Score one for the good guys!

[Antiscam]

Hi,

On 12/1, I got an email from a personals site."Olga" gave me her email address and asked me to email her back. (I had put some minimal info on this site to browse it almost 3 years ago.)"Olga" is on Stop-scammers.com as Nadezhda Platunova from Yoshkar. I have seen her pic on other scam sites also. She sent me 6 pics on the first letter. Three of the pics had other girllfreinds in them so she would seem like a normal, small town girl I suppose.

"Olga" said she was  from the town Gramatuha near Irkutsk, Siberia. Her parents died "in accident with truck" when she was 5 and was raised by her grandmother and still lives with her. She works as a sales clerk in a clothing store. There are no phones in Gramatuha and she gets her mail at "internet club".( I gave her my number and asked her to call  me). She has an aunt that lives in Moscow and works as translator and has been to USA often. blah, blah, blah...

By the 5th letter, she was sure I was the man for her and could not wait until after work to go to internet club and open my letters. She also that day was cleaning the attic with her grandmother and a "medallion" fell out of some old clothes. Her grandmother gave it to her and she took it to a "pawn shop". The man there told her it was from late 18th century(late 1700's?!? yeah right!.)and he could only give her $200 but that it was worth $2000-3000 in the USA and she should sell it there.  By the 8th letter, she wanted to come to USA and see me "because meeting in person better than thousands of emails" On the next letter, she had gone to visa office and the man told her she was sure that she could bet a "B2" visa($340) and that it would take 2 to 3 weeks. She also found out that the plane tickets were $790 and that she was able to pay for the visa and towards the ticket(awww, how nice of her!) but still needed $690.She next sent me all the Western Union info ie code numbers etc that I would need.I told her that I could help her with maybe $100-200 and that she should try to borrow that rest from her aunt or freinds and pay them back with the money from the medallion. (she made  tactical error by bringing in the medallion story because I turned it around by telling her that after selling it at an auction here, she would be going back to Russia with over $3000 including the money that I would reimburse her for the tickets and visa) Then I told her in the next letter that I had  good news and had been thinking of her "difficult situation"(according to her) and had reconsidered. I would pay for her visa and tickets and that if she wanted she could pay me back from her medallion sale! I told her to send me a copy of the visa when she got it. (so i would seem like a somewhat careful person, er umm, mark..haha).

Now for the good part! This morning I get a call from "Olga"! It lasted about a minute before the disconnection and all that I asked her was where she was(at a pay phone) She spoke very good english and her accent was not too thick.

So now they are out the cost of a call!!

The point is that they will spend time and maybe money if they think that you are a clueless american rube and they got the hook in deep. My advice is to have fun with it! String them along. That keeps them from spending time on other victims. If one email scammer has a caseload of let's say 50(working 8 hours a day) and gets 5 scores a week at an average of $700..well, you do the math! If there is a group of 10 of them, then they are taking in almost 2 million a year...and these numbers are probably conservative!

You can use some of the same excuses they use...  try I will be gone to take care of my mother for a week as she is in the hospital(partly true) and there is no computer where she lives.  I want to send cash..then, I sent the money, I don't know where it went.. BE CREATIVE! Play the part. It will keep them bogged down if there are many who string them along. Promise them money. Do not challenge thier info such as visa or ticket info. Be clueless and nice and innocent. Tell them you just got a computer and have never traveled out of the USA. Tell them you can't beleive how lucky you are to have found such a nice person on the internet!

Who knows how much that call to me cost them but I know the score is:

Good Guys 1 - scammers 0

Take care.

Mike

[BC]

I think I would have just told her on the phone that you already heard about this scam 1000 times and then ask her for a date.

Wonder what the reaction would have been..

[RacerX]

Not me, I would have insisted she send me the medallion and then told her I would send the  $2-3K back after selling it.  If she refused, I would express my utter dismay at her lack of trust for her future fiance.   

[Antiscam]

She would have moved on to the next "stupid american".

Has anyone else on here heard of being called by a known scammer? I would not think they call many potential suckers. They probably use the call to "prime the pump" of a potential big fish that is about to really bite.

