[On-going Scams - Post them here]

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
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likegarden
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by likegarden »

I am getting several times Emails from 'gutterprotector partner'. There is no information on these Emails, only a place to click, that is a hint already that they want to download something on my computer. Checking on 'gutterprotector partner' via Google shows no information, another hint.

I get Emails from CapitalOne from which we have 2 credit cards. They want me to update our income and offer text and two places to click on their Email to go to their website. They did this before, I did not click, but went to their website by myself. They seem to encourage unsafe behavior of their customers, not good, but this is not a Scam.

We get a lot of phone calls from probable scammers. A first was that in one week we received 3 phone calls from different callers (so it seems) which had their full names showing as information. Usually we get one call with full name once every 2 weeks or so. We did not pick up, no message was left. Then a week later we got 3 phone calls again from each with the same names, we did not pick up again. A few days ago now we got a phone call from one of the same earlier names, which had a local phone number showing. The caller left a message that he knows me from a town several hundred miles away where I worked more than 50 years ago for 2 years. I do not remember that name. Googling his name and phone number shows nothing. So my family and I believe that some people are data mining and want to use a historic connection to sell something. We do not plan to call back.
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bertilak
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by bertilak »

likegarden wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:04 am I get Emails from CapitalOne from which we have 2 credit cards. They want me to update our income and offer text and two places to click on their Email to go to their website.
Legitimate (barely) but don't go there unless you want to be "better served." Credit card companies can do at least two things with that info ...
  1. Get more money from those they sell your info to. I'm guessing at this and don't know if it really happens.
  2. Better target their offers to those likely to be profitable. This I know is true.
I know the second one is true because I called them, not to ask but to challenge the wording that made it seem like my cooperation was REQUIRED, perhaps by some federal regulation. I was told it was purely marketing (all the better to serve me with) and I could ignore it.
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Mudpuppy »

likegarden wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:04 am We get a lot of phone calls from probable scammers. A first was that in one week we received 3 phone calls from different callers (so it seems) which had their full names showing as information. Usually we get one call with full name once every 2 weeks or so. We did not pick up, no message was left.
I was expecting a cable company technician to deliver a cable modem this morning and was told the technician would call before coming over, so I was answering calls from unrecognized numbers. I got one of those scammers that I usually ignore and send to voicemail. My phone is going to be flooded now that they know it's a live number.
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Mudpuppy »

bertilak wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:24 am
likegarden wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 9:04 am I get Emails from CapitalOne from which we have 2 credit cards. They want me to update our income and offer text and two places to click on their Email to go to their website.
Legitimate (barely) but don't go there unless you want to be "better served." Credit card companies can do at least two things with that info ...
  1. Get more money from those they sell your info to. I'm guessing at this and don't know if it really happens.
  2. Better target their offers to those likely to be profitable. This I know is true.
I know the second one is true because I called them, not to ask but to challenge the wording that made it seem like my cooperation was REQUIRED, perhaps by some federal regulation. I was told it was purely marketing (all the better to serve me with) and I could ignore it.
The "know your customer" regulations are frequently used as the reason that they are asking this information. It does make some of their algorithms for detecting fraudulent or illegal usage of their accounts easier to run. For example, the expected expense and cash flow for someone making 200k is going to be vastly different than someone making 50k. But they also use the information for marketing purposes.
gtd98765
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by gtd98765 »

Heads up: I received a spam email today containing the password I used to use at the Zappos shoe website. Zappos was hacked a decade ago, and I changed the password in 2012, but my password manager remembered it, so I could identify the source.

This was of the usual "we have recorded you watching porn, which we prove by having your password, so pay us $1K or else" variety.

Scammers send them out to thousands of people at a time, so probably other Bogleheads will see the same thing.
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by LadyGeek »

This is a family-friendly environment. Not only for language, but subject matter.

