Scammers Pretending To Be Against Scams!
It Should Be No Surprise That Scams & Scammers Are Always Evolving!
Online scammers, especially on social media, have always looked for ways to reach more potential victims. They started on just dating websites but quickly moved onto social media, messaging, and even game platforms. Today’s scammers are found everywhere from fake websites to fake victims’ support groups.
You literally cannot trust anyone online unless you verify who they are!
Don’t worry, SCARS is easy to verify. Just go to the Corporation Search for Florida and look for Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. – you will find us as an active not-for-profit (nonprofit) corporation. You will find a link on our corporate website and our incorporation information on www.AgainstScams.org
However, with the money that scammers have, they are able to build websites that look professional, though they will always have nothing but superficial information – they don’t really want to educate anyone. Same for social media pages, groups, and accounts. It is getting substantially harder for spot them too.
However, there is a new variation in this trend: namely scammers pretending to be confessed and reformed to gain the trust of real amateur anti-scam groups!
The Story of Drey or Charley or Whatever His Name Is!
It begins with a text message to Debby Montgomery Johnson, the SCARS Director, published author, and founder of the “Woman Behind The Smile”. She replies to send her an email:
” Good Morning Mrs Montgomery
I am a fraudster and you changed my life due to your story and how brave you are changing life’s . Please I want to be of help and I have contacted a number which I’m not that sure if it’s yours but the person gave me this email address and told me I can reach you directly here . Please I want to support by telling you allot of truth to safe Single men and women life in America and not just America but America is the most focused place where scammers focus on . I want to make you understand everything so you can protect single women and men all over the world because every day people get scammed and broken hearted online which is bad because I have scammed people and I regret doing it because I feel like it’s hunting me . Please I want to be of help and you will never regret this “
Well, we already started to regret it, since we smelled a rat!
This was then turned over to our Dr. Tim McGuinness, Managing Director of SCARS to continue the discussion and see where it might lead. “Drey” sounded very sincere and as though he really wanted to do the right thing!
After an introductory email from Dr. McGuinness, our scammer responded:
” I was once a fraudster but since I watch Mrs Montgomery and read about her I had to change and give up everything because it’s a bad thing to scam people and leave them emotionally down . Most scam victims kill their self due to the frustration because they lose everything they had . I got into fraud due to the bad government and no job in my country and the youths of my country are gifted with this but it’s used to do evil because we have nothing . I can hack people bank accounts and and steal credit card online . Allot I can do but I feel bad because it’s peoples sweat and not my money . I can join hands with y’all to fight cyber crime and alert the citizens of America so they don’t fall for it . America is the main country fraudsters focus on because American banks are not safe and most women and men fall for romance scam because of what they hear and prove they see but it’s all fake . If I can be of help I will be glad “
We followed up asking in what way he thought he might be able to help? We asked:
- Can you help us better understand what you want from contacting us?
- You said you wanted to confess? And that you were afraid? Can you tell us what you are afraid of?
- How do you think you might be able to help fight cybercrime? Were you an individual or did you work as part of a larger group? Are you willing to name names? Or do you think you can explain the format in detail so others can better understand it?
- Can you list for us the types of fraud you were involved in?
- We want you to understand, that if you are sincere, we can help you avoid prison. We know the EFCC director and senior staff very well. We will be able to talk about ways to help you avoid problems, but it begins with your help and proving that you are sincere in wanting to do good now.
- Can we ask your real name? You already have our promise that we will not report you if you share the information we ask for.
All very reasonable things to establish trust and to help both sides move forward. But no, his reply was more formula:
” We have no job and the Government won’t give us jobs . How do we feed ourselves and family without a job ….. I’m a Graduate and I don’t have a job because no one will give you a job and the Government is extra bad . That is why our youth do fraud and most people don’t want to buy they have no choice …… If I have a job or money to start up a business to feed my family I won’t do fraud . You can’t stop fraud Mr Tim but the only way is to employ us because we are intelligent or talk to our Government to create job opportunities for the youth . Mrs Montgomery story touched my heart and made me stop fraud . “
In the next email exchange, he used exactly the same text letter for letter, confirming he was copying and pasting from a template.
At this point, we asked him to respond to our questions, and his reply was more pity party!
