Correspondence w/gal from Samara

[acrzybear]

Poor thing! She so much wanted to see you, and now she can't

Guys, shall we take up a collection for her?

I also noticed that her use of the English language improved in this last email...

So much for miracles

 

  Oh hell, why not-I'm willing to donate some $$$ for a poor young lass to find true love here in America-Here's my 2 kopecks-er I mean 2 cents.  I hope that helps:D

[Bruno]

And here is the supposed visa document she sent with it.

 

Take a look at the passport number ( 263296585 ) and the control number ( 2005703514 )...

Now, visit http://www.stop-scammers.com/forum/post.asp?method=ReplyQuote&REPLY_ID=1595&TOPIC_ID=261&FORUM_ID=8

Read the post from "thoughtocrack" 20 jun 2005 22:18:37 ... a scammer named Olga Olegnova Nikita... with the same passport number, the same control number that your lady... and if you read all the topic, around the same story...

Same story with the same passport number... maybe the same woman...

Wait and see was the best move :D:D... Early of late, scammer ask money... usualy, early... time is money for so people...

 

[jb]

Well, this sad tired old man seems to be vindicated...  Maybe next time we sad, tired, old men will be listened to a bit closer.

[ConnerVT]

Gee, jb.  I didn't know you were sad.  Old, well... this you can't help.  Tired?  I'm sure there's a good reason for that...

[Michelangelo]

And here is the supposed visa document she sent with it.

 Take a look at the passport number ( 263296585 ) and the control number ( 2005703514 )...

Now, visit http://www.stop-scammers.com/forum/post.asp?method=ReplyQuote&REPLY_ID=1595&TOPIC_ID=261&FORUM_ID=8

Read the post from "thoughtocrack" 20 jun 2005 22:18:37 ... a scammer named Olga Olegnova Nikita... with the same passport number, the same control number that your lady... and if you read all the topic, around the same story...

Same story with the same passport number... maybe the same woman...
[/quote]Great detective work, Bruno...I was hoping you might shed light on this official looking document

[Michelangelo]

Well, this sad tired old man seems to be vindicated...  Maybe next time we sad, tired, old men will be listened to a bit closer.

Yep, 99 out of 100 times we would have all been right...but I'll still be a dreamer and hold out for that 1%  Miracles do occur...

Maybe next time

But this story does have a happy ending...

No money ventured, no money lost, so Tom did fine

[Bruno]

Great detective work, Bruno...I was hoping you might shed light on this official looking document

When you have the correct info, it is not difficult to search something... :cool:

And about the visa, it is a great work with paint program : in these case, Abode photoshop 7.0 was used... the last time the 2005/09/10 at 17:07:40... if you use Gimp for open the file, you can read all the meta data inside... last filter apply on the file, document id, etc ... but it is possible that our friend have use photoshop himself since the unit used is "inch"...

[BC]

I also noticed that her use of the English language improved in this last email...

So much for miracles

No miracles.. probably 'contributed' english lessons at least some scam money put to good use.

[twyrick]

Interesting... I got yet another phone call this morning (went to my voice mail because she called while I was in the bathroom).  More of the "I miss you.  I so long to hear your voice, but I miss your calls." thing.

But this time, instead of it showing "No Caller ID Available" or "Blocked Call", it actually gave me a phone number.  (501) 785-1102.   I tried to call it back and just get an "unable to complete this call as dialed" message, but an Internet lookup shows it as a number originating someplace in or near Little Rock, Arkansas in the U.S.

[Bruno]

Family Dollar Store 

401 N 11th St - Fort Smith, AR  72901 - (501) 785-1102 

[/size][/font] 

The link to the site that you have find with google don't exist anymore... so, you need use a other method for reach the page... use the cached page on google server... take a look at

Code: [Select]

http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:eDeKy9pOjv8J:http://www.vanburen.ypcity.com/ypserver.dll%3Fbk%3D2326%26s%3D0%26go%3DDeodorants+(501)+785-1102&hl=nl
Scroll down the page until you have a phone number with yellow and water green color...

