A Phishing Scam Using A Fishing Scam?

So, I get this email today and it sounds rather intriguing…

Hi,

We have an offer of US$ 3.25 per dozen for the following 148 dozen Flies.
Total US$ 481.00. The flies are tied using high Quality hooks from
Japan and Norway.

We shall ship the flies through aramex couriers and the cost is
US$38.00 But we offer Free shipping on this Flies. Hence you will only
pay US$481.00 and receive the flies with 3 – 5 days.

More patterns can be viewed at www.fliesperdozen.com
Madam X: # 10 – 2dozen

Red Tag: # 12 – 2 dozen
Red Tag: # 14 – 2 dozen
Red Tag: # 16 – 2 dozen

Wickham’s Fancy # 12 – 2 dozen
Wickham’s Fancy # 14 – 2 dozen
Wickham’s Fancy # 16 – 2 dozen

Little Olive: #12 – 2dozen
Little Olive: #14 – 2dozen
Little Olive: #16 – 2dozen

Blue Wing Olive: #12 – 2dozen
Blue Wing Olive: #14 – 2dozen
Blue Wing Olive: #16 – 2dozen

Humpy: #12 – 2dozen
Humpy: #16 – 2dozen
Humpy: #18 – 2dozen

March Brown: #12 – 2dozen
March Brown: #14 – 2dozen
March Brown: #16 – 2dozen
Red Quill: #12 – 2dozen
Red Quill: #14 – 2dozen
Red Quill : #16 – 2dozen

Pale Evening Dun : #12 – 2dozen
Pale Evening Dun: #14 – 2dozen
Pale Evening Dun : #16 – 2dozen

Brown Bomber : #12 – 2dozen
Brown Bomber : #14 – 2dozen
Brown Bomber : #16 – 2dozen

Daves Woolly Worm : #12 – 2dozen
Daves Woolly Worm : #14 – 2dozen
Daves Woolly Worm : #16 – 2dozen

Zulu : #12 – 2dozen
Zulu : #14 – 2dozen
Zulu : #16 – 2dozen

Adams Dry : #12 – 2dozen
Adams Dry : #14 – 2dozen
Adams Dry : #16 – 2dozen

Adams Male : #12 – 2dozen
Adams Male : #14 – 2dozen
Adams Male : #16 – 2dozen

Beatis Zinger : #14 – 2dozen
Beatis Zinger : #16 – 2dozen
Beatis Zinger : #18 – 2dozen

Black Quill : #12 – 2dozen
Black Quill : #14 – 2dozen
Black Quill : #16 – 2dozen

Blue Wing Olive Parachute : #12 – 2dozen
Blue Wing Olive Parachute : #14 – 2dozen
Blue Wing Olive Parachute : #16 – 2dozen
Blue Wing Olive Parachute : #18 – 2dozen

Brown Wulff : #12 – 2dozen
Brown Wulff : #14 – 2dozen
Brown Wulff : #16 – 2dozen

Bulktail Caddis Yellow : #12 – 2dozen
Bulktail Caddis Yellow : #14 – 2dozen
Bulktail Caddis Yellow : #16 – 2dozen

Parachute Adams : #12 – 2dozen
Parachute Adams : #14 – 2dozen
Parachute Adams : #16 – 2dozen

Olive Emerger : #14 – 2dozen
Olive Emerger : #16 – 2dozen
Olive Emerger : #18 – 2dozen

Montana Nymph Green: #8 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Green: #10 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Green: #12 – 2dozen

Montana Nymph Orange: #8 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Orange: #10 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Orange: #12 – 2dozen

Montana Nymph Yellow: #8 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Yellow: #10 – 2dozen
Montana Nymph Yellow: #12 – 2dozen

Tellico Nymph: #12 – 2dozen
Tellico Nymph: #14 – 2dozen
Tellico Nymph: #16 – 2dozen

To confirm order, Please send us your physical address and phone
number for shipping purposes and further remit payments through:

www.worldremit.com – Send to: 254 721 206 825

Wire transfer Details:
Account Name: Pepaka Agencies
Bank Name: Co-Operative Bank of Kenya
Account Number: 01148530202600
Branch Name: Kimathi Street, Nairobi
Swift Code: KCOOKENA
Country: KENYA

Western Union or moneygram send to:

Perminus Karanja
P.o Box 19945 00100
Nairobi Kenya
Phone: 254 721 206 825

You will have to send me the MTCN, Question and Answer.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
Perminus
www.fliesperdozen.comEmail received from Pepaka Agencies

WOW!   Almost $500 worth of popular flies used for flyfishing for a mere $38.   What could possibly be wrong with this exciting offer?

Wait…hold on just a minute!   Upon doing a little sleuthing I come to discover how this offer has been going on for years with other bloggers even talking about it.   But wait…it even gets better.   Before you send your hard-earned monies off to Nairobi and fall victim to such an obviously blatant fraud, check out their website.   NO!   Maybe don’t do that unless your computer virus protection is up to snuff.   Suffice it to say THE WEBSITE where I was directed to look at the flies has closed because the site owner has not paid their bills.

That’s right…even the one sales feature to showcase their product offering is ripe with red flags.   I must say over the years I have received many, many offers via email that were complete and utterly bogus.   This one falls right into that category.   Still, I give the scammers credit for phishing by using a fishing angle to their approach.

My suggestion…just in case it isn’t blatantly obvious AVOID THIS SCAM like the plague, in my honest opinion.

