This person is very clearly scamming you, but why not mess with their head a bit? Do you have your photos backed up? I say send them a picture of your new ipad with the same photos visible and act like you've managed to get your ipad back. They'll be so confused!
This scheme does require them to be familiar with fringe science and concepts of parallel dimensions, so the language barrier might be an issue here. But at least you can imagine them scratching their heads exclaiming "sacré bleu!"
I am not sure how you kept your cool and didn't go after the tote thief knowing where they were. I think I would have made a scene as well.
But I agree with others, there will be a scam coming your way if you keep communicating with this person. I don't think they speak French nor they're in Africa - they are probably just setting the scene so they can ask you for a huge amount of money to "send" it back from Africa. I think your iPad is a goner, maybe I'd contact Apple to see if they can erase it (when I had my phone stolen, they set it in a way that, as soon as the phone connected to the internet in any way, it would become a brick).
So when can we expect the Café Anne Guinea edition? Royal Air Maroc has a roundtrip flight for under $800 from JFK. That's about the same price as a new iPad.
Mouchi, the dog in a gown, hasn’t aged a day since appearing in edition 6. It was a good tail then and it’s a good tail now. How about the Ukrainian doctor window box man next? I think my favourite ever, although the naked cowboy runs him close. Ah, memories, the memories. You know how to make them and is why I love you as a writer.🐰
Thank you for being such a long-time reader O L O! I think I'll need to wait a while before rerunning Ukrainian doctor window box man. I see him every few weeks around the neighborhood, though. He's doing well!
Anne it is I your iPad rescuer I will return your douffle-bage, please enclose 50 copies of your newsletter to cover my reasonable expenses (pronounced axe-sponsees), n'est-ce pas?
So sorry about your iPad, Anne! Do you have a "code" savvy friend, a programmer or analyst? With gmail, there's a circle with three little dots in the upper right corner, with a number of options; one is "show original". This brings up the "code" side of the email, including all the different IP addresses (sort of like trainstations or airports) the email stopped at before it reached you. I believe one can find out WHERE the email came from -- what country it was sent from originally. I'd be curious to know. Glad there is a "brick" option, you'll be safe, at least.
Ah! Did not know about this. The email was actually sent my Hotmail account (which is itself quite odd, as I only use that address for online shopping etc.) but that service also reveals the code and IP addresses. And I do have some techie friends. It'd be super interesting to find out what country it came from. Thank you Jessica!
Cafe Anne! Loved this issue. I have a new New York mystery I’m wondering if you can solve. Who is drawing all the circles around Union Square that say “good luck spot” or “kissing spot.” He must be in a bad mood this week because he chalked “bad luck spots” all the way down Broadway and I had to hopscotch my way home to avoid the bad luck! I do know it’s a man because my friend saw him one time. Would love for you to investigate!
OOOOOH that's so interesting Claire. This person did the same thing with the Brooklyn Promenade earlier this year. "Kissing Spot," "Good luck spot," etc. Of course I was super irritated by the forced fun. Glad to hear about the "bad luck spots" all the way down Broadway. That's so funny!
Anne, sorry to say but scamming 101 is the scammer keeps things dragging on a bit to see if the person isn’t reasonable enough to see through the scam.. so you don’t waste time. The fellow is just making sure you’re a good target !
They could ask for "shipping" costs, paid in gift cards or Bitcoin, or another non-retrievable means. But after you pay, there will be some hang-up, necessitating more money from you. It never ends.
Im sorry about the tablet. Language isn’t the problem here. He could have easily returned it or let you pick it up. It’s gone! Print up some new cards and move on. Great story through!
Sorry about losing your tote bag! I do speak French though and his first message to you gives me pause because it’s not great. French is the official language of Guinea. I would expect it to be better. I would call it a loss.
Interesting! I had the same reaction, Maryse. He doesn't really speak English but his French doesn't seem to be that great either. Had no idea French was the official language of Guinea!
Former French colony and I googled before because I didn’t want to say something stupid. It’s possible that he’s not fluent? But even his syntax in that message is weird. It’s not just the spelling.
