Not quite sure where to put this but The Circle should be warned...

[Narnian Prince]

There is currently a scam artist out there that is claiming membership in The Writers Circle and using the membership to send scam e-mails to members under the guise of the members.  Can anyone help me out with info on this and how we can get it stopped?  What follows is a copy of an e-mail I've just received from this person and yet I cannot locate this person in our members list anywhere.  Ideas, anyone?


From My Writers Circle Forum Member
From: doudou amanie (aiddoudou@yahoo.com)
Medium risk You may not know this sender. Mark as safe | Mark as unsafe
Sent:
November 20, 2007 11:09:38 AM
Reply-to:
amanreal206@yahoo.com

To:
aiddoudou@yahoo.com


Letter of Relationship and Establishment Aid.
for Personal Attention and Confidential

From :AMANIE DOUDOU
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire West Africa

For logistic reason contact me on e.mail:(amanreal206@yahoo.com)

Attention: Respectful

Greetings and How are you today,I am AMANIE DOUDOU.I would like you to permit me to apply through this medium for your co-operation and  to secure an opportunity to invest and do joint relationship and business with you in your country.I got your contact From  My Writers Circle Forum  Memberlist .
I have a substantial capital I honourably Inherited from my late father late Chief BOUGA DOUDOU who was minister of Interior and deal in Cocao and coffee platation and share from family Gold, diamond Minining site.The Epmigo rebels killed Him recently in poltical crisis in our country that have resulted to war since this past two years.
 
I intend to invest this fund in profitable areas in your country into a very lucratives business venture of which you are to advise and execute the said venture over there for the mutual benefits of both of us . Most especially is for you to help me come over to your base if possible for You be able co-operate with me to become my business partner in your country and create ideas on how  money will be invested, properly managed and the type of investment after the money  is transferred to your custody with your assistance.  I inherited this sum from my late father  whom the
rebels killed because he was not supporting their selfish intrest to topple the president Gbagbo the
present president.

Meanwhile, on indication of your willingness to  handle this transaction sincerely by protecting my
Interests and upon your acceptance of this proposal.  I would  furnish you with the full detailed information, procedure, amount involve is below and we shall  mutually agree on your percentage interest or share holding for helping me to secure the release of the deposit and investing the fund into a lucratives profitable venture in your care.It is The sum of Nine  Million Five Hundred Thousand Five USD $9.500.000USD  I shall be glad to reserve this respect and opportunity for you, if you so desire, but do urge  you to give the matter your immediate attention it deserves.I want you to be rest assured that everything is in order and legitimate it was due to the political crisis in our country that have resulted to war which cause everybody to find a way to get out the country, that make's me to use this medium to request for your assistance hoping that you will not let me down.

This fund is legitimately acquired by my late father from sales of cocoa and coffee and diamond dealings.Looking forward to your prompt response on e.mail:(amanreal206@yahoo.com)

Faithfully
AMANIE DOUDOU

[Suzie]

Have you reported this to Karl? Maybe he can help.

Suzie x

[Mark.]

NP

If you publish your email address on the forum it is going to get harvested. Nothing you can do but ignore it or use some anti spam software to catch for you.

Citabria

[Nick]

Yes, I've had one of these as well. It's a pretty ancient scam, and hopefully no-one here is going to fall for it.

And yes, Citabria is quite right. The email came to me via the email address I publish in my forum profile. I use a disposable email address from Sneakemail.com for this purpose, and I change this regularly (once it starts getting spammed).

I feel that I have to provide an email address because of my position in the forum, but nobody else is obliged to make their email address public, and indeed I would urge members not to. You can go into your Profile if necessary and change this. To do so, first click on the Profile tab near the top of the screen (you will need to be logged in to see this). Click on Forum Profile Information, and when this page comes up, check that there is a tick in the box marked 'Hide Email Address From Public?'

If members start getting PMs from this person, it means they have joined MWC and Karl can ban them (only members can send PMs). However, I'm afraid there is nothing he can do with regard to spam emails sent to email addresses that have been harvested from the Internet.

Nick 

[Narnian Prince]

Thank you all for all your help.  I will take and use all the tips. 

[Wurdsmyth]

I've had one of these as well - definitely beware of people who claim to belong here... If they are bona fide members they should PM you here so there's no need to email you directly.

[Mark.]

If you don't want people to email you then hide your email address.

[anthony james barnett]

We`ve been getting rogue e-mails in Spain for quite a while now. Mostly from Nigeria, but I don't know why. There have been several warnings in the local papers to that effect. Stopping them??? I haven't a clue, and no one in the papers offered anything. I've only just managed stop s*** coming into my website visitors book, thanks to good advice from the guys on this site. I was filled out until then - Anthony

[Anna Penn]

I got one too and it did go to my spam file, but the only reason I opened it is because the subject line said "From My Writers Circle Forum Member".  I will block them in my aol and just hope I can receive email from real forum members. 

[matsamu]

I recieved the same email
luckily, this is a common ruse used by con artists online, so i didn't fall into it, but this is the first i've seen it on mwc....

BE CAREFUL people !!! the internet is not a perfectly secure place....as the friend of a hacker...i should know....

~Matsamu

[anthony james barnett]

I hope your friend isn't the one that hacked into my site a while ago, and caused me grief - Anthony

[Nadine L]

Hey Mats,

Would you ask your friend what is an inexpensive (free) way to deter automated sign-ups to my newsletter list on my website? What we are using isn't working. It is annoying to weed out all the bogus addresses from the list. But, it isn't the end of the world if I have to tolerate it.

Nadine

[matsamu]

I'll ask him, but i suggest adding another step to the sign up process....add the word thingy...that you see at the beginning of certain websites....if you don't know what i'm talking about, i'll try to reiterate, but ...yeah...

~Matsamu

[Mark.]

She already has the word thingy.

[matsamu]

then i don't know what to tell you....i'll ask though...