Really annoyed with email scams.
By kris182_2000
@kris182_2000 (5453)
Canada
April 20, 2011 11:18am CST
You see them all the time, you know what I'm talking about.
They tell you that you're entitled to x amount of dollars. But they want YOU to send THEM money first. If you fall for it, you lose your money and they've gained it.
But there's so much more to it than that I've noticed recently.
For months now, I've been receiving emails supposedly from UPS, DHL, Fedex, etc, all those courier companies. They're all scams, I don't even read the emails to know what they say. But I did once, and I know what they say.
The email I had read said that I had a package coming and that I was supposed to pay for something up front. Now I know I never ordered anything, so why would I pay for something I never wanted to begin with?
What really spooked me one day is that I'd received one of these from UPS and then a few hours later, a UPS truck actually showed up! But it was for one of my roommates, a cell phone he bought.
I've learned to ignore all of these emails, I'm glad they go to my spam box, and there's no way to get rid of them for good as they all come from different email addresses. My block list is full of garbage email addresses, and Yahoo doesn't allow more than 500. If they did, I'd have a ton more emails being blocked.
1 person likes this
10 responses
@kris182_2000 (5453)
• Canada
20 Apr 11
You can only block so many and I have about 495 in my 500 block limit, and really can't add them all.
They do get sneaky and create new email addresses, so they can continue on with other unsuspecting people.
@GardenGerty (160721)
• United States
20 Apr 11
I think it is great that we can filter these things out. I have known of people to pay upfront for stuff, in order to be entered in a drawing. My mom was a bad one for that, and she did not have the mone to spare.
@kris182_2000 (5453)
• Canada
20 Apr 11
Raffles and lotteries are the only things you should pay up front for, that's what I've found over the years.
It's been almost 4 years since I screwed up with that, and have never done it since.
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
21 Apr 11
I also tend to ignore these emails. On occasion, I will open one just for the laugh. I wish there were a way to block them all, but like you say Yahoo only allows so many blocked addresses, and I'm sure that other providers are the same. They usually just go to trash if they show up in my inbox, but I'm sure a lot more go to spam than show up in my inbox. Thanks for the info!
@AndrewFreyne (6281)
• United Kingdom
20 Apr 11
Yes, I'm finding these email scams a real nuisance and I receive countless emails on a daily basis and they go into my spam folder automatically. Thankfully it's very easy to delete them all in one go, I make sure that I have a quick browse through though as some legitimate emails tend to go in there as well. I use yahoo as my email, it's free and I have been pretty pleased with it thus far.
I check my emails every morning and the first thing that I notice is that I've been contacted by some important oil baron, well important in his eyes! Basically he needs to transfer funds and he obviously needs my help in order to achieve this momentous task! If I oblige him then I stand to make a real killing in terms of never having to worry about money again! Fantastic if it were true! Sadly, a lot of people are taken in by these emails and have relinquished hard earned cash and they have realised quickly that they have then been taken for a ride!
It gets worse! I was supposedly contacted by a US Military Officer who had just left Afghanistan and he had lost both his legs and he was basically asking for some financial aid! These emails will never stop and there will always be someone out there who is willing to take advantage of others. I'm also familiar with the package email and I receive quite a few of those as well. Once you release your personal information they've got you!
I just ignore all these emails and I get on with replying to my legitimate emails! Andrew
@kris182_2000 (5453)
• Canada
20 Apr 11
My roommate falls for these all the time! You should see what he's gone through since he moved in here.
Since December, he's been told that he stood to inherit billions of dollars through various people. He's always said that he'd never put any money up, all of the fees would have to be paid by the party requesting his help. If he got the money, then, and only then, would he pay anything.
He would get so far as to have the magic account opened, with the funds in it, only to hit a wall where he was required to pay a fee in order to get it. Only then, did he realize it was a scam.
So many people have his passport information and know who he is and where he lives, it's insane. I'm surprised that his identity hasn't been stolen yet.
I don't bother with any of these. I tried to lure one in one day by telling them the same thing, but they disappeared and didn't contact me again.
@bretay61 (722)
• United States
21 Apr 11
i have gotten a lot of those myself.Sometimes there would be 10-20 in my spam box.I have never opened them.I delete them as soon as I see them.Don't want to take a chance on someone else getting on there and opening it.And when I do order anything that comes from ups,fedex,usps or dhl-I go their website and keep track of it myself.
@apmypac (7)
• Latvia
20 Apr 11
They will attack you all the time same as me and others.They are not only trying to take from you money but also they w8st your time when you trying to delete that trash. Same whit me every day i got 10-20trash in my email and whit everyday they quantity increase. You have to make 2 accounts 1st is your real mail where you register for paypal facebook n other sites that requires you n 2nd for other site where you register for other not so important so they will send all trash to your 2nd email.
@kris182_2000 (5453)
• Canada
20 Apr 11
I've had my real email address for over 12 years, and it's only recently, as in the last couple of years that they've been doing this.
Someone sells them email lists that they culled from somewhere and that's how it all starts. Not right, but it's hard to avoid.
@maidangela7349 (1191)
•
21 Apr 11
I get them all the time and just scrap them but some are very convincing so I am in doubt I just file it away for a bit. If it is genuine they will onctact you again. Of course that does not apply to the 419s that either want you to send money for admin fees as if they wanted their fees they could deduct from the cash they say they are going to send you
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Apr 11
hi kris yes its just so annoying and they fool nobody with half a brain. as they are not addressed to our email addy but to recepients,all are scams and areafter your money but me I just hit delere with savage
abandonment re]ishing the thought bam take that and that and that,.loll,.
@cmang83 (285)
• Malaysia
21 Apr 11
Yes, i also received a lot of scam email everyday. Saying that somebody send something to me but i not even know the name. Same situation with you, UPS, Fedex and etc will ask me to send money to them in order for them to send me the item.
Some of the email told me that i win lottery in oversea country but i have to pay an amount of processing fee in order for them to bank in the money for me. But the problem is i never buy lottery.
@TanSerena (59)
•
21 Apr 11
People must stop believing those scams.
As long as people still nourish them, they will never be gone.
