Prelude: This post is part of the experiment of playing with scammers for real, you should read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 to get up to date.
But if you want the basics – I’m exchanging emails with a scammer and publishing the emails here. I want readers to contribute with what I should write to him, so feel free to make a comment…
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It has been a long time since I received an email from my friendly scammer called Mou Xinsheng, the last email was on 13 February so that is more than one month.
I’m starting to get my hopes on the down low, I sent two emails on the last 2 weeks and still no reply. Anyway, here is a copy of yet another email that I just sent:
Hello Mou,
It has been a long time since your last email and I’m starting to get worried, are we ever going to complete our deal? Are there any issues with the transaction?
Looking forward for your reply.
Cheers,
Ryan
Do you have any ideas to make the scammer come back to life? Or is he gone for good and I’m never going to hear back from him? Did I scare him?
The funny thing is that lately I have been receiving a lot of those “lottery winner” spam emails, maybe I should switch my experiment to that instead of the same old 419 scammers.
6 Responses to Experiment – Playing With The Scammers For Real – Part 5
Silvana
March 16th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Hello Ryan,
well I get lottery winners about 8 a day! I am a millionaire..pfff. But let’s talk shop: Mr Mou Xinsheng. Even before I descovered your site I watched cnn that day. I then received an offer from our friend in China and decided I was gonna ‘play’. My initial reply was simply: please tell me more about your proposal. I immediately received a thank you and greetings and HIS PHOTO! Have you got one of those?
Bla bla bla….from Him: Dear Friend,
Thank you for your reply to my first email. I needed to be very sure of you before I disclose my identity for confidentiality purpose. I could not give you my true details in my first contact because I felt it would be huge surprise for you to receive such email from a serving minister of the People Republic of China. Now that you have replied the correspondence with interest I will give you more information about myself and the business.
My name is Mou Xinsheng (Minister of General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China).
Forgive me if you see my business proposal as shameful and not honorable
)
because of my governmental status. But please excuse me and understand that
this is the situation I am and must find a credible partner in the western world.
In my years of government service as Narcotics Control Commission and General
Administration of Customs, I have received kick backs from smugglers and bla bla ……..(can send you more if you wish). I did not reply …. thought: let him sweat
WELL, OBVIOUSLY HE WAS VERY SURE ABOUT ME – HM, DOESN’T EVEN HAVE MY NAME!(Don’t know where you went wrong, but then maybe the guy has just too many people he is sure about and needs time to reply to all! Patience dear boy!)
Today I received : From Mr Mou Xinsheng.
I want to solicit your attention to recieve money on
my behalf. The
purpose of my contacting you is because you live in
western world.
When you reply this message,i will send you the full
details and more information about myself and the funds.
I REPLIED ….. I AM WAITING FOR YOUR PROPOSAL.
I think the ball is firmly in his court now!
To be continued ……Silvana (my real name)
Tiago Gaspar
March 16th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Thanks for sharing your story Silvava, now we only need to know what happened on the end.
Silvana
March 17th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Well hi Tiago……today I received this:
Of cours together with another lengthy email!
http://www.chinavitae.com/biography_display.php?id=275
Check it out! Looks strangely….almost real! Can’t say I find similarity ith the photo in the passport!
No questions come my way yet!
Now I shall reply: so let’s hear the proposal!
Well, I am hape to take what they offer me;-)) It will be the easiest earned money yet!
Silvana
March 17th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
PS The email was entitled : OUR PROJECT
The CV is impressive! If the link I gave above does not work: http://www.chinavitae.com/biography/Mou_Xinsheng/bio
Note the Scam Warning at the bottom!
Silvana
March 18th, 2007 at 8:41 am
Hola on Sunday,
‘my story’ continues daily! I today received the email with: Furnish your details!
Well, I feel like going on – how far do I go? Give my bank account number abroad (Italy) ?
Tiago Gaspar
March 19th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Hi Silvana,
Thanks for the investigation, I didn’t know they used the ChinaVitae site.
I wouldn’t give the scammers your real bank account number, give them a fake one so you won’t have any problems.
Keep it up, you are doing a great job