, American Express or Bloomingdale's.

Since I started my donation site in February, I've had two legitimate donations. Both came through PayPal. Everyone else whose contacted me wanted to play games and steal. 3/4 of the people who bugged me didn't even read the donation page. It's all spelled out right there in simple language and an-easy-to-read font. My refusal to participate in scams is spelled out, too.

I'm frustrated. I don't want to apply for a bank loan because I don't have any decent collateral and the rates would be outrageous. I don't want to use credit cards because I hate them. I'm getting down to the wire, though. I have no way of assuring my future at work and job opportunites in my field are rare and often require moving. I do not want to go through that again. I have to get this business started.

Tags: selftalk, website

Current Mood:

frustrated

15 June 2007 @ 09:48 pm

Chinese Job Scam

I'm off D2M for almost a month and the scams are still rolling in. This one comes from someone representing a fake Regional Manager for a fake chemicals company in China. Enjoy.
____________________

From: Nami. Saishino. namisaishino@g----.com
Replies to: namisaishino@g----.com
Subject: JOB EMPLOYMENT.

Jiangsu Vianyin
Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Jiangsu Vianyin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Room 06-08, Floor 12B,
Lijin Asia Enterprises Center,
No. 19 Wunjing Road, Shanghai,
China.

UNITED KINGDOM OFFICE:
FLOOR 3&4, NEWTON HOUSE,
132, NEW BOND STREET,
LONDON, W1S2UD.
ENGLAND.

SOLICITING FOR REPRESENTATIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY.
I represent the above named Company based in China. My company manufacture, supply and export Pharmaceutics, Agricultural, Textile and Chemical Engineering Products for world trade.
We are searching for representatives who can help us establish a medium of getting to our customers in Europe and America as well as making payments through them as payment officers. In our just concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM) I as Regional Manager of this multinational company have been directed to relate with you because of the communication problem faced by most of our Board Members, since many of them cannot read, speak or write English Language except Chinese which is our official Language.
In view of this you are expected to relate directly with me as the company representative since I have been mandated to contact you and give them frequent update about our activities.
Most of our customers pay out in cash, cheques,money orders,wire transfer and we do not have an account in U.S.A And Canada presently that will clear this money. It is upon this note that we seek your assistance to stand in as our representative in your country.
Also, as our representative, you will receive 10% of whatever amount you clear for the company and the balance will be paid to the company's account officer.
Therefore, if you are interested in becoming our representative complete the application form below and send via email or fax:
NAME:..............................................................................................
COMPANY NAME:................................................................................
ADDRESS:.........................................................................................
CITY:..............................................................................................
STATE:.…................................... ZIP CODE.....................................
COUNTRY:.........................................................................................
TEL:.................................. FAX:...........................…..........................
EMAIL ADDRESS:................................................................................
WEBSITE:...........................................................................................
OCCUPATION: ........................….....................................................
MARITAL STATUS: ...........................................................................
DATE OF BIRTH: .............................................................................
SIGNATURE(TYPE IN YOUR NAMES): ....................................................
DATE:.................…........................................................................
Please reply through the email address below and use for further correspondence with us.

Very Respectfully,

Miss Nami Saishino
For: Regional Manager,
European Region.
____________________

Problem One: Obvious fake cheque scam. Why do people insist on trolling donation boards to hire 'payment representatives' when it's just as easy to process their payments themselves? How does a company exist with all these 'payment representatives?' Simple. They don't. Companies do their payment processing in-house. When you pay your electric bill, you don't send your cheque to Joe Smith in Fort Smith, Arkansas. You send your cheque to the electric company. Simple as that. There is no such thing as a company unable to process foreign payments, anymore.

Problem Two: Trolling donation sites to 'hire' instead of using normal channels. There's a reason this person/fake company isn't posting job openings through normal channels. It's because it's a scam.

Problem Three: No way to verify existance of company. No web or business searches could generate any results for The Jiangsu Vianyin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. If the company could be verified, the next thing to do is bring this email to their attention and see what they have to say about it. Usually they call 'bullshit' start filing complaints with the authorities.

Problem Four: "Don't contact my company. Contact me only." Companies process new hires through Human Resources. There are interviews, W-2s, medical forms, insurance enrollments, 401Ks and company policy reviews that people are supposed to do the first day they take a job. The only reason someone would tell you not to contact the company is they know you'll either find out the job is bogus or that the company doesn't exist.

