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P-p-p-powerbook!!!

The single most awesome counter-attack to a scammer known to man

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Summary

P-p-p-powerbook! is one of the greatest counters to an online scammer known to mankind. An eBay denizen known as "Jeff" was approached by an eBay scammer who offered to buy his Apple Powerbook for a shipping fee with a bogus escrow account. Upon the realization of the scammer's nefarious plan, Jeff took it upon himself, most likely after overcoming his instinct to take the easy way out of simply spewing profanity and leaving it at that, to enrage the scammer in a way never before seen on the internet: by beating the scammer at his own game in the most glorious ways possible.

Through several carefully written e-mails, the scammer and Jeff danced a dangerous tango, relaying information of false escrows and fees, how great the Powerbook in question was, and how FedEx would be delivering the package.

After weeks of back and forth, the package was ready to be shipped. But this was no ordinary Powerbook, oh no. This was the Powerbook of Powerbooks. It was a 3 ring binder, with the keys from a derelict keyboard taped and glued down, a 10 year old mouse, and a custom browser scrawled in permanent ink! A fine machine of information processing if there ever was one. To add some more zing to the prank at hand, the package ended up on a "Regulatory Agency Clearance Delay" due to its contents of what the postal service thought was a $2,000 Powerbook. In order to receive this package, the scammer was going to have to cough up $550.

And he did.

Three things happened to Jeff on that day where the Powerbook of the Gods delivered.

  1. The scammer responded to Jeff's e-mail by sending him a W32.Beagle virus, which is easily caught by Norton AntiVirus.
  2. Next, the scammer orchestrated a denial of service attack on www.p-p-p-powerbook.com, the website that Jeff had set up to advertise the prank.
  3. Finally, and most disturbingly, Jeff was not heard from again. All of his websites have come down, and he is nowhere to be found.

Shipping a scammer a handmade replica of a laptop earned Jeff thousands of internets and epic win. High five, Jeff, wherever you are.

Origins

In Spring 2004, SomethingAwful goon MyNameIsJeff was given a G4 Powerbook to sell on Ebay. The events that unfolded are now internet history.

Current status

Permanent residence in the internet "Hall of Fame".


Facts

  • The scammer ended up paying $550 for a 3 ring binder with junk taped to it.
  • Jeff actually DID end up disappearing from the internet. Why and how are unknown.

Images

Power!

OMFG FIRE WIRE!!!

Dat keyboard

CUSTOM BROWSER!

Proof of Authenticity!!!

OMFG WIRELESS MOUSE!!!

WOW, A LASER!!!





Related Pages

419
Phishing
Rogue security software
Something Awful

External Links


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