I removed an interchange discussing a scam intended for "adults". (The language was fine.)
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Dottie57
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Another telephone SCAM

Post by Dottie57 »

[merged this topic and replies into the master Scam thread - moderator prudent]

I just received another phony robo call.

The mechanical voice said there was a suspected fraudulent purchase of $349.99 on Amazon. If I did not make the purchase then call 845-xxx-xxxx. This is pretty suspect since I have only received a fraud alert from a credit card company.

Logged into Amazon and indeed no order had been placed. Scammy people persist.

Has anyone else received a call like this? Just wanted to alert people of this type of phone call.
radiowave
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by radiowave »

Wow, the scammers are getting lazy. In the old days at least a person called to scam you :)
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BarbBrooklyn
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by BarbBrooklyn »

My husband got one recently purporting to be from Amazon. I think they said his account had been suspended and to call them immediately at "this" number. Made him hang up and call the Amazon number on their website.

I constantly get calls from Audrey, a Social Security Diability Specialist, but she's a robot.
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Mitchell777
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Mitchell777 »

It's common I believe. I've had them re Amazon. Just had one today but not Amazon. Left message saying a charge was made on my Visa card, which I do not have. Call a number if it's not my charge. The call came in as a city and state on caller ID. I get these calls daily coming in as city and state and 100% of them are SPAM. With I could stop.
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Godot
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Godot »

Dottie57 wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:38 pm I just received another phony robo call.

The mechanical voice said there was a suspected fraudulent purchase of $349.99 on Amazon. If I did not make the purchase then call 845-xxx-xxxx. This is pretty suspect since I have only received a fraud alert from a credit card company.

Logged into Amazon and indeed no order had been placed. Scammy people persist.

Has anyone else received a call like this? Just wanted to alert people of this type of phone call.
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rich126
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by rich126 »

Dottie57 wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:38 pm I just received another phony robo call.

The mechanical voice said there was a suspected fraudulent purchase of $349.99 on Amazon. If I did not make the purchase then call 845-xxx-xxxx. This is pretty suspect since I have only received a fraud alert from a credit card company.

Logged into Amazon and indeed no order had been placed. Scammy people persist.

Has anyone else received a call like this? Just wanted to alert people of this type of phone call.
Sadly these are very common. I feel bad for people with various issues and may fall for this stuff. I get Amazon messages frequently (they go to my voicemail), also with ones talking about arrest warrants, IRS stuff, non-stop car warranties, etc. The government needs to start cracking down on this stuff although many may be occuring from outside the country.

I keep telling my GF don't click on anything and if you have any questions, call the bank from the number on the credit card or other document.
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Rob5TCP
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Rob5TCP »

I've been getting TONS of scam calls. Since the pandemic, my workload is down 40% (that's ok by me).
So, when I get an egragious call I play along.
This one (I just finished) was from the SS Administration and their was use of my SS # to commit fraud in Texas.
They even gave me the warrant number (which they can put on hold); for my arrest.
After about 30 minutes of made up dates/numbers/SS'#'s and phony c.c. numbers my main line
rang and I had to tell him. HE WAS PRANKED.

Not a happy man, but at least he couldn't cheat someone else while he was dealing with me.
Triple digit golfer
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Triple digit golfer »

Good job. That's the great thing about keeping these punks on the line. It's that much time they can't spend screwing other people.
EnjoyIt
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by EnjoyIt »

Triple digit golfer wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:57 pm Good job. That's the great thing about keeping these punks on the line. It's that much time they can't spend screwing other people.
Yup, when time is available I enjoy playing with them as well.
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sport
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by sport »

I recently got the "amazon call". I just hung up.
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cheese_breath
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by cheese_breath »

I get them all.. Amazon, Social Security, Microsoft. And then there's the reportative robocall from Jason peddling solar. Sometimes his name is Greg, but it's the same voice.
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scrabbler1
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by scrabbler1 »

I got another of those fake Amazon calls about something I ordered. While I was sure it was a scam, I signed into my Amazon account to make sure there was nothing going on there. My last order was filled more than 3 months ago, as account messages showed.
Colorado Guy
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Colorado Guy »

Another Amazon related "scam."