Problem Five: Yet another self-proclaimed business representative using FREE EMAIL ACCOUNTS to do business. Companies do not conduct business over free email accounts. They use their own ISPs and mail providers. There are two reasons for this. One being management can't monitor business activities on a free email account. Second, email that comes from their own doman reinforces the company name and image to clients and prospective clients. Free email accounts can't do that.

Problem Six: Identity Theft. Oh, golly. I'm really going to be excited about giving some random fool my personal information over the Internet. Start giving that away and it's nothing for someone to use it to open fraudulent credit card accounts and bank accounts and generally set you up for a world of legal hell.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Loser."

09 June 2007 @ 10:11 am

(no subject)

As of today, the site is up to 604 hits. No new donations.

I don't have any major progress to report other then more work on a new advertising method. I've done some research and priced out some ideas but haven't acted on any of them yet. Still need to put some money together for that. I've also been thinking I'd like to move the donation page to a shorter URL. I'm not so certain people would be likely to visit or donate to a page set up on Geocities. So far, visitors have been mighty shy about it.

No big plans for the weekend except I need to clean.

Tags: selftalk

06 June 2007 @ 01:40 pm

Tatiana Georgieva Scam

This is a name that's been floating in and out of online scam discussions for a bit. I could see that when I googled it. Going back to 2005, Tatiana Georgieva's name has been forged for fake lottery and cash advance scams. The latest scam attempt looks a bit like a take off on the Nigerian Money scam, except she isn't making up lies about being some rich prince whose exiled from his country without access to his cash. Instead, she claims to be dying. Enjoy.
____________________

From: Tatiana Georgieva mrstg01@ho------.com
Replies To: mrstg01@y------.co.uk
Subject: Kindly Respond!

From: Mrs. Tatiana Georgieva
London, W8 5DL,
26 Kensington Court,
England.

I am Mrs. Tatiana Georgieva , a citizen of Bulgaria but I based in England, I am married to Sir Jim Georgieva who also is an Englishman though dead now. My husband worked with the British Railways for over two decade before the cold hand of death took him away on the 3rd of December 2004 at about 2:00AM. Ourmarriage lasted for over a decade without any fruit of the womb. My husband died after a protracted illness. My husband and I made a vow to uplift the own-trodden and the less-privileged individuals within the United Kingdom,Europe, North and South America, Africa and the rest of the globe as he had passion for persons who can not help themselves due to physical disability or financial predicament. I can adduce this to the fact that he
needed a Child from this relationship, which never came. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of 10 Million (Ten Million Great Britain Pounds Sterling with a security company in America . this money is still with the security company Presently, am suffering from cancerous ailment for some years now. Recently, my Doctor told me that I have a limited or numbered days on earth and that my life spam will not exceed 150days due to the cancerous problems I am suffering from. Though what bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer.
With this hard reality that has befallen my family, I have decided to donate this fund to a non-governmental, or a non religious, and or a nonprofit organization or better still an individual, that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here in. I want a non governmental, or a non religious, and or a non profit organization or better still an individual, that will use this gift which comes from my husbands sweat to fund the upkeep of widows, widowers, orphans, destitute, the down-trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially. It is often said that blessed is the hand that
gives.I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are Bourgeois and very wealthy persons and I do not want my husband hard earned money to be misused or invested into ill perceived ventures. I do not want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner, hence the reason for taking this bold decision. I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be with the Almighty when I eventually pass on. The Almighty will fight my case and I shall hold my peace. I do not need any telephone communication in this regard due to my deteriorating health and because of the presence of my
husband relatives around me. I do not want them to know about this
development. With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of my attorney whom i have entrusted every details regarding this fund.
As Soon as i your information is been received by my attorney, he will also issue a Letter of Authority and power of attorney on this regards, making you the original beneficiary of this fund with other related documents. As soon as i get this information from you i shall send to you my Identities to you for proper verifications. My happiness is that I lived a life worthy of emulation. Please always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for a non-governmental, or a non religious, and or a non profit organization or better still an individual for this same
purpose. Please assure me that you will act just as I have stated herein. Hope to hear from you soon and God bless you and members of
your family.

