The Trump School For Text Scammers

When the former president announced he would be coming to Alaska to campaign against Lisa Murkowski, I signed up for a ticket.  I didn't do that without thinking about whether I really wanted to share any personal information with the T organization.  But if I was going to get my ticket, they'd need a phone or email.  I decided it would be interesting to see what the T org did with that info.  And I'm a blogger.

From the first text it was clear it was a scam.  There were no tickets, you had to just wait in line for hours.  (Though the Anchorage Daily News mentioned someone who said he paid $250 to avoid the lines.  I never got that offer.  Maybe if I'd have gone to one of the links I would have seen that offer.)   But there has been a regular barrage of texts.  From two different sources - one a phone number - (855) 584 8315 - and the other just 88022.  I did visit the venue on the morning of July 9 just to see who was all there.  You can see my pictures here.

I've gotten 34 texts in the last 21 days from 88022 and 35 from the phone number.  

I decided it would be interesting to see what I could learn about how to scam people.  What are the kinds of pitches theyt make.  I did a short google search for that topic, but mostly what showed up were the names and descriptions of the scams themselves - for example.  They didn't talk about how the scammers try to lure people.  

But that's what I'm going to do here.  But first a couple of screen shots.  

I went through the texts and divided them into the different ways they made their appeal.  Some texts, of course, combined several different methods.  I've  titled each method and offered some examples from the text.  

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP:

Text imples Trump is talking directly to you

• Watching for your name on donor list
• Don’t keep him waiting
• FOR ONLY YOU!
• President Trump noticed you still haven’t donated.  Is this a mistake?
• LAST donor list soon. Will your name be on it?
• PT:  I asked, will you answer?
• Hey it’s me   Pres Trump:  I heading to my rally soon & really need to know if I have YOUR SUPPORT

IMPACT

If you donate now it

 has greater impact

• 1000% impact
• 10X impact
• 3000X impact

I really don't know what this means.  Public radio drives sometimes tell listeners their donations will be matched so they have greater impact.  That probably happened when they first started doing that, but I doubt that's the case any more.  

Here, there's no hint at what IMPACT means.  

URGENCY

• Time is running out to claim
• 15 minutes to activate
• What are you waiting for?
• Hurry, activate.  
• Last chance
• Why wait?  I’ve asked you before & now I’m asking ONE LAST TIME
• Offer for 1 hour FINAL CHANCE
• Your only chance before it expires

I've had a lot of last chances over the last couple of weeks.  Urgency is a classic sales technique and they used it a lot.

PATRIOTISM

• I want you to join the AMERICAN DEFENSE TASK FORCE.  This is SERIOUS.

Maybe this should be combined with BE PART OF TRUMP CLUB/TEAM/LOYALTY below

THE ENEMY

• Will you DEFEND our nation from the Left?
• The Left Fears it

BE PART OF TRUMP CLUB/TEAM/LOYALTY

• PT has activated your OFFICIAL TRUMP CARD.
• I want you to become ULTRA MAGA MEMBER.
• You’ve always stood with me - will you still?
• ULTRA MAGA MEMBER

GIVE ME MONEY

• GIVE
• We’re finalizing the donor list. Give

This is the basic theme of all the texts.  It never says what the money is for.  I guess that's to avoid fraud charges when helps pay for Trump's lifestyle.  But then I've never gone to any of the links.  It's possible there's more information about what they plan to do with the money they raise.  But I doubt it.  

FIRST TIME EVER

• Never happened before
• First chance
• Never before release video OF president trump

BULLSHIT

• As THE TOP donor, I’ve texted you 3000% more  Do you want to stay on top?

Since I never made a donation, I couldn't be the top donor.  If it were true he would have raised nothing.  

STUFF

• Gold Collectors Coin
• New Video out now
• Trump Gold cards
• Trump Rally T-shirt
• Hand Signed MAGA hat
• Your ULTRA MAGA SLIM CAN COOLIES
• OFFICIAL 2022 TRUMP CARD
• I’ll activate your TRUMP FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP

These are the actual tangibles I've been offered for donations.  I had to google SLIM CAN COOLIE to figure that one out.

OK, this is the data.  What does it say about the people who actually give money?  How much does the donation plate at Sunday church services condition people to donate?  

So now that I've posted this, I can see if the STOP2END really works.