Stupid bastard
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm by David FarrarThe Dom Post reports:
A Carterton pensioner is facing jail time after stealing cash from a charitable organisation to feed Nigerian scammers.
David Patrick Mullany, 68, who was treasurer-secretary of the Wairarapa A&P Society, admits he siphoned money after being caught up in three Nigerian internet scams.
Mullany pleaded guilty in Masterton District Court yesterday to stealing $48,356 from the society over three years to pay people in London and Nigeria, believing he was in line to receive more than $46 million.
I’m really amazed that people still fall for such scams. Even if you have not heard of Nigerian scams specifically, how about the old maxim that if it is too good to be true, it isn’t.
The number of stupid/gullible people out there sometimes makes me wonder whether being a criminal fraudster isn’t a logical career choice 
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Politics could be your second option. Less chance of paying any penalty when you get caught out.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
What is even more amazing is how gullible idiots like this talk themselves into positions of trust where they can access this sort of money.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Or a televangelist. Send you a donation and you’ll cure their geital warts, that sort of thing. I once knew a PI guy whose first name was Semi. I kept encouraging him to claim he was related to that well known televangelist Crefolo A Dollar, then I’d produce his early-Sunday-morning spiel for him. “Semi A Dollar”… the perfect title for such a show.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 3:30 pm
I have often wondered why spammers and fraudsters dont just target the Green Party membership list. It is exclusively populated with gulible and easily lead morons and would make ripe pickings. Of course most of them are on the dole or rorting their existance from the taxpayer so whilst I am sure they would be keen to assist in the repatriation of some African Royals squillions probably cant afford the transaction fee.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
“The number of stupid/gullible people out there sometimes makes me wonder whether being a criminal fraudster isn’t a logical career choice”
Or being a socialist politician.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
For anyone interested .. Welcome to the world of Scambaiting!. Some great stories in there, complete with scammers sending photos of themselves.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Dear Dr Cullen,
My name is Bruce M’butu and I live in Sydney which is no where near Lagos so don’t worry about this being a scam. Due to recent unforeseen bad luck I am being forced to sell a prized railway system in New Zealand. It is in good condition with many new trains and the people of NZ regard it as the preferred method of transport, both personally and when they need to send their produce to the market. My accountants tell me that the railway is worth many billions of dollars, but I would like to sell it to you for the bargain price of $600million. This is a very honest offer because I am a good christian who likes to give people money. Please send $600million to the Western Union office in Lagos, which is the location of the Bank of Sydney, and I will send you the ownership papers.
Bruce
PS. To prove that this is a genuine offer I have attached a photo of a train.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Le Grande Fromage… not just the Greens.. NZ is the highest per capita scammed country in the world.
there’s lots of gullible Kiwi’s out there.
As DPF say’s sometimes makes me wonder whether being a criminal fraudster isn’t a logical career choice.
I would add start here in our own backyard.
OK you gullible Kiwi’s out there.. if anyone offers you money from overseas its a scam…. anybody.
Don’t pay them the cost of a return stamp a deposit fright costs or transaction fee … pay nothing.
But I know some of you still will… If your Green think of how many forests your distroying.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Isn’t it sad that it is our mostly elderly that get scammed of promises of riches… and worse is NZ post now rely on scam mail to keep their balance sheets afloat…
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I’m sorry your honour, I can’t pay the money back because I lost it to Nigerian scammers. No your honour, I don’t have it buried in my backyard waiting for me to get out of jail. Honest.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:53 pm
davidp @ 4.12
That is magic, very well done.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 4:54 pm
“Le Grande Fromage… not just the Greens..”
No, just the Greens.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Very stupid indeed.
That’s what happens when you live in the corner of the world far away from most civilizations(excl aus ofcourse).
The result is the inability to tell $46m in your bank account from a guy in Nigeria is a scam.