Mrs. Tatiana Georgieva. Benefactor
____________________

Problem One: The *real* Tatiana Georgieva serves as Head of the Cabinet of the Minister for The Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. Aside from that, she appears to be in good health and vigor. This scam letter reads as if parts of it may be based on a biography, which could be vary possible as public figures' biographies are often easily available. My searches turned up several items. Since this person is a public figure, I can imagine she has neither the time nor the desire to associate herself with this sort of traphery.

Problem Two: Infamous online ID. The first big flags I saw before I started typing this update involve several scams that this name is tied to. There are postings relating to previous scams faking her name dating back to 2005. One is on TechRepublic.com, and several are listed on ScamDex and various other scambusting websites.

Problem Three: Caught in a lie. The post to TechRepublic.com is dated Devember 7, 2006. It is now June 6, 2007. Clearly more than 150 days have passed since that post. Obviously, this scammer isn't dying any time soon. There is another one listed on ScamDex dating back to November 28, 2006. There's another one listed at UrgentMessage.org that goes back to April 10, 2006. There's another one on UrgentMessage.org in which the scammer states she's based in Nigeria AND strangely enough, managed to find another place to live on a street named 'Kensington.' In Nigeria? Sloppy. The Nigera email is dated June 26, 2006. So, in the midst of dying from cancer, she's relocated from England to Nigeria and then back to England. Hmm...

Problem Four: Many, many email addresses. Obviously, this person has a chronic history of email account suspensions. Tatiana has posted from tatiana_g2002@yahoo.com, tatyanageoryty@supereva.it, tatianageorgieva_god_will@yahoo.com, mrs_tatiana2004@yahoo.com.sg, mrs_tatiana_2005@yahoo.co.in, mrs_tatiana@voila.fr, tatiana_georgieva84@yahoo.com, tatianageorg@gmail.com and so on. Considering that the real Tatiana Georgieva is a public servant, she'd more likely be communicating from an official email address, not from a slew of free accounts.

Problem Five: Anything that links someone's name to the word 'Nigerian' or '419' is a problem. This means that author is synonymous with trapping people in Nigerian-style cash advance and money laundering schemes.

Problem Six: Message resembles the open to a Nigerian-style scam. If you're unfamiliar, you can read more about them at Wikipedia.org. There is also a nice warning about them posted by the Federal Trade Commission.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Whatever."

05 June 2007 @ 10:57 pm

Mike Daileys: Strike Three

Mike Dailey's creed: When you have a good lie, stick with it. Even when it's been utterly disproven and mocked. Got another scam attempt from the same guy. He didn't even bother reimaging himself. Same scam. Same story. Different emails and somewhat different IP behavior. Still no mention of the wheelchair, the dead wife or crispily-burnt daughter in this post. Now, he says he's living in Pittsburgh instead of Dublin and that he's ten years older. I guess claiming he's older is supposed to somehow supposed to make his fake cheque scam more real or something.
____________________

From: Mike Daileys mike_daileys@y-----.com
Replies To: fiona_charlotte009@y-----.com
Subject: ****READ THIS****

