For the past few years there's been a scam going around where somebody leaves a comment under an article on a crypto website similar to this one:


I can find google results for this email going all the way back to 2017, so he's been at it for a long time, spamming all sorts of crypto-related websites with this same email address, but changing his story up every few months. Here's another example left on icorating.com:



Out of boredom, I decided to write him an email, just to see what would happen. This is a transcription of our email conversation. His replies are the words in italics.

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Hello, I recently lost about $45,000 worth of Bit Coin and other cryptocurrencies to a scammer. It was during an ICO purchase for a product called HoweyCoins. I saw somebody mention your email in a blog about crypto and that you could help people recover their coins. How would you go about doing this? I would like to hear more information. Thank you for your time.

Yes I can help you recover your stolen bitcoins and this will be done within 72 hours and you’ll get back your stolen bitcoins in your wallet. I’ll need you to get back to me with your full name, the platform where your crypto is stolen from, your email address attached to your crypto portfolio where your bitcoin was stolen, the country you are emailing from and also your phone number so I can run some quick check and get back to you.

OK sure.

Full name: Paulo Orlando
Platform: BitForex
Email address: porlando82@yahoo.com
Country: Philippines
Phone Number: +63 999 9113 4626

Oh, it was for an IEO, not an ICO, BTW. They have locked me out of my account! I hear its a scammer exchange only now. My UID is 1983697. Thanks.

Hello I figured out and I can help you recover your stolen cryptocurrency. It will be completed within 72 hours. This service will cost you some money. Kindly get back to me so we can proceed.

That's great! How do we proceed?

Firstly, I want you to open an account with blockchain, if you don’t have (blockchain.com) and get back to me with your blockchain wallet address

OK, done.

15SD78KotoB1SBBPaA6t5JYb1WDoYt6p3c

Okay good, This service will cost $$3,400 with an upfront payment of $1,400 for the processing of the hack. I will get my balance from the recovery soon as you have your bitcoin in your wallet. Payment is sent via Zelle, money order or bitcoin. What pay method do you prefer ?

Well, its a little bit much. How do I know you can perform this kind of task?

I perfectly understood you but you don’t need to be skeptical about working with me. I am a well known miner and I have an integrity to keep. Just relax! I have been doing this for years and I did not get to the level by taking advantage of people. I do what is needed to be done and you get good result. I am always about my good services, good will, good reputation and not always about the money. I am a good believer and I don’t cheat. Instead I use my hacking skills to solve people’s problems and I don’t take up jobs I can’t finish from the onset

OK, well I would like to pay in BTC. Please send me your address.

Okay good, below is the BTC address to send to: 1NJVhB8XXNXMq4EsAsBv2A9H4A2CTHDjAQ

If you are a miner then I would prefer you send me an address from which you have received mined coins -- even if it was just a mining pool payout, or something similar. That would help verify things, and just make me feel a bit more comfortable. Hope you understand.

I perfectly understood you and I am a miner and I can help mine bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies soon as I’m done recovering your stolen cryptos. I’ll provide you our basic subscription mining packages and you’ll be able to make more money with the money you have already. I attach a picture of me and my mining rigs. Kindly get back to me with the screenshot of the payment soon as you have it sent so the recovery can begin.

 

I dunno, seems like if you were a miner you could sign a message from an address used to receive mined coins. If you can't provide me with such an address, or an address that has any related transactions in it, then I'm afraid I just can't trust you. Sorry but I hope you understand.

What kind of address are you actually talking about ? I need you to explain more.

A bitcoin address to which you have received mined coins. If you didn't directly receive the mined coins, then an address with coins from the mining pool operator.

Okay I understand your point and if I send you the address, how do you verify from your end because the last time checked....you need help

That's easy. The address would be only one or two hops away from some newly-mined coins. Even if you could present an address 4 transactions away from mined coins, that would work as well.

Here is an address below:

1HE8zpK1HmpqVAwRDmtSk44DhZ8M13mE1Z

So... You're a miner. You provided me an address from 2011 that received newly minted coins, but you don't want me to send BTC there? If its your address, why not?

Hey are you going to teach me how to run my work now? You just keep looking for excuses upon excuses man! I’m a miner and I told you that I’ve been doing this for years and I did not get to this level by taking advantage of people. I do what is needed to be done because I am always about my good will, good service, good reputation and not always about the money. I am a good believer and I don’t cheat! Instead I use my hacking skills to solve people’s problems and I don’t take up jobs I can’t finish from the onset. You can’t send btc to the address because it’s for minted bitcoins only and that’s what you failed to understand! I provided you the address to send the payment to in my previous email. Let me know if you want to proceed so you can make the payment and I’ll start working on how to recover your lost/stolen bitcoin. Let me know your decision so we can proceed

Oh, the address is for minted bitcoins only and it can't receive other bitcoins, OK got it. So you want me to send $1,400 worth of BTC to this address:

1NJVhB8XXNXMq4EsAsBv2A9H4A2CTHDjAQ

Correct?

