Online scam artists have tried the carrot – usually grown in Nigeria – and now they’re trying the stick. The Austin Police Department is having a press conference this morning to discuss the next level in web bilkery – spam emails threatening to kill the recipient unless they cough up some cash. Usually, the sender poses as a hitman already paid up to off the recipient, but, kind soul that they are, they offer to call off the hit and spill the beans on who called it – after a money transfer of some sort.
APD sent out a letter (pdf) of one of the scams; we can see how some might be spooked by it – after all, a threat is a threat. But the lack of personalizing details – plus a reply line (deadlykillers610) that’s more suited to a Gears of War frag team than an international assassin conglomerate – reveals this for the turkey it is.
This article appears in March 7 • 2008.