Posts Tagged ‘scams’

Are People still falling for this e-mail scam?

Posted: January 13, 2011 by datechguy in tech
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Checking the e-mail and I got this today:

My Dear,

after reading your profile, i decided to contact you for long term relationship and business partnership.

I Alfred Samzo, 20 years old boy from Republic of Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast ) in west africa. Beside , i am an ophan but inherited all my late father’s wealth. though money is not everything but love, caring and togetherness is important in life.

I intend to establish good relationship with you and also intend to start a lucrative business in your country under your help. though we have not met before but i believe one has to try some certain risk sometimes in order to succed in life.

I inherited Ten Million U.S Dollars, which my late fether deposited in a bank here in Abidjan, (Cote D’Ivoire) before he was assasinated by unknown people. i have decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough out side my country for security and political reasons. i want you to help me transfer these money from here into your designated bank account in your country for investment purposes .

I will like you to contact me immediately, or call me on my private phone number +225-0914-9076,

Thanks

Alfred Samzo,

I’m amazed to see these scams till having an effect, I guess like the wire in the Sting is it so old that some might have forgotten it.

I have one thing to say to people foolish enough to fall for this. Put $50 in my tip jar instead. If you Hit my tip jar, it will cost you a whole lot less money than that phone call and the scam that will follow it plus you will get a return of commentary and insights that will be of value to you.

Take my advice, put this type of mail in your spam folder and delete asap.

Predictions old and new

Posted: December 31, 2010 by datechguy in oddities
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Nope this isn’t a post about my predictions for 2011 this is instead about predictions in the past that have become busts:

It is always entertaining to look at predictions from the past, and see how far off they were. In the 1920s, the assumption was that by the 1950s, we would all be getting around in flying cars. Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward describes how by the year 2001, capitalism would have completely disappeared (at the instigation of the capitalists, who would see the advantages of socialism), replaced with a democratic socialism where everyone ate in common mess halls, owned everything in common, and there was almost no violence anymore.

Clayton then links to this list of predictions of environmental catastrophes that weren’t and concludes thus:

When scientists make apocalyptic predictions based on claims of science, I expect them to hit their marks, or have a darn good explanation for why not.

The problem being these days that huge amounts of cash ride on these predictions and the right way of looking at things can be the difference between a well-funded grant keeping you in champagne for decades to teaching chemistry at a community college. More importantly with the amounts of money involved any challenge to the orthodoxy becomes not so much a scientific debate as a threat to a person’s standard of living requiring a strong and sometimes devastating counter.

The whole Global Warming bit has become basically a giant 21st century version of The Sting with the taxpayers of the western world as the mark. I predict that when it fails there will be a new version with a new prediction and a new urgency that will drive media coverage and funds for NGO to keep them in caviar for another decade or two.

Wow Bjorn Lomborg on Morning Joe?

Posted: April 23, 2010 by datechguy in media, opinion/news
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This is what tells me that the climate change scandal means something.

There was never a time when Lomborg would be considered a proper guest. He was considered an apostate.

Now they gave him only 3 sentences and he barely managed that the subsidies where just tax give aways. Never managed to mention his big argument that in terms of human issues, “global warming” is minor and we are fools to spend money on it while say Africa needs fresh water.

That this is on TV speaks volumes on where the scam has gone.

Not one question on the e-mail stuff. But for MSNBC it’s huge.

There is charity and there are scams…

Posted: January 26, 2010 by datechguy in tech
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and our friends at Zolex PC have an important warning about the latter:

Unfortunately tragedies and catastrophes like Haiti’s current situation can give rise to golden opportunities for scammers and Flim-Flammers alike to make money off of a willing and generous public. There are plenty of Scam Sites already out there trying to do this masking themselves as helping Haiti but really just helping themselves to your generous donations.

The advice is basic but too often ignored. Remember the thieves go where the money is and the money now is online, and available via “text”…

Websites can be put up in a matter of hours and appear completely legitimate so do your research before you donate your money to a scam. Texting scams are very common. With texting you never know what else you could be signing up for. Scams come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Be it via Text messaging, Email Scams, Websites, Facebook, or any other means. Where there is a way to take advantage and trick people through their own generosity, you can be sure there are plenty of slime and scum who will take advantage of it.

Read the whole thing as they say. Also if you decide to give online do a google or yahoo search to be sure you are getting to a real site, particularly if you are iffy on spelling. This makes it less likely to hit a “spoof” site. DON’T give via e-mail links or IM requests.

Take this advice to heart so that your hard earned money goes to those who need it not to those who are looking for a quick buck. (My advice: give through your local church if you have one).