What language was this...?

[Joe]

...before Google Translate got at it? Any guesses?

*******************************

Hello Dear [e-mail]

Client Unique ID- 11472401

We value you for being a functioning endorser with us since 02 Aug 2021.

Your last year participation plan passed today so as you have settled on auto charge, we have reestablished the membership once more.

Your record supports total is consequently accused of $ 359.98 , it will ponder your assertion in few hours or less.

If you have any queries : kindly get in touch with us [phone] for more info.

“Geek Squad” PC Repair & Protection Shield Plan

Payment Mode : Account Funds Credit

Subscription Validity : 12 Months

Order Amount : $ 359.98

This is an authorized and verified transaction, if you still believe there is an error please reach out to us immediately -

Direct Support Helpline # [phone]

Thank you again!

The Geek Help & Support Team

********************************

I can't figure out the angle here. I've quoted the text, and there was a huge 'equivalent' chunk of html with it. As far as I can see, there is no URL involved, just a US phone number, which appears to be residential and not premium.

I haven't yet seen any sign of my assertion being pondered, and as for being accused of nearly 360 dollars, it shouldn't happen to a dog. The text is almost worthy of Gerard Hoffnung, but he's been dead for some time.

[NY]

These scams do themselves no favours by their laughably poor English which gives the game away: "pondering assertion", "functioning endorser", "total accused of $360". I wonder what they original words were in the source language.

I've seen some much more authentic-looking reports (in good English) of "unpaid invoices" and they quote names and contact details of real companies. That scam is hard to fathom, because if a real company starts getting enquiries for fake unpaid invoices, it will smell a rat. And how can the scammers know which punters have "bitten" in order to give them fake bank details if the emails an phone calls are going to the real company? Unless they are intercepting email sent to a specific email address within the company's domain.

[David]

It is the language of a scammer

[alan_m]

Don't they only need one bit of information about a real company to be fake - the telephone number. You ring them and the scam starts. Its not aimed at the home user but some droid working for a large company who probably have no idea about what has turned up in goods inward and in a company that still works with piles of paper.

[Jethro_uk]

They aren't aimed at you.

[Brian Gaff]

Spanish? Latvian? Is not the telephone prefix for the usa? Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I had one the other day in which I was apparently able to engage n agent for my personals usage for a set amount. I do not think it was meant to suggest a sexual angle but that was how I read it. Brian

[Theo]

I'd guess it's an Indian trying to write a business email. The English grammar is the same, but the words they use for some concepts are slightly different (perhaps overly formal or words that are a bit outdated to our ears).

It's just the usual hook to make you call up and say 'I don't owe you $x, please don't charge my account', and then they'll say 'oh, sorry for our mistake, what's your account number' and take it from there.

Theo

[John Rumm]

Bog standard refund scam by the sounds of it - much like those unsolicited calls from "amazon" to let you know they are billing you for a prime subscription at £79/month.

They want you to ask to cancel it. They only way they can do that is by getting you to fill out an online "form". Which you can only fill by handing over remote control to your PC. They will get you to type the

359 in, but then quickly type a few zeros extra before you get to hit return.

They they get you to login to an online bank account and show (with some slight of hand web page editing) that they refunded you $3900 because of

*your* mistake. Then follows a sob story about how he will lose his job and you must cough up a refund. It can then go two ways (possibly both). One is you need to get them Amazon/Apple/Google gift cards and read them the numbers, or they try and use access to your bank to setup payments from it.