back to article Romance scam targets security researcher, hilarity ensues

It sounds like the plot of a somewhat far-fetched romcom-slash-thriller Netflix series, maybe billed as You meets Your Place or Mine, dropping just in time for Valentine's Day. In it, a pig butchering romance scammer targets her next victim: Sophos's lead threat researcher. The security biz would probably want us to make very …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Maybe I should say hello to the next "half my age, at most, in a bikini" friend request on twitter and see how much fun I can have? I've mostly assume they all want me to pay for more

    pictures (boring) or some such and blocked them. If they are running a romance scam I can lead them on before I confess to murdering the Bocksten man, all three of the Borremosse victims and the Tollund man[1] and asking them for help sine they authorities are caching up with me. The possibilities are endless!

    [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bog_bodies

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I’m too boring, I never see these scams

    I have no known social media profiles.

    I have very few phone contacts.

    Won’t somebody love me longtime?

    1. seven of five Silver badge

      Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

      Sometimes something pops up on skype, but these rarely put in an effort.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

      I can send you pictures of me in a revealing bikini.Will that make you happy longtime?

      /50+ male with a desk job

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

        Well, I was caught accessing pr0n sites and masturbating several times, according to the nice hacker who "installed remote control software in my computer" that "took control of my webcam" and "would send the images to all my contacts" unless I send him some bitcoins.

        Unfortunately, the message says that he cannot be traced otherwise I'd refer you to him.

        /50+ male with a desk job too

        1. Alumoi Silver badge

          Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

          You too? Did he also break into your house and install a webcam? I guess mine did as I don't connect a webcam to my desktop and the laptops are all taped over.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

          Well, I was caught accessing pr0n sites and masturbating several times, according to the nice hacker who "installed remote control software in my computer" that "took control of my webcam" and "would send the images to all my contacts" unless I send him some bitcoins.

          I know a little old lady who has heard from your hacker, she said she was worried to hear she’d been visiting pr0n sites. She certainly did not remember doing that and thought it might be her memory going. “I’m sure I’d remember all of those rippling male bodies and in particular their genitalia, if I’d seen them.”

          Told her just delete them when she got mails like this. She doesn’t have a camera on her laptop and uses a feature phone without a browser.

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

          My wife has received two of these. Of course, she doesn't look at porn or masturbate. So.

          1. Hubert Cumberdale Silver badge

            Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

            Are you sure? I'd be curious to know what effect the recently increased levels of w##king from home have had on daytime access statistics for certain sites...

            1. sitta_europea Silver badge

              Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

              "...w##king from home..."

              That's worth an upvote all on its own! :)

        4. David Hicklin Silver badge

          Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

          They should go legit and sell their technology - my laptop does not even have a webcam yet they say they still managed to record me !

      2. Eclectic Man Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

        I can send you pictures of me in a revealing bikini.

        Umm I don't think that 'Tee Shirt and shorts' actually counts as a 'Bikini', sorry.

    3. The Dogs Meevonks Silver badge

      Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

      I've started getting the odd contact through telegram or whats app... I never read or respond, just immediately delete/block/report on telegram... can't report them on whatsapp because the harder 'meta' make it to take down scammers the more revenue they can earn from them.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

      OP here

      I’m a /60+ male retired desk jockey.

      You couldn’t shock me.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. Arthur the cat Silver badge

          Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

          You couldn’t shock me.

          Hmm. You sound well grounded

          Well grounded means easier to shock ⚡⚡⚡.

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

            1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
              Happy

              Re: I’m too boring, I never see these scams

              Weld, I saw that coming.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why....

    .... are they called "pig butchering scams" ?!

    (I'm at work and afraid to google it....)

    1. iron

      Re: Why....

      Known in China as sha zhu pan (杀猪盘) (“pig butchering”)

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. Arthur the cat Silver badge

      Re: Why....

      .... are they called "pig butchering scams" ?!

      I presume it's because in the old days when you fattened a pig at home the butcher would come round and lead it up the garden path to slaughter it.

      1. Stork

        Re: Why....

        - bleeding it dead.

  4. The Dogs Meevonks Silver badge

    Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

    I wish I could remember what they were called... but I recall reading a website set up to expose and humiliate some of those old Nigerian 419 scammers. These included gay romance scams.

    In it these guys managed to cost the scammers money by shipping them fake goods at their expense, had these guys posting pictures of them kissing and giving blowjobs to each other... all posted on this scam site/forum.

    Must have been 10-15yrs ago that I saw it.

    1. Manolo
      Pirate

      Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

      419 Eater - The largest scambaiting community on the planet!

      https://www.419eater.com

      1. sitta_europea Silver badge

        Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

        "... https://www.419eater.com ..."

        I think nowadays it's

        https://aff.419eater.com

    2. Giles C Silver badge

      Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

      I remember seeing that site as well.

      I think the best one was someone selling a go-kart (engine powered) where it was so powerful you had to take an anti nausea treatment called sheet before using , the question was something like ‘can you eat sheet?’

      There is a scam baiting community at 419eater.com but I can’t see the original pages from a quick search.

      Edit just a bit too late…

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

      Look up “Atomic Shrimp” on YT.

      He does a gloriously funny and non hurtful job on these hapless scammers.

      His English humour is delightful.

    4. LessWileyCoyote

      Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

      The oldest scam baiter site I know is whatsthebloodypoint.com - only ten scam examples and hasn't been updated in almost 20 years, but the lead-ons are wonderful, as are the names for them. For example, Norman Gorman Smith-Bidet III and his planned (non-PC) dwarf-throwing complex. "Please keep in mind that I am just a simple minded multi-millionaire..."

    5. David Hicklin Silver badge

      Re: Does anyone remember the 419 scam baiters?

      They are still alive and kicking, just moved with the times and on to new pastures

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "MetaTrader 4 is a legitimate trading app developed by a Russian software company that has been linked to other cryptocurrency scams."

    Is this intended to mean that it is the company that has been linked to other scams, not the app ?

  6. Black Label1
    Black Helicopters

    Murder

    "The security biz would probably want us to make very clear that no one was murdered in the course of this research."

    No one, that he knows of, was murdered

    1. Elongated Muskrat Silver badge
      Flame

      Re: Murder

      We didn't burn them

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. arachnoid2

    Developed by a Russian software company

    Failing to meet targets gets you transfered to the Ukranian office

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