Have you ever replied to a spammer?

Gandalf23

Hi all,
as part of a small research project I have been replying to a few 419 spam emails. Its amazing how the scammers reply and how convincing they are. Even when you ask them for proof of their claims they are very genuine and I can easily see how people might be tempted.

Its also funny after a few emails have been exchanged if you say something like "I'm very interested in your proposal, and I'm willing to send personal and bank details if you have not sent this email to anyone else ... have you sent this to anyone else or just me?".

So has anyone here ever replied to spam, or has anyone ever fallen for a spam scam?

blackgold>>

haha thats a good one never heard of anyone doing that before.
You must be having a good laugh off them.:)

tbh

www.419eater.com

blackgold>>

It doesn't matter if you are new to this sport or a hardened veteran;

Brilliant :pac: now thats a great idea.

Sherifu

Would the grammar not give them away OP?

blackgold>>

Wanted to get some emails and was following the guide on the site they said enter this into google to find guestbooks and then you'll find scammers

guestbook +guymen +mugu
google spits out this yolk.

We're sorry...

... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.

Interesting.

Gandalf23

tbh wrote: »

www.419eater.com

Yes ... great site! Thats not quite what I was doing tho ... it is part of a research project I'm working on.

Sherifu wrote: »

Would the grammar not give them away OP?

Yes usually you can tell immediately. And I'm saying that as someone who's grammar leaves a lot to be desired sometimes

Gandalf23

Below is an example of one of the ongoing conversations which we are just about finished with. I was using a hotmail account, and my name is not Joseph btw I've also xxx'ed out some dates and other information for research reasons.

Its interesting the way he picked up my email address originally from a post on boards years ago when I was doing my masters!!!

Anyone interested in his proposal please feel free to email him. He was one of the more genuine ones!!!







________________________________________________________
Tell me the truth in this one question ... have you emailed ONLY ME with this proposition or have you emailed others also?

__________________________________________________________
Date: Wed, xxx 2008 08:06:21 +0000
From: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
Subject: From Williams Alfarouk/Your information.
To: xxx@hotmail.com

Dear Brother,

I received your message and I want you to know that I place myself in three days fasting and praying asking God to direct me someone who is honest and truthful before he give the wisdom to contact you and I want you to know that I can never lie to you because this is inheritance and I only seeking for your assistance to help transfer the money to your account where I am going to have access to the money for good investment project and furthering my education.

I want you to know that I don't have access to this money until is transfered to foreign account regarding the way my late father made the deposit and the agreement he made with the Bank when deposited the money that is why I am asking for your help.

I need this information from to enable me proceed to the Bank to register and introduce your name officially to the Bank as my family foreign apratner who want to help me so that the bank will recginse you and advice you what to for the successful transfer of this money to your account without any problem.

I am waiting to hear from you togethev with your needed information.

Thanks
Yours truly
William Alfarouk.

_________________________________________________________
Williams,
the link you have provided is not an "internet business directory" ... it is an discussion board on the topic of software development. Do you expect me to believe you picked my email address from a 4 year old post on a software development internet discussion board?

I am not interested in your proposal as you have obviously lied to me. I will not be responding to you again.

______________________________________________________
Williams Alfarouk (williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr)
Fri xxx 08 5:23 PM
(xxx@hotmail.com)

Dearest Mr Joseph.
Thanks for your kindest and honest question, you can check the below site where i read about you, before i was convised in asking for your assistance to help me come over to your country ireland. where i will like to invest this funds and further my education since i am no longer safe here,

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-239039.html

Please, i want you to know that i send this email with good faith and trust beliveing that you will assist me, because i am incapable of providing what the banks requires for the processing of the transfer to overseas account which i don't have also.

I have attached my passport photo copy for my identification to you, i will like to recieve your email with your full details as well as your photo passport identification also, so that we know each other well for our identification meet at the aiport during my arrivals after the transfer from bank here.
The bank has advised me to present to them my guardian beneficiary trustee who will attributes the requirements and provide legitimate bank account, where the funds will be transferd into, this will enable the bank also to start process of the transfer as soon you contact them, they aslo told me that they will have proper register of my trustee names and legal identification for security reasons, to make sure that the funds was legaly transferd to the right person and the right account.
I wait for your urgently email tomorow.

Thanks and God bless
Yours truly
Williams Alfarouk.
______________________________________________________
From: xxx@hotmail.com
To: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
Subject: RE: From Williams Alfarouk/Your information.
Date: Fri, xxx 2008 12:27:01 +0000

Which Internet business directory did you get my name and email address from please?

I will look on you providing this information as a gesture of goodwill ... As soon as you give me the name of the business directory (as stated in your email below) I will be willing to proceed with this business proposition. If you are unwilling or unable to PROVIDE EXACT DETAILS OF HOW YOU GOT MY DETAILS OR THE EXACT DETAILS (INCLUDING WEB LINK) OF THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY WHERE YOU GOT MY EMAIL ADDRESS I WILL ASSUME YOU ARE BEING DISHONEST.

Please do not reply to this message unless you are fully willing to disclose this information.

Thank you.
______________________________________________________
Date: Thu, xxx 2008 19:02:00 +0000
From: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
Subject: From Williams Alfarouk/Your information.
To: xxx@hotmail.com

Dearest Joseph,

Thanks for your urgent response and regarding for your question on which country you currently live in where I want to relocate.

I want you to know that I got your contact through internet businness directory and I have prayed before contacting you for your honest assistance to help me secure this my inheritance into your account and help me to relocate to country for the investment and furthering education not that I have known your country yet.

