MTFCA Forum

This doesn't involve Model Ts but I got an email yesterday from a Forum member, Mr. X, whom I know pretty well and have done business with for several years, asking a favor. I said I'd be glad to help. He replied that out in CA where he lives, he was unable to purchase an Apple gift card for his niece's birthday because all the stores were out and he couldn't get one online. Sounded odd but still plausible given the whole Covid mess. He asked if I could please buy the card at a store out here and he'd pay me back. He wanted me to buy four $100 cards right away and email him the PIN numbers which he would then give to his niece. I had to go to an eye appointment yesterday, and there was a Sprawl Mart on the way, so I said that for him, I'd do it. I was heading out the door when a light sort of came on. I slowed down and for the first time considered that the email might not be from who it said it was. So after I got back from the appointment I said I had the cards (I didn't) but before I would email the numbers, due to the large number of scams that are around, I needed him to verify his identity by identifying the most recent item that I had sold him. I figured that if it was in fact Mr. X that I'd be willing to make a special trip for him that evening. But of course that ended it.

Because I thought that the email was from someone I knew and esteemed, I stupidly let down my usual caution and glossed over the typical scam giveaways: the great urgency of the request, the "await your soonest response" closing, the rather large amount involved, no mention of how or when I was actually to be repaid, and last but certainly not least, the email address, hidden until I got into the actual properties of the message, was NOT the one I had for Mr. X. Here is the scam address: jandikeh@gmail.com

Many email programs display the actual email address of the sender if you scroll over their name. If yours doesn't, you can do a "reply" and see what email address you are replying to. If it doesn't match what you think it should, it is a scam and you can delete the reply without sending it.

Please be adviced your Hit And Miss Model T auto title is in question by Motor Authority due to error or omission! Reply urgently to Officer Robert of Motor Vehicle Authority to remedy this matter for prevent seizure with tow bills. Have your cards ready and all information for identity purpose and fee payment to facilitate settlement of this urgent matter!

R. V. I got a similar email about a month ago. I am skeptical by nature and didn't think that the person who supposedly sent the email would make such a request, and if she did it would be by telephone. I sent her an email to the address that I knew was hers, and at the same time I sent her a snail mail letter that in part said that if she had not received my email, someone had hacked her account. A couple of days later she called me and said that she never received my email, but had gotten n two telephone calls from other friends saying pretty much the same thing.
Please - If someone asks you for payment via a debit or gift card, assume that it's a scam. You will never see the money again.

I have gotten the same email couple days ago.
Asking if I would do him a favor.

You must remit promptly to avoid Swat Police and tow truck at your residence in full veiw of neighbor! Act now our operators is awaiting for your informtion and card number to effect speedy payment! Do not be embarass!

Did you, Dan? Same address? I was wondering if anyone else here had gotten the same thing, purportedly from the same legit Forum user.

Not sure about address but ask me how we were doing and they were fine , can you do me a favor. Sure it was same persons. You

No, it wasn't me!

NOT A NEW SCAM. It sufaced here in Minnesota two years ago. I almost got taken, but I called the person the email seem to come from and found out it was a scam.

Sorry RV, part of the sentence did print.
Should have say.
Sure it was same persons that emailed you.

A variation of the older scam from a close and trusted friend that they are traveling abroad, have had their wallet stolen, need $$$$ for new passport and travel back home. Very convincing until you remember that said close and trusted friend is actually yet at home.

I got an email from a friend one morning saying she was stranded in London without money, etc. etc. Since I had seen her at dinner here the evening before, I knew it was a scam. Out of curiosity, I answered the email innocently as though I believed it and asked her some questions. I got plausible answers that I might, under other circumstances, have believed. I continued our email exchange, but in Dutch. Never heard back. Apparently they don't teach Dutch in Nigerian schools.

As Frank Abagnale says one of the very first alerts of a scam is money now / as soon as possible. The second is personal info.

I got a similar email two days ago. I just deleted it.

I get these scams in my email all of the time. Some days I receive 5 or more. I just delete them right away.

Are scammers hitting this web site more than others?
I do not seem to be getting any from AACA site. Only using people from here.

Well I feel quite insulted! Nobody's has tried to scam me, do I look that poor?

I get quite a bit of spam, although not as much recently as I used to. How much of it is a flat-out scam attempt? I don't know. I usually delete them so fast I almost never even look at their requests. Occasionally, a familiar name will go by, and I might open it up to see what they want? But usually, I can tell without opening it if the email address is crooked. It helps having a son that is a programmer and website designer!

Several years ago, I got one that claimed to be from Stan Howe! I had traded a few emails with him a couple weeks before, but I could tell this one was fake. Since I had Stan's email address, I sent him a quick warning. Turned out his email had been hacked and a few people's email addresses were at risk. So he had his account fixed. Apparently, no serious problems resulted from it.

If I see any familiar names from this forum? I will check it out, and issue warnings if that is warranted.

As far as I know? My email has never been hacked. However, my wife's email has been hacked at least three times! And, yes, we warned a lot of family members along with a few other people on her address list.