Hello,
            My name is Mike Daileys, I just came about your email address and your brief profile through my wishnet so i decided to offer you a job instead of giving you money cos in a short while you will still need money I would be very interested in offering you a part-time and permanent paying job in which you could earn alot. This job would be based on contract and commission terms, it is a part-time job and it would involve quite a handful of trust and honesty. If you would be interested in including a good-paying, part time job to your daily list of activities and earning up to $1000 to $1500 per deal, I will be very glad to briefly explain to you what the job entails
         As I have previously already informed you, my name is Mike daileys, 45 years of age, 3 kids, a lovely girl and 2 God hearted boys, and the love of my life, my wife. I am a somewhat multitalented man and I do quite a lot of traveling and get to meet quite a lot of people.
   I just resigned my job as a research scientist for ARINI (Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland) which has now amalgamated with Rural Development (DARD) Science Service on the of 1st April 2006 to form the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), but I still work as a freelance consultant for the institute which gives me very much time to do my own work which is basically being a freelance researcher who could be employed by research institutes to do research projects anywhere in the world.
   I reside in pittsburgh, and even though I have lived most of my life in other parts of the world, I am fully residing in pittsburgh.
   Presently, I have just been granted a funding to head a research project in the tropical regions of West Africa and Asia regarding rare and vulnerable plant species and this would be commencing very soon,
   However my funding were by my American counterparts which sent me the bunch of payments mostly in US based money orders. Getting an accountant in the states or opening an account would have been my best choice but I have a deadline to meet and taking any of those choices would cost me time and a whole lot of other requirements I am not ready to deal with as I would be traveling a lot in the meantime.
   So presently, assuming you would be able to deal with cash, I would be willing to employ you on contract basis to be my payment representative back in the states, this way I could issue and make these money orders/ cashiers cheques out to you, you could then cash them easily, 10% of the total amount on these money orders as your commission and then send the rest back to me through Western Union wire transfer. Bear it in mind that we would be dealing with quite a handful of cash and you could be making up to $1000 to $1500 in just a week working with me in a short period of time.
   So basically, you would BE working as my payment representative in the United States, I would be issuing out my funding's over to you which you would then cash, then transfer the cash over to me wherever I might be at that point in time. This job is totally risk free and on the up and up. You would enjoy the benefits of easy contact, and low hours, you would only be working for me only once you receive the money orders, since that'll be when you would cash them, and send the cash over through western union and you keep a commission base of 10%.
   I would be glad if you accept my proposal and I intend to commence on starting as soon as you are ready. If you are interested, please email me back so we could make concluding arrangements.

Thank You
Mike Daileys
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute.
www.afbini.gov.uk
Newforge Lane
Belfast
BT9 5PX

APPLICATION FORM

FULL NAME   ……………………………………………………………………..
HOME ADDRESS (NOT POST OFFICE BOX) …………………………………………..
CITY ………………………………………
STATE ………………………………………
ZIP CODE ………………..
COUNTRY ………………………........................
PHONE NUMBER (S)   Home …………………………….
                                 Cell    ……………………………...
GENDER …………………………..
MARITAL STATUS………………………….
AGE ………………..
NATIONALITY ………..................
(Information included in this application form is confidential between you and me, and the full name and contact info should be included as it should be written on the payments being issued over to you, you should also include a valid phone number for easy contact)

ATTESTATION:According to how you have been briefed earlier by me. You are required and mandated to receive payment on behalf of the above mentioned firm. You are to deduct 10% of all funds processed on a particular order and forward the balance payment via Western Union Money Transfer as I would be instructing you on receipt of my payments.You will notify me a week ahead if eventually you want to discontinue this job so as to terminate all payment coming your way to avoid conflict.
Send an email tome as soon as possible to start a good deal God bless you i want your info so we can make good deal.
mr Mike.
____________________

A fake cheque scame is still a fake cheque scam. Too bad his 'God-hearted boys' couldn't point that out. I guess they're too busy being imaginary. Other than raising his estimation of my IQ and changing a few things, all of the same things that were flaggable in the last post are still flaggable, here. I'm not going to retype them.

Update - Got a new response from AFBI. Here is a portion of it:

"Your email was received by my organisation. You should be aware that there have been a number of recent similar occurrences, all false. We have no record of any association between our organisation and the person named in your message."

R**********
Communications Officer,
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute

*I witheld the person's name so no one can make use of it in future scams

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Wow. Dumb."

02 June 2007 @ 01:21 pm

(no subject)

As of today, the donation page is up to 579 hits. No new donations this week.

I've been mulling over some advertising techniques to get more traffic to the site. One idea is to pass out a small business card or flier, but those tend to wind up in the trash unread. I prefer giving out something people might like or would use. It would require buying something in bulk and attaching a small info card or sticker to it. At least then, I have something I can approach the public with. I'd love to do something with small handmade goods because it goes with my free gift theme. Pencils or pens might be another idea. I have no idea how much it is to get bulk pens and pencils printed with a URL. They'd be a really simple way to get the word out there.

