Had a call yesterday asking if I can go back to the studio to do some more filming for the program I was originally interviewed for back in November. That makes it a busy week for me. Four hour train ride Thursday to the studio, a few hours of filming, may stay the night there […]
Month: January 2015
I love this comic strip.
So, is the correct term “sextortion”?
We talk a lot about blackmail scams, webcam blackmail and sextortion, and most people assume it’s the same thing. But is it? I’m really not sure if I’m honest. Sextortion can be for money or other things, and that’s the issue. It’s not just about the money. Some do it for the thrill, some do […]
African scammers are starting to use sextortion scams.
This is a worrying trend. The numbers are still very small, but they are rising. We know from experience that scammers in West Africa are much more tenacious with their victims. The advice we’re currently giving of deactivating social media accounts for 2 weeks may soon need to be revised. This works for the scammers […]
Phishing emails are impersonal.
This is a good way to spot a phishing scam email. I mentioned in an earlier blog about hovering over links to see the true location, but this one is even simpler. Beware any emails that start with a generic greeting rather than one that gives your name. Scammers send these emails to hundreds, even […]
The difference between catfishing and romance scams.
The media tends to use either phrase to describe a romance scam, but they are in fact very different beasts. A catfish is usually done as a way to have control over the other person. It’s not about money, but about making a person act in ways they want them to or to control their […]
Just 2 weeks to go until the iDate conference.
As the title says, in just 2 weeks I’ll be at the iDate conference in Las Vegas. Meetings are already being planned, presentations are being written and items are being placed in my suitcase.
(Not really) dying for you to send them money.
Ever heard of a dying widow scam? It’s when the scammer claims to be a rich widow with an incurable disease and asks for you to distribute their money to the “motherless orphans” (are there any other types?) when they die. They then ask you to contact their solicitor for details. And here’s the scam […]
This is what a typical lottery scam looks like.
Notice the way they give you the amount as a number as well as a figure, plus the +4470 phone number. And of course, the fact they’re claiming you won a lottery you never entered. All typical scammer stuff. YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS HAVE WON 1,000,000.00GBP(One Million Great British Pounds)IN 2015 COCA COLA INTERNATIONAL DRAW […]
Mug(u) shots.
Want to see what the scammers behind the stolen photos really look like? Check out http://scamsurvivors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1861 for dozens of examples.