[Veggiepatch]

A Most Elaborate Scam - AFP Impersonation​

This very convincing and elaborate scam has been doing the rounds for a few months now. It purports to be from the Australian Federal Police, however, for those with a keen eye, it is a scam.



It should be noted that Dr Susan Benson and Reece Kershaw are actual high ranking employees of the AFP.

Now for the clinchers.

1. The second line of the third paragraph contains a double comma.
2. The email is not addressed by name to the recipient - a dead giveaway.
3. The last word of the second line of the first paragraph is "COMPUTERIZED" - an Americanisation of the word "computerised".
4. The signatures at the bottom of the letter do not match up with the names.
5. The body of the email is not dated. A serious flaw for a serious matter.
6. The AFP do not disclose the locations of their facilities for the purpose of holding people in custody as indicated in the last paragraph.
7. The AFP would never disclose the identity of the "offender" to organisations which are against pedophilia or the media.
8. The real clincher - the AFP would NEVER send such what amounts to a "warning email" for such a serious crime. They would go to your home or workplace and arrest you there.

Look convincing? Sure does! Be vigilant my friends and don't get fooled by anything!

 

[Suzanne rose]

It's crazy the ammount of scams.

I received an email saying they had proof I had been on pornography sites and unless I transferred $3000 evidence would be sent to all my contacts.

I wanted to reply 'go ahead' or reply with 'dickhead' but just deleted it.

I thought later how this could make someone very nervous, even though they were innocent, thinking someone might send it to the person's contacts. And how someone might actually pay it.

 

[Veggiepatch]

It's crazy the ammount of scams.

I received an email saying they had proof I had been on pornography sites and unless I transferred $3000 evidence would be sent to all my contacts.

I wanted to reply 'go ahead' or reply with 'dickhead' but just deleted it.

I thought later how this could make someone very nervous, even though they were innocent, thinking someone might send it to the person's contacts. And how someone might actually pay it.

Had about five of those so far this year. Way back in 2018, someone made the same threat and quoted one of my previous internet passwords! That was a bit spooky until I made a counterthreat using a faction of the Russian Mafia as my minders! Not another word said!

 

[Luckyus]

Bollocks? The old Bill know where I live!!

 

[Penny4]

Haven't received this one. Thanks for the headsup.

 

[Isis]

My brain would turn to mush by the time I had read the first paragraph, it would get the flick very quickly . Thanks for the heads up

 

[jay2]

Ive been reminded I have unpaid toll fees,pay up or else. I live in a state with no toll roads and havent been out of my state for 12 years. Ive won $250,000 and a truck , all I have to do to collect it is to give them all of my personal information, this came from someone claiming to be King Charles 111,. Lots of King Charles on Facebook. Sorry to the real King Charles cant be your friend, I dont know the real one from the crooked ones. jay2

 

[Dynamo]

THanks for the warning

 

[Gil]

I had an "official" email arrive stating that it was from "The Royal Palace".
It was signed by "King Charles"
The kicker was in the senders' email address (Charlie.King@.....)

 

[Jest]

thanks for this. why do the police not advise that this is a scam?

 

[Veggiepatch]

thanks for this. why do the police not advise that this is a scam?

From the AFP's Linkedin page.

The AFP is aware of members of the public receiving scam emails pretending to be from AFP Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw. The scam emails include a fake subpoena or summons and say you’re being investigated for various crimes.

There are several versions of this scam, but all of the emails use a sense of urgency to try to provoke a response to the sender. The emails also contain bad grammar, are not sent from genuine AFP email addresses and do not mention your name.

Do not reply to the email, open attachments or click on any links in the email as they may be malicious.

The AFP does not issue subpoenas via email, and recommends that you delete the email from your inbox and from your deleted folder.

For more information about how to recognise, avoid and report scams visit: www.scamwatch.gov.au.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/aust...l-from-the-activity-7155751974804582400-aI9S/

 

[David567]

The fact you received an email of this nature spells SCAM. You wouldn't get a warning via Email. Instead you would have the Detectives knocking on your door with a search warrant.
Got to give these scammers points for trying somethin new. There are persistent.

 

[Ebby]

Nice of you to look out for us Veggie

 

[Reet]

I have recently had more than one letter which is obviously a scam stating that several emails have been sent from my computer which are pornographic. The only person who has access to my computer is me and I would never send out pornographic material ever. This scam email was addressed to no individual nor was it signed by anyone so, again, it must be a scam.

 

[OzBoz]

I have the almost perfect answer to these kinds of emails. My email client has been configured to consign any and all emails, from addresses not in my address book, straight into the s**t bin. It is also configured to add to my address book, those addresses to whom I post, so no genuine address is deleted.

The reason I use an email app, is that I do not trust Google Yahoo et al to do a decent job of filtering this crap. In addition, it gives me total control of what i see, even if I cannot stop it from coming.

 

[PepeLePew]

Personally I just don't get how some people can be gullible enough to fall for these kinds of scams unless of course they are into that kind of thing then they deserve to be hogtied, quartered, tarred, feathered and interned in prison in the mainstream population where they'd get what's coming to them for exploiting children. I don't open emails from anybody I don't recognise, I immediately delete them.

 

[Isis]

thanks for this. why do the police not advise that this is a scam?

Maybe they believe that nobody would believe such a silly thing.

 

[Shirley Sargent]

Everyone beware. The advert to upgrade your computer by Microsoft is a complete scam.

 

[havingadoggyday]

Had about five of those so far this year. Way back in 2018, someone made the same threat and quoted one of my previous internet passwords! That was a bit spooky until I made a counterthreat using a faction of the Russian Mafia as my minders! Not another word said!

You have connections to the Russia Mafia???Can I have their email address just in case....never know when you'll need them
Yes this scam is ludicrous and wonder if it only gets sent to those that look at anything explicit,or just as random as the free tool box from Bunnings scam

 

[Veggiepatch]

Nice of you to look out for us Veggie

Thank you for the compliment! I always look out for the welfare of fellow SDC members.