A while back I encountered a stranger wanting to be friends on Facebook. She was a pretty stranger too. How could I refuse someone so pretty?
She said she is deaf and was part of something called the "Deaf Empowerment" program. Being a past interpreter for the deaf and having had several deaf friends, I was interested in knowing more. She said she wanted to send me a package in the mail and needed my address. I said, okay, what can this hurt? It's probably a promo package with brochures, fliers, a bumper sticker, etc. After sharing my address, she explained what was in the package: two Dell laptops and $20,000.
What?!? A big red flag just swooped down and knocked me in the forehead.
I wrote back explaining this was highly unusual, and asked what this was for. I shared this with a coworker, and he explained to me that someone could very likely be using me for a drop point for drugs. Wonderful. He went on to explain how someone once signed for a package similarly, then was confronted by someone with a firearm asking for the package.
My "friend" on Facebook also explained that there was a delivery fee and that I would have to sign for the package. Oooo-kay. Red flags are now waving all over the place. I wrote back saying I would not paying any delivery fee. I wrote back a few minutes later saying I would not be signing for anything. The last thing I need is to have my name on the delivery of contraband. Plus, I like having a pulse. Why risk such a good thing?
I never heard from her again after notifying her of my change of mind. And that's fine.
I looked up the "Deaf Empowerment" website on her info page. This site looked like something a squatter set up at the last minute in an attempt to appear legit.
This morning I received a FB message about how I was picked for the deaf lottery and won 350K. How nice!
Beware FB scams.
Andy
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