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Author
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Topic: 'Apollo 11 Moon Rock Bag' email (scam)
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space1
Member Posts: 853
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-15-2018 09:03 AM
   
Today I found in my spam folder an email supposedly from a UK solicitor regarding an appraisal of a moon rock bag given by Neil Armstrong to a now deceased UK pilot. It had been found among other items in a security box in South Africa. If I help this solicitor he will split the value of the bag with me. The email was sent to "undisclosed recipients," so I'm not the only one receiving this.I may be wrong but this smells like a scam to me. I would advise any recipients to beware. |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 977
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-15-2018 09:11 AM
I had the same email twice. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-15-2018 09:16 AM
An obvious scam. No legitimate lawyer would do this. It might help to point out to those who are unfamiliar with the term: in the UK a "solicitor" is a (usually office-based) lawyer. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-15-2018 09:18 AM
Indeed; the solicitor's website included in the email is populated with clip art and the domain was registered on Aug. 28, 2018.I have received this email several times now, including one addressed specifically to me and then to "undisclosed recipients." |
randy
Member Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 09-15-2018 09:32 AM
I too had that same email this morning. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-15-2018 09:51 AM
Ditto. I smelled a rat and deleted it. |
mmmoo
Member Posts: 551
From: London, England
Registered: May 2001
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posted 09-15-2018 12:44 PM
I got it too, it sounded fishy simply by being so long winded and talking about deceased British MP Tony Benn being on a covert military mission with Neil Armstrong! |
Jonnyed
Member Posts: 396
From: Dumfries, VA, USA
Registered: Aug 2014
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posted 09-15-2018 05:55 PM
Do you think they will cover the covert Tony Benn-Neil Armstrong mission in the upcoming movie, "First Man"?  |
Spaceflyer
Member Posts: 194
From: Nauheim, Germany
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 09-16-2018 03:07 AM
Twice. |
oly
Member Posts: 905
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 09-16-2018 04:28 AM
This has also found its way here. Judging by the wording in the email, specifically targeting space artifact and memorabilia collectors, it seems that the collectSPACE community has been infiltrated. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 09-16-2018 05:54 AM
Same here - twice. Fortunately these morons (who claim to be legal experts) have a very poor grasp on English grammar and these spam message are easy to dismiss and delete. And the contents are laughable as well as extremely annoying. |
perineau
Member Posts: 218
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 09-16-2018 10:00 AM
I did, too — I think this site has been hacked. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-16-2018 10:29 AM
This site has not been hacked. If you choose in your profile to share your email address, then anyone can see it. Clearly, the author of this attempted scam spent some time going through the forum and collecting addresses. It was kind of stupid of him, if you ask me. Why would you target the people who would be the first to recognize your claims as bogus? |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 09-16-2018 10:02 PM
I didn't get it. Should I feel insulted that I wasn't considered enough of a space fan for even a scam email about it? quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Why would you target the people who would be the first to recognize your claims as bogus?
Who else would care about something like that?I think what happens is that these people see a subject, create a scam message and then look for the best audience for it. |
denali414
Member Posts: 593
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Aug 2017
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posted 09-17-2018 05:32 AM
Just got my scam email at 4:11 a.m. today, guess he is on to round two of people. |
tnperri
Member Posts: 452
From: Malvern, Ohio
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 09-17-2018 05:59 AM
What!! this is a scam? Drats I was going to call him today. |
Panther494
Member Posts: 402
From: London UK
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 09-17-2018 06:42 AM
Received mine this morning. Very interesting. Just couldn't resist a little bit of digging. It seems that the real Mr Geoffrey Dearing is a retired, former lawyer and freemason based in Kent. His details are easily available on line. The contact details for the scam are in Humberside, a long way from Kent. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-17-2018 07:34 AM
With information like that, is it worth notifying the police? |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 09-17-2018 09:44 AM
I too recieved the same email regarding this very exciting opportunity, which I quickly dismissed as a scam. I emailed Robert to make sure the cS community was aware of this scam. Apparently you are. My hope is whoever sent it will read these messages and realize who he's up against, and that no one here will ever fall for his hoax. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 09-17-2018 12:38 PM
This is so reminiscent of something similar from the mid-1970's when one of Aldrin's space suits was offered for sale. After some investigations it was clear that it was just a ploy to advertise the business of the man who placed the advert.On edit: And Rick in this case both the police and the FBI got involved. |
TheFonz
New Member Posts: 3
From: Louisiana
Registered: Jan 2013
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posted 09-17-2018 03:00 PM
He must know I'm poor and not worth a shot because I never received it. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-17-2018 03:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
With information like that, is it worth notifying the police?
