Slashdot Mirror
Australians Receive SMS Death Threats
beaverdownunder writes "Many Aussies across New South Wales and South Australia had a bit of a shock this morning when they received an SMS threatening them with assassination. Although somewhat varied, the messages have typically read, 'Someone paid me to kill you. If you want me to spare you, I'll give you two days to pay $5000. If you inform the police or anybody, you will die, I am monitoring you', and signed with the e-mail address killerking247@yahoo.com. Police and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission have warned that the messages are almost certainly fake, and that no dialogue should be entered into with scammers." I hope "almost certainly" is droll understatement.
I paid good money to have you guys assassinated.
Do not moderate it or report it to the moderators. I am watching you.
Commisioner also stated that "You're almost certainly unlikely to be found dead in the bush 7 days after the message. Reason of death won't probably be 20-25 stab wounds in all body parts. There's practically no possibility your eyes will be burned out with hot iron. We find it very improbable that you will be dismembered with a piano wire and disemboweled. There is no reason for panic. Probably."
In England at least, judges have determined that SMS messages and Twitter have exactly the same status as any other written publication. Australian law is, I believe, based on English law. So: this would be a blackmail attempt. Five years' jail for every message seems about right. They need to find him and then he can spend the rest of his life locked in his parents' basement. Which, come to think of it, is pretty much what will happen if they don't catch him.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
It certainly is. On the other hand, assume you can send SMSes in a way which is not traceable and comparatively cheap. Assume you want the entire police force of some place - say, New South Wales - to be too busy and way less effective. Assume you want to commit some other crime which would greatly benefit from the police force in that place being too busy chasing phantoms.
What would you do?
This is a fairly common scam usually received by e-mail. Lot of examples on www.419-eater.com where these types of scammers are known as hitlads.
People who are wanting to commit suicide are finally getting valet service.
But I did get a spam once from someone claiming that he had evidence that would land me in prison, and threatening to report me to the FBI unless I immediately wrote back for instructions on how to pay him.
I did reply with a rather graphic description of the services his parents perform for sailors, and never heard from him again.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
But I did get a spam once from someone claiming that he had evidence that would land me in prison, and threatening to report me to the FBI unless I immediately wrote back for instructions on how to pay him.
Hey, is that you Julian Assange?
The last time I checked everything in Australia will kill you in various ways so why would an extra assassin matter? Target a place where everything that moves isn't an assassin.
Mass SMS message rather than email seems to be the main difference.
Reminds me of an old Kids-in-the-Hall skit:
Casher: "And another $5 for the Stupidity Tax."
Customer: "Stupidity Tax? What's that?"
Casher: "Oh, since you asked about it, you don't have to pay."
You previously see the casher successfully get away with charging the tax with the other "stupid" customers.
The reason why we have so much spam and other scams is because there are enough stupid people to make it economically viable.
Has anyone tried contacting killerking247@yahoo.com yet? That email account must be bloody famous right now.
...and signed with the e-mail address killerking247@yahoo.com.
... ... ...yeah, sounds totally legit! This most be...uuhh...the king of all Hitmen! Or something...
It was probably because Killer Queen was taken by Freddie Mercury and the boys back in 1974 ;-)
Just watch out for the high-tech SMS wielding drop bears.
The right to arm bears shall not be restricted....
"Hello! I understand why you would want to kill a Nigerian prince, however, my country is in turmoil and my money is tied from my hands. Please allow me to send you a check for $30,000 which you can cash and please Western Union all but your $5000 back to me at this address: ..."
If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
IF YOU don't send me $500 I will TXT spam you endlessly and on most plans where you pay up to $0.25 for each TXT it will add up quickly
Threats are an exception to most freedom of speech laws/amendments/statements of rights. Including in the US.
He should've sent a followup:
"The previous SMS was sent to many people in error. Only one of your lives is in danger. If you send me $5000 I'll let you know if it's you."
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.