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The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

bbc.co.uk

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Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#41

Post by pessimizer »

curun1r wrote: post #18
pooper wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Frankly, any photo or video on digital media is just a tiny little step away from being irreversibly published to the internet. People should never make photos or videos of that kind if they don't want it to be public. Alternatively, a photo of me in my nude being public should not mean that I am unfit for public office. Nobody would ban Jennifer Lawrence or Kate Upton if they wanted to be a teacher. Why should we…

There's a reason why they're targeting people of specific religious backgrounds. Religion has the ability to take garden variety embarrassment and passing judgments and turn them into suicidal embarrassment and public stonings, scarlet letters and the like. Obviously, the scammers doing this kind of crap are horrible excuses for human beings, but the organized religions of the world deserve some of the credit for cre…

They're also targeting prominent political conservatives like Ron Sandack, loudmouth State Rep. from Illinois. If you're one of the likely members of the lynch mob who would attack someone who has fallen for this scam, you're a likely target for this scam.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#42

Post by empath75 »

throw95323 wrote: post #9

>Intelligent, articulate, and technologically adept, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that in a place with more opportunities a young man of Omar's talents could find a legitimate way to earn his $500 a day. Pretty ridiculous statement there. Not many places on earth can a person earn that for simply being smart.

Average monthly income in Morocco is $533.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#43

Post by pessimizer »

http://abc7chicago.com/politics/i-team-ex-state-rep-sandack-...

>Newly obtained police documents suggest that a cybersex blackmail scheme was behind Rep. Ron Sandack's (R-Downers Grove) resignation from the General Assembly.

> According to Downers Grove police reports, in early July Rep. Sandack was engaged in a video conversation via Skype with a woman "in her early 20's with long black hair." The woman, whom Sandack told police he didn't know, had originally contacted him on Facebook.

> Rep. Sandack, 52, and the woman had several text exchanges on Facebook that "could be characterized as friendly conversation, like two people getting to know basic information about each other" investigators say.

> A short time later, the Downers Grove father of two connected via Skype video-where internet users see and speak to each other on their computer screens. Although the nature of the conversation between Sandack and the woman is blacked out in the Downers Grove police report, similar blackmail schemes have resulted in disrobing and sex talk between the participants.

> In Sandack's case, the woman on the other end of the Skype hook-up told him that she had made a video of their encounter and would distribute it to all of his Facebook friends...unless he paid her a sum of money...which he did. This scheme is fairly widespread in the U.S. and well known to federal law enforcement officials. Authorities have screenshots of Mr. Sandack's communication with the woman.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#44

Post by throw95323 »

Freestyler_3 wrote: post #37
arbuge wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably that's why it says "in a place with more opportunities"....

It could be a fictional place, they have plenty of opportunities. I mean, this simple scam does not show much of a person. 1. You can use facebook 2. You know a weak spot in men that everyone knows about, and in countries that are more developed laws prevent companies to abuse men. 3. You know how to match when you type with a video recording that you are showing a person/victim. Edit: on a social engineering level t…

Right, the main differentiator with a person who does this stuff is willingness to do this stuff.

Let's not glamorize it.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#45

Post by MichaelGG »

Kenji wrote: post #8
smnplk wrote: post #4

If a random girl asks you to show her your penis, first make sure you are doing it in person and she does not have any devices on her. How can people in this century not know that your stream (no pun intended) can be recorded.

Frankly, any photo or video on digital media is just a tiny little step away from being irreversibly published to the internet. People should never make photos or videos of that kind if they don't want it to be public.

I'm sort of surprised Google and Apple don't have a "private mode" camera option. Some way to mark a photo or the next X minutes, and those photos won't show up in the default camera roll. Maybe they trigger a second dialog before sharing. Just to try to minimise accidents.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#46

Post by throwaway-hn123 »

sickbeard wrote: post #40
aikah wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If that's all it took, Samir is an idiot. Oh you're so smart you have never been scammed in your life. Scammers pray on weakness, one day you'll be weak one way or another and it can happen to you. Don't be too quick insulting people of being "idiots". Only scammers themselves think that way.

Samir receives a phone call from an unknown woman. The woman sounds really hot and sounds like she likes him. Samir arranges to meet the woman at his home, only to find it's actually a man. Samir is subsequently tied up and robbed of all his money and belongings. Is Samir an idiot (Y/N)?:

What's lacking in your life that you need to be so judgemental?

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#47

Post by MichaelGG »

>And what if my mum sees this?

First, why is she watching unsolicited "porn" if it's so bad? Second, what kind of parent watches a sex video of their kid? Should be obvious what's happening pretty quickly and then Alt-F4. And then why would a relative share the video?

I get there's a different cultural standard and not everyone can just shrug and say "ya well I don't know why you're watching videos of me".

It just seems like a serious deficiency if relatives are watching and sharing private media.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#48

Post by LargeCompanies »

I guess those who are

1. new to the internet 2. Do not know many long time internet users

Are good targets for these scammers. There all over the place in dating apps... either the dating app's own inside scammers or the worst kind like this one.

Maybe there should be a quiz before you are allowed on the internet that's schools you on if a hot young chick is crazy eager for you but you never met and she's lives far away well then....ummmm.....

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#49

Post by MichaelGG »

smnplk wrote: post #4

If a random girl asks you to show her your penis, first make sure you are doing it in person and she does not have any devices on her. How can people in this century not know that your stream (no pun intended) can be recorded.

Or alternatively, don't worry about it? I'm pretty sure the problem in general is too many unsolicited pictures (see Chatroulette). I'm having a hard time imagining the actual threat. It sounds embarrassing, like forgetting to wear clothes and getting stuck in public. Except, hopefully, you don't have friends and relatives that accept and share nudes of you, especially from strangers.

Re: The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

#50

Post by mrits »

MichaelGG wrote: post #47

>And what if my mum sees this? First, why is she watching unsolicited "porn" if it's so bad? Second, what kind of parent watches a sex video of their kid? Should be obvious what's happening pretty quickly and then Alt-F4. And then why would a relative share the video? I get there's a different cultural standard and not everyone can just shrug and say "ya well I don't know why you're watching videos of me". It just se…

If I had a video of a relative like that come into my inbox my first reaction would be to close it right away and act like it never happened.
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