So, I get a call at about 7:30 this morning from what I think may be a new phishing scam. He calls up saying "I'm the guy you *explitive deleted* on the internet the last two days." Loudly and beligerantly declares that I stole $1100 from him, and mentions western union (??).
At this point, I've had a couple hours of sleep sleep and I'm trying to catch up. I encourage him to go to the police, because I can't help him. I figure at this point it's one of two things.
1. He's some poor guy dumb enough to send $1100 to crooks who were spoofing an ID, then decided he was a detective and looked my number up in WhoIs and gave a call.
2. This is an phishing scheme (or just plain attempted intimidation and extortion) and I'm not buying.
The kicker came when he claimed to be the chief of the RCMP in Quebec (or Montreal) :). At that point I started to laugh and told him to go away and not to ever call back.
It appears he's called back a couple more times, too chicken to say anything, and becoming annoying. Again, I wish he would say something so I could encourage him to go to the (real) police, who can do a (real) investigation.
I'm working with the Raleigh police and the phone company to get this tracked down. Don't wake me up on a holiday, it pisses me off.
Hmmm... He claimed to be a police chief and demanded money. Can you say "impersonating a police officer" and "extortion"?
Wow, you got a phone call like that? I have never gotten a call like that before. Very strange. At least you were able to get his number off of the caller id (I am guessing because you said he has called a few more times and did not say anything...but does a caller id show up from Canada?) If he really IS from Canada. Those are definitely harassing calls. I hope the police and/or the phone company can get to the bottom of it. I thought it was bad enough that I always get ridiculous emails from Dr. Uba in Zimbabawe asking me to help him get money into the US (got seven of them yesterday!) If "they" are now trying to scam over the phone like that...that is crazy. I cannot imagine anyone would be dumb enough to fall for it. Okay, where do I send the money? Puh-leez.
Oh well, good luck with that.
Hope you all had a nice family Thanksgiving. I had a really nice day yesterday. I ate myself silly. Today it is back to the books (five papers, three exams, and a partridge in a pear tree).
By the way, have you been getting my IMs and emails? Just curious.
Gertie
Posted by: Gertie at November 26, 2004 08:15 AM