Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.
Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.
Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.
Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.
17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.
Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."
Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
John C. Billingsley, Jr. said 8:15AM on 4-26-2007
I receaved an E-mail from TrimDay offering a trial of this mirical weight loss pill free except for S/H I bit and been receiving $58.90 drafts on my credit card ever sense. They even had the nerve to say that they contributed to cancer reserch (W/e) which they charged to my credit card. I've reported them to the Fed's but they will look in to it. I've called their number to be put on termanel hold, went to their web site and found another scam, sent them E-Mail it comes back by mail Deamon.
I guess the only thang left is to cancel my credit card.
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Jackie said 9:54PM on 6-23-2008
i HAD THIS SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME i CALLED THE CREDIT CARD CO. AND THEY GOT IT CANCELLED FOR ME AND I THINK AT THAT TIME 3 MOS OF MY MONEY BACK TRY THAT FIRST GOOD LUCK.....
Chuck said 9:06AM on 4-26-2007
You don't have to live in Manhattan to be savy You just have to have a little street smarts and commen sense. Should I feel sorry for these people, who think they are getting something free for 30 days? Or believe a stock is cheap and will go through the roof. I just don't.
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myqdx3 said 9:06AM on 4-26-2007
do you mean if u never opened the e-mail you are ok.
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willardmihok said 7:31PM on 7-29-2008
yes
do not, respond
mark as spam
M C said 9:26AM on 4-26-2007
Hey John, no need to cancel your card, just have your back issue you a new card. It should come back with 2 new numbers at the end. When the outfit tries to charge you once again, they have the old card number so the charge never goes through. I just experienced something similar with a card we have with our daughter. Asking for a new card did the trick.
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Josyne said 9:38AM on 4-26-2007
I would just like to say "come on people" don't you have the sense to see that if you don't know who the emails are from DON'T OPEN THEM!!! That's why there is a delete button. I can't believe that people fall for crap like that. If you do then you deserve to be scammed. I mean don't you watch tv or read the papers??! There are warnings ALL the time, and shows on tv about them. So people wake up and hit the delete button!!
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Kevin said 9:49AM on 4-26-2007
I open these e-mails and follow the links. I fill out the forms with false information and profanities. I figure it's the least I can do to waste their time.
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Savvy said 9:50AM on 4-26-2007
I spend my time checking out these kinds of scams for clients. More adviced: Check the spelling and grammar on these sites. We're lucky that most spammers can't spell well and eventually make a error that will alert the reader that something isn't quite right.
That being said, I've seen scam-sites that are so perfectly copied that I wondered whether I'd ordered something and forgotten that I had. So I'm not surprised that many people get taken in. Particularly the elderly.
More Advice. Never open a website from the hyperlink in your email. Type it in from previous references. I'm surprised that legitimate companies still put their hyperlinks in for bill paying, statements etc. in emails knowing how many scammers are out there.
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Donna said 9:52AM on 4-26-2007
Josyne...although I agree that everyone needs to be careful, saying they should not open emails from people they are not familiar with and that 'they deserve' to be scammed is a bit too much.
First of all, some of us use email for business. I do not know all the people who are emailing me. I am careful when the subject line is obviously spam, but when I get something from Ebay and I have just ordered something from Ebay...well you can be sure I am opening the email. What people need to learn is how to put their curser over the link and wait until the link address shows up. If the email states it is from Ebay, but the site address to the link is not to Ebay...report it as spam to spoof@Ebay.com....or where ever.
As far as people deserving to be scammed...does a person who walks down the street with a brief case or purse deserve to be robbed? Does a woman with a low cut shirt deserve to be verbally or physically attacked? Of course not. And people who are trusting do not deserve to be scammed. How about we spend more time educating instead of offending?
MHO...Donna
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Spicuplfe said 10:21AM on 4-26-2007
It's not right for you to say that a person deserves to be scammed!
I mean this world is crazy enough as it is without you making such comments. Keep in mind that this can happen to anyone regardless of whether you read the paper or not. These people are skilled at what they do, that's why it's called a SCAM. We should offer advice on how to catch these crimminals and not rejoice when it happens to good people who work hard to make their money.