” Dr Tim kindly ask the EFCC what they do with the money taken from fraudsters when they get arrested and what they do with the cars collected . All that money is supposed to be returned to America government but EFCC take the money to themselves . It’s all lies and our Government is bad . If you believe in EFCC they will just lie to you . All the money and cars taken from fraudsters where does it goes to ? They don’t give American government “
This was a clear example of an attempt to manipulate – but fortunately, we are immune.
At this point, we said: “We think we are going in circles. If you want to work with us, then follow the direction we have provided. If not, that is ok too. We are really not interested in hearing complaints about the Nigerian government, we already know what the issues are. Otherwise, we will wish you the best of luck in your future.”
He replied:
” I think you are not ready to solve Romance scam and you think with the way you are doing it will stop fraud . Everyday people are getting scammed so what are you or the FBI and EFCC doing because victims don’t get their money back . Since you don’t even know your job or ready to stop scam I will continue fraud because you are not ready to dialogue with me . Why because I have no job and you people don’t reason to solve this so we stop fraud . I’m going back to fraud because this is the only thing I have wisdom for . God bless you while you try to stop fraud but you doing nothing . Bye “
We responded with “So this was just another scam. Good luck with your life and hopefully you can avoid the EFCC. Our deal is off not to report you to the EFCC!”
He responded with:
” You are the one I should be ashamed of because you are a total disgrace . Is this how you help scam victims or stop fraud and what will the Efcc do because they are the worse fraud . If you are intelligent you will ask where they keep the money taken from Fraudsters and cars taken from fraudsters . You don’t know your job and please stop lying to people you are trying to stop scam because you are just making fame . Don’t even mail me again I was thinking I can even dialogue with you all ….. When you are ready to do your job to fight romance scam then let me know “
What do you think?
What We Learned From This?
In speaking with other members of our team and international partners, many received similar messages starting the week of the 22nd of November. All talking about wanting to confess, and become a part of their groups and organizations.
We believe that in addition to scammers creating their own websites and social media pages pretending to by anti-scam groups – even sharing some of SCARS articles and posts, and also setting up profiles to convince victims that they are experts – that this is a tactic to worm their way into anti-scam groups.
We believe they have the following objectives:
- To gain access to anti-scam groups – especially amateur groups (scammers think this is really all there is – since most are.)
- To understand the ways that the ani-scam community is working against scammers and perhaps find out how the EFCC is getting the information needed to go from a dozen arrests a year to several thousand a year now.
- But also, and perhaps most important is to obtain access to scam victims. They know most victims remain susceptible to scams even after their scam ends.
- By convincing the victims that they are authentic and an expert they can mine victims’ families and friends for more potential victims. But we think their real goal is to offer fake-money recovery and/or investigative services for a fee – simply more scams.
Unfortunately, we see that many amateur anti-scam groups are full of scammers!
Scammers in these groups and those that are watching anti-scam social media pages, are private messaging victims to hear their stories and develop a new connection with these victims. And remember a scammer is after only one thing – more money! They do not have time to waste on a process that will not yield results!
WARNING: DO NOT RESPOND TO STRANGER MESSAGES OR FRIEND REQUESTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
All amateur anti-scam groups need to be much more vigilant about who they allow in the doors and into your social media groups, pages, and profiles/accounts. As we have said many times, scammers are not stupid, they will evolve their business to follow the victims, just like any predator would. It should be no surprise that they would try tactics like this.
Defend Yourself
Here are the basic steps that all scam victims should follow:
- If you get any messages from strangers, regardless if they ask about your scam – if you did not ask something you should block them and delete the message.
- If someone replies to a comment you left, treat them as a stranger and ignore their reply regardless of what they say. Let the page owner respond.
- Never comment on amateur anti-scam groups without verifying who is running the page or group. Do your homework and if you cannot verify that they are a real nonprofit walk away!
- Verify who is behind any websites that you visit, verify their incorporation and if they are not a real nonprofit or government agency – walk away!
- Be careful who you share your story with. It may not always be safe, you have to do the work to know when it is and when it isn’t.
- When in doubt – DO NOT TRUST!
Scammers are more professional than ever. Just look at the gamification that went on here! Everyone needs to remember that everyone can be scammed and will be eventually. There is no shame in being scammed, but once you have been you need to change your behavior and way of thinking to prevent it from happening again and again.
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