Yet Another Scam

[Toast]

Anyone who gets these in the UK should be reporting them: Phishing: how to report to the NCSC - https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

'As of 30th June the number of reports received stand at more than 6,500,000 with the removal of more than 50,500 scams and 97,500 URLs.'

I hope that's an option in other countries too!

 

[mso489]

If there's something similar in the U.S. it is not well publicized, which means it is not particularly useful.

 

[kcghost]

Scammers work hard for their money it's just a shame the bastards are cheating people out of their money.

 

[Toast]

If there's something similar in the U.S. it is not well publicized, which means it is not particularly useful.

Wow, no wonder - this is insanely complicated: Report Scams and Frauds | USAGov - https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Trade%20Commission%20(FTC,%3A00%20PM%2C%20ET).

 

[Worknman]

The tax lien scam is another one making the rounds to people's mailboxes.

 

[elvishrunes]

This is VERY important info to me… At Christmas I got an email from a nice old lady I did work for a couple years ago asking for a google play gift card for her niece. And she was out of town and needed me to buy it.

Honestly, It sounded just like her. We went back and forth a couple times and I said let me know when you are home and I’ll bring it to you…. And then “she” vanished.

I followed up a couple weeks later with her and no reply, because I really liked her. I checked the email and it was different and again no reply from her old original email.

I found that weird but oh well, maybe she died, she‘d be late 80’s now…

The funny thing is she has a niece and she would need help because of her bad mobility. How did they know? Luck?

I usually see through scammers but man this was a good one and accurate to her condition… Man I hate scammers!

 

[mso489]

The gift card is now a universal red flag.

I think people who receive these scams and are not already aware of the pattern fill in a lot of the rationale. Even if some details are offered, and there was only one in my case, don't buy it.

 

[Courtney]

Thank you for sharing the information. I will be more careful. I heard that email security is directly related to a user's password. And statistics show that - 85% of people don't think twice about passwords. We always use birthdays, names of children or pets, or important dates (wedding day, for example). We need to come up with good passwords. It's better to always be on the lookout and know their tricks.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yeah, the list of what a lot of people use is quite guessable.

But I believe that a lot of scams are blind phishing, so email security won't matter.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ever get the one thanking you for you Pay Pal purchase?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Or, the calls saying that they've cancelled your Social Security card, ha ha.

 

[mso489]

I maintain a landline phone. Most of the calls we receive are robotic or dubious charity solicitations. A few of the classics are car warranty renewals, medical items like emergency medical alerts and back braces, phone calls claiming to be Amazon saying there has been a suspicious purchase on my account (Amazon does not make such calls), and many others. When someone we know calls us, I am apt to answer with a dead tone hello, fending off the expected scam. I have to the burst into cheeriness and explain myself.

 

[mso489]

Many of the robotic calls leave a long pause before the pitch begins. At first I thought this was a glitch that allowed me to hang up before the blather starts. But since these scams are so highly engineered, I now suspect it is built in to filter out the hostile and suspicious (me) and let them hang up, while the needy and clueless hang on to hear what vital message might come their way. Trolls are sophisticated, in general, as are most other con men.

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

There used to be an ftc.gov email address you could forward suspicious emails to.

Over the past few months, I've received a few phone calls purporting to be my grandson calling. The last guy hung up immediately when I pointed out that he didn't sound like my one-and-only grandson, almost 4 years old.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The last guy hung up immediately when I pointed out that he didn't sound like my one-and-only grandson, almost 4 years old.

Maybe you got kids that you didn't know about.

 

[burleybreath]

The biggest scam, backed by threats of violence and confiscation, usually ends for most victims on April 15.

 

[anotherbob]

Or, the calls saying that they've cancelled your Social Security card, ha ha.

Next they're going to offer to cancel your Social Security card to help you get off the grid.

 

[anotherbob]

Many of the robotic calls leave a long pause before the pitch begins. At first I thought this was a glitch that allowed me to hang up before the blather starts. But since these scams are so highly engineered, I now suspect it is built in to filter out the hostile and suspicious (me) and let them hang up, while the needy and clueless hang on to hear what vital message might come their way. Trolls are sophisticated, in general, as are most other con men.

no it's the auto dialer.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Next they're going to offer to cancel your Social Security card to help you get off the grid.

Is there anyone there, that you can ask to review these jokes before you post them? A cat even.

 

[anotherbob]

Is there anyone there, that you can ask to review these jokes before you post them? A cat even.

what the heck do you think I am doing here? Research. If a joke lands with us old farts I know it's no good. If it angers you I can sell it for lots of beans.