Although the Internet is full of spam, Facebook seems to be fuller. I have an author profile on FB which is there solely to talk about writing. That profile also hangs around in some author-y FB groups where occasionally I learn some useful information. My personal profile hangs around in the Dull Men’s Club – UK Chapter, because I’m one of the small team of admins. Between the two profiles, I see a lot of spam and a lot of phishing attempts, and a lot of bad people attempting bad stuff.
Sometimes the spammer/phisher is good. Sometimes they’re just awful. This is the latest just awful:
The full conversation went like this:
12 Feb 2024, 20:23
Amelia Charlotte
Hi there! I’m Corianne, and I love helping authors find success and reach new readers. I’m really excited about your work, and I’d love to chat about some strategies for increasing your book sales. Would you be up for a conversation?
I don’t think so, but thanks for getting in touch
Hi Brennig, I hope you’re doing well.\
Thanks for responding, I noticed there is a reason why you’re not willing to work with me, maybe you don’t trust me, what would it take for us to work together?
- Your profile name is Amelia Charlotte, but you have introduced yoursef as Corianne
- Your profile photo isn’t you, it’s been used approximately 3,300 times by different people/different accounts on the wider Internet, and used countless times on Facebook
- You don’t have a website with a verifiable identity
- You don’t have any reviews, not even on your fake Facebook profile
To a sceptical mind, these things add up to a con.
As AI gets better, so will the AI.
Soon, you won’t be able to tell the difference between spam sent by AI and spam sent by a Nigerian prince.
I had a lovely email from a Nigerian prince just a few weeks ago. I gave him my bank details and I’m awaiting the delivery of my yacht. Or was it £52m in unclaimed lottery winnings from Canada? I’ve responded to so many, it’s easy to get confused.
My employer has been sending fake phishing emails to employees lately, as a “test”.
Things I hate about this practice.
1. They are as easy to spot as Cordelia, or whatever her name was. It’s insulting.
2. We don’t see any real phishing emails and, frankly, very little spam.
Things I like about this practice.
1. The special header that marks it as fake phishing that means I can create a rule to tag them as such. Advantage me, I think.