Beware Of Hustlers\Scammers On This Site

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Aspinator
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27 Mar 2014, 1:02 pm

I was recently tried to be set up to be scammed. This is how I was approached: A person contacted me out of the blue and told me I answered in thoughtful, insightful ways and it my responses really resonated with them and they wanted to be my friend. I iniatally declined because something didn't pass the "smell test". She persisted and even wanted me to call her and talk to her in person. She also wanted my personal email address because communicating here on WP was cumbersome and awkward. She even got sobby because I didn't trust her. Now I see it in the same light as a rabbit trying to use reason with a fox trying to kill it. The fox might pretend it is agreeing with what the rabbit is saying while in the back of its mind it is still plotting ways to kill the rabbit. Thank goodness the scam didn't develop any further. So if someone iniates contact with you saying such things as "we probably knew each other in a previous life" or that it must be God's will that we found each other, look out.
Here's one possible scenario on how the scam might work: A person will try and create confidence and rapport and then that person develops a horrible sickness or is in a horrific accident and then the person she is in cahoots with will contact you saying they found your phone number and/or email address and they wondered if you could possibly help out with her bills. Then end of story; you never hear from them again.
Just a warning, there are unscrupulous people lurking on this site who are just waiting/looking for an opportunity to take advantage of you.



lostonearth35
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27 Mar 2014, 1:19 pm

There are scammers everywhere, you have to take everything that's said to you with a grain of salt. Of course they should be arrested for doing things like that.



Willard
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27 Mar 2014, 4:03 pm

:lol: I've known too many people like that in Real Life to be suckered into that kind of nonsense online.



Last edited by Willard on 27 Mar 2014, 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AdamAutistic
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27 Mar 2014, 4:53 pm

i like to troll the scammers.


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Misery
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27 Mar 2014, 6:04 pm

Aspinator wrote:
I was recently tried to be set up to be scammed. This is how I was approached: A person contacted me out of the blue and told me I answered in thoughtful, insightful ways and it my responses really resonated with them and they wanted to be my friend. I iniatally declined because something didn't pass the "smell test". She persisted and even wanted me to call her and talk to her in person. She also wanted my personal email address because communicating here on WP was cumbersome and awkward. She even got sobby because I didn't trust her. Now I see it in the same light as a rabbit trying to use reason with a fox trying to kill it. The fox might pretend it is agreeing with what the rabbit is saying while in the back of its mind it is still plotting ways to kill the rabbit. Thank goodness the scam didn't develop any further. So if someone iniates contact with you saying such things as "we probably knew each other in a previous life" or that it must be God's will that we found each other, look out.
Here's one possible scenario on how the scam might work: A person will try and create confidence and rapport and then that person develops a horrible sickness or is in a horrific accident and then the person she is in cahoots with will contact you saying they found your phone number and/or email address and they wondered if you could possibly help out with her bills. Then end of story; you never hear from them again.
Just a warning, there are unscrupulous people lurking on this site who are just waiting/looking for an opportunity to take advantage of you.



Better get used to it. It sure as bloody hell aint just this site, it's the entire damn internet, and many scams are much more dangerous than that one. And that's just the start of the treachery.

Learn enough about them and you've not much to worry about. Me, I've been a part of the Net pretty much since there's BEEN a Net, so I've seen waaaaayyyyyy too much stuff to ever fall for something like that.



Nambo
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27 Mar 2014, 6:54 pm

Did this person actually try to scam you, are are you just thinking thats what they might do?
Whilst I am sure such do exist, my question is, how can you tell the difference between a scammer and a genuine person who wants to be your friend?



wozeree
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27 Mar 2014, 7:10 pm