I sneaked into Guinea back when Sekou Toure, that incendiary revolutionary, was in power and it was known as the People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea. It was the Cuba of Africa. People answered the telephone "Ready for revolution!" It's a beautiful country and I had a wonderful time until the secret police caught up with me. Anne DO NOT GO THERE! Your iPad is probably still in NYC. There is no international ring smuggling iPads. But quite often scam victims are lured to the scammer's home country, and things go very badly for them.
Wow Brian. First, that's fascinating about Guinea—especially the phone thing.
Second, it sounds like you know a lot about this! What happens if I go to Guinea? What's the scam? And why would anyone think anyone would travel that far for an iPad?
M. Diallo may have left geographic coordinates in the photos he sent, on the off chance that you have not already checked for that. Sorry about the monogrammed tote and cool hoodie!
This person is very clearly scamming you, but why not mess with their head a bit? Do you have your photos backed up? I say send them a picture of your new ipad with the same photos visible and act like you've managed to get your ipad back. They'll be so confused!
This scheme does require them to be familiar with fringe science and concepts of parallel dimensions, so the language barrier might be an issue here. But at least you can imagine them scratching their heads exclaiming "sacré bleu!"
LOL
LOVE this idea Eden! And yes I do have the photos backed up.
Don't they teach fringe science and parallel dimensions in scam school these days? Fingers crossed!
I love the way you think! Keep messing up their heads, Eden!
I am not sure how you kept your cool and didn't go after the tote thief knowing where they were. I think I would have made a scene as well.
But I agree with others, there will be a scam coming your way if you keep communicating with this person. I don't think they speak French nor they're in Africa - they are probably just setting the scene so they can ask you for a huge amount of money to "send" it back from Africa. I think your iPad is a goner, maybe I'd contact Apple to see if they can erase it (when I had my phone stolen, they set it in a way that, as soon as the phone connected to the internet in any way, it would become a brick).
Ah, that TOTALLY makes sense, Regiani.
A number of readers have suggested bricking the Ipad. I didn't know that was a thing. I am for sure going to check that out.
So when can we expect the Café Anne Guinea edition? Royal Air Maroc has a roundtrip flight for under $800 from JFK. That's about the same price as a new iPad.
Oh that's great to know Rob! Maybe I can borrow the $800 from Marcus!
Haha! I’ve never heard of anyone happier to have been run over!
Mouchi, the dog in a gown, hasn’t aged a day since appearing in edition 6. It was a good tail then and it’s a good tail now. How about the Ukrainian doctor window box man next? I think my favourite ever, although the naked cowboy runs him close. Ah, memories, the memories. You know how to make them and is why I love you as a writer.🐰
Thank you for being such a long-time reader O L O! I think I'll need to wait a while before rerunning Ukrainian doctor window box man. I see him every few weeks around the neighborhood, though. He's doing well!
Sorry about your stuff - I’m still mourning the cornet I left on the F train at Kings Highway in 1978!
A cornet! I wonder if whoever has it knew what to do with it. Maybe someday it will find you, C.L.
Thanks. It was a fine instrument.
Anne it is I your iPad rescuer I will return your douffle-bage, please enclose 50 copies of your newsletter to cover my reasonable expenses (pronounced axe-sponsees), n'est-ce pas?
I'm onto you Diallo! Now what did you do with Aharon?
Mon chien! This name Aharon is, how you say, tres fake.
Send Chuchi to fetch that iPad! 🐶📱
Haha excellent idea KS!
So sorry about your iPad, Anne! Do you have a "code" savvy friend, a programmer or analyst? With gmail, there's a circle with three little dots in the upper right corner, with a number of options; one is "show original". This brings up the "code" side of the email, including all the different IP addresses (sort of like trainstations or airports) the email stopped at before it reached you. I believe one can find out WHERE the email came from -- what country it was sent from originally. I'd be curious to know. Glad there is a "brick" option, you'll be safe, at least.
