Deadly Spam

[superfan]

Here's a particularly interesting spam message I just received. If I don't post for awhile, now you'll know why. I'm probably punching my own ticket just by posting this.

I suspect Madtown is behind this, but I'm not sure he is this subtle.

Subject: get back to me immediately

This is the only way I could contact you for now,I want you to be
very careful about this and keep this secret with you until I make
out space for us to see. You have no need of knowing who I am or
where I am from.I know this may sound very surprising to you but
it's the situation.i have been paid some ransom in advance to
terminate you with some reasons listed to me by my employer.It's
someone I believe you call a friend, I have followed you closely for
a while now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusations
he leveled against you. Do not contact the police or try to send a
copy of this to them,because if you do, I will know,and might be
pushed to do what I have been paid to this is the 1st time I turn
out to be a betrayer in my job. I took pity on you,that is why I
have made up my mind to help you if you are willing to help yourself.
Now listen,I will arrange for us to see face to face,but before
that, I need $6000. I will come to your home or you determine where
you wish we meet;I repeat, do not arrange for the cops and if you
play hard to get, it will be extended to your family.Do not set
any camera to cover us or set up any tape to record our
conversation, my employer is in my
control now.
Payment details will be provided for you to make a part payment of
$3000 first,which will serve as guarantee that you are ready to
co-operate,then one of my boys will deliver a copy of the video
tape to you that contains his request for me to terminate you(I
tape recorded our conversation),which will be enough evidence for
you to take any
legal action against him.i advice you be fast about this before he
employs another person for the job. You will pay the balance of
$3000 once you receive the tape.
Warning; do not contact the police, make sure you stay indoors
once it is 7.30pm until this whole thing is sorted out,if you
neglect any of these warnings, you will have yourself to blame.
You do not have much time,so get back to me immediately Note:I
will advise you keep this to yourself alone, not even a friend or
a family member should know about it because it could be one of
them.
contact me for now by e-mail.
Good Luck.

[SkinBasket]

I would actually forward that to law enforcement.

[BallHawk]

I would actually forward that to law enforcement.

I would just pay the money. I've got a bunch of cash from this Nigerian dude. I somehow ended up with has Father's fortune.

[Freak Out]

Looks to be some second rate extortionist at work....unless you fucked over the mob recently.

The FBI likes to get info like this. Lots of this type of cyber crime being prosecuted these days.

[MadtownPacker]

$3000 upfront and $3000 after to settle it??

No way that was my peeps because your life aint even worth a dollar to me.

[superfan]

Did some checking and it is a relatively new scam called the "Hitman scam". Similar to the Nigerian 409 scam.

I guess the scammers are getting sick of the scam baiters leading them along to a point, so they resort to scare tactics. Sad.

This the worst I've seen, as it's essentially a death threat.

[superfan]

$3000 upfront and $3000 after to settle it??

No way that was my peeps because your life aint even worth a dollar to me.

Good point. You're exonerated.

[SkinBasket]

This the worst I've seen, as it's essentially a death threat.

That's why I would forward it along to whatever dept handles this stuff. If there's any chance, however small, that the e-mail address they sent you might help end these people, I would do it. I realize that like the Nigerian scam, most of these outfits are highly mobile knock down and run operations in the slums of foreign countries, but I don't take kindly to anonymous death threats, even if they are just spam.