Yesterday received 3 emails from Amazon, one indicating a purchase was made for some PlayStation money cards, and then two separate "transaction failed" notices due to the credit card being rejected. This was NOT my transaction, and NOT my credit card #s.

Signed onto Amazon, and sure enough, "I" had an order for Playstation money cards, which I didn't make, with a shipping address of someone who I didn't know in another state, using someone else's credit cards (both cards rejected). I immediately called Amazon to find out what happened, and if someone got access to my own credit card. During the 30 minute wait, I changed my Amazon password, as well as my Credit Card password. Also checked the balance due on the Credit Card to ensure there were no suspicious charges.

Amazon rep called back, and said they would forward this to their Fraud department, cleared "my" order, and assured me no one got access to my CC. He said this doesn't happen often. Still, going to check the CC daily to ensure nothing suspicious is going on.

One possible scenario is that someone used my customer account # at random. If not noticed by me when eventually making a legit purchase, I could have actually paid for these, and they would have been shipped to someone else.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by ResearchMed »

BarbBrooklyn wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:42 pm My husband got one recently purporting to be from Amazon. I think they said his account had been suspended and to call them immediately at "this" number. Made him hang up and call the Amazon number on their website.

I constantly get calls from Audrey, a Social Security Diability Specialist, but she's a robot.
Whatever happened to "Rachel"? :twisted:
I forget what "she" was peddling.

I'd really like to hear from "Jake... at State Farm" :happy

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cheese_breath
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by cheese_breath »

ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:24 pm
BarbBrooklyn wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:42 pm My husband got one recently purporting to be from Amazon. I think they said his account had been suspended and to call them immediately at "this" number. Made him hang up and call the Amazon number on their website.

I constantly get calls from Audrey, a Social Security Diability Specialist, but she's a robot.
Whatever happened to "Rachel"? :twisted:
I forget what "she" was peddling.

I'd really like to hear from "Jake... at State Farm" :happy

RM
I hear from Jason peddling solar all the time. He's got a twin brother Greg who peddles solar too. I know they're twins because their voices are identical.
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bertilak
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by bertilak »

cheese_breath wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:27 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:24 pm
BarbBrooklyn wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:42 pm My husband got one recently purporting to be from Amazon. I think they said his account had been suspended and to call them immediately at "this" number. Made him hang up and call the Amazon number on their website.

I constantly get calls from Audrey, a Social Security Diability Specialist, but she's a robot.
Whatever happened to "Rachel"? :twisted:
I forget what "she" was peddling.

I'd really like to hear from "Jake... at State Farm" :happy

RM
I hear from Jason peddling solar all the time. He's got a twin brother Greg who peddles solar too. I know they're twins because their voices are identical.
This barely qualifies as a scam, but it seems that way to me:

Go to some company's web page looking for help and it has a "chat now" link. Click on it and it is nothing more than an automated way to do a search of their FAQ. Of course it has a name (perhaps even Jason or Audrey!) and a picture of someone quite pleasant looking. The girls (customer support) are pretty with a phone headset. They are SO happy to talk to you! The guys (tech support) are handsome with neatly-trimmed beards and no headset. No worry! They will solve your problem! They'll be right back at their skilled techie work as soon as they're done with you. The scam part is that it sucks you in to a time-wasting process.
May neither drought nor rain nor blizzard disturb the joy juice in your gizzard. -- Squire Omar Barker (aka S.O.B.), the Cowboy Poet
mushripu
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by mushripu »

Dottie57 wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:38 pm [merged this topic and replies into the master Scam thread - moderator prudent]

I just received another phony robo call.

The mechanical voice said there was a suspected fraudulent purchase of $349.99 on Amazon. If I did not make the purchase then call 845-xxx-xxxx. This is pretty suspect since I have only received a fraud alert from a credit card company.

