Scam alerts!

[Elessar]

I got a call on my Cell Phone from 413-662-8519 passing themselves off as being my 'Credit Card Security'. I traced them to Massachusetts.

Problem is, my cards are already under scrutiny by the providers.
These clowns could not tell me what the last four numbers of the cards were
nor could they identify the institution of the provider.

They wanted all my data....<grins>


Someone not alert could fall for this!

[Elessar]

Got a call from 209-631-2059 that showed 'Unavailable'. I traced it to the
Modesto area of Central CA.

The caller had a heavy Middle-East Accent and said he was from Microsoft
and was advising me of a 'Computer License Security I.D.' that was out of date!

He rattled off a whole string of numbers that made no sense at all. But he wanted
access to the computer to "FIX" the problem.

For one...Microsoft does not have any offices in CenCal. for Two - they NEVER
telephone anyone! The client has to call!

[jimnyc]

Cool, we'll sticky this one for awhile, as it's always cool to share the scams to warn others.

[mundame]

Got a call from 209-631-2059 that showed 'Unavailable'. I traced it to the
Modesto area of Central CA.

The caller had a heavy Middle-East Accent and said he was from Microsoft
and was advising me of a 'Computer License Security I.D.' that was out of date!

He rattled off a whole string of numbers that made no sense at all. But he wanted
access to the computer to "FIX" the problem.

For one...Microsoft does not have any offices in CenCal. for Two - they NEVER
telephone anyone! The client has to call!

Yeah, a friend of mine gets these, every once in a while. They've targeted her for some reason. Maybe because she picks the calls up! She loves this stuff, teasing them and wasting their time. I think it's dangerous: we have NoMoRoBo against robocalling and so daily get one to three single ring calls: then NoMoRoBo shuts it down. So we wait to see if a caller rings twice before moving out of the chair. And of course we have that federal program, but that has worn out and the scam callers are back in force.

Now, you can still get scam callers IF they have hired humans to dial phones by hand and play the message when someone picks up. These always have a fake number on the Caller ID: often my own number! Which works surprisingly well --- I used to get curious. No more. Also they use numbers computer-generated (I assume) from areas supposedly that I am in or near. I have finally figured out that no call from the local black area is ever, ever legit --- I don't know anyone there, so I should just never pick those calls up when I see the area name on Caller ID. If it's a real person they can leave a message. But it never is.

We get a lot more scam calls than actual people calls. I suppose that's been true for most people for 45-50 years. I don't use cell phones and have considered unplugging the landline except for once a day checking for messages. If it gets bad enough, we could try that. I don't like to, though, as sometimes calls are time-crucial. I could invent a twice-a-day call-checking routine if it gets bad enough.

[aboutime]

Just REJECT, and DO NOT ANSWER any calls you may get from Unfamiliar, Unknown numbers.

If you have an answering machine. Just ask them to leave their phone number. THEY WON'T.

[Elessar]

Just REJECT, and DO NOT ANSWER any calls you may get from Unfamiliar, Unknown numbers.

If you have an answering machine. Just ask them to leave their phone number. THEY WON'T.

Aye...."I" do that...

I post these as a warning to all.

[indago]

Jennifer Soules wrote for The Republic 15 March 2015:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Internal Revenue Service warns that unscrupulous tax preparers have told consumers to pay them directly instead of the federal government to settle potential fines assessed to those who don't have health insurance.

Under the Affordable Care Act, uninsured residents who don't qualify for a coverage exemption are required to make a payment with their 2014 federal income tax return. The IRS has since received several reports of tax preparers instructing clients to make that payment, known as an individual shared responsibility payment, directly to the preparer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

article

[indago]

From The New York Times 27 February 2016:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Someone from the I.R.S. had just phoned, she said, to say a warrant for her arrest had been issued for failure to pay back taxes. ...“I told her, ‘Listen, this is a scam. Don’t do anything they are telling you to do,’” Mr. Smalley said...

...Since October 2013, about 900,000 people have reported getting a call from an I.R.S. phone swindler, and not all of these people hung up unscathed, the Treasury Department reported in January. Officials estimated that 5,000 victims had parted with a total of more than $26 million.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

article

[revelarts]

Some group called my wife and left a message about her credit. she ask me to call back since it didn't make sense. It was a scam. and since it was a local number i called the local police. they transferred me around and a cop finally told me that there were SO many like this that they didn't even want to take the number from me but they were "happy" we hadn't fell for it. he sounded like he just wanted to get me off the phone to get back to his coffee.

