Rinoa Poison: Scambaiter

Stream Timestamp [00:27:00]

Publisher’s Clearinghouse

This guy spoke slowly, enunciating every syllable. He said that she had won “$2.5 million seven thousand USD” and a brand new 2023 Mercedes Benz. She asked if he was serious. He assured her how legitimate it is, then he suddenly booped.

Total Time Wasted: 2min 21sec

Stream Timestamp [00:31:00]

M vs Roger Thomas & Fake Roger & Sam – Geek Squad

Refund Amount:  $417.00 for a 1-year subscription; $100, then $317

Scam Amount: $10,000.00

AnyDesk was used.

Without warning, we were transferred to someone who claimed to still be Roger but didn’t sound like him. He kept calling M “love,” which was just gross. Fake Roger was replaced with real Roger.

Roger put us on hold while he checked with his supervisor, Sam. We were transferred to Sam. Small talk about breakfast, being late for work, being yelled at for making mistakes.

He asked if she had a Bitcoin account (to send her the money). She said she knew nothing about it, but he said again that that’s how they would send her the money, and in two parts: First $100, then $317.

Accidentally, $10,000 was transferred. Sam seemed awfully calm about it, asking if she made a mistake. M was panicking and saying it was an accident! Sam pulled up the calculator to demonstrate what happened. M was still upset. Sam tried to calmly explain what needed to be done next. He went to talk to his higher authority and put us on hold while he did things on our computer.

He returned to the phone and asked if M now had a coffee. She said that she had water. He said that she should have got coffee instead because, “it will calm you down.” Then he asked what kind of phone she had, then asked her to open the camera on her computer. She said she didn’t have a webcam plugged in. He asked her to plug it in because, “I just want to see which phone you are using.” She said it was a 10+ year old Nokia. He made some weird sounds in the background! Then, he put her on hold again while he had a word with his superiors.

He returned to the phone and immediately asked, “So what about Pierogi?” She asked him what he said. He replied, “No, I am saying, how far is the bank from your place?” He said that she must go to the bank to send them the money. He put us on hold again.  They were very suspicious, but Rinoa couldn’t think of anything on the computer that would have given it away.

They were trying to see how they could take their money because they’re confused about how to do it. Asked if she had a scanner, then changed it to “printer.” He said that her system showed she had a printer. (There was a constant Hindi conversation in the background, perhaps with Sam included.) She asked if they’re talking on speakerphone because it was echoing. He said that he wasn’t. He was going to give her wire information to return the money. He gave the standard spiel that they’re going to hide the transaction from the bank.  Rinoa booped in mid-spiel, hoping that he would call back on a better line. There was horrible echoing and sounded like scammers moaning in the background.

He called back. Distorted background voice(s) continued. She asked why there was an echo. He did something and it got better. She asked if he already had the money. He repeated that he was hiding the money, but it was still in her account. She said that the bank said it was an “internal transfer” and wanted to know what that meant. He said they were just showing the bank that.

Another voice suddenly replaced Sam, then immediately put her on hold. Rinoa thought it was forever hold again and booped.

They called back, saying the just got disconnected, then immediately put her back on hold again.  She said, “Hello?” It sounded like Sam’s voice told her to keep holding. Then, they called her Pierogi, saying he had been waiting to talk to her. Then, he started getting vulgar and swearing. Similar back-and-forth continued, with her denying and them acting nasty until someone booped.

Total Time Wasted:  1hr 16min 51sec

Stream Timestamp [02:05:00]

Jessica Wilson vs. Shane William & Kevin Parker & Mike Wilson — Microsoft

Refund Amount: $589 for Windows Defender

Scam Amount: $10,000.00

He asked if she knew anyone named Patrick Smith. When she said that she didn’t, he said that they must cancel it immediately. After she filled out the form and logged into her bank account, he chatted with her to distract her. When she could see her bank screen again, there was now a transaction for “CHARGES FROM MICROSOFT” for a debit of $589. Shane transferred us to his “financial person,” Kevin.

She completed the “transfer request.” He acted shocked because he just got a notification of a problem. Account balance was now $11,496.28 (was 1,496.28), $10,000 with the transaction-line description reading “ONLINE REFUND OVERPAID”!! A Nicolas Cage photo was on the statement again. Jessica was panicking and wanted to call her bank. Kevin said, “NO!” Rinoa booped.

Kevin called right back, rather panicky himself from thinking Jessica would call the bank. She kept overtalking him. He got angry and repeated, “Listen to me!” He told her to go to her bank and withdraw the cash. She needed to return $9,400.00.

We were transferred to Mike Wilson, the manager. He “just found out” about the $10,000. We drove to the bank and withdrew the cash. He said to drive back home and that he was checking the location of the nearest officer who will come to her doorstep. He said that the nearest officer was 300 miles from her, but he had another way! He said there was a company ATM machine. He explained that he would give her the company barcode and she needed to scan it. Then, he said he would give her the manager’s address and she must mail him the cash.

Mike gave the usual instructions on how to wrap money.

Mike: “Do you have a shoe box?”

JW: “Yes, would you like me to lob it at your face?”

He asked if she really withdrew the cash and how much. He wanted a photo of it. He told her to seal the box. She tried to engage him in small talk about his life. Mike thanked her for saving Kevin’s job, then went back to giving shipping instructions. He wouldn’t stop talking. Rinoa booped him after she finally got the address.

He called back but Rinoa didn’t answer. She didn’t want to talk to Mike, anyone else, “even a stapler,” but not Mike.

He called back again. She answered and asked him to put her on the line with a stapler. He started saying how he was expecting a picture. She booped him in mid-sentence! He called back, but she wouldn’t answer it.

Total Time Wasted: 2hr 09min 42sec