Logged into Amazon and indeed no order had been placed. Scammy people persist.

Has anyone else received a call like this? Just wanted to alert people of this type of phone call.
I got the same call. The giveaway is the callback number they leave. It is not a 800 number.just a regular number.
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plannerman
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by plannerman »

ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:24 pm
Whatever happened to "Rachel"? :twisted:
I forget what "she" was peddling.
RM
Credit Card Services--whatever that is. I kinda miss her

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Mudpuppy
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Mudpuppy »

bertilak wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:57 pm Go to some company's web page looking for help and it has a "chat now" link. Click on it and it is nothing more than an automated way to do a search of their FAQ. Of course it has a name (perhaps even Jason or Audrey!) and a picture of someone quite pleasant looking. The girls (customer support) are pretty with a phone headset. They are SO happy to talk to you! The guys (tech support) are handsome with neatly-trimmed beards and no headset. No worry! They will solve your problem! They'll be right back at their skilled techie work as soon as they're done with you. The scam part is that it sucks you in to a time-wasting process.
I was stuck in Walmart's automated "chat now" link when a purchase was stuck at "label created" for over two weeks and never made it any further in the shipping progress. For the first couple of attempts, the bots just sent a not-so-helpful "how to track your order" email and disconnected. However, when I said that this was my final attempt at resolving the lost shipment with Walmart directly, and if they didn't fix it, I'd file a credit card dispute, I had a real live person calling me within the hour who verified the shipment (now three weeks out) was not progressing and refunded the charge. You just have to hit the right key words to get past the bots and to the people.
inbox788
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by inbox788 »

mushripu wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 1:18 pm
Dottie57 wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:38 pm I just received another phony robo call.
I got the same call. The giveaway is the callback number they leave. It is not a 800 number.just a regular number.
I stopped answering my phone. Nearly 100% of calls are scams. Only use of the phone now is outgoing calls to known businesses. Personal communications has all gone digital apps. I'm afraid sooner or later the scams will move there too, but for now it's much easier to track and control.

You want to reach me, text me, IM me, Message or Messenger me, Facetime me, Facetime audio, Whatsapp, Wechat, etc.
If all fails, write a letter.
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bertilak
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by bertilak »

Mudpuppy wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:12 pm ... credit card dispute ... You just have to hit the right key words to get past the bots and to the people.
And I bet "credit card dispute" is the magic key!

I have recently used that with a real live person. My words were along the lines of "Will you handle that or would it help if I submitter a dispute with AMEX?"
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Mudpuppy
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by Mudpuppy »

bertilak wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:39 pm
Mudpuppy wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:12 pm ... credit card dispute ... You just have to hit the right key words to get past the bots and to the people.
And I bet "credit card dispute" is the magic key!

I have recently used that with a real live person. My words were along the lines of "Will you handle that or would it help if I submitter a dispute with AMEX?"
I'm sure that was the key phrase as well. I had, up to that point, been quite patient with the package sitting all that time at "label created". I give a company a week between "label created" and no further tracking progress before I even start the complaint process. Three weeks was getting a little extreme though, and there is a limit to my patience.
OnTrack
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by OnTrack »

Grandparent scam. More generally "family and friend imposter scam."

I would advise anyone with who has parents' who are grandparents of an older grandchild to warn them of this scam. Typically, the scammer will call the grandparents claiming to be a grandchild in some kind of trouble. Or it may be someone claiming to be a lawyer or an arresting officer. They will tell the grandparents not to call anyone, even the parents, because they don't want anyone else to know about the trouble they are in (drunk driving, car accident with injuries, drugs, etc.) Usually, the scam can easily be exposed simply by calling the grandchild directly, but often the grandparents don't think to do this, or don't have the grandchild's phone number. If the voice doesn't sound like the grandchild, the typical response is that the grandchild's nose got broken (maybe in a car accident or while being arrested).

Furthermore, if someone attempts the scam, the grandparents might want to contact the police as there is a chance of actually arresting the scammer if the scammer doesn't realize the potential victim is on to them. This has happened successfully.