Mike

[Antiscam]

RacerX,

Yes! I thought of that!I think I will propose that to her in my nexy email.. I just got today's mail from "her". It makes no mention of today's earlier phone call(Different person making the emails as opposed to making the calls) After all, She must love me sooo much and will do anything for us to be together...cough cough..

My love Michael!!!

I was so happy to receive news from you! It's very important for me to
continue communicationg with you to get news about you and to tell
about me. I am very proud for our relations.

I so sad but I cannot start my visa without ticket. This is why I need
money as soon as possible. Today we have a cold weather, a little
wind. I do not like such weather. All people seem tired at the
streets. But I have a good mood, because I know that there is man at
another part of the earth who loves me and who needs me. And who would
love to share his life with me.

Dear Michael! I am very tired to be along. Every night I can't sleep
thinking about you and about us. I have a lots of dreams about you and
bout us. Sometimes I am crying because we are not together. Can I
write you such things? I can't wait till that day when we shall meet.
I dream to be with you soon. Its seems you are that man who I searched
for all my life! And this is so pleasant for me that I found you! I
looking forward for the day of our meeting! I know that it will be the
best and happiness date for us! Every day staiyng here without you is
very hard for me.

So, I will go home now to make holidays food. My aunt will go home to
Moscow tomorrow morning. I love her very much. I hope to make
celebrate food for you too, for the day of our meeting.

Your Olga

[Jack]

Hello Mike, I was quite surprised to get a call a few days ago from a woman I suspect is a scammer from the city of Cheboksary. Not sure how many guys know it but their is a very efficient scam operation coming out of Cheboksary. So I pretty much pegged this very attractive Irina as a scammer some time ago and really was not spending any time writing her. In my last e-mail to her when I insisted on getting her phone number she of course did not have a phone but said it might be easier for her to call me, so sure Irina, like your going to call me, here is my phone number.
 
Well low and behold she called a few days ago. Took me half a minute to figure out who she was and then I realized it was this Irina.
 
So some new twist in the art of scamming must be un-folding with these phone calls. In the past scammers just did not make such phone calls on their nickel. 

[Albert]

Re: Phone calls from scammers.

Probably this is due to (1) increasing sophistication of the operations (that is to say that they think the phone calls will help set or imbed the hook) and (2) lowered cost of international calls from FSU. 

For number (2) it is now possible to use the Skype system to call USA from Ukraine and Russia for about 2 cents per minute.  This is a call from a computer headset to a land phone here in USA.  So really these phone calls that you guys are getting . . . . and that more and more guys will be getting . . . . are pretty cheap indeed for the scammer operations.

Think of the calls that (mostly) guys make to phone sex operations here in USA.  The gals that are breathing hard on other end of line are actually knitting some booties for their grandchildren (at least in a funny movie that someone told me about).

Now, in the scammer operations, the grannies knitting the booties in FSU will be calling you guys.

[Photo Guy]

about Tatyana (Nadezhda),

It was entertaining to read this about a woman I had emailed at the beginning of the year. She REALLY got my attention- beautiful, spoke English, and did the email thing. I even sent KenC a couple of her snapshots at that time. As I 'investigated' deeper, through our email exchanges, things began to stink. Yes, she had found an amazing rare coin under a floor board, while cleaning her house. She lived with her Aunt or Grandma. It took me less than 10 emails to figure out that she was probably a scammer. As I asked more questions, and she saw I did not care about her 'rare coin', she dropped out of sight.

I think it goes to show you that it can be pretty easy to tell when the woman's a scammer, IF she's NOT very good at it. The thing she had going for her, was her beauty and her easy playful way of writing. ...But, the facts just never added up.

Here's a few of her photos. I'll post an email or two.

[Photo Guy]

with her Aunt Grandma

[Photo Guy]

with her Siberian-looking friends

[Photo Guy]

an early email:

Dear (your name here)!
I was very surprised to get your answer! Unfortunately I don't know a
lots about you, but I hope to know more! I did not have a lots
experience in using computers and communicating through Internet with
another people. But I hope it will work.

First of all please let me know can you understand me or not. I don't
sure in my English. I was not best student in our group learning
English, but I hope you will understand me and may be help me to study
English more.

