I’ve had various nicknames. I’ve been liking this nickname, narigon enough to the point I’d like to make it my online persona.
Nicks usually go on a first-come first-serve basis. However, there’s one service where I’d really love to have my nickname. Quickly I found myself looking for the person who owned the nickname. I started with Instagram, moved on to Facebook where I thought I had found the right person. Turns out I was wrong.
Hello, are you this person? <link to profile>
A few weeks went by without them reading the message. Then on a fateful Monday evening:
no
Gotcha, thanks
ou man
srryy
yes, thats me
but i dont speak english
its me
Turns out there’s a language barrier. This made me think that the person genuinely owns the account, maybe they misunderstood my question due to said barrier?
From this point on, the messages will be translated using Google Translate
I believe in human kindness. Statistically speaking, I think the percentage of people who would scam you in this situation is pretty low. His real name in a way forms my nickname narigon. I think it’s pretty unlikely that a person would use this chance to scam me? There’s not many people who have the same nickname. Even fewer people contact a person on the internet asking to buy their account name.
Okay
What language do you speak?
spanish
Okay, so... "narigon" is my online identity and I was wondering if you would be kind enough to allow me to use that name in my <redacted> profile.
I understand if you want to keep it, though :)
For the record, here is my blog website
http://narigon.dev
Come on, no problem, but I need a payment.
Okay, how much do you want for it?
30 dollars so I can buy some medicine
Sounds good. Where do you want me to make the payment?
That seems reasonable! I’m happy that I’m working with such a professional. Happy to also help a person in need.
The transaction
You got Metamask?
Ethereum is fine 👌
Yes
Give me your ETH address
Should’ve known better. I thought they don’t have PayPal in the country they’re from. Luckily I have around 50 dollars in Ethereum.
0xc155...
<link on etherscan blockchain explorer to the transaction>
I did not get anything, yes, there I am changing it, I am waiting for the confirmation
In what currency did you send it to me, nothing comes
Ethereum. It's still confirming. You can see the transaction on Etherscan.
It's confirmed now :)
yes!
At this point, around 30 minutes has passed. I start snooping around in their address to see if they’re already trying to move the money.
Looks like they’re pretty clueless. They have made two self transactions, presumably attempting to move the money somewhere else. They now only have around 10 dollars in their balance after all the network fees.
Hello?
Are you serious?
wait a second
Okay, tell me if you need help changing it.
u are a scam, no?
...
No??
I have sent you a link to the transaction, with your address.
How would I rip you off? I'm just trying to buy my nickname
the eth you sent does not exist, it is stuck in the network, it won't let me move it...
Swindler
I can assure you it is in your account
<link to their account in etherscan>
eth bug
You have already made 3 transactions, what do you mean you cannot move it?
Oh, what a turn of events. I've sent him "an ETH bug"
The revelation
At this point, he seems to get pretty angry.
...
Scammer
don't talk to me, I was nice to you and look how you pay me
No... I made a honest transaction and you can see it
see, its bug
do not worry, here the scammer was you
What makes you think I'm a scammer? I think you just don't know how to use Ethereum / Metamask.
You made two transactions at your own address... They are called self transactions. So all that happened was that you burned the network fee. Why did you do that?
:(
It's not my fault that you are so incompetent with Ethereum that you can't even transfer the money.
I don't believe that you really own the account.
you sent 30 dollars for a network that does not appear in the systems so that a person will change their nickname of a page
How are you going to send money without checking that it is really the person hahaha, the money is still there in the account, whenever you want I will give it back to you
but I couldn't get the money
xD
for you it is little money, for me it is a very large amount
and you, as a programmer, please check before sending money to someone
Thanks for the advice.
Do you have any proof that you own the account?
the account is mine
I prefer not to continue talking to you
I know nothing
I do not study computer science
I do not believe in God
and I do not own the account
the person in my photo is not me, my name is not <redacted>
(in spanish) and I do not speak spanish
ty for 30 <3
Oh. Well that was interesting.
Looks like the money is gone. Wouldn’t have thought that scammers can get this opportunistic.
Atleast I owned up to the nickname:
you are a great person, a bit annoying and arrogant, but without bad intentions, I hope you can get your nickname, which by the way "Narigon" in Spanish means having a very big nose
Yeah I'm aware. It fits me perfectly.
Thank you for reading this dumpster fire, and have a good rest of your day.