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karen said 10:56AM on 4-26-2007
Here's another one I have seen on craigs list for pets. Someone offering a cute toy dog to rehome, usually a pedigree and when you respond they give a whole story about being from a foreign country and they only want you to pay the shipping fee, around $250 and they just want their "baby" to have a good home!
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Laura said 11:14AM on 4-26-2007
I agree that people dont deserve to be abused or scammed. I ws scammed. I ws selling my sons truck and the man sent me Bank of America cashiers cheques and postal money orders. The bank even put a hold on them until the cleared and the funds were available. I ended up paying my bank back 10,000 dollars back. Even tho the bank recieved the funds for the paper documents they came back stolen. I ended up responsible for ALL of the money to be paid back. Was that fair to me when the bank put a hold on it and recieved the funds and released them to me??? NO it wasnt. I still lost $10,000. Thank god he didnt get the truck tho.
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Kevin said 11:23AM on 4-26-2007
A good trick that I haven't seen anyone mention yet is this.....If you open a suspect e-mail that contains a link, put your pointer on the hyperlink and see what address that it gives. Chances are that it will not list the address of the legitimate company they are trying to dupe you into believing they are. Best thing is to not open and delete it but this is just an extra pointer to help make sure they dont take you.
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Marlene said 11:23AM on 4-26-2007
Trim Day Got me too! What a rip off! But i dont know where to report them! Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. thank you
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Zara said 11:32AM on 4-26-2007
i am agree with Spicuplfe.
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E. Doss said 11:46AM on 4-26-2007
I received an E-mail from
I received an E-mail from Paypal telling me that a guy named Steven Gora(behead@aol.com) had stated that I owed him money. First I do not have a paypal account, I do not know a Steven Gora and I certainly did not owe him any money. When I tried to contact AOLPayPal my inquiry went directly to AOL. I checked the member directory and there is a Steven Gora and there is a Behead @aol.com. I am beginning to distrust AOL. I could never get any kind or response from anybody.
Idid document everything I could find about Steven Goro and Behead. I am associated with a local police department and I have turned all of the information over to them.
a
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McK said 11:48AM on 4-26-2007
We actually scammed the scammers, sorta -
First the arrival of the laptop, huh? Then the charge, made while wife was in the air. The call,m get it off the card, call the police, but hey, there was an e-address. Wife makes new return address "hey, you sent to wrong address, where does this go..."
Bingo, two Nigerian names and would you believe Wisconsin. But that was just the beginning - we thought they go arrest them. But who had jurisdiction, where was the crime committed ... the police came over, looked it over ... left ... I called a few times, tried to get a TV show with affiiates in Wisconsin ... nada
So six months later, I said .. hey open it up. Let's see if it works. And it did. Too bad, now it's used goods, they'd have to re-test it, they'd lose all their profits gee whiz ...
Two years later my wife left ... but she left with the laptop. Thanks guys ... next time send me a Porsche please.
LMcK
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Ursula said 12:34PM on 4-26-2007
PayPal provides an E-mail address to which you can send any E-mails you get that say they are from PayPal, but are not. Forward the E-mail you received to spoof@paypal.com, with a note why you think it's not a legitimate message to you. PayPal tracks down the abusers for you. Ursula
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Brenda said 1:12PM on 4-26-2007
I like shopping on Ebay. Around X-mas time I was doing a little surfing on the site. I was logged in with my Ebay name/password and I came accross an auction that looked a little suspicious. It looked like it was selling some womans butt in a thong. Curious me had to click on it. Instead of getting additional information on the auction it immediately screened to the ebay sign-on asking for the account name and password. Wow..( I'm allready signed in)..I back spaced to get out of it and tried again...again it went to the ebay password screen. You got to look for that offical lock to securely sign in and this did not have one. I immediatly left Ebay know that they had a problem. How they could even allow this to happen is beyond me. I know now your not even totally safe on that site either!
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