No Free Lunch

Nothing "riles" me more then scammers, and I pity those who are "innocent targets even more.

From Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, proffessional scam artists place calls to the UK. With articulate and polished tones they advise the target they have won a huge amount in a lottery draw.

But to get the cash, they have to send a cheque to Canada, just under £1000.00. This is always sent to a private mail box, never to a physical address.

After they get the money, they call again, Sorry, the person who called you last time has left the company with your cash, send another cheque, and we will refund you the first one.

They get the second cheque, then you get a third call, this time from the same scammers pretending to be from the Vancouver Police, the company has stolen both cheques, we are investigating, send a third cheque, we will refund all the money.

This "poor" women lost £5000.00 to this scam.

What is sad, is that the person they have called did not even purchase a ticket in the first place. Why on earth did she send the money?????

Another victim broke down in tears.......She lost £250, 000 . 00
She believed she was helping the wife of the Rwandan president!! She lost her home.........she had to sell it.

Then theres the Nigerian 419'e mailers. With their claims that they have millions of pounds/dollars in frozen accounts. You can unfreeze the money by paying a "security company" around £70 000.00 . Once the money is freed, he will give you 25% of his frozen 25 million or so. !!!

These gangs will always ask you to travel to another country with the cash, usually Amsterdam. I read in my local rag some years back how a Leicester man, travelled to Johannesburg. when he got there they took him in the car into the bush, relieved him of his cash, and threw him out into the veld.

Now what motivates an individual to go along and "believe" this nonsense. I think it is Greed, wishful thinking, and downright stupidity.

Have you ever received an e mail, or telephone call from anyone??? Think...........Why must I pay anything if I have won something? Whats the catch?

I hate scammers............if this post "saves" just one member from a scammer.........then it has served its purpose.

I regularly get them on my mobile phone. I have complained to O2 but they say that there is nothing they can do.

Another scam involves invoices sent out from Barrington House Publishing for a supposed advert that you have taken out on a wall planner in aid of some kids charity or other.

If I can get a postal address I issue an invoice for the time taken to read their garbage. No one has paid as yet.

Time for me to get the pistol out again!

you would think that in this day and age people would see through some of these scams ,ignore them all and if you really want to help the poor give to long standing registered charities if you don't know any remember some of these third world crap holes get a lot of your hard earned tax dollars every year in aid .

suckers lasts for ever.

that is the base of scammers.

they are on your phone, e-mail,innocent invoices, asking you to press a digit on your mobile and from that moment you are paying for their calls.........and so on.

I have written this line before and its still good:

"when there is a doubt-- there is no doubt"

hang up, delete, throw unknown invoice into the fire and do not get any advice concerning money from a total stranger.

I'm a bit puzzled, isnt that what we always try to teach our kids?

grownups are no exeption!!

chemi

there's no fool like an old fool

as the saying goes

cheers

richard