MPAA Chief Sings The Praises Of Interoperable DRM

If You Want To Live, Send $40k To This Paypalcom.ru Account

from the want-to-make-money-from-home? dept

Thu, Apr 26th 2007 9:10pm — Carlo Longino

Online extortion scams seem to be a recurring problem, even though script kiddies are killing the margins. The latest scam sees users being spammed with a note from a would-be contract killer, saying he's been paid to kill them, but will let them live for $40,000, then responds to emails with personal information stolen from other sites. The whole thing sounds about as believable as the average 419 spam, but given the number of folks who should have known better that have fallen for them, it's probably worth highlighting for the sake of the wealthy individuals who are being targeted. In particular, heed the last line of the original article, which relays that a security expert "recommended that no one reply to these e-mails" -- unlike all those other scams you keep replying to.

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26 Comments

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Lucas, 26 Apr 2007 @ 9:37pm

Hilarious!
Who would fall for that? They should have their money taken from them for safe keeping.
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Missing, 26 Apr 2007 @ 9:54pm

I'd like one sent randomly to me. I'd respond with a bring it on letter.
Just to see what happens.
They wanna find me to do it, I'd be suprised.
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SentauR, 26 Apr 2007 @ 10:13pm

One Word
One word 3 letters.... WOW!!!!
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Censure, 26 Apr 2007 @ 10:40pm

I couldn't get forty-thousand dollars if my life depended on it...
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XCetron, 26 Apr 2007 @ 10:46pm

Rofl, the world gets funnier everyday.
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dorpus, 26 Apr 2007 @ 11:11pm

Learn from the Chechens
If killers blow off one of your hands, fight back with the other hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb7QCf9WzS4
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2007 @ 12:08am

I never did like email. It really is a f****** joke. One step up from youtube or an aol/myspace acct.
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paul, 27 Apr 2007 @ 1:19am

I was trying to sell a laptop on craigslist once and well one guy offered to pay me with a picture of the check that i was then suppose to print out and take to my bank.
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junglejim0745, 27 Apr 2007 @ 3:26am

Death threat e mails
To the casual observer who is also computer and internet savvy this looks funny and it is hard to imagine anyone reacting to them, but to many older people who barely know how to turn their computer on to get e mail from their very well intending children who graciously bough and set up their compter, it can be a scary thing. Many times these are the people targeted by scammers.

It would be less funny if it were your parents they were targeting, I think there is no punishment gross enough for someone who will do this to old people, and the punishment should be severe for anyone who does it to anyone.

Personally I would be like the other poster and send a message for them to come on, as I was cleaning and checking how well loaded my guns are. It takes a real coward to threaten someone from a distance or on line. I spent many years arresting and prosecuting cowards such as these, so I say if they want to kill me, bring it on. They really should do their homework and grow a spine first though. -
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- Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2007 @ 7:15am
  
  Re: Death threat e mails
  "To the casual observer who is also computer and internet savvy this looks funny and it is hard to imagine anyone reacting to them, but to many older people who barely know how to turn their computer on to get e mail from their very well intending children who graciously bough and set up their compter, it can be a scary thing. Many times these are the people targeted by scammers."
  
  That is the exact reason I think everyone who has a computer should have at least the basic training of how to use it. You wouldn't drop someone behind the wheel of a car and send them hurtling down the highway, so why do we let people jump on a computer and start propagating viruses and opening their systems up to becoming a drone? At the very least, their children should buy them a MAC or install Linux on the machine and not let them know the root/administrator password.
  
  As far as death threats go, if I have not killed myself by now, I seriously doubt some random hit man is going to. Hell, I don't even know when they could pull it off; I drive like a maniac every where I go and am not really the kind of person you want to start shooting at...
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  - Wyndle, 27 Apr 2007 @ 7:34am
    
    Re: Re: Death threat e mails
    As far as death threats go, if I have not killed myself by now, I seriously doubt some random hit man is going to. Hell, I don't even know when they could pull it off; I drive like a maniac every where I go and am not really the kind of person you want to start shooting at...
    
    Reminds me of that saying I kept hearing as a bluff: You better kill me with the first shot because you wont get a second one.
    
