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STRANGER CONTACT WARNING

We want to alert you to a a potential problem with people who comment on anti-scam pages & websites.

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That person may be a MULE or a SCAMMER recruiting.

There are victims who fall under a fairy tale told by scammers – that someone is going to help all of these victims, and wants their connections (mules) to go out and connect with victims so “He” can help them.

Warning them about a scammer when they are on a fake profile is one thing, this just involves leaving them a message that they are talking to a scammer.

However, when someone strikes up a conversation and tries to get the victims into private conversations away from prying eyes – this is something else.

This usually is a form of a follow up scam, after the victim has discovered the scam. The scammer comes back and then pretends to be a therapist or a counselor, and just wants to help victims. Sometimes they ask their MULES to do it. Either way, it is yet another way to track victims for another scam.

From time to time we see very aggressive people commenting on our pages and websites soliciting victims to contact them privately on apps, Facebook messenger, by email, or on Google Hangouts. Of course this is a major red flag when a stranger contacts you like this.

There can be many reasons for this and all of them are dangerous to you.

  1. A Victim with a Messiah Complex – a very angry victim who fundamentally believes that they are the only one that can save everybody. They want to gather you into their flock. They are not really so different from a cult leader.
  2. A Scammer’s MULE – (even though they are well intentioned – most of the time) recruiting for a scammer (who is pretending to be a victims therapist or counselor on line. All they need to do is talk to a victim and then everything will be wonderful.
  3. A Scammer – they will reach out after they have failed and try several other tactics to re-scam a victim, or other others. In the end they don’t care as long as the money flows.

This is why we are always careful when warning victims on a scammers page or profile. We do not want to be perceived as one of these.

Always beware of total strangers that just start up a conversation in comments where they want you to contact them privately.

Never Take The Bait!

Some can be overtly hostile when we explain our policy to prohibit that kind of contact for every victims’ safety. Some have to be banned from our pages and websites.

This happens a few times a month and we respond by explaining the situation, and if the person persists or takes their anger out on us is banned.

Just be aware that there is more than one way for scammers to reach out to you!

Be Smart Online!

Stop | Think | Connect

Stop | Think | Connect