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what to do? update: yep, it's a a scammer

MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
edited February 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
edit: so long, story short. I stumbled on to an e-mail scammer and was almost fooled. Didn't fall for it, but I'm just going to edit this because I'm a little embarrassed by it....

3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
Matrias on

Posts

  • LibrarianLibrarian The face of liberal fascism Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Sounds crazy/fake/potentially dangerous, but no threats were made and I don't think you got enough info to involve the police, nor do I think you should bother to put too much energy into this.

    You don't want to meet with this person, so just ignore emails from now on, put the adress on your ignore list and pretend it all didn't happen.

    Of course I assume this person has no other contact info like street adress or phone number.

    Librarian on
  • Baron DirigibleBaron Dirigible Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Well, what crime has "she" committed, exactly? Yeah, so it all sounds suspicious, but that's not really grounds to call in the SWAT team and arrange a sting at the terminal.

    Does the actual dating site have any way of reporting suspicious profiles? They'd probably have some experience with the matter and would know how to approach it.

    Baron Dirigible on
  • MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    well, lol, going back to the site, the profile was removed for abuse. I will contact customer support and see what's what.


    I setup a dummy e-mail for this sort of thing that I thought was a dummy e-mail, but d'oh, it had my full name in the damn thing. I changed it quickly, but it already got an e-mail. Hopefully the thing is just a bot.

    Matrias on
    3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
  • exisexis Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Even with your full name there shouldn't be enough info available for crazy scary stalker times. I mean unless you have a habit of posting your phone number and address all over the internet.

    Let the site know what happened, but I wouldn't be worried.

    exis on
  • MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Unfortunately, Moby Games does it for me. You can easily figure out where I work. :|

    Matrias on
    3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
  • Descendant XDescendant X Skyrim is my god now. Outpost 31Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    If it feels wrong, it probably is.

    However, you likely don't have to worry about it.

    For stuff like this in the future though I would scrub your online presence clean so that it's not so easy to find out info about you.

    Descendant X on
    Garry: I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time I'd rather not spend the rest of the winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!
  • Peter PrinciplePeter Principle Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Kinda sounds like it might have been the lead-in to a scam, as opposed to a stalker. You're primed to meet a good looking girl and the next day you get a "I ran into X financial difficulty, can you wire me some money?" beg. It is, of course, not a chick on the other end at all. The "Angel of Mercy" thing sounds like it might be an ESL perpetrator, someone who doesn't understand the implications of what they wrote.

    Peter Principle on
    "A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business." - Eric Hoffer, _The True Believer_
  • adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Don't worry too much about it.

    There are a lot of people on the internet that get their rocks of playing with the emotions of others.

    Your spider sense will adapt to recognize them.

    adytum on
  • MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    With the response I received this morning, I'm sure it's a scam now as the responses are automated.


    The flight details I received are real though, so lots of effort being put in to this. I at least know where to report this now.

    Matrias on
    3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
  • Gabriel_PittGabriel_Pitt Stepped in it Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Man, you just have the worst luck with creepy internet people...

    I'm guessing that if you actually went to the airport, there'd be no one there, (because checking a flight status to confirm it exists is easy) and when you tried to contact them to find out what was going on, you'd be told that something unfortunate had happened, please send money realfastkaythanks to help out.

    Gabriel_Pitt on
  • adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I've had people do this to me on Craigslist while selling things.

    After e-mailing, negotiating, giving me a phone number and their place of work to meet them.. suddenly they don't answer the phone and, oh! Nobody by that name works here.

    People are weird.

    adytum on
  • MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Gabriel_Pitt wrote: »
    Man, you just have the worst luck with creepy internet people...

    I'm guessing that if you actually went to the airport, there'd be no one there, (because checking a flight status to confirm it exists is easy) and when you tried to contact them to find out what was going on, you'd be told that something unfortunate had happened, please send money realfastkaythanks to help out.

    While, no, there's a real flight booking registered to the probable-fictional lady in question. Pretty elaborate investment. I am amused.

    Matrias on
    3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
  • ComahawkComahawk Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    I am lucky nothing like this happened to me, I am totally curious as to what is going on now.

    Comahawk on
  • saltinesssaltiness Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Did you try googling phrases from the emails?

    saltiness on
    XBL: heavenkils
  • BobbleBobble Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    saltiness wrote: »
    Did you try googling phrases from the emails?

    Also, Tineye the photos.

    Bobble on
  • MatriasMatrias Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Oh, lol, googled a phrase from one of the responses. Yep, it's a scammer.

    Okay, thanks guys.

    Matrias on
    3DS/Pokemon Friend Code - 2122-5878-9273 - Kyle
  • OnTheLastCastleOnTheLastCastle let's keep it haimish for the peripatetic Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Uh, what was the phrase? Personal curiosity. Also it will help future people.

    OnTheLastCastle on
  • saltinesssaltiness Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    OnTheLastCastle wrote: »
    Uh, what was the phrase? Personal curiosity. Also it will help future people.

    It doesn't really matter. The way these work you can just pick any phrase or group of sentences and paste them into google and it'll bring up the entire email if it's a scam.

    saltiness on
    XBL: heavenkils
  • EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited February 2011
    Matrias wrote: »
    edit: so long, story short. I stumbled on to an e-mail scammer and was almost fooled. Didn't fall for it, but I'm just going to edit this because I'm a little embarrassed by it....

    You should leave this so people can read it in the future and be warned possibly.

    Esh on
  • InvisibleInvisible Registered User regular
    edited February 2011
    "Your angel of mercy"

    Besides the other bizarre grammar, google that phrase +scam and you'll get a ton of hits. I guess it's supposed to be some sort of sweet phrase, but since they're not first hand English speakers they don't realize that's associated with assisted suicides and certain types of serial killers.

    Invisible on
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