Scammers almost got my mom ...

[noharleyyet]

So I get an email the other day...some dude's name is the addy. Claims he's hacked my account and has been tracking and watching me thru my screen cam. Wants 1200. Deleted but put a sticky note over the screen lens.

 

[more_cowbell]

Could you imagine how great the world would be if people used their deceit for good rather than bad!

And actually worked real jobs instead of living the grifter life

 

[dwm4375]

We dealt with this with my grandmother around 5-8 years ago when her dementia was getting worse. She was getting scam calls every day, nearly scammed a few times. We tried a phone number blocker so only approved/family calls could get in, but they were spoofing numbers. The solution ended up being to turn off their ringer. They could still call out if they needed anything, but the scam calls went unanswered.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

My dad (87 yrs. old) almost got scammed as well. Some 'accountant' claimed he needed to move money from one bank account to another, and he would provide the details. Unreal. Sure, let's just drain a checking account and dump the $$$ into "the accountant's" bank. WTF.

Every once in a while when I get some pain in the ass spam call claiming all sorts of BS, how they need access to my account, etc. I get a little joy out of my new messed up tactic of asking the caller what he's wearing, if he is into dirty talk, and I tell him something whacko like 'hold on, gotta get the goat in the house first'. The calls last about 40 seconds.....works every time. Yes, I have a jacked up sense of humor.

 

[Dakotakid]

This triggered another recent example that might help someone. This happened last fall.

A friends dad was offered a new Cadillac but he had to pay some fees to win his prize. They made a big show and offered to meet him at the back of bank to exchange the car for the $7000 in fees.

He was skeptical but really wanted the Cadillac so he wanted his son to go with him. His son was scheduled out of town so he asked I would go with his dad.

It was surprising how much arguing I had to do to convince them that it was a scam.

When the grand price Cadillac winner is told to come alone with a bag of money, and don’t tell anyone.
ITS A SCAM

 

[fowladdict]

They cold called her and said "Grandma I'm in trouble" , so she answered "Jake , what's wrong ?"
They gave her a story that he was in an accident and she needed to call an attorney right now and wire some money , $9000 .
She called the Atty , and he gave her a longer version , "Jake" had caused an accident and the lady he hit was pregnant and if she lost her baby "Jake" would be facing manslaughter .
She freaked and left for the bank , but went by my nieces house so she stopped to get her to drive and the neice figured it out .
They called the cops and they said it happens every day , the last person lost $30, 000 .
Freakin POS's , what a crazy world we live in .

Same thing happened to my grandfather. I love telling the story to my siblings and cousins. He got a phone call from a guy that said "Hey grandpa, it is your favorite Grandson". My grandfather replied "Aaron?" (that is me). Long story short "Aaron" needed money wired to Texas. My grandpa then called my dad to ask what trouble I had gotten into in Texas. My dad told him I was safe and sound in Idaho.

 

[recon6036]

I had a co-worker come in my office a couple years back to report an email he received. The email said they have a video of him masturbating to porn and if he didn’t send cash, the video would be online soon.
I asked him if there was any truth to the video and he said “noooo”, so I replied “well, delete the email then.”

 

[Scott85]

I had a CC compromised from a website a couple months ago, they didn’t get any money cause my credit union is really good about fraud. Fast forward to about a month I get a call from the “credit union”; the scammers spoofed the number but it was the wrong number that the credit union uses to call people. They said my card that was compromised and that I had cancelled was used for a purchase in another state. I told them that it was impossible and that card had been canceled. They told me I needed to give my new card number to confirm. I told them they could pack sand. The guy said “well f**k you” and hung up the phone.

Also the last place I was stationed had a lot of guys that were young and fresh out of boot camp. I had to deal at least once a month of one of them sending a picture of their junk to a “girl” and in return they were told that they had to pay a certain amount of money or they were going to send the picture to all their family and friends.

 

[Dave N]

Deleted but put a sticky note over the screen lens.

I've done that here and at work a long time ago.

 

[JDH]

A few weeks ago I had a voicemail from some guy wondering who I was and why I had been asking his elderly mom questions about her Medicare. I called him back explaining who I was and that my number must've been spoofed. He said that she gave the person on the phone her SSN and some other information. A few months before that, I had a voicemail from a guy calling me all kinds of names and saying that he blocked my number, same deal.

 

[Djfan]

I've done that here and at work a long time ago.

Mine remains unplugged from everything until I need it, then it gets unplugged again.

 

[Irrelevant]

A few weeks ago I had a voicemail from some guy wondering who I was and why I had been asking his elderly mom questions about her Medicare. I called him back explaining who I was and that my number must've been spoofed. He said that she gave the person on the phone her SSN and some other information. A few months before that, I had a voicemail from a guy calling me all kinds of names and saying that he blocked my number, same deal.

So side note, I almost fell for a scam that wouldn't have lost me any money, but the scammers would have been able to use my phone number to make scam calls through Google voice.

MY SIL totally fell for the we're cutting off utilities unless you send us pre-paid visa gift cards... $2k. She was behind on her bills but com'on...

They should teach an anti-scam class in HS.

 

[shrapnel]

Crap, I thought this was real. I have a dozen socket sets waiting for me at Harbor Freight. I was going over there to pick them up tomorrow…

 

[Redmt]

I was looking to get a new DeWalt cordless drill because my other one took a crap. While I was looking for a decent price online I was looking at the circular saws also. The were about 225 for the pair. Then I see a 10 piece set for 79 bucks! It even lists a legit seller. If you chase it out to the payment phase it goes to some off the wall website. It sure looks incredible! If it's too good a deal it probably isn't legit.