Can't decide: scam, joke, or sadly serious

Forums › Off topic › Can't decide: scam, joke, or sadly serious

SaltyNZ

4861 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2358

Trusted

Subscriber

Topic # 173262 17-May-2015 13:02

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets a steady stream of LinkedIn invites from utter strangers in fields that you would have to work hard to find less overlap with telecommunications than. But then I got this one. Apparently, the Chairwoman of the Hellenic Bank of Greece wants to connect with me on LinkedIn. The Chairwoman of the Hellenic Bank, who graduated from the University of Bristol with a Bachelor of Science in 1995.

I can't decide whether this is a scam (and if so, what's their angle?), a joke (and if so, why is it funny?), or serious (and if so, is she the Einstein of Finance, or the reason that Greece is teetering on the edge of default?).

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone XS + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

Smithy100

155 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 30

Reply # 1306603 17-May-2015 13:15

I had a similar invitation from a board member of HSBC... her details checked out too - but no, I didn't accept.

khull

1245 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 137

Reply # 1306610 17-May-2015 13:33

Some Thai prime minister wanted to see my details - denied.

kiwitrc

4123 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 842
Inactive user

Reply # 1306632 17-May-2015 14:10

khull: Some Thai prime minister wanted to see my details - denied.

You will never know unless you give it a thai.

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
63004 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13581

Administrator

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1306648 17-May-2015 14:48

These are scams. There's a wave of "financial" professionals with two or three one line past job experiences that will try and get in your connections then try and get you to help getting money out of somewhere.

First signals are those one liners. Then an obvious disconnection from your position and theirs. Most strange is that sometimes these scammers even have connections in common with myself, leading me to wonder how perfectly intelligent business people can fall for these.

Backblaze cloud backup (personal and business) | Geekzone broadband switch | Amazon (Geekzone aff) | MightyApe (Geekzone aff) |

My technology disclosure | Business Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Sharesies investment fund

Rikkitic

Glurp
9712 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4636

Subscriber

Reply # 1306707 17-May-2015 17:27

4 people support this post

In my experience LinkedIn itself is a scam, or at the very least, spam. They acquire members by invading computers, stealing address books, using deceptive language to fool ordinary users into clicking them onward, and spewing out so-called 'invitations' to anyone and everyone they can find. They have been investigated for this behaviour in the past. I don't understand how they still manage to maintain a veneer of respectability. I can't count the number times they have tried it on with me over the years because unknowing friends of mine clicked on the wrong link. They may manage to remain just within the letter of the law, but they have no regard whatsoever for the spirit of it. LinkedIn is worse than Facebook when it comes to assaults on personal privacy. Of course that is 'just' my opinion.

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage

SaltyNZ

4861 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2358

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1306769 17-May-2015 19:37

freitasm: These are scams. There's a wave of "financial" professionals with two or three one line past job experiences that will try and get in your connections then try and get you to help getting money out of somewhere.

First signals are those one liners. Then an obvious disconnection from your position and theirs. Most strange is that sometimes these scammers even have connections in common with myself, leading me to wonder how perfectly intelligent business people can fall for these.

Yes, this one has one in common with me. I'll just assume he clicked Accept without reading closely.

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone XS + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.