Cheaper than the Nigerian one.

[VeritasVincit]

This arrived in my in-box.
It's obviously a scam, but it does look rather cheap, so what's the catch? How can he/they make much from it?

from Roderick Kent
"How are you? I need a favour from you.
I need to get an iTunes Gift Card for my Niece, Its her birthday but I can't do this now because I'm currently traveling can you get it from any store around you? I'll pay back as soon as I am back.
Kindly let me know if you can handle this.
Best wishes
Rod"

It was from [email protected]

[JimmyDee]

I can only conclude that they're finding out who is willing to do favours for a complete stranger who sends them emails. The real scam, one would imagine, comes later.

[beingsoblase]

Yeah, they might even pay you back the first time, then go for the real sting.
On one of the 419 sites, there was a case of a british woman who agreed to meet some scammers in Amsterdam, handed over a couple of grand in exchange for a share in a 20 million dollar scheme, because she wanted to build an orphanage, when the scammers realised how guilable she was they came back, and told her there was a complication in the deal and they now needed £25,000.

She does no more than empty her life savings, and convince her brother to remortgage his house, hands over 25 grand to a bunch of strangers and they tell her they'll be back in an hour.

God knows how she felt when after a whole day passes, and it maybe began to dawn on her what had happened.

[VeritasVincit]

I'm not going to respond.
I'm just very curious.

[Sid Pervcat]

Classic Phishing scam

"Elderly people tricked out of thousands of pounds in Apple’s iTunes vouchers scam
Victims, the vast majority aged over 65, have lost on average £1,150"

Apple are aware apparently

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

COULD BE A SCAM

[VeritasVincit]

Classic Phishing scam

"Elderly people tricked out of thousands of pounds in Apple’s iTunes vouchers scam
Victims, the vast majority aged over 65, have lost on average £1,150"

Apple are aware apparently

Thanks.
I Googled that and saw how it probably works.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

I THINK ITS A SCAM

[beingsoblase]

I'm not going to respond.
I'm just very curious.

Why not respond just to take the piss?
Endlessly asking them stupid questions, or responding in the style of Alan brazil or Ronnie irani?

While you're messing them about, they aren't scamming someone who might fall for it.

[Eaststand]

These are deliberately written as though a complete moron has penned it, and to make the majority of people laugh and delete it.

You're then left with complete morons who take it seriously who can give you all their money, because they are morons.

Rather than being a stupid trick pulled by a simpleton, these are extremely clever people.

[LaaLaa]

I'm not going to respond.
I'm just very curious.

Why not respond just to take the piss?
Endlessly asking them stupid questions, or responding in the style of Alan brazil or Ronnie irani?

While you're messing them about, they aren't scamming someone who might fall for it.

Yeah Veritas, do that. It can be fun.
So your first reply would be agreeing, and asking what amount gift card (since the message doesn't specify an amount).
Then the next email is you saying you bought it, and what should you do next? Perhaps play the whole thing a bit dumb so he thinks he's got you suckered in, so you could show willingness to help him but then it takes you ages to find out how to buy the itunes gift card. Then when it gets to the part where he wants you to tell him the redemption code you make one up (looking online, the format appears to be 16 random letters and numbers, all caps, mainly letters just 2 or 3 numbers, and the first character is often X). Oh dear the number doesn't work, so you say you'll check it, and give him the same number, perhaps with 1 character changed. This could go on for ages.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

I'm not going to respond.
I'm just very curious.

Why not respond just to take the piss?
Endlessly asking them stupid questions, or responding in the style of Alan brazil or Ronnie irani?

While you're messing them about, they aren't scamming someone who might fall for it.

Yeah Veritas, do that. It can be fun.
So your first reply would be agreeing, and asking what amount gift card (since the message doesn't specify an amount).
Then the next email is you saying you bought it, and what should you do next? Perhaps play the whole thing a bit dumb so he thinks he's got you suckered in, so you could show willingness to help him but then it takes you ages to find out how to buy the itunes gift card. Then when it gets to the part where he wants you to tell him the redemption code you make one up (looking online, the format appears to be 16 random letters and numbers, all caps, mainly letters just 2 or 3 numbers, and the first character is often X). Oh dear the number doesn't work, so you say you'll check it, and give him the same number, perhaps with 1 character changed. This could go on for ages.

And will end in death

[beingsoblase]

I'm not going to respond.
I'm just very curious.

Why not respond just to take the piss?
Endlessly asking them stupid questions, or responding in the style of Alan brazil or Ronnie irani?

While you're messing them about, they aren't scamming someone who might fall for it.

Yeah Veritas, do that. It can be fun.
So your first reply would be agreeing, and asking what amount gift card (since the message doesn't specify an amount).
Then the next email is you saying you bought it, and what should you do next? Perhaps play the whole thing a bit dumb so he thinks he's got you suckered in, so you could show willingness to help him but then it takes you ages to find out how to buy the itunes gift card. Then when it gets to the part where he wants you to tell him the redemption code you make one up (looking online, the format appears to be 16 random letters and numbers, all caps, mainly letters just 2 or 3 numbers, and the first character is often X). Oh dear the number doesn't work, so you say you'll check it, and give him the same number, perhaps with 1 character changed. This could go on for ages.

And will end in death

The 419eaters and scambaiters sites are a great source of entertainment. I remember once a member got a scammer to write an entire harry potter book by hand, another had a scammer make a wood carved figure, and lots of getting them to visit western union offices miles away for junk mail the scammer would then have to pay for.

[JimmyDee]

I'm not going to respond.

Why not respond just to take the piss?

If you do, tell us what you wish had happened, with all the clever things you only thought of when it was too late, like everyone else does

[VeritasVincit]

I've replied saying I could help him. No response yet.