If the scam is detected after sending money by FedEx, USPS, etc., it may be possible to stop the delivery. Even in the case of a wire transfer, it may be possible to stop it if the attempt to stop it is made soon enough.

For more on grandparent scams see this FBI article:
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/the-grandparent-scam
And this FTC article that says "people 70 and over who sent cash – they reported median individual losses of $9,000."
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/d ... -mail-cash
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cheese_breath
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by cheese_breath »

Got a good robo call the other day. Apparently because of some new government program they were going to pay off all my credit cards. All I had to do was press 1. Decided to wait until I can run up some charges first. :wink:
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OnTrack
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by OnTrack »

Lottery scam. Word of advice: if you are trying to pull a lottery scam, don't target a former FBI director.

Former FBI Director William Webster Helps Foil Scam
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yqsgKsO6H_c

Telephone Scammer On Way To Prison After Calling Former CIA Director | NBC Nightly News
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0z0keOd8w
Lou354
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Lou354 »

COVID stimulus check. I received an email saying that President Biden is asking me to send my name, address, DOB, and SSN to Janet underscore Yellengov @outlook.org.

Correction: @outlook.com
Last edited by Lou354 on Mon Mar 08, 2021 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Stinky
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Stinky »

Lou354 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 5:59 am COVID stimulus check. I received an email saying that President Biden is asking me to send my name, address, DOB, and SSN to Janet underscore Yellengov @outlook.org.
That’s hilarious.
Retired life insurance company financial executive who sincerely believes that ”It’s a GREAT day to be alive!”
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ResearchMed
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by ResearchMed »

Lou354 wrote: Mon Mar 08, 2021 5:59 am COVID stimulus check. I received an email saying that President Biden is asking me to send my name, address, DOB, and SSN to Janet underscore Yellengov @outlook.org.

Correction: @outlook.com
Many thanks for correcting that e-address.
I almost sent all of my info to the wrong address, and.. I wouldn't have gotten my stimulus check!!
:wink:

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dratkinson
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by dratkinson »

MS tech support scam.

A short few years back, I played with a guy from MS tech support for ~30mins. At the time I had a 95' Dell PII, running Win98 PC---slow but adequate for my needs (email, web browsing, Excel, Word).

I'd was rested, had my Wheaties, and ready to play.
I told him my PC was currently off. He wanted me to start it... he'd wait.
Took ~10mins to boot and run daily backup. He was annoyed. Reminded him it was a PII Win98 PC, and that I generally make coffee at this time.
Came back after putting coffee on, and before startup finished.
He tried to get me to access screens and program utilities that were not on my PC. Reminded him it was a PII Win98 PC.
And since he didn't know Win98, he had me try different system screens to help him find what he needed.
Eventually the PC began running a (safe) time-consuming utility (scandisk, I may have accidentally started it).
"No, that's wrong, shut it down, shut it down!", says he.
"Are you sure?", asks I.
"Yes!", says he. So I did. And the screen when blank when I powered off the PC.
"What did you do?", asks he.
"I shut it down like you said.", says I. "Was that okay?"
"No, now we have to start over.", says he.
"Couldn’t we do this another day?", asks I.
“No, we need to fix your problem today!”, says he.
The blue screen of death came up. I told him it would run for ~5mins before the PC rebooted, so I was going to get a cup of coffee.
Came back with my coffee during the boot and startup. He was antsy so reminded him the backup would finish faster since it had already run today.
And I played with him some more.
...
When my PC couldn't connect to the modem (I didn’t hear the tones before connecting), he wanted me to reset my modem.
I told him I didn't know how. He told me to push a button on the modem.
I told him I could not, because it was a dialup modem on a card in my PC, and I didn't remember seeing any buttons on the card.
<silence>
"Your PC is on a dialup modem?", asks he.
"Yes." says I.
"Do you have another phone?", asks he.
"No.", says I.
<silence>
<click>

Good times. I got fewer MS support calls after that.

