Just random thoughts...

[CrankyBoomer]

I deleted the offending text after reporting it. After looking online it seems it is (as some posters here have suggested) a fairly common scam. I know that I'm not the oldest swinger in town (anyone remember the Fred Wedlock song?) more like the dull, most boring and most respectable old f**t in town and I know there's no sex tape of me but it's possible some young and silly teenager could have visited sites that shall we say Mum and Dad might not approve of and have had a scare. And where would an average teenager get 2000 US dollars? I also got a request for a payment for a non existent Amazon membership. I did learn that it's possible for someone sending an email to embed something called a beacon which can send details of IP address of the addressee when the email is opened. That was a bit disconcerting though Norton (the anti malware/virus thingummy) usually tells me if a site is insecure. Anyway, maybe I should stop writing about the scam now I know it's a fairly common scam.

[longdog]

I did learn that it's possible for someone sending an email to embed something called a beacon which can send details of IP address of the addressee when the email is opened.

I think I'm right in saying that only works if you open the email and it displays something that it has to fetch from the scammer's server. I use Thunderbird as a mail client with it set not to display anything other than what is actually embedded in the email and ask me if I want to load images etc. As long as I don't load the images the sender has no way to know if I have opened the email or not.

To be honest this has nothing to do with IP addresses which are pretty much useless to a scammer. It has more to do with the fact that a scammer / spammer will be able to tell your email account is live and send you more shit.

The only time I open emails from people I don't expect to receive emails from is if it looks like a good scam-baiting target. Everything else either gets auto-binned or binned unopened.

The simplest advice is the best. If an email is not from somebody you would expect to send an email don't open it at all. I work on the basis that anybody who wants to contact me and I want to be contacted by will either have my mobile number or know somebody who does. I don't open junk mail that comes through my letter-box no matter how big the word "IMPORTANT" is on the envelope and I don't do it with emails either. No legitimate organisation is going to send you important information solely by email if you haven't specifically given it to them and told them they can do so, in which case they are going to have your phone number and address and will write or phone if you ignore the email. If they don't have your phone number and address it's not important in the first place.

[TheNewSaint]

Yeah, the scam falls apart pretty quickly if you read through it. Frankly, I can think of several ways to make it better. But I don't want to give the scammers any pointers.

[HardyW]

I read somewhere that the genuine passwords, that these people quote at the top of their emails to frighten the vulnerable, originate from a hack of LinkedIn user details some years ago. Certainly when I received something like this I double checked and the password they had quoted was one I set up for a LinkedIn account I hardly ever use.

And the point about the embedded tiny image files, is that the e-mail message includes an image maybe only 1 pixel in size, or at least the e-mail message includes a request for an image file, but the filename given is different for each recipient. So when the scammer's server receives a request for img-1px-4567890jk.png it records that request and notes that the 4567890th punter who was sent that e-mail has opened the message. This is quite often used in genuine marketing messages, campaigning mail-outs etc to test their effectiveness.

[CrankyBoomer]

I think in my case it was a Yahoo password. I checked with this site https://haveibeenpwned.com and it showed that the email had been made available but I'd read something about Yahoo having a breach some time ago so had changed my password. I've probably changed it a few times since then. I don't use that email address for work anymore (I used to do some typing from home and may do so again in the future but I need to get a better computer first). My halfway decent laptop was stolen in January. I've had the usual scams periodically - I owe an invoice, I'm getting a refund from HMRC (I should be so lucky!!!!!), a contact is stranded half way up Mount Kilimanjaro and has had all their money stolen, can I help. That sort of thing. I'm obviously out of touch (even allowing for lockdown) because I hadn't heard of 'sextortion' before but I've learned since it's not uncommon - not that I've met anyone who has paid over any money, they've just deleted the email. Since I looked online to find out about this scam I've had the YouTube algorithm suggest videos exposing various scams. I had no idea there were so many 'contrepreneurs' (selling fake how to improve your business courses) out in the wide world and didn't know fake reviews for cash were so prevalent. Well the one time I looked on fiverr with a view of perhaps trying to find work from home there I did see someone asking for people to give a book on Amazon a five star review but I didn't realise it was as widespread as it is.

[CrankyBoomer]

I wasn't sure where to post this. I've seen somewhere that "Brand New Tube" which is a new video platform which is supposed not to censor things has been hacked. I doubt anyone here would use it actually but just thought I'd let people know.

