Bizarre spam texts

[HenryD]

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

My random spam messages started a few years ago with porn addressed to multiple recipients. And the pictures showed without my clicking on anything (which I would never do). The porn spam has ceased (fingers crossed) and now I just receive text messages from random friends I don't know who want to know if I'm free for lunch or something similar to the OP's message.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Here's a quick TL; DR snippet from an article about "wrong number" spam texting:



Incredible. The depths of greed and depravity in the world apparently have no lower bounds.

EDIT: Here is the link to the article on Substack where the above quote is from. Really good article that explains a lot of this. You can read the whole article without logging in or subscribing, but you have to ignore (keep scrolling) past a nag screen/widget. https://maxread.substack.com/p/whats-the-deal-with-all-those-weird

Unfortunately their information is incorrect in my experience. I "scambait" as a hobby and have for over 20 years. That means I waste the scammer's time by seeming to go along with the scam. What I do varies but I have tools to locate the scammers. The vast majority of romance scammers are in West Africa, Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana mostly but Senegal is an up and comer.

There are some scammers everywhere including Southeast Asia. The Asian scammers seem to be more about bitcoin and gaming credits, not so much romance scams.

I have run into quite a few scammers here in the USA too. Those are fun because I can usually track down real information about them. Unfortunately many of them are innocent "mules" that have themselves been scammed into accepting money mailed to them and forwarding to the scammers.

 

[SecondAttempt]

So, I can definitely say that some of these texts are fishing to confirm your basic information so they can sell it and make a quick buck. That's the age we will live in now, no trojans/viruses, just hands reaching in from everywhere trying to get your information.

I think you are correct.

I have a fairly complete fake identity I use for my scambaiting and I take many precautions to not leak real personal information. I'm not a paranoid person but I am starting to get the impression that some nation-state spy agencies are building big databases on Americans and other westerners for future use. I say this because they often ask for just a little basic information then move on. This is how I was taught the Chinese operate back in the day when I had a security clearance and got that kind of briefing/education. The Russians used blackmail/bribery. The Chinese used friendship and polite conversation to get little bits of information that they then pieced together later.

 

[Time2]

This guy spends his life scamming scammers. Often makes his voice sound like an older women while he is erasing files on their computer or turning their cameras on and showing them the room they are in. He has stopped people just as they were about to go buy gift cards to pay for the scam.

At times he works with authorities and facilitates raids on them. He make it look easy and fun to watch.


This video gives quite a bit of info on his capabilities. Be aware the scammers use fowl language when the find what he has done to them.
Towards the end he does his old lady voice. You can start at 1:57 to miss a bit of setup and fluff.

This is the page with all his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/@ScammerPayback/videos

 

[joesxm3]

I had a text like the OP. Was as if asking to someone if they wanted to go wine shopping before Christmas.

I did not respond then got a second text "are you there".

I stupidly responded " wrong number".

Then came one more text which I though must be "thank you". Again I stupidly looked at it and it had a picture of a young woman apparently trying to make her friend remember meeting her.

At that point I freaked out thinking it was a JPG virus. The phone automatically displayed the picture when I viewed the text.

McAfee did not trigger and so far nothing has been niticed, but I have been afraid to use my online banking app to deposit checks and changed my password after I did last time.

 

[target2019]

Google Pixel OS does a very good job of detecting spam.

Using iphone yesterday I noticed it let too many through.

 

[dmpi]

I get the 'buy your property' text, e-mail, and phone calls continuously.

 

[f35phixer]

This guy spends his life scamming scammers. Often makes his voice sound like an older women while he is erasing files on their computer or turning their cameras on and showing them the room they are in. He has stopped people just as they were about to go buy gift cards to pay for the scam.

At times he works with authorities and facilitates raids on them. He make it look easy and fun to watch.


This video gives quite a bit of info on his capabilities. Be aware the scammers use fowl language when the find what he has done to them.
Towards the end he does his old lady voice. You can start at 1:57 to miss a bit of setup and fluff.

This is the page with all his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/@ScammerPayback/videos

Love him, he's a Pro....

 

[ls99]

Not only text, I get snail mail offers to buy my camp. For an awesome lowball price. Carefully explaining how difficult it is to sell property nowadays.