Monday, November 24, 2008

$400,000 to nigerian scam

Anyone who knows me, knows about my interest in the con-game. How innocent people have been getting tricked out of their life savings for centuries. I absolutely love it. Recently in the news a woman from Sweet Home Oregon. lost more than $400,000 in the nigeran scam. Here's how it goes...




Widespread use of the Internet has given con artists another way to scam people. Cons such as Internet auction fraud or phishing sites that try to steal credit card and bank account numbers are common, but there are more insidious Internet cons in which the con artists try to earn the personal trust of their victims.Perhaps the most infamous of all Internet cons is the Nigerian money transfer, or advance fee fraud. Virtually everyone with an e-mail address has received a come-on for this con at some point. Someone from Nigeria (or another African country), perhaps a relative of a recently deposed ruler, informs you that he needs your assistance in a very important matter. It seems that this deposed ruler has millions of dollars stashed away in a secure bank account. However, he can't access any of this money without paying certain fees, bribes and fines to Nigerian authorities. That's where the victim comes in -- to provide money to pay these costs. The victim is assured that once the costs are paid, the government will release the money and a he will receive a huge return on his investment. Often the e-mail promises a large percentage of the total sum.Anyone who has actually sent money to these con artists will soon find that other fees crop up. The money may get held up at the border, so more money is needed to bribe the customs officials. The con artists often request personal information such as Social Security numbers and copies of passports. This goes on and on, playing on one of the most nefarious aspects of long-term cons -- once the victim has spent a significant amount of money, he believes if he just spends a little more then he'll get it all back. With so much money already invested, most people find it very difficult to walk away.
Some people have been lured to the country of origin, kidnapped and held for ransom. There is even a documented murder related to such a case. The country of Nigeria is notorious for a combination of poverty and lax law enforcement, especially with regards to financial scams. The section of Nigerian law relating to fraud is 419, so these scams are sometimes referred to as 419 scams. But the scams can originate from anywhere, as my example above shows.


A typical nigerian scam will read something like this.....THE SAID AMOUNT WAS US $7.2m (SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS). AS IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW, I GOT YOUR IMPRESSIVE INFORMATION THROUGH THE BUKINAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON FOREIGN BUSINESS RELATIONS HERE IN OUAGA. BURKINA-FASO. MEANWHILE ALL THE WHOLE ARRANGEMENT TO PUT CLAIM OVER THIS FUND AS THE BONAFIDE NEXT OF KIN TO THE DECEASED, GET THE REQUIRED APPROVAL AND TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND DIRECTIVES AND NEEDED INFORMATION WILL BE RELAYED TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU INDICATE YOUR INTEREST AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST US AND ALSO BENEFIT YOUR SELF TO THIS GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

mustache of the week

general ambrose everett burnside :

it pays to have goals

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

remember when you were a little kid, and every time you had a balloon in your hand, all you thought was how you wanted to get a bunch of them and fly away.....


it's been done

fire breathing world record



fire: The highest flame blown by a fire breather is 7.20m (23ft 7in) and was achieved by Tim Black (Australia) on the set of Zheng Da Zong Yi - Guinness World Records Special in Beijing, China, on 15 September 2007.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

HUSTLER magazine party this wednesday

needles & pins is throwing a party for hustler's chase monroe WEDNESDAY the 12th at BEAUTY BAR hollywood. rogurr and I are DJ ing 70's all night . disco , new wave and psych. All to the theme of BOOGIE NIGHTS. come, dress up. and be fabulous.

Friday, November 7, 2008

all rock all night, tuesday!

this tuesday, and the following month of tuesdays thereafter, I'm spinning at R-BAR in los angeles' koreatown . you need to speak the password to the guard at the door to get in. and if you're there after 1:00 you have to leave through the back, because the owner murdered someone once and he isn't allowed to have people over after curfew.

this place is fucking sick, if you've never been there, GO! its a pirate themed bar with all kinds of nooks and crannies to hide in and jump out and scare people, the owner is really cool, and its dark and seedy with a kitchen that served rad eatables.
its totally you're new favorite bar.
p.s. the password is....................... ..........QUEEN

Thursday, November 6, 2008

BRIAN LOTTI designed melcher board


this board wad illustrated and designed by brian lotti for the use of skateboarding on and doing fantastic maneuvers which will puzzle and amaze onlookers. he made it in honor of my downtown los angeles life and the fact that i ride skateboards on occasion. death decided that its so cool that you should go out and buy one, so they made them available through the american distribution at consolidated, so bug them if you want one.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008