The Steel Guitar Forum

Over the years I've been on the internet,Ive received more than my fair share of scammers asking if I've heard the good news, that there is some agency giving away money to random people and the scammer just happened to see my name on the list.
I'm sure some of you know of this scam. If not just Google it.
But I never thought that a member of this august site would try it on.
This morning it happened. When I let him know that I was on to him, the give away is the introduction, " Hi how are you doing?" He back tracked and asked if I'd received the pictures he had sent me on Facebook. Send me your phone number and I'll send them.
Not likely pal.
Anyway I won't name him at this stage.
How totally disappointing.

In ANY group or type of people there will be a small percentage who are not on the level. Just because someone plays steel does not guarantee they are above board.

That said, are you certain the scam came from the actual person who it claims to be? Over the years we have had several forum members hacked, with emails or texts sent to other members in their name but which the real person knew nothing about.

Well it is a possibility and I'd like to give the benefit of doubt. And that's why I didn't publish a name.

Scammers LOVE facebook!

Stay out of the "jungle", and you won't have to worry about lions and tigers.

colin mcintosh wrote:...If not just Google it...I never thought that a member of this august site would try it ...

You should google "spoofing". That notion that such an email actually came from someone you know and trust is at the far extremes of highly unlikely. The scammer is relying on the probability that you trust the sender named and are gullible enough to believe it's from them and fall for their scam. It's extremely common. If you're in doubt, just send the real person an email to their real, known email address to verify.

Ian Worley wrote:

colin mcintosh wrote:...If not just Google it...I never thought that a member of this august site would try it ...

You should google "spoofing". That notion that such an email actually came from someone you know and trust is at the far extremes of highly unlikely. The scammer is relying on the probability that you trust the sender named and are gullible enough to believe it's from them and fall for their scam. It's extremely common. If you're in doubt, just send the real person an email to their real, known email address to verify.

The dude had sent a friend request a few days before.
The reason I accepted his request is because I've seen his name before here on the forum.
The message came through Messenger.
But there you go. Still disappointing.
I thought Steelers were above such shenanigans.🤔

On 2nd thought not appropriate.
Edit.

colin mcintosh wrote: I thought Steelers were above such shenanigans.🤔

99.9% of us ARE above it. But there is no direct connection between personal integrity and playing a given musical instrument. Somewhere there may be someone who by day plays awesome stuff on his Emmons, and by night is an ax murderer. One has nothing to do with the other.

But I get what you are saying, it IS disappointing, especially since our group has such a high percentage of people who ARE great human beings.

I have received friend requests from people I knew and forgot that they were already a friend. Then I got the "Have you heard the good news?" email. Turns out, my friend's email had been hacked and a scammer was now posing as my friend. In this case, contact your friend and tell them to immediately change their password.

If you received the connection on Facebook there is a very good chance it was a spoofer, not the forum member. A good way to check is to search on the persons name on Facebook and you might find two identical people. One with lots of posts and connections and one with few posts and connections. That will help you identify if you have been fooled by a fake account.

…..or you can delete your Facebook account which improves most aspects of everyday life in general 😎

Brooks Montgomery wrote:…..or you can delete your Facebook account which improves most aspects of everyday life in general 😎

Amen

If a member here contacted you by a forum emal or forum PM, that member needs to be outed so they can be dealt with, but don't blame the forum unless you have proof the contact is a legitimate member. There have been relatively few cases of registered members pulling a stunt like that, I'm pretty sure.

If OTOH, they concacted you through fb or other social media outside the forum and falsely used a members name or have hacked a member's personal email account, there's little you can do except change your address.

That happens often around here and there is no limit to the evil tht surrounds us on the internet.

Every time I find a reason why I should join Facebook, I immediately think of about 3 reasons why I should not.

Same with me Don, I do not TRUST face book as far as I can throw a bull by his tail,ha! My Daughter signed me up to instagram and I did not last a week an canceled.
J.R.