Discussion: View Thread

  • 1.  scam targeting stats consultants

    Posted 11-14-2022 13:57
    I received the below, it's a scam, please be careful out there.

    Hello,
    We invite you to an online conference where you would talk to the audience about being a Statistical Consultant. We have designed a program to encourage people just beginning their careers. We will really love to have you on board as a professional in this field and you would be compensated for this. Please respond soon if you are interested.
    Thank you.

    Anyways I thought I'd share because many of our email addresses are probably in the same databases and they're targeting by job title.

    Stay safe,

    Neal

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    Neal Fultz
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  • 2.  RE: scam targeting stats consultants

    Posted 11-14-2022 18:20
    bingo.
    Confirmed scam. I exchanged some emails with the scammer.   A "gamblers tell"  - I asked whether everyone in the audience was a Ph.D. in Statistics The reply was "yes, everyone in the audience is a Ph.D. in statistics"
    The scammer emailed me from
    From: Arthur Benson <arthurbenson@smartglobalinnovations.com>
    and
    smartglobalinnovations isn't found anywhere on the internet

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    Chris Barker, Ph.D.
    2022 Statistical Consulting Section
    Chair-elect
    Consultant and
    Adjunct Associate Professor of Biostatistics
    www.barkerstats.com


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    "In composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in 15 seconds, in improvisation you have 15 seconds."
    -Steve Lacy
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  • 3.  RE: scam targeting stats consultants

    Posted 11-14-2022 18:42
    Hi everyone, 

    I got this e-mail too and ignored it as it sounded "fishy".  Sounds like that was a good thing.  So nice that Neal put us all on alert to be careful.

    Is it possible that the scammer scraped our e-mail addresses from the ASA Consulting Directory?  Should ASA be alerted to this so they can beef up the security of that data base? 

    Thanks. 

    Isabella

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    [Isabella] [Ghement][Ghement Statistical Consulting Company Ltd.]
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: scam targeting stats consultants

    Posted 11-14-2022 19:48
    At this point the list is out there so no point in locking down the directory imho. I generally want it to be easy for people to find me. 

    I did report the message to abuse@mailchimp, hopefully it gets shut down, but it's really just playing whack-a-mole, they can always sign up for another account using a prepaid debit card from walmart or whatever.  

    But everyone needs to be on the lookout for this kind of thing, especially if you've been affected by the big breaches at Experian, Anthem, or University of California, (or all three if you're like me).  





    Original Message