[BarracksSi]

Dig this --

Over the last few months, apart from the Nigerian scam IMs and emails that I've gotten over Yahoo, I've gotten IMs from more than one person claiming to be associated with a fabrics & fashion company based in the UK and looking to hire personnel in the US.

After much prodding, near-interrogation, and generally being an asshole, I got a company name from the guy I've got on IM right now. Looking it up on Google found a dissolved subsidiary of another company, ceasing to exist in 2004.

Besides Yahoo themselves (surely an inept pile of code monkeys), where else can I report stuff like this?

[Wyatt]

I'd go for the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a branch of the FBI).

[curiousuburb]

Why would you want to report it?

Just ignore them or add them to your junk filter.

[BarracksSi]

Because it doesn't take much time for me to report them, and in the off chance that they're actually illegal and get shut down, then maybe some desperate loser won't have to be tempted by them in the future.

Ignoring them doesn't make 'em go away.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by BarracksSi in the off chance that they're actually illegal and get shut down, then maybe some desperate loser won't have to be tempted by them in the future

Caveat Emptor, due diligence, yadda yadda.

If some other loser doesn't do their homework before sending cash (to Nigerian scammers or P-P-P-Powerbook purchasers or whomever), sucks to be them.

Explain to me again why you're trying to be their Mommy? Shouldn't they have their own personal responsibility to check their own deal out?

I don't understand the 'vigilante informant' mindset here.

Do you report every spammer to the FBI too? Are you tipping the RIAA and MPAA about Russian MP3 sites?

</confused why you'd bother if you're not getting screwed>

[BarracksSi]

Look, given the chance to play vigilante a little bit, I'll do it. If this were someone in my neighborhood, they'll be lucky if they go to jail instead of getting strung up from a tree.

The dumbasses who fall for these scammers don't deserve to get fucked just because of their own ignorance & low intelligence. Just because I've never gotten screwed doesn't mean that others won't. And, if whatever authorities take care of these end up receiving more stories to build their case, that's fine with me.

On the other hand, considering that there are a shitload of scams floating around out there, maybe this one won't even get noticed.

[dfiler]

These emails go out to distribution lists that number in the millions if not tens of millions of email addresses. I ignore the junk and pass the buck to the next few million people who received the same message.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb If some other loser doesn't do their homework before sending cash (to Nigerian scammers or P-P-P-Powerbook purchasers or whomever), sucks to be them. Explain to me again why you're trying to be their Mommy? Shouldn't they have their own personal responsibility to check their own deal out?

Shouldn't you have your personal responsibility as a citizen of your country to report crimes committed in that country when you're aware of them?

[Fahrenheit]

Yes, in Pleasantville.

[Brave Ulysses]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb Caveat Emptor, due diligence, yadda yadda. If some other loser doesn't do their homework before sending cash (to Nigerian scammers or P-P-P-Powerbook purchasers or whomever), sucks to be them. Explain to me again why you're trying to be their Mommy? Shouldn't they have their own personal responsibility to check their own deal out? I don't understand the 'vigilante informant' mindset here. Do you report every spammer to the FBI too? Are you tipping the RIAA and MPAA about Russian MP3 sites? </confused why you'd bother if you're not getting screwed>

Why are you arguing this? Seems like there are better fights to pick than attacking people who want to report criminals.

[BarracksSi]

Originally Posted by dfiler These emails go out to distribution lists that number in the millions if not tens of millions of email addresses. I ignore the junk and pass the buck to the next few million people who received the same message.

Yeah, but this was weird, though. It was an actual person on the other end, chatting through Yahoo IM. It was at least the third person this summer that's IM'd me who claimed to be from a UK-based company that deals in fabric production looking for representatives in the US.

I can post today's conversation, but I came across in it as a real prick...

[Moogs]

I actually respect the fact that you're willing to take a few minutes and report them (I try to report spammers to the anti-spam address at comcast whenever I get hit by the same asshole more than 3x in a week). After a while I notice I don't get those anymore, so I know it can work sometimes.

As for scammers chances are they might not get dealt with if you report them to the FBI. Their computer analysis people are probably about 95% focused on terrorism stuff and child pRon, the other 5% everything else like bogus gambling sites or whatever. So report them if you feel the need but realize they're going to be a ways down on teh queue.