Stuff

It’s a sure sign a person is getting older.

It’s not a sign I’m proud to admit, either.

Nevertheless, I believe most people eventually hit that point in their life when they feel they have enough “stuff.”   In particular, I’m talking about outdoors stuff.

Now, don’t get me wrong…a new fishing pole or a new shotgun always gets the juices flowing.   Yet, the fact remains when a person has been enjoying the outdoors for nearly four decades eventually they start running out of storage space.   The desire to acquire begins to fade.   Maybe a deeper sense of practicality actually sinks in to one’s maturing psyche.

Okay, I’ll admit something I never thought about in my younger days.   Now, as I amass a new bunch of fun toys I begin to think about what will happen to them when I’m out of the picture.   Seriously, at some point a person grows old and the toy either gets permanently stashed away until the estate sale…or, it gets liquidated at a fraction of the purchase price at some garage sale encouraged by your spouse.   The bottom line is the decision process for buying new outdoors equipment evolves as a person ages.

Case in point.   It’s been over a year since I last purchased a firearm.   That is quite a departure from what life was like several years ago.   At times during my past I would purchase a new gun almost on a whim.   Didn’t take much arm twisting at all.   Oh, have times changed in my life.

Today, I have little to no room to store additional guns.   My philosophy is if you can’t store them safely you don’t buy them.   Gun storage is not an afterthought…it’s a primary consideration BEFORE ever shaking the dealer’s hand and beginning the paperwork process.   Nope, even beyond storing the guns you need to take the time necessary to care for them…and it all takes precious time as “stuff” accumulates.

It really doesn’t matter what the “stuff” is, either.   It can be guns, fishing tackle, camo hunting clothes, ATV supplies, campfire accessories, knives, game calls, depth finders, waders, decoys…hell, the list goes on and on.   I think you get the idea.   If you’re young I understand being on a mission to acquire all the fun gadgets you think a person needs to fully enjoy the outdoors.   I’m here to tell you over time those attitudes change.

Now, you might think how much of this sounds a bit negative and perhaps somewhat defeatist that old age is winning the battle.   Quite the contrary, my friend.   While age is certainly a factor influencing this thought process…truth is as a person matures I think you better realize how the outdoors can be enjoyed without modern gadgetry.   Oh, I will never deny how many gadgets are integral and enhance the outdoors experience.   Still, the older a person gets the more apt they are to ask themselves the all-important question…”Did I really need that?”

Going to Cabela’s to buy new “stuff” is always fun.   Having a buddy give you his old “stuff” is always exciting.  Discovering “stuff” on Craigslist at fire-sale pricing is always awesome.   Getting new “stuff” for your birthday or Christmas is wonderful.

But, when you get to that point when you discover new “stuff” you’ve forgotten you purchased last year…well, that could just be the first sign that maybe…just maybe…it’s time to cut back on buying more “stuff.”   At least for a short time.

Glad To See Herter’s Isn’t Forgotten About In Minnesota’s History

Typically when I land on the Minnesota Historical Society’s blog I expect to see reflections on Minnesota’s involvement in the Civil War, political flashbacks, you know that sort of thing.   Well, imagine my surprise to see a post showing a Herter’s Master Deer Call.   That’s right, if you’ve lived…oh, for let’s say 40 or more years on this earth and consider yourself an outdoorsman…well, there’s a good chance Herter’s has touched your life at least in some small way.

So, it’s only fitting how the Minnesota Historical Society makes mention of this icon of an outdoors store once headquartered in Waseca, Minnesota.   I can only say I was physically at the store once prior to its closing, but long before Cabela’s and Gander Mountain were household names, for most sportsmen the name George L. Herter was truly legendary.   And I would guess that many customers of Herter’s shopped by mail order and not at the store.   When the Herter’s catalog arrived in the mail it was a special day in the household, indeed.

Perhaps one of George L. Herter’s more controversial books, nevertheless it reflects a unique character during a different time in Minnesota’s outdoor history.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of taking a walk back in time you owe it to yourself to click directly to eBay and search for “Herter catalog.”   At most times you will find dozens of old issues still available in collections, some for just a few bucks…but the money is well worth it to see how sportsman gear has evolved over the past 40+ years.

The founder of the store was a real character.   Need some proof of that?   Just take a look at the titles of George L. Herter’s many books he authored.   Unfortunately, I never met the guy, but he was an interesting individual who believe in simple, yet solid advice.   His store was also pretty much built on that same principle, as well.

I would imagine as the generations get older there will come a time when few outdoorsmen, unless they study history, will have any recollection of the Herter’s name.   Oh, type in Herters.com and it will take you directly to Cabela’s whom I believe purchased the rights several years back.   And yes, even Cabela’s who was once competitors with Herter’s still recognizes the value of selling under the Herter’s name.

So, when you see the Minnesota Historical Society post an iconic image from this great store…yeah, it is sort of a big deal to some of us who are growing a bit older in the tooth.   Many of us have fond recollections of the store and the catalog which was premium in its time.

And you know, there’s also something a bit nostalgic about remembering back to an era when you didn’t have say 200 choices for cold weather footwear and another 50 different options for waders.   Perhaps back when Herters was king the outdoorsmen spent more time worrying about woodsmanship and the quarry they chased…than they now do about all the clothes, gear and technology they take to the woods.

Let’s hear some of your thoughts on what you remember about George L. Herter, the retail store or that glorious mail order catalog.

©2013 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.