Aspinator wrote:
I was recently tried to be set up to be scammed. This is how I was approached: A person contacted me out of the blue and told me I answered in thoughtful, insightful ways and it my responses really resonated with them and they wanted to be my friend. I iniatally declined because something didn't pass the "smell test". She persisted and even wanted me to call her and talk to her in person. She also wanted my personal email address because communicating here on WP was cumbersome and awkward. She even got sobby because I didn't trust her. Now I see it in the same light as a rabbit trying to use reason with a fox trying to kill it. The fox might pretend it is agreeing with what the rabbit is saying while in the back of its mind it is still plotting ways to kill the rabbit. Thank goodness the scam didn't develop any further. So if someone iniates contact with you saying such things as "we probably knew each other in a previous life" or that it must be God's will that we found each other, look out.
Here's one possible scenario on how the scam might work: A person will try and create confidence and rapport and then that person develops a horrible sickness or is in a horrific accident and then the person she is in cahoots with will contact you saying they found your phone number and/or email address and they wondered if you could possibly help out with her bills. Then end of story; you never hear from them again.
Just a warning, there are unscrupulous people lurking on this site who are just waiting/looking for an opportunity to take advantage of you.


Something like this happened to KingdomOfRats, she called it being groomed. She explained it at length not too long ago, but I can't remember which thread.



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27 Mar 2014, 7:22 pm

Scammer or not, it's a good idea to bolt if someone comes on super-intense talking about knowing you in a past life or having a tantrum when you say no to something. That volatility is going to be directed at you on a regular basis.



Aspinator
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27 Mar 2014, 8:06 pm

I was somewhat suspicious after being contacted out of the blue like that. It was also just a different slant on the MO that scammers use. Also the old saying: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. I also feel that we Aspies are very susceptable to "ego strokes" because we have gotten so few of them in our lives. I also feel that because we tend to be trusting individuals we tend to be easy targets.



wozeree
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27 Mar 2014, 8:34 pm

Well I've pmed people and told them I liked their posts, etc. and then later gotten to know them a little better. I've also had people do that to me. I think that's legit, but yeah when it's real intense like that and because she asked you to go to email, that to me would be the real suspicious thing.



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11 Apr 2014, 9:36 am

By definition, the "con" in con game stands for "confidence". First they gain the victim's confidence, then later close in for the pay off.

By nature I am a bit naively altruistic, so life has taught me the above the hard way more than once. :roll:



Aspinator
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13 Apr 2014, 2:30 am

I guess I can say in the aftermath of all of this I was really naive. Someone posed as if they wanted to be my friend and their end game was to try and get money from me. Another old saying that fits: Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Someone who perpetuates something like this is lower than low.



Rascal77s
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14 Apr 2014, 7:02 am

Aspinator wrote:
I guess I can say in the aftermath of all of this I was really naive. Someone posed as if they wanted to be my friend and their end game was to try and get money from me. Another old saying that fits: Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Someone who perpetuates something like this is lower than low.


I would report the a**hole to the FBI. And let them know that this person is trying to prey on people with disabilities.



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17 Apr 2014, 3:57 pm

Aspinator wrote:
I also feel that we Aspies are very susceptable to "ego strokes" because we have gotten so few of them in our lives. I also feel that because we tend to be trusting individuals we tend to be easy targets.

I like to think I would never fall for anything like that but what Aspinator said is 100% true. My ego is very rarely stroked, especially by anyone my own age and I am rather naive for my own good. I tend to take people at face value and not realize an evil minded person might come by with a cheerful looking smile.

What really sucks is that I have pushed away people who REALLY wanted to be my friend because I have become so jaded and burned so many times.



bleh12345
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30 Apr 2014, 2:05 pm

There are other people here that have issues besides autism. I can see someone being manic/delusional/eccentric saying the things that was said to you. Either that, or they may believe in past lives, religion, being connected. I see no evidence of a scam. However, I don't doubt that scams can and do start off like that. Also, just because it might not have been a scam doesn't mean you have to give a person the time of day.



MrOddBall
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01 May 2014, 7:52 pm

bleh12345 wrote:
There are other people here that have issues besides autism. I can see someone being manic/delusional/eccentric saying the things that was said to you. Either that, or they may believe in past lives, religion, being connected. I see no evidence of a scam. However, I don't doubt that scams can and do start off like that. Also, just because it might not have been a scam doesn't mean you have to give a person the time of day.


I usually try to give people the benefit of a doubt and wait until red flags fly in the air before judging something as a scam...

The thing people should look for is strangers asking for passwords, bank accounts or anything to do with financial but there's also the trolls to consider ... I mean if the person the OP was referring to started talking about things like money and ways to make more or etc after giving the person his or her's e-mail, then red flags should fly ...