Wake up people!
supporting http://www.angel-charlene.com
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 5:49 pm
A syndicate of Kiwis were similarly caught out some years ago. One of them took $250k in a suitcase to Nigeria in the hope of springing millions.They borrowed it via a lawyer from a deceased estate at 19% with a charge over one of the syndicate member’s investment property, with the lawyer being promised a cut of the action. That member and the lawyer then tried to argue that as the promised ‘transaction’ was illegal under Nigerian repayment of the loan could not be enforced under NZ law. The Appeal Court held it could be as the deceased estate’s beneficiaries was ignorant of the illegality, stripped the lawyer clean of assets with any remainder to be repaid from the selling up of the property and rolling back the 19% interest to a more reasonable rate.
Shows even greedy lawyers can be sucked into such scams.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 6:05 pm
I learnt a nasty lesson some years ago when a $7000 rip-off occurred on my watch. We were extremely lucky that someone (bless her heart) had noted daily takings in her diary so we knew precisely how much had gone missing. We got it back, and I instigated processes to stop it happening again. I will share my wisdom. If you are a chairperson, president, etc of a club, company, New World franchisee, etc, then insist on sighting the bank statements every month or two to make sure the balance is roughly what the treasurer/ accounts person claims it is. If you are a committee member or director there is nothing wrong with asking to briefly look at bank statements, invoices etc. This will have a most chilling effect on anyone thinking of fraud. Do not be fobbed with lame duck excuses or claims of paranoia – just be paranoid and keep digging.
The former chairman of Bridgecorp (a retired prominent lawyer) would not be facing court charges if he had been nore vigilent to what was going on – just sign this prospectus, it is all honkey dory – yeah right!
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 6:18 pm
davidp nice work – want to contribute to monkey with typewriter? let me Know . . . I’ve already ‘borrowed’ your post anyway . . http://monkeyswithtypewriter.blogspot.com/2010/07/hoatage-post-davidp-on-internet.html
Vote:All you have to do is send me $100.00 (only joking . . )
July 23rd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Here’s another one that TV3 warned about tonight:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/personal-finance/3951636/Credit-card-scam-alert
Honestly, why would anyone believe that they’d need to pay money to the credit card company to claim back overcharging? And why would they do it over the phone?
NZ’s so gullible because logical and analytical thinking are not encouraged in this country. (It’s the same over most of the world.) Crap like organic foods, vaccination horrors, horoscopes and religion is pushed. We’re told to have faith without requiring evidence, and that dissenters of these beliefs are paid by big-pharma, or ruled by the devil.
People are encouraged to not question or research anything for themselves, but instead are given false evidence that supports the superstition.
Until we accept that “a have a feeling/aura about this”, “God spoke to me”, and “it’s not ‘natural’” are not reasonable justifications for our actions, we’re going to have cons like this, and idiots who support them.
http://destinychurchnelson.org/content/view/60/67/
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 6:55 pm
“NZ’s so gullible because logical and analytical thinking are not encouraged in this country.”
Its not in the socialists agenda to encourage thinking for oneself tb.
Who runs the teaching system?…….Yes socialists.
Result. Nation of fuckwits.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I first came across this scam when I was working in Auckland in 1971. We would get a ‘cable’ with exactly the same M/O as today. It has probably been around for years before then.
I am dumbfounded how people can still get taken in by all this. Greed is a very powerful driver.
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 7:50 pm
A European tourist told my brother that the easiest country to get laid in is NZ,
the question is…who is getting scamed?
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Heathcote – it’s been around for a long, long time. There’s records of version of this scam from Elizabethan times called “The Prince”, the story was that a foreign prince is being held hostage, he just needs some money up front to bribe his jailers and then he’ll be able to reward you from his fabulous riches when he gets out…
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 8:18 pm
it’s that socialist
Vote:sense of entitlement that
made him so silly
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
“I’m really amazed that people still fall for such scams.”
Vote:Yes, every three years many people swallow the lies and false promises uttered during the election campaign.
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:33 pm
I think I have some the email trail evidence of Davidp’s suggestion blended with Manolo’s astute observation: Cullen training for an election
Vote:July 23rd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Barnum was right. There is one born every minute.
Vote: