Scams, and the penalities....

[HappyScrappy]

Okay - I just got an e-mail from a friend.
She has a friend of a friend that runs this website. This person that runs the website claims that she has $20K in credit card debt and is trying to get out of it via help from people on the internet giving her donations (via paypal and also to a PO Box).

She shows the amount that she pays towards her credit cards, and the amount that she gets selling items on eBay, and then the amount that is donated to her.

Now - the two things that I wasn't expecting entirely from this story.
1) she has no credit card debt. she runs this site and takes all the money from it and feeds her Manhatten shopping sprees at Coach and stuff.

2) she actually gets money. over $6K she has made so far it says (she could just be saying that so that people see it and go, "hey, others are paying, sounds good to me").


This makes me think that I could run a waaay better and more convincing scam - it is all a matter of ethics and morality - which in my case are amazingly malleable.
So - what are the penalties of doing such a thing.
In an ideal world, you do it, retain anonymity, make a ton of money, and nobody ever finds out.
But in "reality" people talk, mistakes happen, and you are likely to eventually get caught and in trouble.

So what is the trouble that you get in?

Say there was some scam setup and you make $20K in a year from it. The first thing that comes to mind is the IRS is gonna want to give you an ass massage. What else is there.
I'm not saying that you are claiming to be a charity, or that you are offering services or products that are never rendered or delivered - just asking for money.
Basically it is like panhandling, but on a wider, more organized scale.

Just curious.

 

[TheProject]

HS, I think the answer to this is obvious: eternal damnation.

And we all know what hell is. Hell is Andy Gibb, singing "Shadow Dancing" for eons and eons. And you have to wear orange plaid bell bottoms and sit next to the Bay City Rollers.

 

[Taps]

This is kinda off topic, but I work for a bank and I sat down with one of my co-workers the other day and we figured we could swindle at least $500,000 without getting caught. Actually, we could probably get as much as 2 million....of course, we'd have to leave the country afterwards...

Anyway, HS, you seem like a pretty smart dude, so I think you could probably get away with it. I'm pretty sure you'd be violating at least a half dozen laws though. But how bad could a couple of years in club-fed be?

 

[HappyScrappy]

Project - you know that I love the BeeGees, so that isn't gonna fly with me.

And Taps - I think you mean "pound me in the ass prison"


Are street beggars never given a hard time because they aren't making enough from it - or because they are hard to track?

 

[WODIN]

Wire and mail fraud.

 

[Taps]

And Taps - I think you mean "pound me in the ass prison"

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

[beefybull]

Tried something similar when I was like 14, but it didnt work.

Wodin, how could it be wire & mail fraud?

Non-violent offenders typically go to club-fed (aka "camps", which have no fences, or a low-security FIC - small fences with wire). You're in there with other non-violent offenders like embezzlers and the like. Its not like theyre gonna throw a hacker in with murderers at Leavenworth.

 

[WODIN]

Wire fraud through pay pal.

Mail fraud through the P.O box.

 

[HappyScrappy]

Wodin is right, I think that is the realm that it would get thrown in with.
The internet being the same as telephone in their eyes - so "wire"

But how is it fraud? Because it isn't the cause that you say it is that they are giving to? What if it were stated more honestly? Saying that you are giving this money to me?

Is there anything illegal from just asking people for money? As long as you aren't claiming it is for one thing when that is actually not the case?

 

[WODIN]

She is taking the money and using it for purposes other than what the money was donated for.

What she needs to do is charge stuff, then use the money to pay off the credit cards, afterall you don't need to say "Current credit card debt."



I can't believe people actually send money to someone who has a sight like this.

 

[HappyScrappy]

yeah - I'm totally amazed as well.

I would think that getting the word out to the right places is the key thing.

I think she sells stuff on eBay and mentions the site and why she is doing it in there.

I'm also slightly skeptical - she might just be claiming that people are giving her the money so as to entice others to do so as well.
I will have to ask my friend for more info if that is the case or not.

