SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
SCARS™ Scam Warning: Newspaper Ad Scams Still Work
The following was oroginally published on one fo the SCARS Facebook pages in August 2017. However, these scams are appearing again.
Be Warned!
Security expert Crowetz warns against responding to a personal ad looking for a husband
Two ads in local papers could be scams
Is a local newspaper advertisement an old-fashioned bait and switch scam?
In Thursday’s Palm Beach Post, someone paid for space to post this picture of a woman, “looking for a decent man to marry.”
It’s what the ad doesn’t say that has a security expert warning everyone to think twice about replying to the ad.
“Most scammers are looking for desperation,” said Alan Crowetz, WPTV’s Internet Security expert with Infostream. “In this case, they’re taking advantage of the pressure to find somebody.. or there’s someone out there.”
The ad goes on to ask for “Only sincere persons — men age 35 to 75 — with a view to marry” to respond.
It didn’t take us long to find a duplicate ad for men seeking women, which ran in two local papers.
Crowetz said anyone who answers looking for love might get something else. The ads are most likely a scam.
“As soon as you see something like this there’s just red flags going off left and right,” he said. “And yet, we know people fall for this stuff all the time.”
The ad — featuring a picture of an attractive woman — asks for respondents to email “SafiaFarkash27@gmail.com”. WPTV sent an email to the person but got no response.
While searching through phone books and databases, we found no one with that name in Florida or the United States. However, we did discover that’s the name of the wife of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi
At our request, Crowetz looked for and found another ad for a man seeking a wife — posted in two local papers.
The wording is exactly the same.
“If something works, they replicate it and they use it over and over again,” said Crowetz.
The ad had a Miami area code phone number. We called it and a man with a thick accent answered calling himself “Nicole Davis”. That matches the email on the ad.
“Probably the same person, or same organization, group of people,” said Crowetz.
He pointed out the ads ask for a picture and full biography necessary for ripping off someone’s identity.
“The more you know about your target, the more you can take advantage of them,” he said. “With a photo and a biography, I can create a fake driver’s license. I can create a passport. I can apply for an untold number of financial things.”
Crowetz says appearing in reputable newspapers might make the ad seem safe.
“One key part of any scam is some element of validity to it,” he said.
The Palm Beach Post advertising department said it had no idea the ad could be questionable. The Post said this is the first time in a long time that the newspaper has run an ad like this. The paper would not reveal details on who placed the ads due to its confidentiality policy.
“The time it would take to investigate every ad, they’d be losing money like crazy on every ad,” said Crowetz.
Crowetz advises looking for love somewhere else. He compares the Internet to a shady bar and in this case, a lesson to be learned.
“With a bunch of suspect characters in there, you wouldn’t share personal information, you wouldn’t give them things, you wouldn’t invite them home or give them your biography and picture. And yet, people do that all the time on the internet,” he said. “This person. They’re fishing. They have a line in the water right now and they’re getting bites. They’re gonna go through those and find out which ones are legit, which ones are good targets.”
Infostream has a free Internet safety checklist to use. Click here to learn more »
Original News Article
[contentcards url=”http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/security-expert-warns-against-responding-to-personal-ad-looking-for-husband” target=”_blank”]
SCARS™ Team
A SCARS Division
Miami Florida U.S.A.
END
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A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
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The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
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