Tags: selftalk

Current Mood:

content

30 May 2007 @ 10:22 pm

Mike Daileys Strikes Again

Today, I have a second scam attempt from Mike Daileys. Apparently the sob story with the googled car accident and the kid in Poland didn't work, so now he's reimaged himself. He must've gone through some amazing recovery. There's no mention of the wheelchair in this post...
____________________

From: mike daileys mike_dd0011@y-----.com
Replies To: mike daileys mike_dd0011@y-----.com
Subject:  *****ATTENTION READ THIS*****

Hello,
            My name is Mike daileys,I just came about your email address and your brief profile through your posted message on digital charity so i decided to give you a relaxed part time job due to your condition rather than give you the money you needed cos i believe you will still need more I would be very interested in offering you a part-time paying job in which you could earn alot. This job would be based on contract and commission terms, it is a part-time job and it would involve quite a handful of trust and honesty. If you would be interested in including a good-paying, part time job to your daily list of activities and earning up to $1000 weekly, I will be very glad to briefly explain to you what the job entails
         As I have previously already informed you, my name is Mike Daileys, 35 years of age, 3 kids, a lovely girl and 2 troublesome boys, and the love of my life, my wife. I am a somewhat multitalented man and I do quite a lot of traveling and get to meet quite a lot of people.
   I just resigned my job as a research scientist for ARINI (Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland) which has now amalgamated with Rural Development (DARD) Science Service on the of 1st April 2006 to form the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute (AFBI), but I still work as a freelance consultant for the institute which gives me very much time to do my own work which is basically being a freelance researcher who could be employed by research institutes to do research projects anywhere in the world.
   I reside in Dublin, Ireland and even though I have lived most of my life in other parts of the world, I am fully residing in Ireland.
   Presently, I have just been granted a funding to head a research project in the tropical regions of Europe asia and west africa regarding rare and vulnerable plant species and this would be commencing very soon,
   However my funding were by my American counterparts which sent me the bunch of payments mostly in US based money orders. Getting an accountant in the states or opening an account would have been my best choice but I have a deadline to meet and taking any of those choices would cost me time and a whole lot of other requirements I am not ready to deal with as I would be traveling a lot in the meantime.
   So presently, assuming you would be able to deal with cash, I would be willing to employ you on contract basis to be my payment representative back in the states, this way I could issue and make these money orders/ cashiers cheques out to you, you could then cash them easily, withdraw 10% of the total amount on these money orders as your commission and then send the rest back to me through Western Union wire transfer. Bear it in mind that we would be dealing with quite a handful of cash and you could be making up to $1000 weekly just working with me in a short period of time.
   So basically, you would BE working as my payment representative in the United States, I would be issuing out my funding's over to you which you would then cash, then transfer the cash over to me wherever I might be at that point in time. This job is totally risk free and on the up and up. You would enjoy the benefits of easy contact, and low hours, you would only be working for me only once you receive the money orders, since that'll be when you would cash them, and send the cash over through western union and you keep a commission base of 10%.
   I would be glad if you accept my proposal and I intend to commence on starting as soon as you are ready. If you are interested, please email me back on mike_dd0011@y-----.com so we could make concluding arrangements.

Thank You
Mike Daileys
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute.
www.afbini.gov.uk
Newforge Lane
Belfast
BT9 5PX                                         APPLICATION FORM
FULL NAME   ……………………………………………………………………..
HOME ADDRESS (NOT POST OFFICE BOX) …………………………………………..
CITY ………………………………………
STATE ………………………………………
ZIP CODE ………………..
COUNTRY ………………………........................
PHONE NUMBER (S)   Home …………………………….
                                 Cell    ……………………………...
GENDER …………………………..
MARITAL STATUS………………………….
AGE ………………..
NATIONALITY ………..................
(Information included in this application form is confidential between you and me, and the full name and contact info should be included as it should be written on the payments being issued over to you, you should also include a valid phone number for easy contact)
ATTESTATION:According to how you have been briefed earlier by me. You are required and mandated to receive payment on behalf of the above mentioned firm. You are to deduct 10% of all funds processed on a particular order and forward the balance payment via Western Union Money Transfer as I would be instructing you on receipt of my payments.You will notify me a week ahead if eventually you want to discontinue this job so as to terminate all payment coming your way to avoid conflict.
____________________

Where to begin? Read his previous email and compare the two. You can catch him in several lies just doing that. Mr. Daileys has the honor of being the first scammer I've written up who has 10 flaggable traits. Nice benchmark, dummy.

