Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me • Hacker News Board

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#141

Post by kahawe » Tue, Sep 25, 2012, 2:16 PM UTC

patdennis wrote: post #22

"If people in the U.S. aren’t suspicious of free money, PayPal payments that look fake, the absence of a payment in their account, fake emails from PayPal’s FBI department or just Nigerians in general, then they deserve to have their money taken from them." I could easily see my parents falling for this. I don't think they deserve to have their money taken. Although, to be fair, I doubt my parents could set up and us…

To further add to this: there are quite a few gangs here in euroland who are successfully scamming older citizens with nothing but randomly calling them up, pretending to be a grandchild in trouble and in desperate need of some money and then that "grandkid" sends over a friend to collect the money. They are taking literally thousands from the elderly that way, you keep reading about it in the papers.

So I can see how these emails seem totally real and threatening to the average computer-illiterate who sells something for the first time ever. Remember, good scams are about that initial shock, that initial mental blow you deal on your victim to completely catch them off-guard and disable their logical thinking. Flashing a shiny batch or pretending it is an "emergency" is a very good angle.

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#142

Post by kahawe » Tue, Sep 25, 2012, 2:23 PM UTC

sjtgraham wrote: post #21

After seeing the stickers I was hoping the OP actually sent the computer with an undercover style backdoor installed so he could remotely control the computer, e.g. take shots with webcam, screenshots, install key logger, etc. That would have been incredibly amusing.

I strongly doubt you would have gotten screenshots from the scammer but from another hapless victim who bought the laptop in a seemingly legit way. (fence) The very fact the scammer are already fine sending emails means they really don't need another laptop, they just want money. I can imagine in a lot of cases the laptop doesn't even get into the scammer's hands.

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#143

Post by kahawe » Tue, Sep 25, 2012, 2:31 PM UTC

danparsonson wrote: post #91

roryokane wrote: post #6

More records of people baiting Nigerian scammers: http://419eater.com/html/letters.htm . People on http://www.419eater.com/ lead these “4-1-9” scammers on wild goose chases deliberately to waste their time, in the hopes of distracting them from attacking other people and also just having fun.

Not to defend or in any way condone the actions of the scammers (which I certainly don't), but I wonder how many of the counter-scammers do so out of high-mindedness, and how many are just looking for a chance to humiliate a relatively easy target - particularly after seeing some of the photos in the 'Trophy Room'. I also wonder how many of those initiating the scams are actually the vicious, heartless criminals that…

> Not to defend or in any way condone the actions of the scammers (which I certainly don't), but I wonder how many of the counter-scammers do so out of high-mindedness, and how many are just looking for a chance to humiliate a relatively easy target - particularly after seeing some of the photos in the 'Trophy Room'.

I honestly had the same thought: is it right to make fun of people who are clearly poor, less fortunate and were born into that?

Then again, read some of those interviews with nigeria scammers and others and see for yourself what they are saying about "dumb", "greedy" Westerners and how high and mighty they feel about being able to do what they are doing. That really put it into perspective for me and then it is not making unfair fun of unfortunate people but making fun of shady, slimy assholes and trying to rid the world of some evil - and that is a good thing.

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#144

Post by mariuolo » Tue, Sep 25, 2012, 2:52 PM UTC

Fake laptop in exchange for a fake payment, sounds equitable.

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#145

Post by bladecatcher » Tue, Sep 25, 2012, 3:23 PM UTC

kahawe wrote: post #141

patdennis wrote: post #22

"If people in the U.S. aren’t suspicious of free money, PayPal payments that look fake, the absence of a payment in their account, fake emails from PayPal’s FBI department or just Nigerians in general, then they deserve to have their money taken from them." I could easily see my parents falling for this. I don't think they deserve to have their money taken. Although, to be fair, I doubt my parents could set up and us…

To further add to this: there are quite a few gangs here in euroland who are successfully scamming older citizens with nothing but randomly calling them up, pretending to be a grandchild in trouble and in desperate need of some money and then that "grandkid" sends over a friend to collect the money. They are taking literally thousands from the elderly that way, you keep reading about it in the papers. So I can see ho…

There's a con scene in a movie, Nine Queens[0], in which a grandkid sends a friend to con his aunt. The movie is quite awesome btw..

[0]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247586/

Re: Nigerian scammer gets a laptop from me

#146

Post by SHIFTHAPPENZ » Wed, Sep 26, 2012, 12:59 AM UTC

anonymouz wrote: post #39

OoTheNigerian wrote: post #33

Excuse me, before we get all excited, where did Rebecca say that she is from Nigeria? Or are all internet scams now called 'Nigerian scams'? The number of times Nigeria was used in that post, you would think the Nigerian flag and Rebecca's Nigerian passport accompanied the emails.

Maybe the address he shipped to was in Nigeria? He never states that though. I wasn't sure if this was just my impression, or if the blog author has some rather strong feelings against Nigerians, but his follow up comment ( http://www.notla.com/archives/2010/07/nigerian-scammer-gets-... ) leaves little doubt.

It leaves no doubt as his comment is most concentrated irony, isn't it? ;-)

PS: Look out for "2 years later update: Jesus, people, I know this scammer was from Nigeria because I SENT THE PACKAGE TO NIGERIA. Quit accusing me of being racist and hating all Nigerians and teaching my kids to stereotype."