email scammers, what can I do about them? How can I get even, or stop them?

Question

email scammers, what can I do about them? How can I get even, or stop them?
I hope this is right catagory.. I post a lot of ads on Craigs List, but most of emails I recive are people wanting to send bogus checks,and have me send check to shipping company I DO NOT BLAME CRAIGS LIST
A new varitation is they want me to invite a person over from another country to purchace item, What is the scam? what are they trying to set me up for? what can I do to to stop them? I would do anything to stop them , or at least pay them back . signed MADDER THAN HELL AND WONT TAKE IT ANY MORE

Answer 1

I don't think there is a sure fire way to stop it. I have blocked thousands of people who spam, but they just use a new email the next time.

I even tried replying, like 60 times, all emails came back to me, so somehow they block there address for replies. I have even report the links they send to my server as spam.

I use to do a lot of selling on Ebay - and only accepted Pay Pal, I never had one bad experience in the 3 years that I sold things, so I don't know how Craigslist works, but I would say - don't accept checks.

If you ever find out what to do - let me know, I would love to try it.

Good Luck

Answer 2

There is not much you can do.

They get access to your email when you OPEN the email message they have sent to you. As soon as you open it, they capture all of your information - and pass it on to others of their ilk. It just keeps multiplying.

Never, ever open an email having a name that you don't recognize. If it is a message that is worthwhile or valid, you will recognize the address it is coming from. If there is mail where you don't absolutely recognize the sender, just delete it.

Once they have all your email information, they can then sell it (and thousands, perhaps millions, of others) to other scammers.

These people monitor lists and websites like Craigs List and send out blanket emails to everyone. If just one in a thousand opens it, they have "won".

Is there a possibility that you could delete something important? Sure, but very slight. If the email you delete is that urgent or important, the person will contact you again.

Meanwhile, for those who have already "got" you, don't open anything at all. As soon as you sign into your mailbox, bring up "All Messages" and delete anything you don't recognize before you open anything.

How did I learn all this, one might ask? Experience. When I first got this piece of equipment, I was very much a novice and opened everything. Soon, my bulk mail and regular email began to fill up with this spam junk and the next thing you know, pornographic links were showing up and a lot of other junk. I checked with a "geek" friend of mine and he gave me the heads up.

It took MONTHS, of not opening anything I didn't recognize, before "they" started giving up on me and moved on. I still get one or two occasionally - but I'm a lot smarter than I was and just delete the damned things.

Once in a while, I forget and go right into my messages without first checking the list. Sure enough, when the next one comes up, it will be from a scammer. Even though I immediately delete it, it is too late and for a couple of weeks, I'll get junk again.

Answer 3

There's unfortunately very little you can do. These scams, known as Nigerian Scams (most of the original variations originated in Nigeria and Ethiopia) are prevelent. The idea is to draw you in with promises of a big-dollar commission for your assistance, only to get you to advance smaller funds for the "expenses" ivolved in getting the funds to you. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_fee_fraud for a complete explanation.

Posting your e-mail address in a public forum (like Craig's List) is an invitation to spammers. I'd recommend setting up a free throw-away e-mail address (Yahoo, Hotmail, Mail.com, etc.) and using it only as the contact address for your ad. After a few weeks have passed and you're satisfied that you're not likely to receive any more valid responses, just allow the account to remain dormant. Most of the providers above will de-activate the account if you haven't logged in for 45-60 days..

Answer 4

welcome to the internet ... you likely can't do anything but delete them and ban their email address

of course, you'll want all ads to clearly state the terms of sale ... PayPal only or whatever. No checks accepted. Charge cards only through this website (link) [which verifies all cards], AND shipping via freight collect only to the address of the cardholder.

and, scammers will continue to try. and try.

***
you could try your politicians .. I suspect they're powerless as well.

***
where are you that it would be useful for an illegal immigrant to have a sponsored entry visa?? [My bet is that the sponsored person won't show if you're foolish enough to reply AND that the scammer will collect a nice fee from the illegal for getting him a 'legit' visa.]


GL

Answer 5

deliver a bible to the address they gave you..those human beings of course want some direction of their existence. I virtually have been given scammed on ebay. I offered ps3 and the guy claimed to be from texas ,in London for seminary, and that they needed me to deliver the ps3 to nigeria to his son....They despatched me spoof e mail for paypal and claimed the article have been paid for and that i mandatory to deliver the ps3 earlier 3 o clock that day... I suggested each and every thing to ebay,and optimistically ebay does something to cease those scammers. They have been even dumb adequate to grant me an address to deliver it to in nigeria. The federal regulation enforcement desires to do extra approximately those criminals,simply by fact of course they're attempting to victimize human beings . DONT answer the e mail simply by fact it ought to incorporate a plague OR HIJACK YOUR counsel. checklist it to the right government.

Answer 6

I always wanted to do this. Get an email program and reply maybe to their email about 100,000 time saying I am not interested. Don't know how legal this is so you may want to check with a lawyer first. (Denial of service maybe).

Answer 7

Mess with them..play along with it.