Problem One: Trolling donation sites for potential 'employees' instead of using normal verifiable channels. He doesn't know me from a grain of rice, yet he's willing to offer me a job handling thousands of dollars without even a job interview or a background check.

Problem Two: Caught in a lie. The wife is suddenly alive and there are more kids since the last email. No mention of car accidents with googled pictures from the Web. No mention of the Australian wife being burned to death or of the daughter very stupidly being shipped to Poland instead of left in Australian care. Now, she's lovely, instead of being burnt to a crisp. Burn injuries don't heal in such a short amount of time and most people don't apply 'lovely' to skin graft results.

Problem Three: Caught in another lie. Says he's living in Dublin, Ireland. IP Trace says otherwise.

Problem Four: Classic fake cheque fraud. Thinks I'm so stupid that he has to redescribe it several times. The plan being he routes fake money orders to you. You put your account at risk by cashing them through your own bank (this would be the fraud part). Then you wire the cash to him via Western Union. There's a double whammy built in. Your bank holds you accountable for the money you helped steal and he'll be long gone with the cash because Western Union doesn't trace or refund money once it's wired. Related question: If he's working with an Irish agri-research organization, why is he being funded with US money orders? That doesn't compute.

Problem Five: Harvested my email without reading my donation page. He says I posted to 'digital charity' when I haven't. Says he's offering me a part time job due to my 'condition.' What? Obviously too busy scamming and lying to people to get a real fix on my situation. Hello, form letter.

Problem Six: Asking for full contact info. Um, no. First because I don't need some bonehead harassing me at home. Second, he can use that information to forge identities and commit other acts of fraud.

Problem Seven: Faked-up legal contract. Oh, this suddenly makes everything legitimate. It's not printed on paper. It's not signed. There's no mention of needing to get it notarized. The only way it would hold up in court is as evidence against him.

Problem Eight: Legitimizing himself by aligning his story with existing organizations. He says helped found the Agrifood Biosciences Institute. Interesting... Especially when you look over the site and see no such contribution listed anywhere.  Organizations tend to mention their founders. He's not even a past or present member of the governing board. While the organization does exist, I can guarantee if someone contacts them asking after Mike Daileys, they'll have no clue who he is. For laughs, I passed his message on to them to let them know someone is using them to cover for a scam. If they respond, I'll be sure to share it.

Update - AFBI responded by putting a warning about hoax job offers on their contact page. It states: "It has come to the attention of AFBI that a number of people are in receipt of job offers/opportunities from someone claiming to be an ex-employee of either AFBI, Science Service or ARINI (Hillsborough). AFBI does not offer jobs in this manner, nor has it any knowledge of genuine ex-employees making such offers, and anyone receiving such an email should be suspicious of it. If you have received a suspicious job offer purporting to be from AFBI or an ex-employee then you can verify its authenticity by contacting us at info@afbini.gov.uk."

Problem Nine: Conducting business using a disposable free email account. Companies discourage their employees from using outside email providers to conduct business because the company can't monitor them. If someone is conducting legitimate business for XYX Corporation, then their email should come from XYX Corp's domain. Neither IP Trace, nor common sense links Mike Daileys back to Agrifood Biosciences Institute.

Problem Ten: Yahoo account suspended. As a service to my fellow donation seekers, I immediately report all scam attempts that pass through my email to Yahoo, the originating internet provider and to the authorities. Score one for us - Yahoo suspended his account right after he sent this last message out. Investigators are on the job.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

Ha!

26 May 2007 @ 11:25 am

Memorial Day Weekend

As of today, the donation site is up to 558 hits. Still no donations since Becca's.

I've been thinking of various ways to get exposure and support for my new venture. I came up with one that could be good, but it'll cost money to try it. I'm not very enthusiastic about spending extra money while trying to save it.

I hope everyone has a lovely Memorial Day Weekend. Our apartment complex is hosting a cheapo hot dog BBQ, but I wont be there. I'm visiting relatives and taking flowers by my uncle and father's graves. It is amazing to me how fast the military cemetaries are filling up over the past several years. Lots of WWII and Vietnam servicepeople are passing away. So far, I haven't seen any tombstones I could link to Iraq or Afghanistan, but I wouldn't be surprised.

