So, just as I’m getting ready to leave work today, a Facebook chat window pops up. It’s from a friend of mine, a guy I used to work with. I’ve never chatted on Facebook with him before, but I saw him not long ago, so it’s good.

He starts telling me he’s in London, got mugged at gunpoint last night, they took his cash and phone. Luckily, I’d heard of this scam before, so it became pretty obvious to be that this wasn’t him. I called his cell - got voice mail. Called a mutual friend and asked, “Is he in London, do you know?” She said he wasn’t. Just then, another co-worker who also knows him comes into my office saying she’d gotten the same Facebook chat line of bull.

The conversation is after the jump. I wanted to string him along for a while longer, but I had an appointment to keep, and he bailed (and my friend regained control of his account) before I could keep it going for a while and really nail him.

5:01pm Allen* (*not my friend’s real name)

Hi

how are you?

5:05pm Kenn

What’s up?

5:05pm Allen

not good here

5:06pm Kenn

Why not? People getting whacked? Didn’t you just start a new gig?

5:06pm Allen

I’m stranded in london

got mugged at gun point last night

5:07pm Kenn

Oh, f***.

5:07pm Allen

It sucks and scary

I was hit on the head but getting better

all cash,credit card and phone was stolen

5:10pm Allen

…

you ther?

5:11pm Kenn

yes.

(By this point I realize the scam.)

5:11pm Allen

I need your help please

5:12pm Kenn

Sure, man!

5:12pm Allen

my return flight leaves in few hours but having troubles sorting out the hotel bill

wondering if you could loan me some few $$ to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport

will def refund it tomorrow

please

?

5:13pm Kenn

No problem, I just need one piece of information.

(Here’s where I was going say “the one piece of information is - ‘how f***ing stupid do you think I am?’,” but I figure I’ll just mess with him for a while.)

5:14pm Allen

?

all you need is my Full Name and Present location

5:14pm Kenn

Yes, that’s it. What is your present location, Allen?

5:15pm Allen

Allen Flanagan
224 UPPER RICHMOND ROAD
London, SW15 6TD
United Kingdom

(I google the location - it’s a newsstand in London.)

how soon can you get to a western union outlet?

?

(By this time I’ve called his cell and my other friend and confirmed that Allen’s not in London.)

5:16pm Kenn

There’s one about a block away. Maybe two blocks.

5:16pm Allen

okay

can you go there now please

and how much can you spare me?

5:17pm Kenn

Of course, man. $300 enough?

5:18pm Allen

can you make it $400 because i might need few cash for feeding

in how many min will you be back

5:18pm Kenn

Sure. No problem. Stand by, I’ll be back in 15 minutes.

5:19pm Allen

ok

once you are back

kindly send me an email with all the transfer details

allenflanagan30@yahoo.com

send me test email now to confirm you got the email correctly

5:21pm Allen

have you sent the test email?

5:22pm Allen

?

(Stringing him along now, but it’s getting late and I have to be somewhere.)

5:22pm Kenn

Sorry, yes, just grabbed my coat. Sent email just now, back in 15 min.

5:23pm Allen

okay

5:32pm Kenn

You know what’s funny?

5:32pm Allen

what?

5:32pm Kenn

At the Western Union Office, they told me “That wanker at Bhadra Newsagents in London isn’t your mate at all!” Funny how they knew that. :):)

But I had to tell them “I’ve known that for the last half hour, I was just f***ing with the guy.” Have a nice life, asshat.

My friend has since regained control of his Facebook account and warned all of his friends. If you see this happening to you, just mess with the guy’s head and post your own transcript.

Tags: a-holes, scams

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 9:51 pm and is filed under Miscellaneous. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.