EDIT : copy and paste the URL from the code tag to your browser... the forum don't accept a direct link to so complex URL... the forum change directly the link to something more complex who don't work

EDIT2 : This link will only work a short time... between now and two week... at the next scan, google go upgrade the cache server and remove page who don't exist anymore...

[jb]

Weeeellllllll, I hate to tell you this, but you can't rely on Caller ID to give you good information when you receive an overseas call.  Very often when my MIL calls we get a display on Caller ID that looks very strange.  Perhaps it's because you have to dial the internation code, followed by area codes and city codes etc... In other words, there may be too many digits for Caller ID to get it sorted out.

I really seriously doubt you were called from Little Rock, AR.  

[Bruno]

I really seriously doubt you were called from Little Rock, AR.

Me too, two time since these nummer belong to Forth Smith AR... about caller ID, it don't know... but on my mobile phone, i receive all the digit without problem ( when it is not a anonym call )...

Be suspicious is good, be parano is a other problem... maybe in short time, he go find some connection with the old KGB :D:D

 

[jb]

I should have said, "I really seriously doubt you were called from the USA 501 area code"

Happy now?

[ConnerVT]

When my wife's family telephones from Russia, we usually get caller ID numbers from scattered locations across the US.  They typically call using the GlobalPapa calling cards we give them (local access number in Moscow).

I haven't had a chance to research it, but I think that part of the LD call get's sent via VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) directed to a location in the US, which then forwards (with a toll free domestic LD call) to our number over a POTS line (POTS = Plain Old Telephone Service).

So she probably wasn't calling from Slick Willy's old house, but just using a LD calling card.  If you watch local Russian television these days, there are tons of comercials for calling cards, cell phones, SMS services, etc.

[andrewfi]

True that, caller ID does not work with any VOIP calls (card calls). Even when you have a fixed geographic number, as I do, the number that comes up on my phone varies, but is always a UK number, no matter where the call originated.

[ConnerVT]

True that, caller ID does not work with any VOIP calls (card calls). Even when you have a fixed geographic number, as I do, the number that comes up on my phone varies, but is always a UK number, no matter where the call originated.

You're only half right.  Caller ID works just fine with VOIP (as well as anyone's Caller ID, as there are a few incompatible methods out there, usually reulting in an "Out Of Area" or "Unknown" message).  My telephone is VOIP, and I have incoming and outgoing Caller ID, as well as Caller ID on call waiting.

Many calling cards tend to route calls through several different metworks, whichever is cheapest at the time.  That's how you get to pay $0.03/min to Moscow.  The Caller ID displayed is likely the point where the incoming call leaves the international connection and connects to a domestic CO (Control Office).

[Michelangelo]

Anyone here from Arkansas?  Why don't you just bop down to the Dollar store and ask for the girl with the Russian accent.  But don't expect her to look like her pictue

[andrewfi]

Well, Conner, sorry, but if the number shown is not the number of the person calling, then, in my book, it does not work...

If the number shown is the number of the person calling, then, it does work. Using several different systems over several years on several networks, I know that (1) International calls often do not show a number at all. (2) VOIP calls, if a number is shown at all, do not show the number of the person calling.

I reckon that if caller ID worked on VOIP calls there would not be all the hoo ha in the US about 911 calls eh? Obviously I can not comment for all phones in all parts of the world, but somebody in your country thinks something is broken and I know that in those countries with which I call and receive calls from it does not work.

[jb]

Andrew,

We have switched over to a totally wireless environment here in our house, even with more than half of the family here in the States now, our monthly Bell Tel phone bill was still outragous.  With Vonnage and GetPin, it's now under control and less than $45.00 per month.  I discount the cost of the Cable TV, which the Phone and BroadBand Internet is piggybacked onto, because I'd be paying that anyway.  

