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Author Topic: Really Phoolish Phisherpersons  (Read 2058 times)

Offline RHPConsult

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Really Phoolish Phisherpersons
« on: May 25, 2006, 09:53:26 AM »
We have a property we rent to grad students at Berkeley. This is the time of year when we have vacancies for the next academic year. CraigsList has been, by far, the most successful tool to use to find quality folks for tenants, EXCEPT for a growing mystery associated with what appear to be the most foolish and unproductive scammers/spanners/phisherpersons imaginable.

For the past couple of years, each time we post or renew a CraigsListing we receive a deluge of obviously fake replies, filled with pathetically sentimental commonplaces, misspellings, contorted grammar . . . you name it. The reason for this totally escapes me. One would have to be completely stuck-on-stupid ever to reply to one of these ridiculous e-missives.

Which leads me to the question: What does the author(s) possibly gain from such an exercise? Are they "subcontractors" to a spamming cartel, getting paid by the 100,000s of dispatches . . . or something? What?

For the life of me I can divine no reason. Of course, for these creeps maybe reason is irrelevant or beyond their world view.

Anyone else had such an experience . . . figured-out the rationale?

Sincerely yours,

Really Curious in California
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Really Phoolish Phisherpersons
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2006, 09:01:06 PM »
QUOTE
Are they "subcontractors" to a spamming cartel
I have often wondered the same thing. And yet, you may not be far off the mark...
If you still have html/images enabled in your email program...
and
If you open the message...

You have just confirmed that your email address is good! A database with know good addresses is probably quite valuable. Especially when it also lists those people who will tend to open them, regardless of the sender/subject line. And it would also suggest that these people don't care/know about email SPAM/scams/phishing/etc.

Just my paranoid mind at work! It is at least as logical as the messages in these things! tease.gif dntknw.gif

QUOTE
Really Curious in California
Isn't that redundant? rant.gif tongue.gif
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2006, 09:25:26 PM »
QUOTE(airbusdriver @ May 25 2006, 07:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Isn't that redundant? rant.gif tongue.gif


Just wanted to give YOU a straight line!  eusa_dance.gif
« Last Edit: May 25, 2006, 09:26:01 PM by RHPConsult »
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Offline RHPConsult

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« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2006, 09:32:22 PM »
I guess I have naively assumed that the avoiding of opening any attachment, as in avoiding pernicious viri, was also protecting me from spamming. The difference is clear now, sir. My bad, as Al would note.

The problem is: the subject line doesn't allow any "detection" of the inside message, which is always self-evident as a scam, as opposed to legitimate "candidates" seeking information.
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2006, 09:01:09 AM »
QUOTE
The problem is: the subject line doesn't allow any "detection" of the inside message

SPAMsieve seems to be doing a great job of determining what is actually in there. But I still let POPmonitor check all the accounts before downloading with Eudora. That way I can occassionaly take a 'peek' without the danger of actually opening the message. But I also have most images turned off. I think Eudora can be set to allow embedded images only to display. Also have html OFF. All I want to see in an email is the content, spare me the stylish but useless pictures...

Still have some doubts about the mentality of some of those SPAM/phisher/scam "messages"! Sometimes I think they are from teen 'hackers' who are doing it just because they can. dntknw.gif
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THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline Gregg

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Really Phoolish Phisherpersons
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2006, 04:04:06 PM »
Couldn't one disable html/images in the email program and only enable it when you see a legitmate message that it's needed for???
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Ya gotta applaud those bunnies for sacrificing their hearing just so some guy in Cupertino can have better TV reception.

Offline Jack W

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« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2006, 08:56:30 PM »
QUOTE(Gregg @ May 27 2006, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Couldn't one disable html/images in the email program and only enable it when you see a legitmate message that it's needed for???


IAW Gregg. That's what I do.

Jack
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