[Engine Joe]

Originally Posted by Brave Ulysses Why are you arguing this? Seems like there are better fights to pick than attacking people who want to report criminals.

QFT. Not sure why this is a bad thing.

[curiousuburb]

Maybe I'm the odd one out.

I'm asking why he thinks his suspicion should escalate to police or FBI level given he has suffered no harm.

If I were a different type of person, I could spend all day staring out the window with binoculars and inform on every neighbour who I thought was acting suspiciously. I'd soon become an outcast, and if I was wrong, I'd be obstructing actual crimefighting with my imaginary bogeymen.

If I was right, my neigbours and fellow citizens might credit me with great radar and elect me sheriff.

If there's some real threat and proof you can share, that's different. All you've described is a snake oil pitch that you've done some research and seemingly spotted.

Fundamentally, I don't believe in meddling in other people's affairs unless there's a measurable threat.

If they're too stupid to deal with their own shit, that's their loss. Darwin in action.

I'm no meddler, and I'd be weirded out knowing I had some nosy parker who was trying to play nanny.

Mind your own business and let others mind theirs...

Somehow it just seems a bit too speculative.

(I think they might be criminal so I'll rat on them... even if it's harmless and I'm just a busybody. NOT!)

YMMV

I see lots of scams (aforementioned Nigerian emails, etc), but I don't waste the cops time unless I have evidence or am an actual victim.

I'm no more likely to call the fuzz if I see a three-card monty setup on the street than I am to report the lottery... despite the similar odds of winning, and the fact that people who play either have clearly failed math. Their loss.

I'll probably get dinged for this, and if you really want to sic the dogs on these folks, BarracksSi, knock yourself out... but I just don't get the proxy vigilantism. unless you've got proof or postmortem or are far more pissed off than you're letting on.

I'll gladly admit I'm wrong if I'm missing the other shoe dropping here.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb If they're too stupid to deal with their own shit, that's their loss. Darwin in action.

No. Lot's of ordinary people get scammed without being totally retarded. Darwin in action is the guy the guy who stuck his foot into a wood chipper to push a jammed tree branch through... and cut himself to pieces. I am not making this up. Wisconsin, last week. Got sprayed all over some poor bastard's lawn, and all the while co-worker was trying to get him out before he couldn't stand to watch anymore (about pelvis-deep and I'm sure Jaws-like screams from "the captain" who owned the landscape company).

I believe that is literally Darwin in action. Sadly, he had already procreated, but hopefully his poor wife is smarter than he was. For his kids' sake.

[scratt]

Originally Posted by Moogs Sadly, he had already procreated, but hopefully his poor wife is smarter than he was. For his kids' sake.

He wouldn't be producing any more little clones of himself though, by the sounds of it, even if he had survived!

With regards to the Scams online, I doubt you will get much interest from anybody unless a crime has been committed.

I got very annoyed with a load of fake lottery emails, which gave out a UK number to contact them on, as well as various contact details.
I went to the Scotland Yard site, and contacted a few people, and went to the various 'Internet Fraud' sites, and found that they are (almost without exception) only interested in Child Porn. (Which, to my mind is fine, and should be given priority).

I went so far as contacting a Police Dept. local to the number listed in their email about the lottery scam, and they were simply 'too busy', and 'could not act unless a crime had been comitted', and even then '..were not too sure how much they could do..'. I am not sure they really understood what the 'internets' was, anyway!!

When I have had online problems the FBI have been great. Resolveing them almost without fail simply when they copy of my complaint was sent as a PDF to the offending idiots. That is why I have reported that here a few times for other people..

But to be honest, unless a crime has been committed I don't think any police force in any modern country has the time, the inclination, or the knowledge to deal with these things.. and even then, I doubt that much will be done unless the problem in indemic / massive or easy to resolve. Law Enforcement the world over is for the most part overworked and underpaid / lazy and inept - whichever way you want to look at it.

Far better to take the matter into your own hands and bate the fraudsters yourself, or just walk away..

EDIT - I do also tend to agree with the Darwin thing. How many times are we told "you will never be asked for your personal details online", "Check the URL of the site you are going to", "Check the little padlock is on the screen", yaddah yaddah... If you can't drive a car without crashing and killing yourself don't get in one. If you can't work a computer PUT IT DOWN NOW!