Friday, July 01, 2022
“I'm sorry I mistakenly sent that to you. By the way, how are things with you?”
The fact that these scammers never include the pitch in their opening texts makes them seem confusing and mysterious. But the scam itself is an old and obvious one. If you respond (with “wrong number,” say) the scammer will attempt to draw you into conversation …
This is the first step in what is, at its core, an old-fashioned “romance scam,” in which the scammer exploits a lonely and/or horny person by faking a long-distance, usually romantic relationship. After the scammer has gained the trust of their victim, they convince them to transfer money, often for an investment; in some cases, the victim can be enticed into several successive transfers before they realize they’re being played.
Via Hacker News, What's the deal with all those weird wrong-number texts?
I think this explains the weird email I received two weeks ago. It's either that, or maybe (with low probability given the email sent) a form of “crypto drainer” as was suggested.