The Caller ID feature works perfectly for any number incoming from any phone on this Continent and western Europe, (except Mexico), and we have all of the other whistles and bells, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, and Enhanced 911, etc., and it is all VoIP.  It just doesn't correctly display incoming calls from Russia, which I had attributed, up until this topic came up, as a basic incompatibility between our digital phone system and the Russian system which is still largely analog.

There are some risks to using VoIP system like this, such as the huge data base of phone numbers stored in the computer which allowed speed dialing at a single mouse click, was recently lost when we suffered a computer crash, (I really need to learn to be more attentive to backing things up), but on the whole I'm totally pleased, and sometimes amazed, with the ease of use, and reliability of this system.  I'd recommend it to anyone contemplating a mixed international marriage where you know there is going to be an ongoing transatlantic telephony requirement.  The $40 odd dollars per month is a whole lot better than the 200 and 300 bucks I used to shell out, and we are now unlimited in the number of calls and length of minutes spent on the phone.

[Michelangelo]

My caller ID on my mobile works great.  I do notice that calls from Russia have the end of the number cut off.

But from the US, there is room for the whole number.

This leads me to think that Tom's call did come from Arkansas.  I think we tracked the emails as coming from Russia, which leads me to think a team or couple may be running this scam...

[jb]

Michael,

That's reaching a bit far.

[Admin]

There are some risks to using VoIP system like this, such as the huge data base of phone numbers stored in the computer which allowed speed dialing at a single mouse click, was recently lost when we suffered a computer crash, (I really need to learn to be more attentive to backing things up) . . .

jb - one word: Exboot (www.exboot.com)

- Dan

[jb]

Dan,

Thanks for the tip.

I have a couple of 1GB keychain flash drives I use for the really important stuff, but I'm basically lazy.  I need to change my ways.

[ConnerVT]

Well, Conner, sorry, but if the number shown is not the number of the person calling, then, in my book, it does not work...

If the number shown is the number of the person calling, then, it does work. Using several different systems over several years on several networks, I know that (1) International calls often do not show a number at all. (2) VOIP calls, if a number is shown at all, do not show the number of the person calling.

Once again, only half true.  Basic logic -- to prove something false, you only need one supporting example.  To prove it true, you must support all cases.

My VOIP system behaves the same as the POTS service I had from Verizon on the same telephone calls from Russia.  When my family called from Tver to VT, we typically would get a caller ID from somewhere in the US or Canada.  So there is no difference (visible to me) in how Caller ID behaves from VOIP vs. POTS.  So the problem must be somewhere else.

All LD telephone calls (even domestic US) are routed through several provider's networks.  Depending on distance and cost, they may be analog or digital (now becoming more common), on dedicated telcom or shared data ('Internet'), on copper wire or satellite.  More commonly, it is a mixture of the above.

The original caller ID information should be preserved.  But as there are different data formats traversing through several differing networks, having it survive after traveling 1/3 the way across the world is not guaranteed.  With the advent of very low cost LD calling cards (especially those targeted to one country or region), the provider of the card usually has a very low cost trunk to get from one region to the other (ie. FSU to US/CA).  These days, this is utilizing VOIP technology.

But it is implemented a bit differently than VOIP systems targeted for consumer use.  Consumers look for all the 'bells and whistles' that telephone service can offer (voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, etc.).  The LD card service care about two things -- capacity and cost.  Someone calling from Moscow doesn't care if their Caller ID shows up incorrectly on someone's telephone.  More important to them is that it only costs $0.029/min.  So the low cost LD card companies trade off functionality so they may have the lowest selling price.

[andrewfi]

Conner ~ If you are making the claim that caller ID works then my experience that it does not invalidates your claim, unless you doubt the veracity of my claim.

You made a good point in respect of the logial argument, the fallacy was that you applied it the wrong way round...