26 May 2007 @ 06:05 am

Larry Favour's Fake Cheque Scam

Heard from another scammer patterning himself on the fake cheque scam. It reads suspiciously like 'Mr. Charleton' and makes the same claims about helping orphanages. As always, all scammy portions are marked in red.
____________________

From: LARRY FAVOUR.. larry.favour@y-----.es
Replies To: larry.favour@y-----.es
Subject: DONATING TO YOU...

Hello,
I am LARRY, I have an attitude of giving and helping
people when in need. Its part of me. Anyway, I read
your short message and I felt for you.I feel you
should not think about what is happening to you at the
moment its not a problem its just a normal passage of
life,just continue with life and everything is going
to normalize back to its normal position.Continue
praying and hope for the best in everything you do. I
will help you with a token of $600 so that you can
continue with life.

Send me the below information.

Name...
Address...
City..
State..
Country..
Zipcode
Cell phone number/Home Phone number/.

So that I can send you a cheque so you cash it
yourself. Also, I will be sending excess funds to any
of the payment options you choose so I will want you
to send the balance of the funds to an Orphanage home.
If you agree with the terms and condition of the
payment get back to me with the requested information
so the Cheque will get to you as soon as possible.

Hearty Cheers and Love
Larry Favour..
____________________

Problem One - Obvious fake cheque scam. "I'll send more than I intend for you to have. Cash my fake cheque through your bank and send the extra cash to some other address. When the bank comes after you for the fraudulent cheque, I'll be long gone and you'll face the charges."

Problem Two - Deliberately vague. Doesn't give any info on himself or on the fake orphans I'm supposedly sending money to.

Problem Three - IP doesn't match up. Using a Yahoo Espana account, while an IP trace puts him in Amsterdam. Interesting.

Problem Four - Form letter-ish. It's obvious this is yet another asshole who harvested my email address from my donation page without bothering to READ THE SITE. If he read the site, he would've discovered that I'm not helping people break the law. It says so in bold red text directly above the PayPal button.

Problem Five - Requesting full contact info. Yes, please! Let me give you all my contact info so you can not only harass me at home but use my info for other fraudulant purposes.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Moron."

20 May 2007 @ 10:50 am

(no subject)

As of this morning, the donation page is up to 545 hits. Still no donations since Becca's. I wasn't holding my breath, but I was expecting the gift incentive to generate a little more interest. The only person I heard from this past week was 'Mr. Charlton.'

Not much else to report for this past week. I need to rethink my advertising strategy. I have one idea, but I'm not certain how to implement it without extra cost. I can't spend more money presently. I still have to catch back up from last month's fiasco.

Tags: selftalk, website

Current Mood:

lethargic

17 May 2007 @ 10:39 pm

Mr. Charleton's Fake Cheque Scam

Got another fake cheque scam in my email inbox today. I sincerely believe sometimes that many of the scams I get are mainly from two or three people who keep reimaging themselves. I haven't seen anything even remotely original since February.
____________________

Email #1 --
From: Processing Dept fundsprocessingdept@y-----.com
Replies To: Processing Dept fundsprocessingdept@y-----.com
Subject: HELP HERE!!!

Hello am Mr. Charlton and we came across your quest on Donate2me.com for help through our Financial Database. Well we are ready to help you with some funds that has been deposited in an Account by a dead Philanthropist long ago.

We would like to know how much you need to be helped with and we would surely do something about it to make you happy again.

Note: This is not a loan.

Mr. Charlton
Thanks
__________

Email #2 --
From: Processing Dept fundsprocessingdept@y-----.com
Replies To: Processing Dept fundsprocessingdept@y-----.com
Subject: Re: HELP HERE!!!

Hello, i understand all you have said. We are willing and ready to help you. We will send some fund to you this week via a cashier check with our company's bank information,you cash it out instantly to save time of depositing the check by telling the cashier to deduct DEPOSIT CHARGES from the check after the check as cleared either through the Bank, Cashing Point or Post Office. Then, deduct %10 from it and you will send the balance to the address of another orphanage home elsewhere. We want you to be honest and we will send more fund to you weekly after we have dealt with this.

To send the fund to you, we would need your full address and please send your phone number likewise so we would be able to contact you on phone anytime we might need to.

