Gullible suburban mother of four regularly duped in her half-century life. Exploring hoaxes and schemes as the ExSCAMiner, she attempts answering the nagging question: Should I have fallen for that? Got scam tips, email Karin at ScamExaminer@gmail.com.

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Senior pranks '08

2 comments

May 25, 11:00 AM

by Karin Malchow, Scam Examiner

Spring and imminent graduation motivates a deluge of misplaced chairs and desks, mass running through halls, aluminum foil, duct tape, toilet paper, post-it notes, balloons and bouncy balls. Reportedly these activities create a senior class legacy.

Notable this year was the Portland Prom Prankster, receiving legendary hoax status through media attention (including the Portland Examiner.com and Smoking Gun.)

In case you missed it, a mass mailing on purloined school letterhead (condom enclosed) advised parents to provide prom-goers alcohol, including recommendations on amount. Excerpt:

"The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has stated that a fifth of alcohol, like Hennessey Cognac, is sufficient supply for at least eight adults. One can assume that for 17 to 18 year old individuals, one fifth can probably be spread out to four students. Considering our reputation (Drinkin' Lincoln), in some cases one fifth is only enough for a single person."

No further reports of the Oregon hoaxster being identified or suffering customary (sans criminal charges) senior prank punishment: banishment from senior trip or walking graduation.

Topics: hoax , senior prank

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He did what?!? Presidential campaign smears

2 comments

October 6, 9:32 PM

Whether presidential campaign smears come from pamphlets, letters, chants, television advertising, telephone push polls, internet rumors, campaign officials or supporters, people keep falling for them. According to rumors or accusations, which presidential... Read More
Topics: politics

Male enhancement matters to scammers

1 comment

October 4, 4:26 PM

MSN Health reported a preliminary Italian study suggesting an ancient Chinese herbal aphrodisiac could be a natural alternative to Viagra and other pharmaceuticals treating Erectile Dysfunction. Spamming internet scammers are likely to latch onto... Read More
Topics: E-mail

Best (also worst) inheritance scam

1 comment

October 1, 2:10 PM

Tales of estates snarled by bureaucracy still flood e-mail inboxes; a share of the vast fortune only requires immediate cash to either cheated heirs or estate locators for money transfer fees or bribes. The internet version of the inheritance scam... Read More

Does your city rank on reporting fraud?

Add a Comment

September 30, 12:12 AM

The Federal Trade Commission maintains a Consumer Sentinel database collecting complaints from 125 organizations, including the Better Business Bureau, the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the US Postal Inspection Service. The individual consumer... Read More
Topics: fraud , Identity Theft , FTC

Life after death

2 comments

September 26, 11:48 AM

A recap of insurance fraud items in the September 2008 news:Dead men don't go to the doctor.When Ahmad Akhtary's British ex-wife attempted to claim £300,000 insurance after reporting his death in Afghanistan, a couple items tripped up the scheme. ... Read More
Topics: fraud

Famous people confess badly kept secrets

2 comments

September 24, 3:36 PM

AP/People In honor of Clay Aiken's sexual orientation confirmation and Lindsay Lohan-Samantha Ronson dating relationship acknowledgement, here are some other not-so-startling celebrity revelations. Whether those in the public eye... Read More
Topics: suspicion

Keeping your head during economic strife

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September 21, 9:13 PM

Whether one believes the U.S. economy is a house of cards or undergoing a cyclical correction, a Ponzi scheme facsimile or fundamentally sound, a dose of Frank Capra is always fun. According to an MSN-Zogby poll, most people are taking recent economic... Read More
Topics: movies

Moving company pirates hold stuff hostage

1 comment

September 19, 9:33 PM

Unscrupulous moving companies and drivers are hijacking people's belongings and demanding ransom. The scam goes like this:After entering into a contract with a moving company for interstate relocation, possessions are loaded into a truck. ... Read More
Topics: fraud

Before Beijing Olympics started, London Olympics scam began

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September 17, 9:08 AM

BBC London reports that in December 2006 Nigel Lewis advertised for construction workers for the 2012 London Olympics village, promising cruise ship accommodations. 550 Slovak workers responded with a £600 deposit.After breaking off communication... Read More
Topics: advance fees