Scamerican dream

Chapter 27. HYIP (2005)

I suppose that everyone who’s ever tried to legally make money online knows what HYIP is. Paradoxically, first time I heard about it was when I was looking through all those stolen payment system accounts linked with gold. Those…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 30. Drops (2005–2010)

I can’t say for certain when I heard this term for the first time, but I get the impression that drops have always existed. Drops, mules, gnomes, slaves — those slang terms all means the same: a person who becomes a virtual…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 57. Addendum. Can I earn?

Can you make money by working at home? In my personal opinion, 99% of all work at home offers are scam, which leaves 1% of legal offers with ridiculously low pay, and even fewer ones with actual decent money in them…

Scamerican dream

Appendix. Hints

Don’t ever read spam

Never open email attachments before scanning them with an antivirus.

Don’t respond to job offers from companies you don’t know.

Scamerican dream

Chapter 28. How to catch a big fish (2005–2007)

The doorbell interrupted our conversation.
‘Who might that be?’ ‘Don’t know. But not QQ, he’s got keys.’ ‘Didn’t you order pizza?’ ‘Ah, yeah. Quick service, well done!’ Nick got up and walked…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 31. The swindles (2006–2010)

Parcels. Fashion tester.
Clear and simple. The story and the conditions could vary, but the job description was almost always the same: get the package; stick the label; ship it off; sometimes it also involved…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 54. Addendum. King of the postal labels

To be honest, I don’t even know where to start… There’s no secret to it, to be honest. Everything is beyond elementary. A couple of clicks and $1000 is in my pocket — you know what I’m talking…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 53. Addendum. Greed

Greed? Greed!

How easy it is to accept cards. How easy to use them. How easy to steal them.

First of all, who is it that benefits from using cards?

Scamerican dream

Chapter 46. The phone call (2010)

The phone lit up with an unfamiliar international number.

‘Hello?’

‘Hello, Max from Moscow,’ said a pleasant female voice. ‘Where are you?’

Scamerican dream

Chapter 51. From author 3 (2011)

‘That’s it, end of story. Now you know everything about us and even more.’ said Max and smiled with his eyes. He looked relieved and happy. He finally shared all of the things that bothered him and wouldn’t let him be…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 29. The Billpays (2005–2006)

1st September.
It rained all day. We were sitting in a café and finish off our lunch. The mood was low; everyone was staring silently into their plates. ‘Bon appetite, fatty,’ QQ yelled into Nick’s ear. Nick…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 56. Addendum. 4th opinion

You asked me to talk in more detail about drops themselves as I see them. Everything is pretty simple. I operate under belief that most people both in America and in Russia don’t break the law (although maybe more…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 39. The European (2008)

The situation in Asia remained stable. Same as the last time, the security was non-existent when it came to card processing, and the tourists still looked as relaxed and trusting as ever. Bored with the beach, we started…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 32. Few more (2006–2010)

Episode 1. Scan Master

QQ used to order some rare software which he couldn’t pirate, so he offered to steal and sell them on eBay.

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Chapter 55. Addendum. Weak and strong

Strong password! Strong password? Always and everywhere specialists tell you to come up with a complex password. Oh, forget specialists, think every time you try to register a new online account, be it email or…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 42. ATM (2009)

When we returned, Pitbull had a new surprise for us, another million-dollar surprise; so we spent only a few weeks at home and then packed our bags and flew to Europe. It turned out that Pitbull didn’t have a clear plan of action. He…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 36. Conversation with a friend. (2007)

It happened so that we were celebrating QQ’s birthday alone, just him and me. Pit was on a business trip with his team, and Nick was on a holiday with his girlfriend.

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Chapter 44. Causes of fraud (2009)

‘Nick, have you ever wondered what you’re going to do when fraud becomes impossible?’

‘This time will never come,’ said Nick confidently.

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Chapter 34. Drops chain (2006)

‘Max, we need to talk, can Anty and I drop by?’ ‘What’s up, kid? Did you get high and get cheated again?’ My intonation was one of a kind father talking to a kid who’d ran to him complaining about other boys bullying him…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 40. Vipassana (2008)

10 days, and not a single word to be uttered. Only meditation: Sitting, Walking, Any.

The practice itself took ten days, plus a day for moving in and a day for getting your mind back together, calmly…

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Chapter 35. Welcome 2 Asia (2006–2008)

For a couple of weeks I didn’t take part in the team’s affairs due to some family issues. Nick had yet another car stolen, and Pit was on a holiday in Thailand. QQ called me once in a while to solve routine…

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Chapter 33. Katrina (2005)

‘Hi!’

‘Salut!’

‘Have you seen Max?’

‘I have.’

‘Has he told you the latest news?’

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Chapter 45. The Social Leaks (2010)

I never joined any social networks. I don’t know why that is, I guess I just never needed it. I always found ICQ sufficient. Later, when Russians bought it, I switched to a different messenger, but I was still…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 38. Run, fatty, run (2008)

It turned out that Pitbull travelled through almost the entire Europe and photographed local ATMs wherever he went. Upon return he got his specialists on the case, and in a month we were back on the road. This time…

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Chapter 37. Breaking taboos (2007)

Pitbull came to us with news that surprised us pleasantly. Turns out, he hired two more people in secret from us, and had them work on developing a skimmer[14]. Ten days later we had the real product on our hands…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 41. Lisa (2008)

Most of the practitioners have already left the walls of the monastery, but I didn’t want to return to the world outside just yet for some reason. I only called for a taxi by the time it got dark. I just sat on a bench and stared at…

Scamerican dream

Chapter 52. From author 4 (2011)

Now as you are reading this book, please, don’t judge me too harshly. It’s my first serious work, and I am by no means a professional writer; I am just someone who did two years of a Journalism degree and feels bound to…

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Chapter 43. Compassion (2009)

‘Why are you so pensive again, Max?’

‘Andy forwarded a letter from one of the drops.’

‘What, one more ex-seal threatening to find and murder you in any spot on Earth for…

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Chapter 47. The truth (2010)

I met Lisa at the airport, and she was acting very strange.

‘Lisa, you’re being weird. What’s wrong?’

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Chapter 49. From author 2 (2011)

That morning the taxi came for me, as usual, and drove me in an unknown direction. After 40 minutes of being stuck in traffic I was finally there. Max was already there, as usual, sat at the table and drinking tea.

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Chapter 48. The ultimatum (2010)

A few days later Lisa called me.

‘Max, I am leaving the day after tomorrow, and we need to talk before I leave. Let’s meet at a café today at 4.’