Aeval
28 March 2006, 06:52
The truth is indeed out there...somewhere.
So you have stopped contact with the scammers, or maybe even told them that you've seen through their game. Suddenly, one beautiful morning while you're having your coffee, you download your mail and see an email from none the less but the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
In that email, you are either told that the scammer you were dealing with has made you a legitimate offer and that you should proceed, or you are being threatened with criminal prosecution should you decide to step out of the deal.
Let's review a few facts in here:
- The message you received came from a free webmail service such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
The federal law enforcement has long ago graduated to having their own online presence, and with it, email addresses that point to their own domains. You can rest assured that an FBI agent who is supposedly "on your case" or "vouching for the deal" would not be emailing you from a free webmail account.
- The supposed FBI agent is vouching that the scammer you used to be involved with is completely legitimate and that you should go ahead and proceed with the transaction.
Probably because the scammers have watched too many movies made in Hollywood, they seem to consider the FBI the ultimate authority for everything. The FBI is indeed involved in a lot of matters related to business transactions, but their involvement is mostly in the area of getting search warrants, arresting suspects and testifying in court. The FBI does not endorse any business deals, no matter how legitimate they may appear. Conversely, if you would contact your local FBI office and ask about the communications you've had with the scammer, they woud undoubtedly tell you that you fell prey to a con.
- The supposed FBI agent is threatening you with criminal prosecution, arrest, detention and other unpleasant consequences should you decide to not to complete the deal.
If I had received such a threat, my response would be "Go ahead, make my day". Such thinly velied threats are common when coming from a scammer, and their sole purpose is to not only make you complete the deal, but also make you afraid of contacting law enforcement. The FBI, or any other law enforcement agency for that matter, hardly sees it being in their best interest to go around the internet, threatening people with criminal prosecution. In other words, if the FBI is indeed interested in you, you will probably learn about that while your Miranda rights are being read to you.
- You read the email, and you notice that the language of it is somewhat not up to par with any reasonable standards.
The FBI is hardly interested in hiring agents who cannot put a coherent sentence together. The email you received is filled with the so-called "lad speak", a mixture of English and dialects local to the scammer. It is yet another pointer that you are not dealing with a real law enforcement officer, but instead with a scammer whose ability to write proper English is quite severely limited.
Okay, it's all dandy, but you're still concerned about the message you received. Here's a good way to proceed.
http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
The link above contains all contact information for your local FBI office. If you are unsure about whom you're dealing with, do give the real FBI a call and ask them about the message you received.
I can assure you that their answer will be simple and concise:
"You are communicating with a scammer"
So you have stopped contact with the scammers, or maybe even told them that you've seen through their game. Suddenly, one beautiful morning while you're having your coffee, you download your mail and see an email from none the less but the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
In that email, you are either told that the scammer you were dealing with has made you a legitimate offer and that you should proceed, or you are being threatened with criminal prosecution should you decide to step out of the deal.
Let's review a few facts in here:
- The message you received came from a free webmail service such as Yahoo or Hotmail.
The federal law enforcement has long ago graduated to having their own online presence, and with it, email addresses that point to their own domains. You can rest assured that an FBI agent who is supposedly "on your case" or "vouching for the deal" would not be emailing you from a free webmail account.
- The supposed FBI agent is vouching that the scammer you used to be involved with is completely legitimate and that you should go ahead and proceed with the transaction.
Probably because the scammers have watched too many movies made in Hollywood, they seem to consider the FBI the ultimate authority for everything. The FBI is indeed involved in a lot of matters related to business transactions, but their involvement is mostly in the area of getting search warrants, arresting suspects and testifying in court. The FBI does not endorse any business deals, no matter how legitimate they may appear. Conversely, if you would contact your local FBI office and ask about the communications you've had with the scammer, they woud undoubtedly tell you that you fell prey to a con.
- The supposed FBI agent is threatening you with criminal prosecution, arrest, detention and other unpleasant consequences should you decide to not to complete the deal.
If I had received such a threat, my response would be "Go ahead, make my day". Such thinly velied threats are common when coming from a scammer, and their sole purpose is to not only make you complete the deal, but also make you afraid of contacting law enforcement. The FBI, or any other law enforcement agency for that matter, hardly sees it being in their best interest to go around the internet, threatening people with criminal prosecution. In other words, if the FBI is indeed interested in you, you will probably learn about that while your Miranda rights are being read to you.
- You read the email, and you notice that the language of it is somewhat not up to par with any reasonable standards.
The FBI is hardly interested in hiring agents who cannot put a coherent sentence together. The email you received is filled with the so-called "lad speak", a mixture of English and dialects local to the scammer. It is yet another pointer that you are not dealing with a real law enforcement officer, but instead with a scammer whose ability to write proper English is quite severely limited.
Okay, it's all dandy, but you're still concerned about the message you received. Here's a good way to proceed.
http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
The link above contains all contact information for your local FBI office. If you are unsure about whom you're dealing with, do give the real FBI a call and ask them about the message you received.
I can assure you that their answer will be simple and concise:
"You are communicating with a scammer"