Mr. Charlton
Manager
____________________

He's running a fake cheque scam and he wants me to be honest. That's almost cute.

Problem One - Harvested my email address from my site without reading the site. The first email makes this so obvious. This is the same goof that came with the last scam.

Problem Two - Very obvious fake cheque scam. Fall for this and 'Mr. Charlton' will send you fake cheques or money orders to take to your bank. Provided your bank is dumb enough to process the fake cheques; take a certain percentage from the money you've stolen and send the rest to him. Then you can face the music when your bank comes after you for stealing money.

Problem Three - Purposfully vague. Refuses to name his 'organization' and doesn't name the dead benefactor he's supposedly in charge of spending money for.

Problem Four - Yet another 'foundation/company/organization' which uses free and disposable email accounts to conduct business.

Problem Five - No charity organization or foundation trolls the Web looking for people to donate to. They have no trouble picking potential cases from people who come to them.

Problem Six - Requesting full contact info. Oh, yes please. Let me give you my address and phone number so you can bug me and use my identity for some other crime. Also, orphanages? Is that the best you can come up with? Give me a break.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Whatever."

12 May 2007 @ 09:31 am

(no subject)

As of this morning, the site is now up to 529 hits. Traffic is way down. I may hunt for some more places to post this weekend.

I started offering a gift for donations this week. So far, it hasn't done much to bolster my site response but I'm still going to keep offering the gift because I feel I should. I'd rather have someone get something tangible and useful for sending money. I like making them, too. It's a pleasant calming distraction.

Tags: website

Current Mood:

geeky

07 May 2007 @ 01:14 pm

Gift now available!

I am now offering a free gift for donations as a token of my gratitude. From now on, anyone who donates $10.00 or more to my new venture will get a key clip with handknotted decorative cords dangling from the key ring. I can make these in a variety of colors and they look cute when clipped to a purse strap or a belt loop and allowed to hang. They're functional as keyrings as well as a fun and whimsical shot of color to add to an outfit. :o)

One example is pictured below:

All you have to do to get one is donate through PayPal the way you normally would. Then send me an email with a mailing address and your color preferences. I put your key clip together and get it right off in the mail to you.

Tags: gifts, website

Current Mood:

content

07 May 2007 @ 09:42 am

The Laughter Foundation

Got hit up by someone claiming the represent the Laughter Foundation this week. I didn't even let this guy get to the scam portion of his offer. As if 'Laughter Foundation' isn't enough of a bullshit tip-off...
____________________

From: Laughter Foundation Laughter_Foundation@y----.com
Replies To: Laughter_Foundation@y-----.com
Subject: Wish to Help...

Hello,

    We are from Laughter Foundation and our mission is to help does in
need of money, to seek for help from does that are will to donate, so
we will like you to benefit from this but we need does that are in
need money for good reason so let us know your story so we can help you.
     Wish to hear from you as soon as possible.

        Regards.

Laughter Foundation...
____________________

Wow. Stupid.

First Problem - Garbage grammar. What foundation sends out nonsense typed like this? Also, since when does my website indicate that I'm a deer? I can't imagine so many deer in the world needing money since deer economy tends to rely on whatever is available for grazing or browsing. Unless some herd of whitetails suddenly decides to purchase ranch land and hay, I can't imagine how this 'foundation' would even find any does to donate to.

Second Problem - No charitable organization searches the Web looking for people to give money to. They have enough potential recipients coming to them.

Third Problem - Blindly collecting my email address. The idiot had to LOOK AT MY SITE to get my email address in the first place. Wouldn't it follow that he'd get my story FROM THE SITE as well? Why should I waste time repeating myself when everything is already posted RIGHT THERE? Talk about someone being a dumbass...

Fourth Problem - Email from a Yahoo email address. No respectable foundation or charity organization uses public email domains to conduct business. Certainly not something that can't be managed or monitored like a Yahoo account. Most companies forbid employees to conduct business via off-site email providers for this reason.

Fifth Problem - Can't confirm organization exists. This was predictable. There IS a Laughter Arts and Sciences Foundation, but that is an organization set up to encourage laughter education and uses it's fundraising for its specific purposes. It is not an all-purpose charity organization. Certainly not one that gives money to all people for any old reason.

Tags: scams, wall of shame

Current Mood:

"Next."

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