E-mail scam targets gays

[movieguy47]

I was going seaching gay news, and i run across this and thought i'd post it

it was on The Washington Blade Online

 

E-mail scam targets gays

Appeal offers new twist on Nigerian

[XWorldOblivionX]

I got an email like that but it didnt have anything to do with gay clubs or anything. It said that his dad got killed and that he was in a place in somewhere i couldnt pronounce. I felt special and now I find out it was all a scam.

[wep363]

I remember the first time i got one of those i called the FBI. They told me about the scam. I then went on line and read all about the scam. If anything sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam!!! :wacko:

[movieguy47]

Yeah some things do sound too good

 

here one about an old lady who believe in a scam

and thank to the employees, save her from losing

it all

 

 

Wal-Mart workers foil scam

They call police when elderly woman tries to wire $25,000

 

By ANNE SAKER, Staff Writer

 

 

The elderly woman walked into the Kinston Wal-Mart on Tuesday afternoon a week ago and asked to send some money to Canada.

Lakeisha Washington, 23, working at the wire-transfer counter, gave the woman the usual form to fill out. But when Washington got the form back, she stared at what the woman had written on the bottom line.

 

$25,000.

 

Wire transfers could not exceed $10,000. Washington called out to customer service manager Catina Gooding, 22, and gave her the paperwork. Gooding studied it. She had never seen a number that size on a money-transfer form. She asked the elderly woman, "What are you sending this money for?"

 

"They told me I would have to send the money to get my prize delivered," the woman said.

 

That answer puzzled Gooding. "Did you enter a drawing?"

 

The woman said no. But she volunteered, "I went and cleared out my whole bank account."

 

"Right then," Gooding said, "we knew something was up," and the police were summoned.

 

The woman had been enticed to surrender virtually all of her life savings by a notorious fraud operation out of Canada: A caller announces that the victim has won the Canadian lottery, but before the jackpot can be awarded, the "winner" must send money for taxes or import duties.

 

North Carolina and federal authorities have long warned people against that scam and others like it, which has bilked them of millions of dollars. Attorney General Roy Cooper said Wednesday that last year alone, his office received 400 complaints about telemarketing deceits -- usually after the victim has sent the money.

 

"We think the actual number of victims is much higher," Cooper said. "We think they are underreported. And the amounts taken can range from a few hundred dollars per victim to thousands of dollars."

 

While the Kinston police were on the way, the elderly woman told Gooding she had received a phone call earlier in the day from someone who shared the woman's last name and instructed her to send the money.

 

Kinston police Detective Ray Petrusch knew of the con because in December, another Kinston woman lost $4,500 in the same way. He asked the elderly woman in Wal-Mart about the lottery. "At first, she didn't believe me that it was a scam," he said. "She was adamant that it was legitimate."

 

The woman gave Petrusch a telephone number in Canada. Petrusch dialed the number, the call was answered, and when Petrusch introduced himself, the line went dead. The detective's subsequent calls were picked up by a phone machine. Cooper said the Department of Justice is working with Canadian officials to investigate.

 

Petrusch would not release the elderly woman's name but said her husband had died a few years ago, and she has no children or other family around.

 

He took her to her bank in Kinston, where apparently no one had asked why she was withdrawing her nest egg. Petrusch explained the situation to the manager, who promised to keep an eye on the elderly woman.

 

Gooding said she and Washington received congratulations and thanks from co-workers and customers.

 

Then they went back to work.

 

asaker@newsobserver.com.

 

 

[BillM]

I get many emails like that. I laugh at their pathetic attempt to trick me and then delete them immedialtely

[Guest jamieanderson]

A good rule of thumb is, ""If is sounds too good to be true, then it usually is."

 

Sometimes I reply pointing out that, as my IQ is greater than my shoe size, I'm not eligible for their magnificent offer.

 

Jamie.

[miguelsanchez55]

Wise words guys and yeah, I've seen the scam too but it wasn't for a gay club. The wording was very similar.

 

Take care and keep the delete key in good working order.

Mike :sword:

[Pyro]

I've seen something similar to those and I just deleted it. I don't trust stuff like that.

 

Pyro