Wednesday 29 June 2016

Facebook scammer - wasting the time of a chancer.

Today I got contacted by a scammer on Facebook (I've reported their account as far as the system seems to allow).

I just thought I'd record here the conversation for posterity.

  • Conversation started today
  • Jim Rippon
    12:53
    Jim Rippon
    Hi Catherine, I've received your friend request - can i ask what you're looking to connect about?
  • Catherine Easterling
    12:56
    Catherine Easterling
    My name is Catherine Easterling from the Facebook headquarters based in the USA, I am a Facebook Online Coordinator.
    i was asked to send you a Friend request by the Facebook CEO Mr Mark Zuckerberg,And Am contacting you because I have good news for you from Facebook…
  • Jim Rippon
    12:59
    Jim Rippon
    I'd be happy to help out, my rates are £125GBP per hour or part thereof for consulting but I'd need to know more about what you'd like to work together on.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:01
    Catherine Easterling
    Has any of our agent contacted you before concerning your Facebook account that you won some amount of money in the ongoing Facebook promotion?
  • Jim Rippon
    13:03
    Jim Rippon
    No but that's great. I'll collect my cheque from the Facebook office here in London. Who should i ask for there?
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:04
    Catherine Easterling
    There’s an online draws that was conducted by a random selection of Emails you were picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the Facebook that you won the sum of $600,000.00usd For the Facebook Lottery Year 2016
    Your name was selected by Automatic Random Machine, which your Facebook user name show up on number 2nd from the 25 lucky listed names i want you to know that your winning prize is 100% real and legit and the United state FBI is also aware of this lottery
  • Jim Rippon
    13:06
    Jim Rippon
    That's great. Who should i ask for at the London office to verify that?
  • Jim Rippon
    13:09
    Jim Rippon
    That's a nice photo. Who should i ask for at the London office to verify this?
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:11
    Catherine Easterling
    those are the pics of our winners okay
  • Jim Rippon
    13:12
    Jim Rippon
    Who should i ask for at the London office to verify this? I'm approaching the reception desk now.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:12
    Catherine Easterling
    I want you to know that this is 100% real and legitimate.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:12
    Jim Rippon
    Then who here should I ask for, or should i be speaking to the fraud team?
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:12
    Catherine Easterling
    No your winnings is coming from USA not in london okay
  • Jim Rippon
    13:13
    Jim Rippon
    They haven't heard of this, Steve from the user security team is tracing your account.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:16
    Catherine Easterling
    I am your claiming agent and i am here to lead you through the steps on how you will get your $600,000.00usd winnings Ok
  • Jim Rippon
    13:16
    Jim Rippon
    Oh, so you're not from Facebook now?
    That will be a relief when the police arrive...
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:17
    Catherine Easterling
    Am from the Facebook Inc,USA
    Shall we proceed on the claiming of your winnings Of $600,000,00?
    Are you there?
  • Jim Rippon
    13:24
    Jim Rippon
    Sure, you tell me how you're going to send me the winnings.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:24
    Catherine Easterling
    Firstly, your award is attached to Ticket Number:00545-188-564756 Winning Number:Fb/575061725 Prize No:77801209/N Serial Number:5368/02So what Lucky Numbers:17 98 09 67 46 Note them down now on a safe place and keep its very important,Once you are done with that kindly get back to me ok..
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:31
    Catherine Easterling
    Have you note them down?
  • Jim Rippon
    13:32
    Jim Rippon
    I'm still in the Facebook offices reception, there fetching me a pen as i didn't bring one.
    OK I've noted that down now
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:34
    Catherine Easterling
    you don't need to be in the office to not them down okay you can also do that at home okay.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:34
    Jim Rippon
    I'm already here. I've noted them down now.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:36
    Catherine Easterling
    All that is for security reasons,So you don't have problems with me ok.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:36
    Jim Rippon
    OK, so you're supposed to be telling me how you're going to send me my winnings.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:37
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:37
    Catherine Easterling
    You are to choose one out of the two listed payment option below and your winnings shall be packaged in accordance to the option you choose: Payment Options/Preferred mode of payment
    1.Diplomatic courier delivery (CHEQUE DELIVERY)
    2.Diplomatic courier delivery (ATM CARD DELIVERY
  • Jim Rippon
    13:38
    Jim Rippon
    That's strange, Facebook aren't entitled to diplomatic privileges...
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:42
    Catherine Easterling
    Your winnings will be delivered to you with whatever option you prefer to go with okay
  • Jim Rippon
    13:42
    Jim Rippon
    OK, when should i expect them?
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:43
    Catherine Easterling
    You will need to choose an option among the two..
  • Jim Rippon
    13:43
    Jim Rippon
    I'll have option 1 please.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:44
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:44
    Catherine Easterling
    To Finalize your winnings documents and some other Certificates,you are required to fill and forward the this information Below:
    Full Name: Full Home Address: Occupation: Email Address: Sex: Age: Phone Number:
  • Jim Rippon
    13:44
    Jim Rippon
    Tell you what, you send me those details for yourself first.
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:46
    Catherine Easterling
    You will need to provide those details so you can assure us that we are not sending your winnings to the wrong person.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:48
    Jim Rippon
    I'll provide those details when you've provided me with some verifiable evidence of who you are. A Facebook message doesn't exactly hold water in that regard...