[CrankyBoomer]

Are we living in a dystopian world? I couldn't believe this but a professor from Imperial College, London (where I believe work is going on looking at finding a Covid-19 vaccine) has given reporter/presenter turned conspiracy theorist, Anna Brees, an interview. AB is more intelligent than I gave her credit for initially so she could have 'suckered' the professor. Before I get the might of the mallet of the mods on my head because this may not be strictly fraud AB (as illustrated in this parody video) was asking her supporters for help recently.

[AnOwlCalledSage]

It's simple False Authority Syndrome.

The research interests of my group are the quantitative understanding of sensing and signalling in biological cells based on physical principles.

He's not an expert in epidemiology or viral medicine. He's entitled to an opinion, as does any citizen, but he has no more standing than a computer virus expert commenting on lockdown measures.

[Gregg]

Yes, he was slightly more qualified than interviewing me, a Doctor of Economics and one armed transmission mechanic.

And she is more than welcome to come interview me in person, cause she might be nuttier than a Snickers bar, but she aint hard to look at.

[CrankyBoomer]

Well Ms Brees had her YouTube channel terminated on Xmas Day but the bad news is that she appealed and it has been 'unsuspended' which is a real word though I was surprised to learn that the word existed.
https://trollexposure.wordpress.com/202 ... ned-brees/

[AnOwlCalledSage]

... it has been 'unsuspended' which is a real word though I was surprised to learn that the word existed.
https://trollexposure.wordpress.com/202 ... ned-brees/

I believe it's from the Old French. "se unsuspender" - an irregular reflexive verb which means to remove one's suspenders.

[exiledscouser]

The current Mrs ES is inventive with the English language although she is blissfully unaware of her creative abilities.

Only recently she told me she’d run ten kill-o-lom-enters.
That she’d disenjoyed something on the telly.
She urged me to take a “pictograph” of a scenic sunset.
Rather than pose topless she claimed to want to go “Nudeless”

I hope she doesn’t read this forum and recognise herself - she’d make my life a pure misery.

[John Uskglass]

I guarantee you wonh't find finer examples of mangled English than those presented in this volume.
https://publicdomainreview.org/collect ... spoke-1884

The author didn't let the fact that he spoke no English get in the way of his ambition to produce a Portuguese - English phrasebook. Instead, he hit on the genius idea of using a French - English dictionary to 'translate' an existing Portuguese - French phrasebook, with hilarious results.

At times, it approaches surrealist poetry.

I have put my stockings outward.
I have croped the candle.
I have mind to vomit.
I will not to sleep on street.
I am catched cold in the brain.
I am pinking me with a pin.
I dead myself in envy to see her.
I take a broth all morning.
I shall not tell you than two woods.
Have you understanded?
Let him have know?
Have you understand they?
Do you know they?

[longdog]

Isn't that the book that gave me one of my favourite English expressions?... "Nothing of money, nothing of Swiss" and the nearly as elegant "To craunch a marmoset"

[John Uskglass]

That's the one. Full of craunchy goodness...

[Pottapaug1938]

Reprints of "English As She Is Spoke" are readily available. My wife and I love to reread our copy.

Our favorite part has to do with renting a horse at a livery stable. One dialogue includes the wonderful "give me another. I will not that. She is pursy, she is foundered, she not sall know how to march, she is undshoed. Aren't you ashamed to give me a jade such as like?"

-- I may have a few words out or order, because our copy is in a box awaiting our return to our house.

[JohnPCapitalist]

Reprints of "English As She Is Spoke" are readily available. My wife and I love to reread our copy.

Our favorite part has to do with renting a horse at a livery stable. One dialogue includes the wonderful "give me another. I will not that. She is pursy, she is foundered, she not sall know how to march, she is undshoed. Aren't you ashamed to give me a jade such as like?"

-- I may have a few words out or order, because our copy is in a box awaiting our return to our house.

This is getting pretty close to "My hovercraft is full of eels" territory.

[longdog]

I will not buy this tobacconist. It is scratched.

[John Uskglass]

The most germane line for our subjects occurs during the subsequent courtroom scene.

I wish to plead incompetence.

[CrankyBoomer]

Looking upthread I shall have to remember "False authority syndrome". Anyway, (as at 18th May 2021) EC's latest entry on the Hoaxtead blog it looks as if some folk MIGHT be using money from a GoFundMe for a sob story in a fraudulent way. There's more to it than that but I don't want to say too much here. Let me know if you deem this entry inappropriate - I can always delete it.

Is Fogbow worth a visit? I've seen it mentioned a couple of times.