I now have a newer PC and better internet access, but still have old PC so could play again if I felt like it.



Amazon refund scam. Received a call from Amazon about putting a refund back on my CC. Told the guy I didn't need the money, he could keep it.



Recall "Rachel" wanted to help me with CC debt.
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vested1
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by vested1 »

Amazon review:

I'll admit I'm a bit obsessive about being honest, sometimes to my own detriment.

I bought a dehumidifier that was rated as being sufficient to handle an area of 2000 sq ft and to remove several gallons of moisture a day. The manufacturer is based in China. The cost was $192. The reviews were overwhelmingly 4-5 stars. My review was a 2 star based on performance, but only that high because I had decided to keep it and use it in a single 150 sq ft bedroom above the garage that it barely worked OK in, removing about 1 pint of moisture a day. The very few other 1 and 2 star reviews cited the same problems I had.

I was contacted by the seller via Amazon, offering me a $100 refund if I changed the review to a 5 star. I made the mistake of responding directly from my email address. I refused to change the review but the offers kept coming from "Angela", improving with every email. The use of english was laughable. "Angela" said "she" would be fired if I didn't change the review. She made claims that she only made $500 a month but would pay the refund out of her salary and send me a much larger unit for free with no need to return the old one. She said she had a sick mother that depended on her. The dollar amount of the refund soon surpassed the purchase price.

I eventually upgraded the review to 3 stars in order to stop the emails, but only citing the seller's concern for my satisfaction, maintaining that the product didn't perform as advertised. That didn't stop the emails. I complained to Amazon on chat several weeks ago and they promised to contact the seller. I got another email this morning, maybe the tenth since last October, which I didn't respond to, as usual. I forwarded the email chain to Amazon, who has my email and contact information anyway.

I wrote the review to warn other customers about buying the dehumidifier, and I won't say it's great when it's not. Apparently the vast number of other customers who bought the product weren't bothered by these tactics and took the money.

This is the second time I've been offered a ridiculous amount to change a review on Amazon purchased from a Chinese seller (different one). The last time it was about a review I wrote for a worthless chainsaw that I bought which was missing parts, making it inoperable, and which the seller refused to send replacement parts. They offered to give me a full refund and told me to keep the chainsaw, if only I would change my review, which I refused to do. They gave me the refund and said to keep the chainsaw anyway, apparently because they didn't want to pay for the return postage. I gave the chainsaw to someone who thought he could fix it.
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imbogled
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by imbogled »

Vested1. I wonder if you are familiar with the website Fakespot?

https://www.fakespot.com/company/amazon

You copy and paste the url from the product page on Amazon to Fakespot and it will analyze the products reviews and give a grade from A to F on the authenticity of the reviews.

Chicago Tribune headline from October. "Can you trust that Amazon review? 42% may be fake, independent monitor says."
jarjarM
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by jarjarM »

Local utility scam:

DW got a robo call indicating that PG&E (our local utility provider) bill has not being paid and power will be cut off in 30 minute. A 800 # was provided for further discussion. I can see how some may fall for this.
mptfan
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by mptfan »

vested1 wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:13 am This is the second time I've been offered a ridiculous amount to change a review on Amazon purchased from a Chinese seller (different one).
Did you update your review to reflect the offers to change your review?
mptfan
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by mptfan »

ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:24 pm I'd really like to hear from "Jake... at State Farm" :happy
Not to be pedantic, but it's "Jake...from State Farm."
:wink:
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cheese_breath
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by cheese_breath »

mptfan wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:52 pm
ResearchMed wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:24 pm I'd really like to hear from "Jake... at State Farm" :happy
Not to be pedantic, but it's "Jake...from State Farm."
:wink:
Jake looks like he might be Spence's from King of Queens cousin.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
alfaspider
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by alfaspider »

OnTrack wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 9:12 pm Grandparent scam. More generally "family and friend imposter scam."