So, something about me: I am Russian woman, I live in town Homutovo.
It's a very small town, its situated about 7500 km from Moscow to the
east. There are no much big cities near it. The largest is Irkutsk.
And what about your city? I am curious about it, about culture of your
country.

I am 29 years old, my birthday is 7 July. And when does your birthday?
How do you spend it? I graduated from our States University, which is
situated in Irkutsk. My specialty is economical managment. I did not like
this science a lots, but it was very popular in Russia when I was
ready to choose specialty after graduating school.

So, about a reason why I am here. I will write you more later, now I
just would like to check does it work or not. I search for my
soulmate, to share with him all my happyness and troubles. And love. I
do not searching for long extended correspondence, and I dont like to
play in any soul games. I need to find real man for love and I hope
its you.

That's a little about me and I hope to know more about you.
Unfortunately I don't sure did I done all fine to send you this letter
and will you receive it or not. Its will be so pleasant for me to get
answer from you! I will be waiting it with impatience!
Tatyana
P.S. My photos are attached. I am very curious about you. Please send
me more of your pics. Even if you dont have it, please do it, its so
important for me![/code]

[catzenmouse]

[user=134]Photo Guy[/user] wrote:

with her Siberian-looking friends

Photo,

 Why are they "Siberian-looking"? If she was a scammer why would  you even think she was from Siberia? How would you qualify someone as  Siberian?

Ken

[Antiscam]

Photo,

That's not my Olga(Nadezhda) but the first email I got from her is almost verbatim. Check it out:

"Dear Michael!

I was very surprised to get your answer! Unfortunately I don't know a
lots about you, but I hope to know more! It is my first time in using
computers and communicating through Internet with another people. But
I hope it will work.

First of all please let me know can you understand me or not. I don't
sure in my English. I was not best student in our group learning
English, but I hope you will understand me and we will not have a
problem with our communications.

So, something about me: I am Russian woman, I live in town
Gramatuha It's a very small town, its situated about 8000 km
from Moscow to the east. There are no much big cities near it. The
largest is Irkutsk. It is very big city and have airport, movies,
theatres and stadium. And what about your city? I am curious about it,
about culture of your country.

I am 29 years old, my birthday is 7 July 1976 year. And when does
your birthday? How do you spend it? I graduated from our States
University, which is situated in Irkutsk. My specialty is financial
managment. I did not like this science a lots, but it was very popular
in Russia when I was ready to choose specialty after graduating
school.

So, about a reason why I am here. I will write you more later, now I
just would like to check does it work or not. I search for my
soulmate, to share with him all my happyness and troubles. And love. I
do not searching for long extended correspondence, and I dont like to
play in any soul games. I need to find real man for love and I hope
its you.

That's a little about me and I hope to know more about you.
Unfortunately I don't sure did I done all fine to send you this letter
and will you receive it or not. Its will be so pleasant for me to get
answer from you! I will be waiting it with impatience!

Olga

P.S. My photos are attached. I am very curious about you. Please send
me more of your pics. Even if you dont have it, please do it, its so
important for me!"

I had not sent her any pics. I told her I did not have any on my harddrive. That has not slowed her down any!

I hesitate to attach her pics because I do not know if the file containing 6 pics exceeds the 300,000 limit. I will see if I can figure out how to send one or two per post.

I also do not want to mention another site again(in the first pargraph of first post, sorry Dan, I will figure this attachment thing out!) but if you want to see her, go to that site and click on browse all scammers. Olga(Nadezhda P.) currently on page 12, top left corner.

I have some new email.. I will post it for all the newbies out there!

Mike


 

[Antiscam]

Her is MY little scammer!

See if this works...

[Antiscam]

damn, clicker it twice..

another from the first email

[Antiscam]

Partay!

[Antiscam]

Looks like a teen in those last two. The first one with the red stripes look like some higher mileage on her..

I like this one, looks a little older here:

[Antiscam]

Last one and this one were from a second group she sent.

[Antiscam]

Ok, enough of that..she IS kinda cute though.

Her is my response to her email in the 3:48pm post:

My sweet Olga!

How are you today? It's a beautiful sunny day here but it is very cold. it was 0 degrees farenheit last night. I want to go to the Carribean! Can you get a visa to go on vacation there?

