OT: Finally, the scam attempt has reached me (profanity)

[ErikMiller]

I read about this scam attempt on Harmony Central, and was kind of miffed that they hadn't tried it on me yet. :-)

Well, today I got 4 messages from this person, all saying the same thing; it's the exact scam mentioned at HC.

I wonder if anyone has actually fallen for this?

Now I feel as if I have ARRIVED in a way.

I'm tempted to engage this person in an email exchange.

Here's the message in its entirety:

From: vinispa@hotmail.com

Mr.Owner,        04.29th.04

I'm writing because i'm in a big trouble and i hope than you help me very soon please.
Explaining my problem:
Two weeks ago a friend (David C.Rosenthal) bought and gave the Euthymia Crucible Fuzz Pedal. Great Gift !
He bought the pedal branded-new and he paid about U$D 130 for.
I don't know exactly where (Music Store) he bought the CF cause there's no Purchase Receipt but i'm sure than he did it in US  ( CA) during a working tour (he's musician too) . Unfortunately just right now he's living in Oriental Europe.
I really don't know what's happened but my CF died.
I've tried to find help here but unfortunately here there are not technicians ,pro support nor @#$%in' parts.
Then i've decided to send my CF directly to you and i really did it today, April.29th.2004.

Important Notes:

I've sent my CF directly to:
Euthymia
2525 Eagle Ave.
Alameda, CA  94501
USA
(this address is written on the pedal's box)

Two Big Problems :

1- I've tried to find the better way to send you my pedal but here there's not @#$%in' Priority Service and the FedEx and UPS are impossibles! The taxing costs almost or more than the CF's price. No way. Very abusive !
Then i've sent it by Economic Mail Service . This service really works but there's one @#$%in' big problem (for me at least!) .
The TIME ! The @#$%in' and long time !
This Service will takes 90 days for my CF arrives there !
I really don't know if this @#$%in' Service is by Air or Sea.
Since i'm pro fulltime guitarrist i really can't stay waiting this long time (probably more for sure) for my CF back!
I really need it urgently to play and work!
Then i would like to ask you one big favour (one exception,a special favour) please: Could you send me an urgent CF's replacement while my defective unit is sending to you please ?
I trust'n' hope so!

But there's the Second @#$%in' problem:

2- If you really are willing to help me and really pretend to send me an urgent CF's replacement i must to ask you please to express a VERY LOW VALUE (for example: U$D 10 or 15 bucks) on the Customs Documents / Labels to prevent HIGH EXPENSIVE TRIBUTATION or a @#$%in' Devolution,etc.
If you simply marks on Gift/Courtesy or Warranty Replacement the Customs Officers (here) will put on any value and i'll must to pay 60% over taxing. No way . Hyper abusive.

Well i hope than you really can understand my deep trouble and really can solve it as soon as possible please.

My complete Address:
Vinicius Spada
Rua Padre Anchieta,334 Ap.11
São Vicente - São Paulo
CEP 11.310.040 (Centro)
BRAZIL

Thank you very much.
Regards,

Vinicius Spada

P.S. If possible of course i would like to receive your Business Card and some few Euthymia's Stickers too please.
Please contact me ok ? Thank you  

[niftydog]

I've seen some email scams in my day, but that has to rate as one of the worst attempts of all time.

Sad, very sad.

[erix]

I'd send him a brick and declare it worth $1500 on the customs form.

[Ansil]

dude i heard about that..

[Kleber AG]

Hey Erik,

Too sad about that    He's from Brazil, so am I...

Well, if you'd want maybe you could ask him by email for a phone number, Then I could call him tell him somethings  :x

Anyway if you need something I could help, don't hesitate.

Regards
Kleber AG

[The Tone God]

A brick would too expensive to ship. Just send him a box of old parts and label it with a high value. Its lighter and customs won't know what its worth so they'll charge duty.

Oh and send it to Vinicius "The Mule" Spada. :twisted:

Andrew

[sirkut]

As my friend always said. "Shitbox em." Mail them some shit inside a CF box. So when he gets it...he'll get nothing but shit. Just an idea.  

[Brian Marshall]

HEY there are some guys here from brazil... send them the brick, and have them go throw it at this guy.

[Ge_Whiz]

Well, I don't know - it sounds completely f****n' credible to me.  :lol:

E-mail him back - keep on asking him for the place of purchase and the serial number until he's REALLY pissed off.

[Jay Doyle]

I'd have some fun with the guy ala:

http://www.deancameron.com/nigeria.htm

If nothing else it can be a source of amusement.

Though the shitbox idea does sound good.

[strungout]

rofl, that was too long to read it all, but what I read was so funny  :lol: I'm guessing this is still going on?

[AL]

Man is THAT ever a lame attempt !! :shock: wow !! One question. Where the heck is Oriental Europe?

AL

[RDV]

I'd have some fun with the guy ala:

http://www.deancameron.com/nigeria.htm

If nothing else it can be a source of amusement.

Though the shitbox idea does sound good.

