Larry Original Smith

Tourabout · Post by **Tourabout** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:06 pm

Larry,
Did you send me an email titled “Touching Base”

Message is below:

Hello.

Please let me know when you get this?

I'd like to ask you something

Thanks
Larry

Just didn’t know if you have been hacked?

Bill Anziani · Post by **Bill Anziani** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:13 pm

I received the same email

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:14 pm

Often scam emails seem very authentic until you look at the sender's address. In any case, I wouldn't click on anything in the message before contacting Larry here or with a forum PM.

ThreePedalTapDancer · Post by **ThreePedalTapDancer** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:23 pm

Did the message accuse you of using non original parts on yourT? If not, probably not from Original Smith.

Post by **CudaMan** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:35 pm

Oops, I just replied to the same email. Darn!

Post by **Adam** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:37 pm

I received a similar email at 11:30am:

Hello.

Please let me know when you get this?

I'd like to ask you something

Thanks
Larry

The address appears correct. Larry’s email was probably compromised. The “I’d like to ask you something” scam is generally looking for money to be wired claiming the sender is stuck somewhere.

Post by **Rich Eagle** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:38 pm

I got one too. I sent you a PM. They asked if I ever use Amazon and I thought it odd. Check your security.
Always nice to hear from you.

Rich

Post by **Dan Hatch** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:40 pm

I just checked my email and there it was. Sent to trash.

Post by **CudaMan** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:42 pm

It's a scam for sure, here is the response that I just got back:

"Happy to hear back from you, I need to get an online Amazon E-Gift Card sent to a friend who is battling (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) a type of Blood Cancer and has been undergoing treatment lately . It's her birthday , I've tried to order it online but my card was declined.. Can you purchase it from your end for me? I am just trying to put a smile on her face in these trying times. Let me know so I can provide you with her email address. I'll reimburse you with the money spent."

Tbird · Post by **Tbird** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:44 pm

Got the same thing…
I was hoping to find a question about authentic hardware…
Scam for sure!

Post by **TWrenn** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:50 pm

Just do NOT click on ANY attachments!
Once you do, they GOT YA. And everything in your computer. And your bank.

Post by **brassford** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 2:04 pm

I got the same... I also posted warning on the classifieds. Scammers

Post by **TRDxB2** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 2:07 pm

I got the same message too and should have noticed the sender & reply emails were different so...

Larry need to make sure your email accounts are safe
If either of these are yours then we you need to immediately change passwords. If not no need to worry
origsmith@sbcglobal.net
origsmiith@gmail.com

NOTE GMAIL accounts require you to have another valid eMail account. So responding to origsmiith@gmail.com may be someone different than the sender origsmith@sbcglobal.net

Mike Lebsack-Iowa · Post by **Mike Lebsack-Iowa** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 2:45 pm

Got the same message at 1135. Deleted and gone.

Post by **FreighTer Jim** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:06 pm

FJ

rickd · Post by **rickd** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:24 pm

Just got one too from" Larry Smith". Was looking forward to a discussion about T stuff! Site administrator please block this guy.

Post by **Bob McDaniel** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:37 pm

Happy to hear back from you, I need to get an online Amazon E-Gift Card sent to a friend who is battling (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) a type of Blood Cancer and has been undergoing treatment lately . It's her birthday , I've tried to order it online but my card was declined.. Can you purchase it from your end for me? I am just trying to put a smile on her face in these trying times. Let me know so I can provide you with her email address. I'll reimburse you with the money spent.

Thanks
Larry

I just got this email too.

Post by **modeltspaz** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:02 pm

I got the same email this morning. Checked the originating email address. It was Larry's address. His account has been hacked and they got his password.
I called him and he's aware of what has happened. I advised him to change his password.
I also sent a cordial reply to the email hacker advising that person (if you can call them a "person") to "change their ways" in my own special way.
Those of you in the Model T community that know me can probably guess my choice of words.
I signed off with the customary "Merry Christmas!"
Some of these scumbags just have no idea what the people they're messing with have behind them.
I did, however, advise said scammer that they should use some of their ill-gotten money for grammar lessons.

Post by **Jerry VanOoteghem** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:15 pm

rickd wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:24 pm
Just got one too from" Larry Smith". Was looking forward to a discussion about T stuff! Site administrator please block this guy.

Larry is a highly respected, valuable contributor here. He simply got hacked. Not his fault. Could happen to any of us.

Post by **Jerry VanOoteghem** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:20 pm

Gosh, I'm feeling left out, I didn't an email from Larry. What's up with that Larry?

Wayne Sheldon · Post by **Wayne Sheldon** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:22 pm

Thank you all for the heads up! I got one also. I usually don't check my email until late evening. It is usually just garbage messages anyway.

rickd · Post by **rickd** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:34 pm

Jerry, I wasn't suggesting that the real and very respected Larry be blocked. I was asking that the scammer Larry be blocked from sending emails to all of the members. I don't want any of us to get taken.

Post by **TrentB** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:57 pm

The same email went out to many of Larry’s friends. It’s definitely is a hack.

Respectfully submitted,

Trent

Post by **TRDxB2** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:59 pm

The emails form origsmith@.... I do not believe these are our Larry Smith's email addresses just someone making it look like it.
As an example getting one like "Frank Brandi" fbrand11@sgmail.com is not my email address but if you got an email like that you'd think it was me.

The real issue is that the scammer has OUR Email addresses. So how did that happen? Unless one of you contacted me in the past you don't have my email address and the only way for you to get it is to send me an email via the forum and for me to respond. So how were our email addresses obtained?