I was just reading this email from and noticed something you said that confused me. You said that you needed to get a ticket before a visa. is it not the reverse? If you bought a ticket, and then did not get visa approved you would lose the money for the ticket I think...

I know we will be able to be together. Maybe we will have to meet in France or another country. Do you speak any other languages? (Your english is very good ,by the way!)

Tell me what you think!

Yours always,
Michael

[Antiscam]

And here is today's email..hilarious!

My next letter will be about the "great idea" of her sending me the "medallion" to sell here and we can then have the money to be t6gether!That should end things pretty quick!

My love Michael!

I was glad to call you! I am very happy to receive a mail from you.
When I reading it I do not feel that I am along, I feel, that there is
a man, who needs me, for who I am not indifferent, and who is not
indifferent for me. I am thinking about us whole time, I understood,
that for the time of our communicateions we became not only close by
souls, hearts and thoughts, but I love you. I understood that this
feelings which I feel is named love, that this is not just a word or a
sound, and that for what I would like to live, to live for us, for our
love, for our happyness, for our future. I dreaming about that day,
when we shall meet and our hearts will be beat in one rithm. I will
not lose money if you bought a ticket, and then did not get visa
approved - I will have a special contract with agency about it. Our
meeting is my persuasive idea. Every day i waking up with thought and
thinking about that fact, that we are not together and this is make me
sad. At nights I am thinking a lots about our relations. And I
understand, that you are that man, who I am ready to give my heart,
hand and to share my soul, dreams, thoughts and life. I dont need
someone more, but you, knowing you all other people become
indifferent. For me in this world there are only you and I, and our
love. Nobody will force me to stop love you or change my feelings to
you. I would like to let you know that I saying to you I did not tell
someone else, thats feelings that grow from my soul and heart. Believe
me, i will noy lose you or betray you, my love to you will not allow
me to do it. And my love to you is that for what I am live now and
would like to live.

Your Olga


 

[Antiscam]

This is the letter that tells of finding the medallion.

My dear Michael!!!!!

Today I just can't wait to read your mail! Its seems it become mean
for me more and more! So, how are you today? I am really surprised how
Internet helps us to get close! Now I so thanks to my girlfrind and I
am so sad that I did not know you early! I become so attached to your
letters!

Today I did not work. That's why my grandmother and I make general
cleaning of house. We do it every three-month and it takes whole day.
I like to make cleaning with grandmother. She is very hardworking
woman and to clean house with her is very chearful. We always like to
be in company of each other. We spoke a lot and I told her about our
relations. I said her that I did not believe it early and I am so
happy to see that it works now! She was very surprised and wishes us
luck and she hopes that our relations will grow up in future in more
seriouse. Also we do small cleaning every week by Saturdays. Today we
wash windows, walls, floors, and cleaned carpets. It was really easy
for me to do it thinking about you. When we cleaning attic I assorted
old things. There there were many old things and clothes and I spent
many time on it. When I to take out old clothes I saw how something
have dropped out on a floor. It is was medallion. I was really
curiouse what does it mean and my grandmother advise me to go to
specialist. He told me that its very valueable medallion which is
dated about the end of 18 century. I was really happy to know it. It
has great quality. He told me that it may costs from 300 till 500
dollars USA. And they said that it can cost more at some other
countries. I decided to save it for future. I hope that sometime this
medallion will help me.

My dear Michael, its a little confuse me, but I would like to share my
dream with you. Today night I saw that we sat together at a coast of a
big lake. I have not seen this lake early, but it was so beautiful and
quiet, and barrels an easy warm breeze. We looked at night sky and we
see nice moon and a lots of stars which was reflected in a mirrow of
water. It was so good and I feeled your strong arms on my shoulders.
We spoke about us and about our feelings to each other. I imagined
that we had to tell each other something important, that will change
all our future. But at this moment I waked up but I had impression
from this dream for a long time. It was so real, that when I
understood that it's only a dream, I was very sad. I have never feeled
such feelings. And I believe that someday this dream become true!

My dear Michael, I often think about you and about our relations. It
seems to me that every day we become closer. We know more about each
other and I like all that you wrote me. So, I will go home now to
think about this all. I hope I did not confused you with my dream.
What do you think about this all?