I would advise anyone with who has parents' who are grandparents of an older grandchild to warn them of this scam. Typically, the scammer will call the grandparents claiming to be a grandchild in some kind of trouble. Or it may be someone claiming to be a lawyer or an arresting officer. They will tell the grandparents not to call anyone, even the parents, because they don't want anyone else to know about the trouble they are in (drunk driving, car accident with injuries, drugs, etc.) Usually, the scam can easily be exposed simply by calling the grandchild directly, but often the grandparents don't think to do this, or don't have the grandchild's phone number. If the voice doesn't sound like the grandchild, the typical response is that the grandchild's nose got broken (maybe in a car accident or while being arrested).

Furthermore, if someone attempts the scam, the grandparents might want to contact the police as there is a chance of actually arresting the scammer if the scammer doesn't realize the potential victim is on to them. This has happened successfully.

If the scam is detected after sending money by FedEx, USPS, etc., it may be possible to stop the delivery. Even in the case of a wire transfer, it may be possible to stop it if the attempt to stop it is made soon enough.

For more on grandparent scams see this FBI article:
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/the-grandparent-scam
And this FTC article that says "people 70 and over who sent cash – they reported median individual losses of $9,000."
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/d ... -mail-cash
That's an old one that happened to my late grandfather a few years before he passed. He had over a dozen grandchildren and great grandchildren, and was genuinely confused as to which one the caller was impersonating. The caller couldn't answer which grandchild he was, which fortunately was enough to get him to question the legitimacy of the caller, which lead him to call my uncle.

He was just the right profile- relatively well off (had money to transfer), was in his late 80s, and had mild dementia (enough that he wasn't as sharp as he used to be, but not to the point he didn't recognize family members or understand money). Certainly something to be aware of for folks who have older relatives in that demographic.
Mudpuppy
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by Mudpuppy »

jarjarM wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:40 pm Local utility scam:

DW got a robo call indicating that PG&E (our local utility provider) bill has not being paid and power will be cut off in 30 minute. A 800 # was provided for further discussion. I can see how some may fall for this.
There are also what I like to refer to as "legal business license, scammy business practice" companies surrounding utilities. These are the ones that offer a third-party natural gas and/or electricity pricing model, where if you look deeply into the contract, it has so many gotchas, you'll end up stuck in something that costs more per month on average and also costs a lot to cancel. Of course, the pushy salespeople try their very best to keep you from looking deeply at the contract. It's like the used car salesmen of the energy world.

One of the best things about my video doorbell is I can just ignore these folks, and the door-to-door solar panel salespeople, when they come knocking. They're always easy to spot by how they intentionally try to stay out of the range of the camera, as if I'd open my door just because I can't identify the person knocking at it (although I'm sure that works often enough for it to be in their training guide). Even in the pre-COVID times, they'd do this and seem to get annoyed when it didn't work.
wander
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by wander »

This is the typical situation that I'd like to try lifelock protection.
43andcounting
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by 43andcounting »

Scam by text. I am getting these messages periodically. I am not Sue, not clicking those links.

Amazon: Congratulations Sue, you came 2nd in February's Amazon Apple Watch raffle! Click this link to set delivery: t1fmt.info/XybVup9XYg

Another one

Amazon - the planned delivery date of your parcel 1z69337 was changed! Sue, Make sure to verify here > q6fzr.info/XGTefs1WMi
vested1
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by vested1 »

imbogled wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:22 pm Vested1. I wonder if you are familiar with the website Fakespot?

https://www.fakespot.com/company/amazon

You copy and paste the url from the product page on Amazon to Fakespot and it will analyze the products reviews and give a grade from A to F on the authenticity of the reviews.

Chicago Tribune headline from October. "Can you trust that Amazon review? 42% may be fake, independent monitor says."
I haven't, mainly because the site requires you to download an extension to Google, which I am leery of. I know that the product is defective and that hundreds of other reviewers have cited the same problems. As of today, there are 7,404 reviews with 76% 5 star and 14% 4 star, a total of 90% positive. This is laughable.