RGould1910 · Post by **RGould1910** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:03 pm

I'm the latest recipient

ThreePedalTapDancer · Post by **ThreePedalTapDancer** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:17 pm

How it is done is detailed in this article:

“How A Virus Sent An Email To All My Contacts”

https://guardiandigital.com/resources/b ... y-contacts

Post by **Ken Buhler** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:56 pm

Me too, glad I read about it here. Has it been determined to be Larrys' contact list or the club roster?

Post by **FreighTer Jim** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 6:27 pm

Ken Buhler wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:56 pm
Me too, glad I read about it here. Has it been determined to be Larrys' contact list or the club roster?

Simple enough to determine
Everyone who received an email
from him probably either had
previous email correspondence
with him or was on his
email contact list.

In my case - we corresponded by
email regarding the transport of a
Model T he bought
from the Estate of Ken Jones.

So - my guess is - his email account
was not hacked thru this forum.

FJ

Darren J Wallace · Post by **Darren J Wallace** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 6:34 pm

I received the email today too!

JEC · Post by **JEC** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:06 pm

I deleted it immediately.
It was much to polite for Larry.
I would guess that Larry hasn't responded because he is trying to fix his hacked computer.
If you haven't received the email it is probably because the hacker used his contact list.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:23 pm

Larry,
Got your message. Money is on the way.
Merry Christmas

Wayne Sheldon · Post by **Wayne Sheldon** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:32 pm

Larry S! We love you! We don't blame you! You aren't the first (happened to Stan Howe a few years ago!), and I am sure you won't be the last. (Happened to my wife about a year ago, but not many forum friends were on her address list.)
And yes, I traded a couple emails with Larry a few years ago.

Most of us do not realize just how many times we share such information in open forums. I have become much more careful in recent years, but I used to give my email address out in open forums for many reasons. Those postings, most of them, are still out there.

I usually get less than ten spam per day (often only two or three). My wife these days? Usually has thirty to forty or more spam most days!
I will be curious to see if my count now goes up since my email may have been picked up by a hacker/spammer?

No worries Larry! I still don't blame you.

Post by **Bob McDaniel** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:35 pm

Larry, don't call the phone number I sent you in my reply to your email, it was the local mental hospital and they will track your call.

Post by **Jerry VanOoteghem** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 8:25 pm

rickd wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 14, 2022 4:34 pm
Jerry, I wasn't suggesting that the real and very respected Larry be blocked. I was asking that the scammer Larry be blocked from sending emails to all of the members. I don't want any of us to get taken.

Makes sense. Sorry Rick.

Post by **BHarper** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 9:14 pm

I, too, was a lucky contestant.
I played along for a bit.
After I told "Larry" that my credit card was maxed out and I could not be of help, I heard no more from"Larry."

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:40 pm

It's not unusual for me to receive a PM from a scammer pretending to be a Facebook friend. If I'm in the mood I'll play along. Invariably they start with "Hi how are you doing?" I pretend to be a trusting sucker, and let them lead me on. As the set-up proceeds, I make screen shots of everything. It usually doesn't take long for them to try reeling in the sucker who has taken their bait. That's when I post all the screen shots on FB for all to see, make fun of their bad grammar, and ridicule them for being incompetent fools. I know I'm not going to reform anybody, but I like to think I'm doing my little part to ruin their day.

frontyboy · Post by **frontyboy** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:18 pm

I got the same message this morning. I know larry we were on the Spokane National tour last summer. I have never emailed him so I assumed it was a phony. I just deleted it.

frontyboy

Post by **Novice** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 12:10 am

I got one too. Almost got suckered into opening e-mail. Last time I communicated with Larry Smith was several years ago about a ad for cable operated rocky mountain brakes I found that He had been looking for. Didn't think He was interested in My model T fusing or LED head lights.

ModelTWoods · Post by **ModelTWoods** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 12:34 am

I received the same email, today. Since the senders email address seemed legit, I answered. Then, when I saw others were getting it, I went back and deleted it, but not before blocking the sender. I don't know if every email provider is the same , but I have Yahoo, and on any email, if you scroll down to the very bottom, there are a some dots and if you click on the dots, a window will appear and let you block the sender.

Post by **Original Smith** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 12:08 pm

I did indeed get hacked. I know when I get emails of this type, I always delete them. I hope none of you took this seriously.

Post by **Bob McDaniel** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 12:34 pm

Larry,
I don't think anyone took this seriously but a few had fun messing with the scammer. When I first saw the email I thought, that is odd but then I thought maybe you wanted to ask about something on my 13. Then when I got the story about Amazon the red flag hit me and I gave the guy the phone for the local mental institution where a Dr. that shares my name works and told him to call and ask for me and I could help him out. Then I was afraid to send you an email because I didn't know if you would get it so I came here to warn you. Then I see this was not just me so at least it worked out. Anyone that wants to contact me please feel free to call me, I might even be the one to answer that phone number I gave the scammer someday.

Post by **tdump** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 2:08 pm

These things really get around.But I do feel left out as I didn't get 1 from Mr. Smith.
Many moons ago, the Pretty Park virus got into my first computer and since I had emailed some folks work related for work related stuff at the state level, State government and folks in Raleigh had a BUNCH of computers down,and it came thru my little Compaq,not my fault really,I had got a email from a friend,I had only been online a few months ,had no idea how the stuff worked. But boy does it work!

Post by **Mark Wing - NM** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 6:25 pm

Yesterday I too received the e-mail version that said Larry wanted to ask me a question. It started out "Hi Wednesday" so I knew it was a scam as Larry obviously knows my name. Aside from the scam, I'm honored to be on the contact list with so many prominent, knowledgable, and active Model T folks!

Best wishes during the holidays!
Mark Wing
Tin Lizzies of Albuquerque

Stephen_heatherly · Post by **Stephen_heatherly** » Thu Dec 15, 2022 11:37 pm

I got an email too.

Stephen