Hug you, my dear Michael,

Olga

[Antiscam]

And here is the tale of the trip to the pawn shop..

I am so happy to get your letter and I am so happy that we becoming
closer to each other. All night I thinking about you and about us, I
turned on few times the light to read and reread your letters. Its
very great that people can meet each other throught Internet and write
letters to each other just every day which can let them know more
about each other, to make fellings and empathies. I am so gald to meet
you in my life and I am planning to meet you in person. I am very
serious in my choice. I dont think that longterm correspondence will
help us as much as personal meeting. I dont like to speak about
financial, it does not good in Russia, I dont brought up such, and my
grandmother teach me to consult with it only by myself, and if I ask
someone about something, it mean that I thought a lot about wheather
to do it or not. So I thought a lot about is this good or not to ask
you about help, but I hope for your understanding because I do it only
for both of us and for our happyness. My dear, during the time of our
communicating, I understood that we have feeling to each other that I
can call LOVE. Such feelings between people become not only from
nothing and from lots of thought, analyses of relations, understanding
and mutual help. With every day I am becoming surer in my choise and
in you. And I sure those if I do some mistake you will understand me
and forgive me and I can say it about myself too. Looking for our
relations I understood that only destiny of my heart is to meet you in
person. And I believe in mutual feelings.
I was at cash of airport department today asking about cost of the
tickets. I dont think that tickets can cost so much! I dont sure in
choice of date, but I asked about cheapest tickets that exists. Its
costs about 790 US dollars. So, here is information about ticket:
Depart Irkutsk (IKT) 8:05 am
Arrive Moscow (SVO) 9:25 am, 14 January
Airlines: Aeroflot-Russian Airlines 750

Depart Moscow (SVO) 1:05 pm
Arrive Bangor (BGR) 9:48 pm, 14 January
Airlines: Air France 2145  / 322
          Delta 5709
Connect in Paris (CDG), Boston (Logan Intl.)
Unfortunately for that moment its really big money for me. As you
know, I saved up some money, its about 100 dollars for the ticket and
all money for the visa. So I need about 690 dollars more. Its really
hard for me to find now such money by myself, it will take about half
of year more. I thought a lot about how I can get such money to make
us be together. The best idea was to sell a madallion, but when I come
to pawn shop, a man there said me that maximum price is about 220
dollars, that he can give me for it. He advise me not to sell this
medallion, because it costs more money that he can give me. He asked
why I need to sell it and I told him about you and about my visit. He
was surprised, and said, that I have to take this medallion with me
and in America this medallion can cost more then 2000 dollars
depending a place of selling. And he advised me to ask money from you.
I dont know now where I can get such money. Will you help me with it?
Its really unpleasant for me to ask you help, but I its seems I have
to do it for both of us. I will take a medallion and will present it
to you so you can do what you want with it. I dont know a lots about
how to send money but if you are interested I will ask it from my
aunt, she sent money few times for my grandmother from another
countries. What do you think about a date of our meeting? Which is the
best? The easiest for me is to take vacation at the next month. Please
write me your opinion. I am waiting your responce with impatience and
I hope for soon meeting. I am sure that meeting in person will be
better then thouthands of letters! And I cant wait to see you in
person!
Most sweet kisses, yours
Olga

[Photo Guy]

[size="3"][color="darkred"]Michael,

Yes- forget her photos. It is definitely the SAME writer. No doubt about it.

Which photos do you think represent the real writer?
Olga...or Tatyana?
My beloved Tatyana DID include photos of her alleged 'Grandma'.
Oh, how I miss her so...

The scammer may be the woman in my photos or the one in your photos. Or maybe a third person- like a Fat Yuri. It is interesting that the dozen photos he or she sent me, showed a person at different stages of her life- different ages. That's rather sophisticated. Maybe it's an organized scamming group, with a number of thieves playing different roles.[/color][/size]

[TwoBitBandit]

You scam-baiters are just touists compared to this guy:

http://419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm

[Antiscam]

Twobit,

That is unfreakin' beleivable! Wow!

I need to sharpen up my scam!

Mike