That Dean Cameron guy lives here in Tampa & has a public access TV show. He's quite a character. He's quite intelligent, but doesn't seem to have a good way to channel it. I can't for the life of me imagine putting that much time & effort torturing spammers. I just delete & go on w/ my life.

Edit: Oops! :oops: Wrong Dean! The one here is Dean Chambers. My bad. I stand by everything else I said.

Regards

RDV

[Marcos - Munky]

I'm from Brazil too. This is sad, very sad. You can send to it a box with paper and some pieces of brick, this won't be expensive to send. And put a high value in the box.

[Hal]

i got an e-mail kinda like this a while ago...lemme look for it...

Code Select Expand

From;Mr.Michael Frypon and Family,
Lome Republic of Togo.


My Dear ,


Good day.I know this request should come as a surprise to you.But, please,accept it, as it is because of the nature of what is happening to me and my family urged me to contact you, and I quite understand that this is not the best way to contact you because of the nature of my request and the attention it requires.


My name is Mr.Michael Frypon, the second son of Retired Mr.George Frypon, of Monrovia Liberia,.At the height of the current political crises in our country,in which the rebel group of the opposition party in our country slain and ripp off the supporters of our president,Mr Charles Taylor,in their efforts to reclaim power in our country,my father and my elder brother were brutally slained to a painful death on the 6th of June,2003, in their struggle to protect some civilians who ran to take refuge in our house.My father,during his life on earth was a retired government official of Mr.Samuel Doe government in our country and a prominent business man who trades on diamond and gold from some foreign countries before he met his unexpected death.I therefore decided to move my mother and my younger sister and brother to the Republic of Togo for refuge,where we presently stay without anything and without any source of livelyhood.


During my fathers life on earth,he had deposited the sum of Seven Million and Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars[$7.500.000.00],with a Finance and Security Company in Netherlands which he intends to use to conclude his business on a cash and carry Diamond and Gold Processing machineries with some foreign business customers,which he never completed before he met his untimely death with my elder brother in the night of that faithfull day.In view of this and as the only surviving grown up son of my father,I therefore humbly wish to inform you of my intentions to use your name and adress in making sure that this fund is moved out of Netherlands finally and also seek for your honest and trustworthy assistance to help me clear and accommodate this money from the finance and security company before it is dictated out and blocked by the Netherlands Government. Now this is what I actually want you to do for me;


1. I want you to be presented to the Finance and Security company as the person I contacted to assist my family for this purpose, with whose name and adress myself and my mother will forward to their office here in Netherlands as the person that will clear and accomodate this money onbehalf of my family .
2. To finally assist us in accommodating and managing this money in any lucrative business in your country for at least three years after I must have joined you.


Please,I hope you will grant and view this very request with favour and much understanding of our unexpected bad situation now,and will be a very honest and reliable person to deal with.And also bearing in mind the confidential nature of this my request,I emphasize please that you keep every bit of it to yourself so as to protect my familys future and yourself rendering this help.


Thanking you in anticipation of your urgent response as soon as you read this very request.


Best Regards,
Mr.Michael Frypon and family.

mann i love Eudora.  It searches old mail so fast!!!!  

I wonder how much these guys make?

[ErikMiller]

He tried again a couple more times today.

I just reported him to Hotmail's abuse department. Not as exciting as bricks, but probably the best.

Maybe Kleber or Marcos could show him how to read a schematic and solder.

[Marcus Dahl]

He tried again a couple more times today.

I just reported him to Hotmail's abuse department. Not as exciting as bricks, but probably the best.

Maybe Kleber or Marcos could show him how to read a schematic and solder.

Good for you!!!! I hate those types of emails. They are attempting to steal products from us, and to me that's the same as stealing. I just recieved 2 money laundering email scams today. f^$#* A$$h*&&$

[Roland]

I just got the same letter from brazil except it was dave rosenthal and all money was in canadian dollars. My contact name is Esther wanda, before that it was "blueswoman".

Esther Wanda
Rua Doutor Assis Correia, 19 Ap.33
Bairro Gonzaga
Santos - São Paulo
CEP 11.050.310
BRAZIL

Damn there persistant. I thought they were gone a year ago, but they just keep on..

[ErikMiller]

His pattern is that he sends an inquiry asking where to send a money order to buy the pedal, then a few weeks later, the "my friend gave me one and it broke" message.

I snagged his IP address from the headers: 200.171.120.233. Hotmail adds an X header for "originating IP."

With this information, I contacted the administrators at his DSL provider, and we'll see what they do.

I would hope that fraud attempts violate their terms of service.

[Marcus Dahl]

His pattern is that he sends an inquiry asking where to send a money order to buy the pedal, then a few weeks later, the "my friend gave me one and it broke" message.

I snagged his IP address from the headers: 200.171.120.233. Hotmail adds an X header for "originating IP."

With this information, I contacted the administrators at his DSL provider, and we'll see what they do.

I would hope that fraud attempts violate their terms of service.

Let us know what happens.....