Yahoo! Messenger (YM) cellphone load scammer
September 27, 2007
Beware of scammers who use Yahoo! Messenger (YM) to lure victims to invest in a fake prepaid load business. If the potential victim decides not to join the “venture,” the scammer then attempts to hack that person’s Yahoo account.
Here’s how the modus operandi works.
Using a hacked Yahoo! account of someone who has you in his/her Friends list, the scammer contacts and chats with you via YM. The scammer tries to gain your trust by talking about your friend’s work and by mentioning people you both know. Apparently, the scammer has already learnt about these things by reading your friend’s emails.
He then proposes that you join him in a potentially lucrative prepaid loading business. One victim’s experience involved a scammer — who pretended to be the friend who works as a flight attendant — supposedly needing P10,000 (US$220) worth of load credits. The load, the scammer explains, is sold at almost 100% profit to other Filipinos abroad who need prepaid load.
If you agree, the scammer asks you to send load to a cellphone number. One number used for this scam was +639169244100, but other numbers are certainly in use. Once the load is sent, you will not hear from the scammer and you ultimately lose money.
If you decide not to send load, however, the scammer then attempts to hack your Yahoo! account by redirecting to a phishing site. (An example of how a Phishing site works is explained in this fake e-gold site article.) The scammer, still pretending to be your friend, invites you to view his pictures posted in a fake Flickr website. Once you log in, the scammer uses the information to hack your Yahoo! account.
Armed with a new hacked account, the scammer contacts the friends listed in your YM Address Book and attempts to dupe them using the same modus operandi.
Don’t be a victim! Don’t fall for this scam!
Discuss this new scam in the Filipino Hacker (YM Modus Operandi) thread.
September 29th, 2007 at %H:%M
thanks for this info … will certainly be on the lookout!
Oktober 2nd, 2007 at %H:%M
Thanks for the heads up.
November 6th, 2007 at %H:%M
Thanks for the Info James
Additonal tips:
“Try contacting your friend about this if they are just with the same location with you through their mobile phone.”
Januar 23rd, 2008 at %H:%M
This is true. I was a victim but become an instrument as well to let my friend’s other contacts notified that her YM was hacked and used in the prepaid card scam. I pray that the we can put an end to the hacker/scammer routine by letting more people know about this horrible activity.
April 3rd, 2008 at %H:%M
Yummin,
Maybe you want us to to to the media about this… just let me know…
Thanks
September 12th, 2009 at %H:%M
TO ALL MY FRIENDS MG INGAT KAYO SA MGA SINDIKATO NGAYON. LALO N SA LOAD NA SMART . MY MGA SINDIKATO N KUMKLT NGAYON N NG NGPPNGP N KAYO ANG NG TXT SA inyong pmilya. N NG PPNnGAP N KAYO. N MGA BUSINESS KAYO ABOUT SA LOAD. N DOUBLE ANG PROFIT KUNG MG… PAPADALA KAYO NG LOAD NA 3OO MAGIGING 500 YAN ANG SSBIHIN NG SINDIKTO SA PMILYA NYO.. KY MG INGAT.. balaan nyo ang pamilya nyo..e2 ang scam no. 09097420520,,beware!Read More
Oktober 9th, 2009 at %H:%M
LATELY,NALOKO MOM KO NG SINDIKATO. MAY NAG-TXT SA KANYA AT NAGPANGGAP NA KUYA KO FROM DUBAI.MAG-BUSINESS DAW CLA NG LOAD KC ANG 500 MAGIGING 950 DAW. NAGPADALA XA NG 163pcs NA 500 LOAD AT NANG MAIKWEN2 NG MOM Q SA KIN I CALLED MY BROTHER RIGHT AWAY AT NALAMAN NAMIN NA NALOKO XA. KAWAWA NAMAN MOM Q… MATANDA N KC KYA MDALING LOKOHIN. SO, BE ADVISED… SABIHIN NYO SA MGA FRIENDS & RELATIVES NYO… IS THERE ANYWAY KAYA NA MAHULI ANG MGA ITO?
Oktober 28th, 2009 at %H:%M
ako, naloko ako this week lang lng napaiyak tlga ako.kala ko kasi uncle ko nagtxt sakin nsa oman kasi uncle ko sabi nya kumusta kami etc etc tapos sabi aalukin daw nya ako ng negosyo prepaid card tig 500 globe at smart bibili daw ako tapos ittx ko saknya yung pin tapos ibebenta nya daw ng 2,500 sa mga ksamahan nya.pumyag ako kasi sabi ko mlki laking tubo din saka akala ko tlga auncle ko kasi alm ang name ko saka yun din name ng uncle ko
.bale 19 cards din n tig 500 ang naipadala ko kaya ko lng nabuking dahil kinuwento ko sa nanay ko sabi ko magsosyo sya kaya tinext nya uncle ko binigay ko new roaming number ang sagot daw ng uncle ko kuno??? bkit nmn kita isososyo saka wala p nmn naiibigay n load sakin si zel kahit isa…ngulat nanay ko sabi bkit sungit ngyon mgsalita uncle mo di nmn gnun sya mgsalita..hnggng yun sabi ng nany ko nloko ka zel…iyak n ako ng iyak…eto ang number ng nanloko sakin 09273737779…kakasama ng loob …sana maaksyunan n mga yan
November 4th, 2009 at %H:%M
2 of my workers here in Kuwait was also experienced the same modus operandi. one is 15, 000 pesos and one is 5, 000 pesos worth of loads. Who are are these heck people? F*ck them off.
Februar 4th, 2010 at %H:%M
thanks for this info.