The U.S. Better Business Bureau recommends "you immediately delete or throw away any such correspondence," but if you have already responded to such, or if you know someone who is corresponding in this scheme, contact the U.S. Secret Service. I will reach out their office on behalf of our community and see what they advise. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 2031
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 09-17-2018 04:27 PM
Not sure if it's related to the above posts, but today I got a message from "Sergey Korolev" which contained little more than a link to what is obviously a spam website. Now deleted. |
oly
Member Posts: 905
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 09-17-2018 08:30 PM
Colin, I am sure there are a few folks who would like his contact details. |
JPSastro
Member Posts: 170
From: Tucson, Arizona
Registered: Jan 2009
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posted 09-18-2018 09:31 AM
Received this in my email account late Monday night. It got past my spam, junk mail filters, so it has to be real. (LOL) |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 09-18-2018 10:20 AM
Interestingly, a business search for solicitors in Annie Reed Road, Beverly HU17 0LF failed to turn up his business. |
bklyn55
Member Posts: 361
From: Milford, CT
Registered: Dec 2014
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posted 09-18-2018 02:39 PM
Hooray!! I finally received THE email. Beginning to think I wasn't considered worthy of being given the opportunity to purchase such a historically significant item. But, what surprises me more is that no one in this community mentioned the fact that we could also share in the sale of the Codex Atlanticus! What a deal. Two historic items offered for the price of one email. |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 09-18-2018 06:33 PM
Yup, got two of the same emails last week.Like others I couldn't resist the urge to dig a bit. What's interesting is that Tony Benn MP apparently did join the RAF (VR) in 1943 and underwent flight training in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) between 1944-45. Bulawayo is in South-West Zimbabwe, about 200km from South Africa. While in Government, in 1968 Benn signed a contract with Rio Tinto Zinc to extract 7,500 tons of uranium from the Rossing mine in Namibia, illegally occupied by South Africa despite a UN ban. In 1976, while Benn was Energy Secretary, Britain accounted for 50% of all foreign investment in South Africa. Benn was indeed a freemason, and had met the crew of Apollo 11 on the evening of Tuesday 14th October 1969 at No. 10 Downing Street. Benn was, however, assigned to look after Mike and Pat Collins that particular evening. Elements of the story are plausible, but a little research at Companies House reveals multiple directorships of multiple similar legal and investment companies, website replications etc. The report card for this scam reads: "Use a spell checker - must try harder!"  |
YankeeClipper
Member Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011
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posted 09-18-2018 06:57 PM
quote:
Originally posted by perineau:
I did, too — I think this site has been hacked.
The correct term is "website scraping" by a software script that can scan / drill a website and harvest contact details and any intel the script author is seeking. It's a reconnaissance activity that is usually deployed against corporate websites and looks to leverage contact details for future social engineering exploits.Technically, it is a hack but not a direct attack - it's a pretty common occurrence. Just make sure you have anti-virus and anti-malware software on your device(s), keep the operating system patched and updated, don't respond to unsolicited and unfamiliar e-mails, and don't open any attachments or click on any URL links. All standard stuff - all the basics. |
perineau
Member Posts: 218
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 09-19-2018 09:20 AM
Thanks for the explanation — as you can see, I'm pretty low on the computer-geek food chain! |
Ironman
Member Posts: 66
From: England
Registered: Feb 2015
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posted 09-20-2018 02:18 PM
The same email popped up in my junk folder yesterday. |
AlanC
Member Posts: 147
From: Scotland
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 09-21-2018 05:19 PM
For a spam email it was actually quite a good read.  |
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