    I may have a high pain threshold and a knack for aiming at vital areas but I don't think I could kill on the first return shot if I was wounded.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2007 @ 10:36am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Death threat e mails
      This reminds me of a buddy. He was worried because his brother had been shot five times. Turns out the brother was hard-core and had threatened someone. That person shot him in the leg. He didn't go down, so the person shot him in the other leg. Then one arm, and then the other arm. Finally, the brother went down with a bullet in the gut. All I can say is, it's a good thing the person with a gun was good shot and managed to not kill him!
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Jeremy, 27 Apr 2007 @ 3:28am

Amazing
The most amazing thing about this is the fact that someone had such an inflated image of themselves that they paid for it! I can't believe that people fall for this crap! It's common sense people! This prime minister of Nigeria does not have a government trust fund with millions of dollars that he wants to trust you with! Pay Pal doesn't want me to respond to an email with my password! It's gotten so bad that when you start up msn messenger it says RIGHT AT THE TOP THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE AWAY PERSONAL INFORMATION! DUH! GET A CLUE!
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The Swiss Cheese Monster, 27 Apr 2007 @ 3:36am

"'recommended that no one reply to these e-mails' -- unlike all those other scams you keep replying to."

Of course, those of us who spend time in computer security wouldn't have to do such things if our clients were smart enough to not reply to them.....

The repetition gets annoying though.
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The infamous Joe, 27 Apr 2007 @ 3:53am

Answer.
This is clearly the fault of violent video games.
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- Yawn, 27 Apr 2007 @ 4:25am
  
  I solve all my problems through violence
  Give it a rest Jack Thompson, no one likes a prick ;)
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Team Tutorials, 27 Apr 2007 @ 4:38am

Stupid People
The people that fall for these scams are morons.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2007 @ 6:47am

Send me $40k or I'll post to this thread again. I'm not kidding! I know where this post is found!

How long before the "threats" like this move onto the forums? I've seen it over and over and I'm still surprised at the lack of rational thought of people.
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hank, 27 Apr 2007 @ 7:55am

i have received
it sounds ridiculous but when i got the first one, it was really creepy - for a split second it makes you think

here is the text:

Hello hank,
I wish to let you know that i have been paid by a client to assasinate you at convinience, i have signed a contract of $250,000 yesterday for this, i have never met you before, but they gave me the full description of your identity and contact,together with your photograph which my boys have used to trace you.

The reason why they want you Dead is not disclised to me as i was not allowed to know,but you are now not better that the dead ok.

My BOYS are now contantly watching you,they are following you anywhere you go and they are waiting for the instruction to terminate you.

I used the contact the client gave me to source for your email from the public email directory so that i can get you informed that you will be killed

This is my message to you.

LISTEN VERY WELL !!!!,the Police cannot do much to help you out in this right now because you are beign watched,any such attempt is very risky cause you will push us to terminate your life without option

your calls are not safe also.In fact you are traced.

I have no business with you but at least i have cleared the way as a pro-,

HAVE A NICE DAY TODAY!!!!! GOOD MAN.

Thank you
loverboy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2007 @ 8:52am
  
  Re: i have received
  It might sound creepy but if anyone for an instant believed this then they are a moron.
  
  Let me point some rather obvious things out.
  
  1. Why does somone want to kill you?
  
  2. You're telling me somone wants to pay £250,000 to kill you? Who the fuck are you? You're a nobody your life isn't worth a £1.00 let alone £250,000. Get over yourself you self-important twat.
  
  3. What contract killer would TELL you they were going to kill you?
  
  4. Why would a contract killer take £40,000 from you when all they have to do is kill your worthless arse and make £250,000?
  
  Sorry but there is no excuse for idiocy. Oh and as far as old people go or non IT literates if they got a letter through the post what would you do?
  
  Call the police? Or pay up?
  
  Pffft dumb arses
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PhysicsGuy, 27 Apr 2007 @ 10:11am

wow
genius... pure genius. and umm... you shouldn't capitalize every letter when you mean to say Mac. MAC is something completely different.
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patent, 27 Apr 2007 @ 11:55am

Can we patent these death threat emails?
Can we patent these death threat emails?
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Steve-O, 27 Apr 2007 @ 1:22pm

LOL
Death threat by email? With a house full of guns, I'd be thinking more along the lines of "fuck you, come and get me."
Any excuse to execute a douchebag is a good one.
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skh.pcola, 27 Apr 2007 @ 1:57pm

Almost every single day, I see shit like this and wonder, "Why am I not filthy rich yet?" If maroons will fork over $80,000 on blatantly bogus threats like this, they should willingly cough up $100 or so for almost anything. Like, for instance:

"Send me $100, or I will direct my magic cloud-making machine to cause your daughter's next birthday party to be rained out."

Fookin' A, man. I'm going to be as wealthy as Donald Trump soon.
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Not Amused, 7 May 2007 @ 9:17pm

Death threat email
Can the receiver of those emails please publish the email header info? Thx.

NA
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The Grim Reaper, 30 May 2007 @ 1:12pm

I Swear It Wasn't Me
You know, of all the people involved in this I'm rather upset. I'm not seeing any of the profits from this whatsoever. The guy is keeping me out of work and it's really troubling.

Maybe I'll send HIM and email... HAH!
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