iMugged
The following is an exchange between myself and someone who had clearly taken over a friend’s e-mail account, and was attempting to get me to wire money to them. All of the text is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent: 12:13 PM Scammer: hi there me: Hello 12:14 PM Scammer: how are ...
The following is an exchange between myself and someone who had clearly taken over a friend's e-mail account, and was attempting to get me to wire money to them. All of the text is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent:
The following is an exchange between myself and someone who had clearly taken over a friend’s e-mail account, and was attempting to get me to wire money to them. All of the text is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent:
12:13 PM Scammer: hi thereme: Hello12:14 PM Scammer: how are youi?youme: OK… how’s your daughter Bubbles? [Not her real name –DD]12:16 PM Scammer: did you got my message?12:17 PM me: No, is Bubbles OK?Scammer: yeah12:18 PM I need your help?12:19 PM me: What’s wrong?12:20 PM Scammer: well i had a visit to a resort centerin Wales, England..got mugged by some hoodlumsall cash and credit cards were stolen12:21 PM me: Oh, noThat’s horrible!12:22 PM Scammer: i need your help?thank GOD that i wasn’t hurt and i still have my passport with meme: Well, sounds like things will work out then!12:23 PM Just call the credit card companies!Scammer: have already canceled my credit cards and my bank account was frozen due to security reason12:24 PM the mian issue is that i’m financially straned right now and my return flight leaves in few hours time but i need few cash to sort out some bills before coming overme: Have you contacted your husband Bubba?12:25 PM Scammer: we are both stuck together12:26 PM i need you to loan us few cash?will def refund it as soon as we arrive back tomorrowme: But surely Bubba can use the $500 he always keeps in his security pouch!12:27 PM What flight are you on?Scammer: Virgin Atlantic Airline12:28 PM me: Have you tried contacting them to advance the money? I hear they do that in situations like theseScammer: they can’t do such thingme: Sure they can! They did it when I was mugged in Edinburgh last month!12:29 PM Scammer: i need your help?me: What do you need?12:30 PM Scammer: $1,000 is all we needme: In which currency?12:32 PM Scammer: 600 pounds is all we needme: Oh, dear….How soon do you need it?12:33 PM Scammer: we need it nowthe next available fluight leaves in 2hrs time and we got to be at the airport in 1hr time12:34 PM me: But I don’t see how I could get money to you that quicklyScammer: you can have it wired to me vis Wetsern Uniondo you know any WU outlet nearby?me: Hold on, I’ll check….12:35 PM Scammer: ok12:36 PM me: Why, yes! There is one right near Fahrfivgnugen, MA, on Swindler Street! That’s only 5 minutes from here!Scammer: okwill you leave for the WU outlet now?12:37 PM don’t really have much time to wasteme: Well, where am I supposed to wire it EXACTLY?Scammer: yeah!all you need is just my infoa sec…me: Which is?12:38 PM Scammer: wire it in my name to
5 King Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF10 1SZ, United Kingdomme: OK, I’ll head out in two minutes…Wait, there’s someone knocking at my doorOh, no, they’ve got a gun!!!12:39 PM Scammer: alrightme: Help!!!They’re asking me for all my money and credit cards!!!I’m doing what he says!!!I’m sorry, now I have nothing.When you get back to the States, could you wire me some cash so I could get gas for my car please?Scammer: f*** you12:40 PM you kidding me???
I’m kicking myself that I didn’t come up with something more original than that.
Any suggestions for the future? [UPDATE: thanks to alert reader S.C. for the link to this site.]
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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