geocaching scam email

[+BFin]

I received this email this morning and think it could be a scam:   I tried looking up the user name and could find nothing.  Just wanted to let everyone know to be aware

• Geocaching <noreply@geocaching.com>

  To:luvhorses4@yahoo.com

   

  Nov 19 at 4:03 AM

   

   

  Good Morning Please, I'm interested in speaking with you about a business deal I desire to actualize with you. Please to further explore this possibility I would like you to contact me via my email address(sazhari.ceo2@gmail.com) to give you a brief description of my field of work and the project idea. Thank You, Mr.Samer Azhari User's Profile: https://coord.info/PRZTME2 ------------------------------------------------------------

  This email was sent by Geocaching HQ. 837 N. 34th Street, Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98103 USA     © 2019 Groundspeak, Inc. DBA Geocaching. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

   

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[Keystone]

I've reported this account to HQ via the Help Center, which is the recommended approach.  Based on past experience, the account should be locked down shortly.

[+on4bam]

So nice to copy their spam here for all to enjoy

 

You should AT LEAST remove any links/email addresses of the spammers instead of helping them spreading their scam!

 

[+Mudfrog]

5 minutes ago, on4bam said:

So nice to copy their spam here for all to enjoy

 

You should AT LEAST remove any links/email addresses of the spammers instead of helping them spreading their scam!

 

 

Not quite understanding. The OP posted the copy of the email to warn everyone that this is probably a scam. After reading the post, a person would have to be goofy, might as well say it, flat out ignorant to then click on the link and/or write to the email.

[+on4bam]

There is no reason, ever, to re-post spam.

 

 

[Keystone]

Reason #1:  Perhaps the OP was unaware of the Help Center.  It's not intuitive that the Help Center is a good way to report spam.

Reason #2:  Perhaps the OP was posting in a genuine effort to be helpful.

 

I was able to use the account information to submit a report to HQ, so it's all good.

 

Innocent thread readers are advised not to contact Mr. Azhari to discuss a business venture.  

[+on4bam]

I understand why the OP did it but posting a screenshot was totally unnecessary. The post could have been made without disclosing the scammer/spammer's email so editing that info as well as the profile link should have been good practice.

 

 

Side note: can disclosing the spammer's email address be a GDPR issue?

 

 

[+thebruce0]

For anyone who does this, disclosing the email address allows people to blacklist it, or incorporate it into spam algorithms. posting spam doesn't proliferate it especially if the context of the post is THIS IS BAD.

[Keystone]

Following up, the account in question has already been locked by HQ - prior to 8:00 am, Seattle time.  Impressive response as usual!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

3 hours ago, Keystone said:

Reason #1:  Perhaps the OP was unaware of the Help Center.  It's not intuitive that the Help Center is a good way to report spam.

Reason #2:  Perhaps the OP was posting in a genuine effort to be helpful.

 

I was able to use the account information to submit a report to HQ, so it's all good.

 

Innocent thread readers are advised not to contact Mr. Azhari to discuss a business venture.  

 

Reason #3:   The content of a lot of spam is basically the same but sent from a different email address (with many email addresses created to send the spam).  That allows the spammer to continue to spam if a specific email address is blocked.  Including the email address allows GS to block all email addresses being used to send it out.  

[+on4bam]

All the more reason to report to GS but not republish the spammessage.

 

I block no sender emailadresses on my mailserver but have whole domains blocked. I do block mails to non-existent and leaked mailadresses though.

 

[+cappycollins]

Greetings,

 

In support of a scam-free space I'm sharing this example in case it's useful in making Geocaching a poor hunting ground.

The catfishing style of scam itself wasn't surprising, but it was surprising to me that it happened on this platform.

Here I was thinking the messaging feature was merely for discussing geocaching.

 

Unfamiliar user (basic membership profile indicated zero finds, Google Lens indicated profile image was from someone else's social media account) contacted me with comically awkward succession of messages:

 

Dec 9, 2021 6:08 PM
You are funny.do you know

Dec 9, 2021 6:08 PM
I'm new on the app lol

2021 6:08 PM
Why come at me like that

2021 6:08 PM
Smile

 

I reported to HQ and account was locked. They popped up again with new account and continued. That account was reported and also locked.

 

How common is scamming on the Geocaching platform? Any other types of scam to be aware of? This one was obvious, but the toupée fallacy would suggest the successful ones are the ones you don't spot right away...

[+cerberus1]

17 hours ago, cappycollins said:

How common is scamming on the Geocaching platform? Any other types of scam to be aware of? 

 

The few we received was supposedly a girl asking about going out after seeing my pic online, using the message center. 

We know that's not true, scaring small children...   

We'd see some in forums, usually short statements that were off topic or veering that way.

But it seems that Groundspeak is much better about catching that stuff than years ago.