Category: Scams and Security
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Lonely Hearts Scam: Day 4 “Be my hero”
It’s been a busy week for me on the whole scam front. Someone attempted to con me into a remote access scam yesterday. They were disappointed when I wasted a lot of their time. (Shame that my call recorder did not work…I will get them next time) Then I had a second lonely hearts scammer…
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Bitcoin Scam that ALMOST caught me…Almost
Talking with Crypto scammers Part of my study into Con artists is to talk to a scammer on the phone pretending to be a “Mark”. Where some people are interested in the scam itself and how they get your money. For me, I want to know the mechanics of how they can get someone to…
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Anatomy of a “Lonely Hearts Scam” Day Three: Hinting at Romance
IF you are new here I study scams as well as repair Mac computers and just a touch of cybersecurity. I don’t just study who did what and why. But how the scams work. I study the psychology of scams and disinformation. The goal is to someday get a degree on this very topic. Not…
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Am I sure this is a Lonely hearts Scam?
The ongoing saga of me documenting a lonely hearts scam. A friend of mine mentioned that perhaps this is a real person reaching out to me just to have a conversation. Yes, that is very possible. but I really doubt it. Let’s talk about how I have come to this conclusion. Looking at the information…
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New Phone Scam! Remote access to your phone!
I have heard about this scam for a while but yesterday was the first time that I have seen it in person. This trick allows the scammer to access your phone and bank account remotely. However for the scam to work you have to give them access. NEVER DO THAT. How the scam works The…
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Why I do not remote into your computer?
I get asked all the time if I can remote into a computer and fix the problem. Though this sounds like it would be convenient for most customers it opens them up for later scams. Most phone scams these days involve remote access. Using real software used by tech professionals to remotely fix problems with…
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Anatomy of a “Lonely Hearts Scam” Day Two: Alignment
In a previous post, I was contacted by a con artist who mistakenly thought that I might be a good mark. Little did they know I study con artists and online scams. If you are just joining us start there. What is Conversation Alignment? Conversation Alignment is establishing a bias in our minds artificially by…
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Anatomy of a “Lonely Hearts Scam” Day one!
The other day I was minding my own business when I received a random message on Whatsapp. I honestly only use the app to talk to a few people. Looking at the message was obviously a scam of some kind. As I am currently studying the psychology of scams I figured this would be a…
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How to fight disinformation trolls!
Q: Why do you argue with the plague rats? It’s not like you are going to change their mind? A: I’m not trying to convert them. I’m using their techniques against them. Trolls are not about convincing you. They are about putting on a show for others. By receptivity showing their audience, they are full…
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Most scams have nothing to do with Tech
I am not just a Mac computer expert. I study scams and disinformation. I’m that guy who goes through his spam folder just to find new scams, reading them line per line just to get a better understanding on how they work. Most of the scams that I’m seeing lately have very little to do…