Ah! Did not know about this. The email was actually sent my Hotmail account (which is itself quite odd, as I only use that address for online shopping etc.) but that service also reveals the code and IP addresses. And I do have some techie friends. It'd be super interesting to find out what country it came from. Thank you Jessica!
Yes, let us know what you find out! You CAN actually do this yourself, there are a number of IP-address-Lookup websites, but it takes a bit of time 😉.
Cafe Anne! Loved this issue. I have a new New York mystery I’m wondering if you can solve. Who is drawing all the circles around Union Square that say “good luck spot” or “kissing spot.” He must be in a bad mood this week because he chalked “bad luck spots” all the way down Broadway and I had to hopscotch my way home to avoid the bad luck! I do know it’s a man because my friend saw him one time. Would love for you to investigate!
OOOOOH that's so interesting Claire. This person did the same thing with the Brooklyn Promenade earlier this year. "Kissing Spot," "Good luck spot," etc. Of course I was super irritated by the forced fun. Glad to hear about the "bad luck spots" all the way down Broadway. That's so funny!
I am on the case!
PS glad you enjoyed this week's issue!
Tell Diallo that your contact at Interpol is looking into it.
I just checked, Erika. French for "Interpol" is "Interpol." I am ready!
And give your agent a French name like Amadeo (Ah-mah- DAY-oh) Broussard (BROO -SAR).
Ah excellent! That will convince him for sure!
Anne, sorry to say but scamming 101 is the scammer keeps things dragging on a bit to see if the person isn’t reasonable enough to see through the scam.. so you don’t waste time. The fellow is just making sure you’re a good target !
Okay, but now I have to find out what the scam is, Kyle!
They could ask for "shipping" costs, paid in gift cards or Bitcoin, or another non-retrievable means. But after you pay, there will be some hang-up, necessitating more money from you. It never ends.
Hmmph! Little do they know I already bought a new used iPad on Amazon for $170.
Im sorry about the tablet. Language isn’t the problem here. He could have easily returned it or let you pick it up. It’s gone! Print up some new cards and move on. Great story through!
Awwww, maybe you're right, Toni. I wonder what his deal is, then?
Provoke provoke provoke!
And for ransom. These SOB’s lead such miserable lives so they do this for kicks.
Oh wow, I never considered this might be some person's idea of fun. So interesting!
Sorry about losing your tote bag! I do speak French though and his first message to you gives me pause because it’s not great. French is the official language of Guinea. I would expect it to be better. I would call it a loss.
Interesting! I had the same reaction, Maryse. He doesn't really speak English but his French doesn't seem to be that great either. Had no idea French was the official language of Guinea!
Former French colony and I googled before because I didn’t want to say something stupid. It’s possible that he’s not fluent? But even his syntax in that message is weird. It’s not just the spelling.
I sneaked into Guinea back when Sekou Toure, that incendiary revolutionary, was in power and it was known as the People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea. It was the Cuba of Africa. People answered the telephone "Ready for revolution!" It's a beautiful country and I had a wonderful time until the secret police caught up with me. Anne DO NOT GO THERE! Your iPad is probably still in NYC. There is no international ring smuggling iPads. But quite often scam victims are lured to the scammer's home country, and things go very badly for them.
Wow Brian. First, that's fascinating about Guinea—especially the phone thing.
Second, it sounds like you know a lot about this! What happens if I go to Guinea? What's the scam? And why would anyone think anyone would travel that far for an iPad?
Brian, I think that's my new telephone greeting!
What an amazing mix of stories!! Another wonderful read. Frustrating about the tote bag and hoodie. C’est la vie. Sigh…
Crazy world, oui, Beth T? Thanks for the condolences. It really is the hoodie I'm bummed about. A good hoodie is a good friend and hard to replace!
M. Diallo may have left geographic coordinates in the photos he sent, on the off chance that you have not already checked for that. Sorry about the monogrammed tote and cool hoodie!
Ah! A friend suggested this earlier but I forgot Marina. Trying now!...
Dern—I'm seeing info about the camera but not the location info.