At least 3.4 billion fake emails are sent around the world every day according to Security Magazine. These account for untold millions of losses due to online scams.
Historically, the "Nigerian Prince" scam is one of the most popular. It typically involves the fraudster promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment. Once the fraudster gets the money they either disappear or continue to concoct more scanrios to fleece the victim.
<p>This scam dates back hundreds of years when scammers would contact businesses asking for money to get a wealthy relative out of a Spanish prison.</p><p>Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, a serial entrepreneur who is the founder of The Next Web tech events, shared how he fights back against scammers, and it's pretty brilliant. He created a fake company called Nordic Procurement and when the scammer emails it, they're sucked into a time-consuming rabbit hole of out-of-the-office replies.</p><p>The point is to waste as much of the scammer's time as possible so they prey on fewer people.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcb46a85c1e24678341cfb0046173339" id="ae311"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360208510768799752"><div style="margin:1em 0">I reply with this standard text: https://t.co/o0OtSthbPN</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360208510768799752">1613133955.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">When they email bill@noprocurement.com they get an OoO reply, which looks like a real message: <a href="https://t.co/iZXOkqhR9y">pic.twitter.com/iZXOkqhR9y</a><br/>— Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris) <a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/status/1360208516661862406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="461a12fd502657721adedc1aa1c52377" id="69c9f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360208519627235328"><div style="margin:1em 0">The idea is that’s every minute these scammers/spammers spend wasting time on this endless look, they won’t spend o… https://t.co/cT8KfE3ZO3</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360208519627235328">1613133957.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="710475d1e1aee2a3bd7c2ab5f46303bd" id="7dd5e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360208522143801345"><div style="margin:1em 0">“Bill Whiskoney is a senior partner at Nordic Procurement Services, and he handles our budget and will help you fur… https://t.co/VYUPqmepI3</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360208522143801345">1613133957.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5e01454de8c9ace3ada38f655f64735d" id="9017f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360208524308013059"><div style="margin:1em 0">I even created a fake website at https://t.co/RvheuarGeX 😂</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360208524308013059">1613133958.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Nordic Procurement has a pretty funny tagline: "The only value of wasted time is knowledge. Stop wasting time, start trusting Nordic Procurement Services." A procurement company takes over a company's dealings with outside vendors and tries to come up with favorable terms. <br/></p><p>Scammers who find themselves dealing with Nordic Procurement will soon learn that there is a lot of red tape in the industry.</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-height="603" data-rm-shortcode-id="204010d649da71c2e1bf60936f501b02" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTY2NjY2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzIyOTE0Nn0.ZgA8A_6NNw4iCRjEBXSHRSFznDGwWVsgeEQx-jPjMhw/img.jpg?width=980" data-width="1099" id="4cad2" type="lazy-image"/>
</p><p><br/></p><p>After its initial success, Boris is looking for ways to scale and automate and his anti-scammer strategy.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d53d917d9605030659000cd9b438071" id="75f48"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360211440423079938"><div style="margin:1em 0">Next step could be a gmail plugin so that when you get spam/scam you can simply click one button and it:
1: auto-r… https://t.co/NXQCuK8V2c</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360211440423079938">1613134653.0</a></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="889579ed8d3d49eb8a8cb2fd534d9f1e" id="49afc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360219498184343558"><div style="margin:1em 0">Oh, the emails get more frivolous and weird at every step. John, last one in the loop, is very unprofessional, but… https://t.co/fReuA9qD7w</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360219498184343558">1613136574.0</a></blockquote></div><p>When you email John you get a lot of emojis and sales guy talk and a ton of disclaimers.</p><p><em>Hi there, great to have established first contact and here's to making<br/>lots and lots of money together! 💸 💸 💸 💸 💸😂</em></p><p><em><br/>Unfortunately, I can't send you the Request Form just yet, as we are<br/>still awaiting your company registration information and will need a<br/>copy of your passport or driver's license to verify your identity.<br/>Apparently those attachments we're lost somewhere, which Helena<br/>apparently already notified you about. Maybe you missed that one.</em></p><p><em><br/>Or it is our antiquated email system that deleted them, you never know! 😂 😂 😂</em></p><p><em><br/>Anyway, please scan the original documents and attach them to an email<br/>and send that to <a href="mailto:helena@noprocurement.com." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">helena@noprocurement.com.</a> As soon as I receive word<br/>that the documents have been received, I'll send you the request form<br/>so we can be in business.</em></p><p><em><br/>If you haven't heard from me in a week or two, feel free to reach out<br/>again, my inbox is open for you 24/7, and I tend to reply within 72<br/>hours. Have an amazing day!!!! ABC (Always be closing), make it rain,<br/>mo money more problems!</em></p><p><em>Lots of LOLZ,</em></p><p><em>John Negroni<br/>Proud and ambitious junior account manager<br/>Nordic Procurement Services, all the way boyzzzzz</em></p><p><em><br/>👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼<br/>👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼 👊🏼</em></p><p><em><br/>Disclaimer: The information contained in this e-mail communication is<br/>solely intended for the person to whom it has been sent. If someone<br/>other than the intended recipient should receive or come into<br/>possession of this e-mail communication, he/she will not be entitled<br/>to read, disseminate, disclose or duplicate it.</em></p><p><em><br/>!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!</em></p><p><em><br/>If you are not the intended recipient, you are requested to inform<br/>Nordic Procurement of this by replying to this message, and to destroy<br/>the original e-mail communication. Nordic Procurement, registered in<br/>the Commercial Register under number 198273680, is neither liable for<br/>the correct and complete transmission of the information contained in<br/>this e-mail communication nor for any delay in its receipt.</em></p><p><em><br/>!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!</em></p><p><em><br/>Privacy notice: We are used to dealing with confidential information<br/>and understand that protecting your privacy is key to building and<br/>maintaining good relations. We are doing the utmost to use the<br/>information that has been trusted to us in the right way. Nordic<br/>Procurement is a part of Nordic Procurement plc, and complies with the<br/>policies from Nordic Procurement. You can check our Privacy Statement<br/>on the Nordic Procurement website as well as on our own website.</em></p><p><em><br/>!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!¡!<br/></em></p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="43fd967192a84422a65542861fab509d" id="926e5"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1360543383350095874"><div style="margin:1em 0">This concept is partly inspired by Lenny. Would be great if we could build a virtual email Lenny: https://t.co/sU1XZgCRWN</div> — Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (@Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten)<a href="https://twitter.com/Boris/statuses/1360543383350095874">1613213794.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Boris was inspired to build his scammer trap by "Lenny," a chatbot created to create a telemarketer's worst nightmare. When a scammer is sent to the bot they speak with an old man who talks very slowly, is very proud of his family, and can't focus on the telemarketer's goal.</p><p>In this clip, Lenny eventually drives the scammer crazy.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4813127707af6045058709ad528674ce" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vWrkDOt_IfM?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Microsoft scammer tells Lenny to shut up!</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWrkDOt_IfM&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=Toao.net" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
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