  • Jim Rippon
    13:50
    Jim Rippon
    What on earth makes that verifiable?!
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:50
    Catherine Easterling
    That your winning certificate for your prove.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:51
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:53
    Catherine Easterling
    The certificate is verifiable.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:53
    Jim Rippon
    OK, where can i verify it?
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:54
    Catherine Easterling
    You save it on your mobile phone and show it to the FedEx delivery team that will deliver your winnings to your home address.
  • Jim Rippon
    13:55
    Jim Rippon
    But I'll need to have it verified before i can provide my details won't I, silly!
  • Catherine Easterling
    13:57
    Catherine Easterling
    you don't need to be at all i need from you is to provide the necessary detail so you can have your winnings without any delay okay.
    You are showing that certificate to the FedEx delivery team that will deliver your winnings to your home address.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:00
    Jim Rippon
    See, the problem here is that what you're doing is Fraud so I need your details so I can get the authorities to come and arrest you.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:02
    Catherine Easterling
    what that a lie.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:02
    Jim Rippon
    If thats not the case, you should not have any trouble providing some verifiable proof that you are who you say you are.
    You're asking me to prove who I am after all...
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:04
    Catherine Easterling
    okay..
    So you want my identification.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:05
    Jim Rippon
    I want you to tell me how I can check the authenticity of what you're claiming. Sending me a picture doesn't really help...
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:07
    Catherine Easterling
    That means you not interested in your winnings cause i have prove to you that is is real and legit okay.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:09
    Jim Rippon
    I tell you what, you send me a photo of yourself with Mark Zuckerberg with todays newspaper (with date and headline readable) and a hand-written sign with my name and email address on it. That would be sufficient.
    or if you prefer, just let me know who at the registered and published address of facebook can verify that you are who you say you are.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:12
    Catherine Easterling
    what you are requesting for is what i just send to you.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:13
    Jim Rippon
    no its not, you still haven't told me who at Facebook can prove that you are who you're claiming.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:14
    Catherine Easterling
    okay i will send you a E-mail address now to verify if you are a winner or not okay.
    Here is their email address.. facebookfedexdelivery@outlook.com
  • Jim Rippon
    14:16
    Jim Rippon
    That's not a Facebook address though.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:18
    Catherine Easterling
    Yes that not a Facebook address is the E-mail of the FedEx delivery team that will deliver your winnings to your home address you mail them and tell them if its true you are a winner or not.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:18
    Jim Rippon
    Its a free, unverified address at outlook.com - not good enough, keep trying.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:20
    Catherine Easterling
    Mr Jim it seem you are not interested in your winnings tell me cause i got other winners to attend to okay.
    i have told you the only way to prove you are a winner is the certificate i send to you sign by Mark Zuckerberg with your name written on it.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:22
    Jim Rippon
    Thats fine - before you go, I'd like to congratulate you. It seems you've won a lottery with Facebook, all I need is some personal details and $400 returnable deposit to cover the costs of transferring funds.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:23
    Jim Rippon
    If you'd like to let me know the following details I can get the process started for you: Full Name: Full Home Address: Occupation: Email Address: Sex: Age: Phone Number:
  • Jim Rippon
    14:23
    Jim Rippon
    Actually, I don't need to know your occupation - thats shortly going to be "Convict"...
    You seem to have gone very quiet, I assume you're not interested in your winnings?
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:25
    Catherine Easterling
    No you are the one who is not interested in your winnings.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:26
    Jim Rippon
    Funny, cos you're not letting me have any identifiable details, so it seems you are the one who is breaking the law here. Do you know what a 419 scam is?
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:27
    Catherine Easterling
    i know know oooo
  • Jim Rippon
    14:27
    Jim Rippon
    Tell you what - I have a good opportunity for you. I have a super-wonderful document which explains how you can make $2000 per week. It will only cost you $200 to buy, and you only need to send 10 emails per week to make your money - are you in?
  • Jim Rippon
    14:28
    Jim Rippon
    Well, you buy my wonderful document, it explains it all in there. Only $200.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:30
    Catherine Easterling
    How do i get the document.
  • Jim Rippon
    14:33
    Jim Rippon
    Its simple: 1. You send me $200 and your email address 2. I send you the document.
  • Catherine Easterling
    14:34
    Catherine Easterling
    How am i sending the money?
  • Jim Rippon
    14:37
    Jim Rippon
    You can either: * Send bitcoin to my address which I will let you know if you want to do that * Send funds by Western Union (you will have to cover all fees involved)
  • Jim Rippon
    14:47
    Jim Rippon
    So how would you like to send me the $200?


I've not had a reply since, my hope is that distracted our scammer long enough that someone more gullible wasn't drawn in.

Stay sceptical everyone, and don't go giving out any details online unless you know who you're talking to and you can verify they are who they claim to be yourself (e.g. by getting in touch with the company they claim to represent directly - never use contact details you got from the potential scammer to do this).