I have left it to Amazon to police this and have designated further emails from the seller as spam.
vested1
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by vested1 »

mptfan wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:47 pm
vested1 wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:13 am This is the second time I've been offered a ridiculous amount to change a review on Amazon purchased from a Chinese seller (different one).
Did you update your review to reflect the offers to change your review?
I detailed the problem and the efforts by the seller to get me to change the review, in the review itself. Since they have my personal email I have been hesitant to go further and have requested that Amazon contact the seller and have asked them to impose restrictions on the seller. I know it may sound paranoid, but since all Chinese based companies are required to report to their government, I have chosen not to die on that hill. I don't need to be hacked.

It would be tempting to say that the dehumidifier that I received was a one-off, and that most of the ones sent out have no problems. The small size of the unit alone makes it impossible to remove as much moisture as stated in the description, and thus impossible to believe the overwhelming number of glowing reviews.

The same could be said of the chainsaw that was missing parts that I mentioned at the end of my post. The bar was 20", and for a decent chainsaw of that size you would expect to pay several hundred dollars more. In fact, many of the 5 star reviews of that chainsaw were obviously written by people who were not fluent in english. I ended up buying a smaller Poulan chainsaw locally for a much higher price that does a great job. "If it sounds too good to be true" and all that.
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heartwood
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by heartwood »

43andcounting wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:50 pm Scam by text. I am getting these messages periodically. I am not Sue, not clicking those links.

Amazon: Congratulations Sue, you came 2nd in February's Amazon Apple Watch raffle! Click this link to set delivery: t1fmt.info/XybVup9XYg

Another one

Amazon - the planned delivery date of your parcel 1z69337 was changed! Sue, Make sure to verify here > q6fzr.info/XGTefs1WMi
I get those too, but I also get 3 - 7 texts a week all calling me "Doja" at my cell number, all with links to click. All trying to get me to click on "there's been an update to your auto policy", or "you have 289.19 in abandoned property records", etc. Each from a different number. I can't find anyway to filter for "Doja" so I block each individually. Probably a couple of 100 numbers blocked so far. Very few repeat.

update, I just googled "doja" and see it's a word for marijuana. https://dailyrapfacts.com/16401/what-does-doja-mean/
boglegirl
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Re: [On-going Scams - Post them here]

Post by boglegirl »

Turns out this was NOT a scam, but I got a call from
" Tracy at (state) dept of blah blah blah, may I speak to boglegirl?"
me: "This is boglegirl"
"What is your date of birth and social security number?"
me: "WHAT? No, who are you again?"
" I'm with the (state) dept of public health something-or-other (something that I've never heard of) and I need to verify your DOB and SSN"
"nope"

After more back and forth, she *finally* told me she was a contact tracer and gave me a website where I could verify the info and then call them back. I was flabbergasted that this was their approach. Why not lead with telling me why they were calling instead of going straight to DOB and SSN? I can't believe anyone would answer that question.

By the way, It had been almost 7 weeks since someone in our household had a positive covid test, which made this all the more surprising.
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NAVigator
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Re: Another telephone SCAM

Post by NAVigator »

Dottie57 wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:38 pm
I just received another phony robo call.

The mechanical voice said there was a suspected fraudulent purchase of $349.99 on Amazon. If I did not make the purchase then call 845-xxx-xxxx. This is pretty suspect since I have only received a fraud alert from a credit card company.

Logged into Amazon and indeed no order had been placed. Scammy people persist.

Has anyone else received a call like this? Just wanted to alert people of this type of phone call.
I just got this same scam within a minute of looking through this post! I feel slighted because my situation was only for $99 at Amazon charged to my Visa or Amazon card. I guess they are lowering the bar. I'm sure they would say they need the CC number to "credit the account". Right. Enough people fall for it that it keeps the scammers going.
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
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