Scam news

[RX8]

We all know that scammers are getting better and better at what they do, learning and perfecting their scam with each person contacted. Here are two examples of that.

This guy worked professionally in security yet he lost his life savings to a scammer.

Man loses life savings in scam, owes more than $30,000 in taxes

A man who once professionally assisted people with security became the victim of a scam himself, losing his life savings.

abc7.com

Scammers using AI to make victims believe they are talking to their family or friends who are in dire need of money.

Ontario man out $8K in scam that uses AI to mimic voices of friends and family

An Ontario man has lost $8,000 in a new impersonator scam where suspects use artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of friends and family.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

Even if scammers could eventually make their scam 100% perfect, they will never be able to hide the red flags. Unfortunately, people will continue to ignore those red flags.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Scammers using AI to make victims believe they are talking to their family or friends who are in dire need of money.

Good thing I can pay to get DNA matches to find more "family".

 

[WaikikiFirst]

people will continue to ignore those red flags

and consider themselves "virtuous" for having done so

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Even if scammers could eventually make their scam 100% perfect, they will never be able to hide the red flags. Unfortunately, people will continue to ignore those red flags.

Boy, I don’t know, AI cloned voice of a relative asking for money in an “emergency” is terrifying. Lots of people are going to fall for that.

 

[dioxide45]

Boy, I don’t know, AI cloned voice of a relative asking for money in an “emergency” is terrifying. Lots of people are going to fall for that.

Lots of people fall for it already with non AI voices. Any request that involves a money wire is always a red flag.

 

[kanerf]

I simply do not answer the phone unless it is someone I know. I have multiple scam apps on my phone as well. In addition, since I cannot use my phone where I work and they request we turn the ringers off, I seldom even get the calls except for the few times during the day I can use my phone and again, do not answer unless it is someone I know.

 

[dioxide45]

I simply do not answer the phone unless it is someone I know. I have multiple scam apps on my phone as well. In addition, since I cannot use my phone where I work and they request we turn the ringers off, I seldom even get the calls except for the few times during the day I can use my phone and again, do not answer unless it is someone I know.

For certain reasons, and it is often generational, some people just think that a ringing phone needs answered.

 

[LannyPC]

For certain reasons, and it is often generational, some people just think that a ringing phone needs answered.

I guess I am one of those generational people. It doesn't take that much time to answer a phone. There's a slight possibility that it is something worthwhile or important coming from a number I don't recognize. If it's something I don't want or need, my phone comes complete with the "hang-up" function.

 

[moonstone]

There's a slight possibility that it is something worthwhile or important coming from a number I don't recognize.

So true! Three or 4 years ago my brother-in-law got a call on his cell from a number he did not recognize so he didn't answer since not too many people have his cell number as they mainly used their landline. A few minutes later another call from the same number rang in, he ignored it as well, then another which he also ignored. About 30 minutes later a neighbour came over to ask why he wasnt answering his cell or the landline. He hadn't heard the landline as he was working in his garage. It turns out it was the local hospital calling to say my sister had fallen while in town shopping, sustained a large gash in her forehead with a concussion and had been taken to the hospital by ambulance. My sister had given the hospital the numbers to call and neither she or the hospital staff never thought to try calling from her cellphone instead of a hospital line. After that my BiL then added the hospital's main number in his contacts list so he would know it was them calling next time.

I am so thankful that my elderly parents, and later just my dad, never fell for any of the many scam calls they got. My dad even went so far as to have a police officer (he knew) come to his house after a caller told him he had won a new Cadillac but needed to get some gift cards to cover the delivery fee. They gave him 30 minutes to go to the store and get the cards and then said they'd call back, which they did (but dad never went to get the cards since he didnt have a DL or a car by then). When the scammers called back Dad said he was all set for them, they said the car would be there shortly and the driver would collect the cards before handing over the keys. The police officer waited inside by the front door but when the car (not a Cadillac) pulled in the driveway they must have seen the cruiser parked on the side street and it immediately backed out and left. Dad never heard from them again.

A former co-worker got one of those grandparents scam calls years ago. A male voice on the other end said it was her grandson and he was in jail and needed bail money. She replied how strange, my grandson is just 3 years old! Click!


~Diane

 

[SteveinHNL]

So it's time to give our loved ones a passphrase to identify themselves in the event of an emergency. If my wife calls because she has an emergency need, she'd best tell me "TUG Users Save Thousands" or it's not her.

