Archive for scam

Wikileech

Posted in University life with tags , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2024 by xi'an

Another type of email hassling (or scam?), not asking for payment at this early stage for writing my Wikipedia page for me!, which is going against the rules of the platform:

My name is dah and I work with Wiki-blah, a Wikipedia page creation and management firm. In a quick Google search of your name, I discovered that you do not have a Wikipedia page.

Having a Wikipedia page shows the world that you have made remarkable contributions in your field. Moreover, it catalogues all of your important work in one place, making it easier for the reader to understand your work. Over 73% people searching for an academic on Google visit the academic’s Wikipedia page first and their official university page later. This underscores an important fact: the credibility of Wikipedia surpasses that of your official website. With over 3000 articles declined from Wikipedia everyday, it is not easy to get a Wikipedia page. However, we can make the process very easy for you. We have written Wikipedia pages for over a thousand academics. We can write one for you. For your assurance and safety, we don’t request any upfront payment.

Please send me a message if you would like to find out more about working with us.

And a second one came the day after, in a much more flowery style that omitted any mention of payment:

I trust this message finds you in great health and high spirits.

I’m dah, I am a part of a group of Wikipedia Administrators and Editors, driven by a passion for crafting impactful narratives. With over a decade of experience, our focus lies in assisting individuals and businesses like yours in establishing a lasting presence on Wikipedia, the world’s foremost information platform.

Have you ever considered having your accomplishments and contributions showcased on the influential stage of Wikipedia? I specialize in navigating the intricacies of Wikipedia’s guidelines, ensuring your story meets the stringent standards set by the platform. What sets our approach apart is the inherent resilience of entries created under the supervision of a Wikipedia Administrator – they stand stronger against scrutiny and time. We understand the unique challenges of getting pages published on Wikipedia. We have a proven track record of successfully guiding experts like yourself through the process. By collaborating, we can not only ensure the accurate portrayal of your journey but also secure its place in the annals of Wikipedia’s knowledge repository.

Understanding the complexities of Wikipedia’s communal editing and content standards can be daunting. This is where our expertise shines. As Wikipedia Administrators, we have the ability to guide your entry through the labyrinth of guidelines, maintaining the utmost standards of neutrality and credibility.
If you’re intrigued by the prospect of immortalizing your story on Wikipedia, I’m excited to explore this opportunity further. I’d be happy to share a recent success story or provide a testimonial upon your request. Feel free to reach out with any queries or curiosities you may have. Your achievements deserve a platform that resonates with millions of global readers.

I would love to discuss this opportunity further at your earliest convenience. I look forward to potentially collaborating on this remarkable journey.

yet another conference scam

Posted in Travel, University life with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 12, 2024 by xi'an

Within a few days of the online appearance of the programme of the Workshop on Functional Inference and Machine Intelligence (FIMI) at the University of Bristol, which I am attending, I received the following email about accommodation, which did not sound right despite the focus on the right conference at the right time. After contacting the organisers, it proved to be a scam. A similar thing happened a few months ago with our workshop at CIRM, when one participant was asked to pay for an hotel room that happened to be 100km away… Again taking advantage of a published list of participants to the workshop. There as well the participant found the email suspicious and contacted us.

From: BOOKINGS GTE <bookings@g-travelexperts.com>
To: christian.robert@ceremade.dauphine.fr
Subject: Accommodation in Bristol, England - March 25-27, 
2024 - University of Bristol

Dear Christian,

For your upcoming conference visit to Bristol in March.

Kindly provide your arrival and departure dates for us 
to finalize your reservation. Once confirmed, we will 
email you an invoice and an itinerary including detailed 
information about your booking. Your booking is fully flexible 
for alterations, modifications, or complete cancellations 
up to 14 days before your scheduled check-in date.

Thanks,

Contact the Global Travel Experts Team via our Call Centres:
Our team is ready to assist.

recommendation letters

Posted in Kids, pictures, University life with tags , , , , , on January 14, 2023 by xi'an

Another spam from China [hence an opportunity to repost this 2012 shot of the Huangpu River from the Bund!] worth mentioning:

It’s Jesse from XXX. XXX mainly provides services for students need apply universities. We wish to get your recommendation letter for our students. We will give you about 10,000 USD as reward per month for your recommendation. The content of the recommendation letters can be further discussed with you.

While it is tempting (!!) to considerably increase my salary (!), the spirit of this proposal is most appalling, either because it is genuine or because it is a scam capitalising on the greed of its victims.

What the …?!

Posted in Books, Statistics with tags , , , , , , , , , on May 3, 2020 by xi'an

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