Either way, I was surprised by it all - I guess there is a reason that people pull scams - and that is that they must work to some extent.

I have a legit business that will be up in about a month or so now - if that fails, then maybe I'll just turn to a life of scams.

 

[Freak Show]

I have a legit business that will be up in about a month or so now - if that fails, then maybe I'll just turn to a life of scams.

count me in. i have slowly realized that i will probably never make money the legitimate way.
i could be your hired muscle if things don't go your way.....no......wait....you have to have muscle to do that.
on second thought. i could be your accountant and make sure the books all look legit.......no....wait....i can't add or subtract well, even with a calculator.
how bout you use me as eye candy?......no.....wait....i smell like a chimp and am twice as ugly.
i'm sure i have something of value for your life of crime. can i at least be a groupie?

 

[HappyScrappy]

freak show and I will dominate the national league with our overpowering fastball and freakish curves.

at least I've always heard that freak show has freakish curves.

I have this overwhelming urge to yell "BRRRRRRRRR!!!" in my office now.
good thing this tourettes (sp?) is an internal thing for me for the most part.

 

[Lao Tzu]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...25497/sr=1-22/ref=sr_1_22/102-2775876-7280942

 

[HappyScrappy]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...25497/sr=1-22/ref=sr_1_22/102-2775876-7280942

holy shit - that's real?

crazy.

I have a feeling it probably helps you get out of them as opposed to creating them.

 

[Nathan]

Why don't you just make a site that asks flat out for money. You might be surprised. Tell them your cat died or something (then go buy a cat and throw it in front of a car or use your imagination). Or, just ask for money to buy a cat, then with what you make buy a cat (which are normally free anyways) and then keep the site up for a while and wait for themoney to roll in.

 

[AAP]

Note off that amazon ad : "This item will be published on December 6, 2002. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives."


You know... you could legally ask people for money. Just set up a website saying you are trying to get into the Guiness book of world records as the first man to become a millionaire based strictkly on donations. And for a measely $1 everyone will get their name published and thanked.

 

[AAP]

Fuck dude, just use your head.... Make website with a LIVE CAM on it like this teenage girls do. You can't ask for money, but you can include a link to your WISH LIST. Then when someone sends you something off your wish list, you pose nude holding that item and a sign thanking them.

 

[Fonz]

Okay - I just got an e-mail from a friend.
She has a friend of a friend that runs this website. This person that runs the website claims that she has $20K in credit card debt and is trying to get out of it via help from people on the internet giving her donations (via paypal and also to a PO Box).

She shows the amount that she pays towards her credit cards, and the amount that she gets selling items on eBay, and then the amount that is donated to her.

Now - the two things that I wasn't expecting entirely from this story.
1) she has no credit card debt. she runs this site and takes all the money from it and feeds her Manhatten shopping sprees at Coach and stuff.

2) she actually gets money. over $6K she has made so far it says (she could just be saying that so that people see it and go, "hey, others are paying, sounds good to me").


This makes me think that I could run a waaay better and more convincing scam - it is all a matter of ethics and morality - which in my case are amazingly malleable.
So - what are the penalties of doing such a thing.
In an ideal world, you do it, retain anonymity, make a ton of money, and nobody ever finds out.
But in "reality" people talk, mistakes happen, and you are likely to eventually get caught and in trouble.

So what is the trouble that you get in?

Say there was some scam setup and you make $20K in a year from it. The first thing that comes to mind is the IRS is gonna want to give you an ass massage. What else is there.
I'm not saying that you are claiming to be a charity, or that you are offering services or products that are never rendered or delivered - just asking for money.
Basically it is like panhandling, but on a wider, more organized scale.

Just curious.

I have a nice scam.

I'd create a fictitious person using a fake name and social
security number. (This is rather easy).

Then, I'd put the pay-pal account under his/her name.

After all the money was deposited, I'd simply transfer all the
money in the Pay-pal account to a bank account which
was created under the fake name/social security number.

After, I'd take the money out of the bank account using
my fake papers.

Bingo. Untraceable.

Fonz