I need your information to enable me proceed to the Bank to register and introduce your name officially with your country of origin to the Bank as my family foreign partner who want to help me so that the Bank will recognise you and advice you what to do for the successful transfer of this money to your account.

I am waiting to hear from you together with your information.

Thanks and God bless
Yours truly
Williams Alfarouk.
______________________________________________________
From: xxx@hotmail.com
To: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
Subject: RE: From Williams Alfarouk/Your information.
Date: Fri, xxx 2008 12:27:01 +0000

Dear Williams,
I am interested in your proposal.

Could you give me more details please. You state that you have ideas for a "for a good investment Project in my country" ... what is this project and where is it located? You also state you would like to relocate to my country. Where exactly do you plan to relocate to?

Thank you ,
Joseph
______________________________________________________

> Date: Fri, xxx 2008 23:55:29 +1000
> From: modernprimitive@bigpond.com
> To: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
> Subject: From Williams Alfarouk/Appeal for Assistance.
>
> From Williams Alfarouk/Appeal for Assistance.
> Dearest,
> Greetings, I’m Williams Alfarouk from Sierra Leone.
> I’m writing you from Rep of Cote d'Ivoire where I have been taking refuge after the brutal war and Murder of my parents by the rebels during the renewed Fighting in my country Sierra Leone. Because of the war my late Father sold his shipping company and took me to a nearby country Cote d'Ivoire where he deposited US$18, 300,000.00 Million(Eighteen Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in his foreign account with one of the bank here in Cote d'Ivoire.Please, I have prayed before contacting you with the trust that you will be a help to me with the current political situation in Ivory Coast now, I’m seeking for your assistance to transfer this Money to your account for a good investment Project in your country and also relocate to your country to further my study. I’m willing to offer you 20% of the total sum for your assistance. Please for your good information this transaction Is 100% risk free and prove in no way connected with any illegal transaction, Please Help me to get out of this terrible situation and as soon as you receive this mail Please kindly call me +22547434107 and contact me ( williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr) for more details (is very important) The bank here is ready to transfer the money to your account.
>
> Best Regards,
> +22547434107
> Williams

Overheal

Gandalf23 wrote: »

Its interesting the way he picked up my email address originally from a post on boards years ago when I was doing my masters!!!

not really.

Lets see what happens when I google "@hotmail.com", and for a bit of brevity lets add "boards.ie" to the search..


Really all it takes is the right Bot, doing a google-based search for email prefixes to generate a list of victims.

evil-monkey

lol. i used to do this for years so I did!! I would pretend to be negotiating a price with them. awww man it was priceless. those were the days...i'd almost like one to email me now so i could have some sport with him...

good post man, it's a dieing art so good to see someone carrying the flame!!

kevpants

Man I love this kind of stuff. Can anyone else not read his emails without putting on an African accent in their head?

You should take it one step further and give him the Bank account number and sort code from the end of your ESB bill or something and see what happens!

calex71

kevpants wrote: »

Man I love this kind of stuff. Can anyone else not read his emails without putting on an African accent in their head?

You should take it one step further and give him the Bank account number and sort code from the end of your ESB bill or something and see what happens!

Snap , i was thinking the same thing

Edit, i couldnt resist it i just had to put the number into skype!!!!
and what do you know we got an answer xD

Gandalf23

Just an update ... This was the reply when I asked him if he had emailed anyone else with the proposal. Apparently I'm the only one!!!!!

We've been tracking this guy for a while. He's a persistent and nasty piece of work. He is also involved in online dating fraud. ... I'll send him the following links next email ...

(He probably thinks I've never heard of Google :D:D ... try Googling his name ...)

http://www.419scam.org/emails/2007-07/03/01071329.3.htm
http://www.beautiful-ladies.com/marriage/dating_profiles/005850-Williams-search-for-dating.htm
http://www.419baiter.com/_scam_emails/419_emails_12-05_9.html
http://www.meissen.org/~john/419.html
http://www.lovingwhispers.com/lonelyplanet/hallOfShame.php

______________________________________________________________
From Williams Alfarouk/Your information.‏
From: Williams Alfarouk (williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr)
Sent: Thu 6/26/08 2:45 PM
Reply-to: williamsalfarouk71@yahoo.fr
To: x (xxx@hotmail.com)

Dear Sir

Wish to tell you i received your mail and well understood, frankly speaking i swear with my God you are the only person i contact and i pray before i contact you and my good God prove it to me that you are going to handle this money to me wisely.

you have to know that there many people out they in the internet searching to play games thats why i am careful to my inheritance fund. to asure you my person if you reply me i will send to you the agreement letter which the bank asked me to preapare between me and you sign to indicate that you are not going to betray me if the money gets to your end/account.

as soon as i hear from you i will rbe happy good.to prove yourself identity send me your passport picture so that i will no who i am and togther with your bank particulars which i will summitt to the appropirate office concern to this transaction.

Thanks and remain blessed

williams Alfarouk

jor el

It's great fun if you've nothing to do for a while. Gmail's extra vigilant spam filters have curtailed my pleasure in recent times though.

Last one I had was where I applied for a "job" cashing cheques for an arts dealer in New York, very snazzy. Strangely, they wanted me to send the money by Western Union to Italy though. After telling the guy my address was on Murder Lane, Co Ballybongbong, he claimed to have sent me a cheque. I would dearly love to have contacted An Post to see if they had any letters addressed to there. He went away after that.

I did get a mail a few weeks later though from a white South-African nurse, living in Nigeria, professing her un-dieing love for me though.