53 Comments
User's avatar
Tom Klockau's avatar

Oh look a scumbag. Invite it for a swim in Dr. Evil's Piranha Spa pool. Lose weight fast.

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Scott's avatar

The world should treat scammers the same way they treated pirates in the 1700s (and probably earlier)- death by hanging or indentured servitude.

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Scott's avatar

I’d like to think a few consequences an word gets around the IT realms that scamming in the USA is a bad idea. I suspect, however, that scammers might think they are untouchable since many of them are outside the USA. Might be time for some drone strikes assuming we can find good targets.

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Dave Ryan's avatar

It’s a shame there are so many assholes out wandering among us. We are where we are due to lack of real consequences for behavior outside norms/laws/general decency.

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Rick T.'s avatar

"Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats" H.L Mencken

Yeah. Reason #437 why it’s so hard to have nice things these days.

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David Florida's avatar

Well, that explains today’s new follower on my account!

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unsafe release's avatar

Yep, me too

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Shooter's avatar

Ditto.

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John Van Stry's avatar

There are more scams in writing than in any other industry. Welcome to my world.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

"Why is everyone in academia so vicious?"

"Because the stakes are so low!"

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John Van Stry's avatar

Wait until they start calling your phone. But I get scam mails about once a day. Most are AI driven, but there are actual scam companies out there, some of which have been around for decades.

Then there's copyright issues, pirate issues, etc.

I have a lot of lawyers. A LOT of lawyers. I've even been to the US 2nd circuit court.

You can't be in this business without a lawyer these days.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

They're already calling my phone. But I am in the habit of getting scam calls because all the house scammers still think my phone number goes along with my old house.

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Rick T.'s avatar

Wasn’t there such a thing at one time as a “do not call” registry? I am imagining that?

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Scott A's avatar

Unlike the old horror story, the scammers are not calling from inside the house.

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Shooter's avatar

“I’ve worked in the private sector, they expect results.”

— Ray Stantz

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Amelius Moss's avatar

That's what ya get for braggin' on earnin' upwards of hundreds of dollars on the book.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

Its not very far upwards though!

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Chuck S's avatar

I'm just here for the Kevin Mitnick reference. I also would have accepted Kevin Poulsen.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

Would you have accepted Kevin Bacon?

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Chuck S's avatar

Yes, even though he is not a hacker.

For anyone who doesn't know Kevin Poulsen, he's an original phone phreaker and early black-hat hacker. In 1990, he took over all of the telephone lines of LA radio station KIIS-FM to ensure he'd be the 102nd caller in a contest giving away a Porsche 944. He did five years in prison. I guess the feds felt driving a 944 wasn't punishment enough.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

Embarrassingly, I was thinking of Kevin Pollack.

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JT's avatar

Kevin Bacon is never the wrong answer.

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MarkS's avatar

Sure, he's always six degrees away

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Andrew White's avatar

JVS is right. There always some scammer BS when you write stuff. It's part of the background noise in the legal environment we work in. But it's also another hat you have to wear, along with marketing and other non-writer business aspects.

TBH, this is the stuff that burns people out. You can watch people come into the biz, stay for a year or five, release some stuff, and then they get fed up with the steady stream of nonsense and close the whole thing down. So, you know, don't let it drag you down.

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generationsago's avatar

"But if one of you brilliant troublemakers wants to do a little Kevin Mitnick on the person and figure out how I might be able to have the pleasure of meeting him in person, then you will be permanently in my debt".

Shouldn't that say "I will be permanently in your debt"?

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-Nate's avatar

Uh, no ~ I think Jack knew *exactly* what he wrote there =8-) .

-Nate

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NoID's avatar
4hEdited

Yeah, because the person who identifies and locates the scammer and offers those details up to Jack will become an accessory to whatever actions are taken after that!

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Jack Baruth's avatar

More or less, yes. What I meant to say: we will be engaging in a criminal conspiracy for me to deprive this person of between three and seven fingers, depending on my state of mind.

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-Nate's avatar

Yes but ;

Only if caught .

-Nate

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Henry C.'s avatar

DO NOT REEEDEEEEEEEM

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MarkS's avatar

Do the needful

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Sam's avatar

1 hour in and this person has not been doxed yet? I am surprised; or have they been and whomever did so has sent the information directly to our esteemed author in lieu of public shame?

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Ataraxis's avatar

I’m sure Substack will get right on this.

Scott Adams has scam listings for his books and calendars on Amazon seconds after he releases something new. It only kind of stopped after he shamed Amazon repeatedly on his daily show.

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Jack Baruth's avatar

I'm going to hold my breath.

Also going to hold my breath about them hiring me to fix this awful platform.

It's been nice knowing all of you!

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Ataraxis's avatar

See you back on Riverside Green!

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Joe griffin's avatar

Blocked the scammer, thanks for the heads up!

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unsafe release's avatar

How did you block him/her? In substack, e-mail, or both?

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Pete C's avatar

use the options within the ellipses

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Joe griffin's avatar

And it should block their ability to email.

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Joe griffin's avatar

Up by where it says follow, the three little dots, press that and the option to block appears near the bottom.

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Fat Baby Driver's avatar

Curious that it ends with "FanPage."

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NoID's avatar

It’s their “out” for charges of impersonation.

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Mozzie's avatar

First there was a reddit page, then a scam account. What's next? A deepfake call requesting to join the ACF podcast?

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Jack Baruth's avatar

If only these people would put this kind of time and effort into, ya know, doing something on their own merits. They might have success, you never know!

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BKbroiler's avatar

"I would love to meet you so you can explain your issues with me and we can resolve them to everyone’s satisfaction"

I belonged to a cop + firefighter gym in my 20s and there was once a rash of locker thefts. The warning read:

"Someone's been robbing lockers. Help us catch him. We'll let you watch."

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Speed's avatar
1hEdited

well its not me shitposting but i will be calling them a slur just as soon as i can find out what it looks like

nvm i cant even find the user

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