Yes correct!. How long would it take you to send the btc to the address so the recovery can begin ?

I'll send it soon. Let me get it all together and then I'll send it. Maybe 1-2 hours.

(4 hours later)

Hello what’s the update, did you send the btc yet ? Kindly get back to me soon as you receive this email so I can know what’s going on.

(16 hours later)

OK, I've sent the BTC.

How much did you send ? The btc is not received yet. Kindly get back to me with the picture or a screenshot of payment sent so your work can go on.

I sent 0.1917. Attached is the screenshot. You don't see it yet? I attached a pretty big fee.

I have not received it yet and I did not see any screenshot that you attached to your email. You can attach the screenshot very well in your next email so I can see. I didn’t see any btc or a screenshot yet

Huh. That's weird. Oh, I forgot to press "Go." OK, now the BTC sent. I made a new screenshot. Let me know if you can't see it.

BTC is not received and I didn’t receive any screenshot as well. I guess you don’t know how to attach a picture to an email? Is that so hard for you to do? I think something is not right here.

I'm not very good with this technology stuff. Are you sure you didn't get the screenshot? Or the bitcoin? I guess I can send it again if you never got it. OK let me try again. Oh I see the problem. The mail server wants me to upgrade to add an attachment. That's lame so I am giving you a link to where I uploaded it:



There now you can see it. It shows you I sent 0.1917 BTC to your address.

You can try to send again because I never got it the btc you claimed you sent. The link you also provided isn’t a valid link so I guess you’re just playing games. I couldn’t view the link you sent to me because it’s not a valid link. What platform are you sending the btc from ? To attach a screenshot to an email is one of the easiest thing to do. What is it so hard for you? And how come I’ve not receive the btc you said you sent to my address. Are you sure you sent the btc already?!

Hey man what are you talking about just playing games?? I sent the BTC, I see it in the block explorer. The link isn't valid? Its to an imgur page. Here try this one: https://imgur.com/a/e7Gws3Y

Hey man, Stop playing games here !! You didn’t send BTC and I’ll stop replying your emails if you can’t send a proper picture showing that the payment is sent because the link you sent is purely bullshit and has not to do with an image of btc being sent. If you really send the btc....it’s close to 45 mins now and it’s still not received ? How long do you think it takes to receive a btc transaction ? If you really send the btc.....I would have received it so stop lying and stop playing games!

Hey guy. Do you not know how to read a block explorer or something? The image I sent you shows me sending the correct amount to your bitcoin address. The transaction is still unconfirmed. Must be a backlog in work for the miners or something. Hey wait a minute... You're not one of those scammer guys are you? Don't know why you're calling the image I sent you bullshit. I just sent $1,400 worth of BTC!

Okay I get now and I’m able to read the image you sent. It’s showing you sent the 0.1917 btc but the transaction is still showing unconfirmed and that’s why I’ve not received it yet. I am not one of those scammer and that’s why I snap when I think you’re playing games. Let’s keep our eyes on the transaction till is confirmed. Soon as it’s confirmed! I will get your work started ASAP!

OK great, good we are on the same page. It should be confirming any minute now. Its weird that it hasn't confirmed yet because I used a pretty big tx fee.

Yes I believe because you use a big fee and it suppose to have go through but let’s wait and I’m sure it won’t be long. Keep me posted

---

To Be Continued...

He's currently waiting for my bogus transaction to be confirmed!  

In case you were wondering how I made that screenshot, I just used Inspect Element in Firefox and changed some numbers and letters around. The fact that he already had a transaction there made it easier from my end.

So, what should I tell him if he says he's still waiting for the transaction, or checks the block explorer for himself and sees its not there? Suggestions are welcomed!

I  just love this kind of games. Scam the scammer as I call it:D
Playing it every day on TG with various prophets who can double your BTC in 20 mins

It's even hard for me to imagine if this guy has scammed anyone from years. He seems to be much naive afterall.

Really an waste of his LIFE !

You have to be really, really bored to troll scammer like that 
They wouldn't be doing this if it doesn't "work", people got scammed by even bigger bullshit than this one.

You're very nice to the lowlife. No insulting anagrams or gag names, no shoe-on-head photo sessions, no imgur tx confirmation...

LOL, ok, that was quite good