 

[callwill]

I guess I am one of those generational people. It doesn't take that much time to answer a phone. There's a slight possibility that it is something worthwhile or important coming from a number I don't recognize. If it's something I don't want or need, my phone comes complete with the "hang-up" function.

Thats what the answering machine or the voicemail functions are for. Scammers almost never take the time to leave a message.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thats what the answering machine or the voicemail functions are for. Scammers almost never wont take the time to leave a message.

Yes, I love that my phone is programmed to send unknown numbers straight to voice mail. The legitimate callers leave a message; it's rare that the scammers do.

 

[rickandcindy23]

So it's time to give our loved ones a passphrase to identify themselves in the event of an emergency. If my wife calls because she has an emergency need, she'd best tell me "TUG Users Save Thousands" or it's not her.

I was just thinking about a phrase the other day that I could tell the kids and grandkids to say, if they are truly in a bind and need to get us to listen to them. I was thinking of even just a word they could say that would be easy to remember.

 

[callwill]

I was just thinking about a phrase the other day that I could tell the kids and grandkids to say, if they are truly in a bind and need to get us to listen to them. I was thinking of even just a word they could say that would be easy to remember.

pick an easy one like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

 

[pedro47]

That is so easy to remember.

 

[RX8]

More scam news. Actually, this can be considered a loophole allowing scammers to continue to scam. Cleaning out my in-box, I came across a BBB review I had written two years ago. I had simply moved on at the time, frustrated at the run around trying to do the right thing by making consumers aware of these bad actors. The company is Destination Travel Group.

Destinations Travel Group | Better Business Bureau® Profile

This organization is not BBB accredited. Vacation Certificates and Vouchers in Orlando, FL. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, & more.

www.bbb.org

Background: I had been receiving multiple cold calls a day from this company. The prefix and first three numbers were the same with a rotating last four. I finally answered the phone and was lied to upfront that it was RCI calling. I finally got them to identify their name and web address. I posted a review at the BBB pertaining to the cold call against DNC and the initial lie about who they were. I received a BBB reply that my review was rejected because I was not a customer of the company. I responded to that with even more detail and got another response that my review is still rejected that I was not a consumer.

BBB response to me:

Thank you for your email.
The business has responded and stated you were not a consumer. If you feel this is a mistake, please submit any documented proof of your interaction with the company. If this was a phone call, you can send the phone call image to show their number. As long as it matches the business information, we can further process your review.

I responded yet again to that reply and explained that they are apparently spoofing their number because they confirmed their true business name and web address with me. I also provided call logs. This is just part of what I wrote:

"As this company initiated contact with me, addressing me by my name, I feel strongly that my review should be allowed. I have attached a picture of the call log from my interaction with this company. The number that appeared as the incoming call is not their number they post on their website. I am concerned that this company will again claim I am not a customer and that this is not their number. This company is either spoofing the number or they have another company making these calls on their behalf. I sincerely hope that they cannot continue to cold call and lie with impunity solely because they are doing so from another phone number. Consumers should be made aware of these tactics."

The BBB never responded to that last e-mail and my review was never posted. In summary, the Orlando BBB is allowing scammers to get away with their tactics by letting the company avoid negative BBB reviews simply by telling the BBB that the phone number wasn't their listed number on file with the BBB.

 

[jp10558]

For certain reasons, and it is often generational, some people just think that a ringing phone needs answered.

God, my mom is like that and it drives me crazy - that and texts too. I'm like - stop wasting your time. The big issue I have is doctors offices and some other businesses making it impossible for me to initiate the call. Like, if you want to let me know you're on the way (plumber etc) - figure out how to text FFS. Plenty of businesses do now.

For Doctors, I wish we could just get better patient portals where I live so I wouldn't need to try and answer a phonecall.

 

[davidvel]

I was just thinking about a phrase the other day that I could tell the kids and grandkids to say, if they are truly in a bind and need to get us to listen to them. I was thinking of even just a word they could say that would be easy to remember.

No, you should never wire money or buy gift cards to/for any family member that claims an imminent duress. Go to them, have someone you know go to them, and involve multiple family members under the age of 60.

Unfortunately, as people age, they lose their ability to navigate the world safely. This is why scammers concentrate their efforts on the elderly.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

No, you should never wire money or buy gift cards to/for any family member that claims an imminent duress. Go to them, have someone you know go to them, and involve multiple family members under the age of 60.

Yeah, this. There is literally no emergency in the world that requires you wiring money to or buying gift cards for, a family member. There is always another method.