Based on what's being said here i should have called the FBI as well?
the local cops didn't make that suggestion. they made NO suggestions other than "be careful".
We are careful, i was thinking the cops would help others by shutting down these guys.

I chalked it up to the concept of having to protect yourself because no one really gives a crap.

[NightTrain]

Some group called my wife and left a message about her credit. she ask me to call back since it didn't make sense. It was a scam. and since it was a local number i called the local police. they transferred me around and a cop finally told me that there were SO many like this that they didn't even want to take the number from me but they were "happy" we hadn't fell for it. he sounded like he just wanted to get me off the phone to get back to his coffee.

Based on what's being said here i should have called the FBI as well?
the local cops didn't make that suggestion. they made NO suggestions other than "be careful".
We are careful, i was thinking the cops would help others by shutting down these guys.

I chalked it up to the concept of having to protect yourself because no one really gives a crap.

Yeah, local cops have better things to do than try to investigate national / international scams like that. I wouldn't think most police departments have a budget that allows investigations into areas beyond their jurisdiction.

I don't know if the FBI follows up on every reported scam, but that is one of their assigned tasks.

It just takes a few minutes, Rev! I reported using that link I gave earlier in this thread and I never heard back from them about it... but at least it may have helped them bust the scumbags.

[Elessar]

Dumb Scam attempt. FBI does NOT use g-mail. FBI contacts people face to face, not over media or even telephone.
Do NOT click the link:

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
http://www.fbi.gov

This is the International Financial Watch Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI Washington D C) United States of America and we are mandated to monitor financial transactions around the globe in order to combat financial and internet fraud world wide. Our monitoring device picked up several signal transactions on your server and since then we have been monitoring all your financial/internet transactions and we have discovered that you have been into series of transactions.

From our investigations, you have been involved in a series of transaction worth of millions of dollars. Importantly, we discovered that you have an outstanding transaction worth US$2,700,000.00 which is either inheritance, lottery or contract payment which has been approved for payment but is yet to be paid to you.

We are working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Benin Nigerian and Ghana Government and the United Nations (UN) to ensure that you receive your payment. We thus, officially inform you that we have verified your contract/Lottery/ inheritance payment file after close monitoring and found out why you have not received the payment, both on your part and on the part of your debtors.

Our discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN) and Benin Nigerian and Ghana Government agreed that the US$2.7M should be paid to you through the use of an Electronic ATM Card System. The ATM card will be processed by the UBA Bank.

NOTE THAT FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND TRUE ATM card IT WILL COST YOU $80 FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM card AND YOU WILL RECEIVE IT OTHER TWO DAYS AND MAKE USE OF IT

Note that if you still wish to receive your FUND do get back to us Immediately so that we will remove your FUND transfer from the list of Those FUND to be seized by the United States Government. Also be Informed that we need only a DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF TRANSFER (DIST) to complete the delivery of your ATM card. The fee to delivery your ATM card is $80 and no other fee is involved. You are required to send The fee of $80 by WESTERN UNION or MONEY GRAM to the issuing office at The bank where your FUND originated as stated below

Receivers Name:..Ben ikechi
Country ...Benin
AMOUNT $80 USD
Sender's name...
MTCN Number.....

Reconfirm you full details below to be forwarded to the Bank or FBI

(1)Your Full Name:
(2)Address:
(3)City:
(4)State:
(5)Zip code:
(6)Direct Cell phone Number:
(7)Age:
(8)Sex
(9)Occupation:
(10)Confidential E-mail address:

We have mandated the United Bank of African . Plc to process your payment within 48 hours of receiving your details which means that you must notify us once you contact the bank to enable us follow up with them to ensure that your payment is promptly processed. You are to get back to us if you need further clarification and do feel free to inform us of your past effort to claim the funds and if there has been any monetary involvement from you. To who and how much did you spend without results as this will enable us to prosecute those involved.

Faithfully Yours,
chuks Eze
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
(FBI Washington)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Dumb Scam attempt. FBI does NOT use g-mail. FBI contacts people face to face, not over media or even telephone.
Do NOT click the link:

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
http://www.fbi.gov

This is the International Financial Watch Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI Washington D C) United States of America and we are mandated to monitor financial transactions around the globe in order to combat financial and internet fraud world wide. Our monitoring device picked up several signal transactions on your server and since then we have been monitoring all your financial/internet transactions and we have discovered that you have been into series of transactions.

From our investigations, you have been involved in a series of transaction worth of millions of dollars. Importantly, we discovered that you have an outstanding transaction worth US$2,700,000.00 which is either inheritance, lottery or contract payment which has been approved for payment but is yet to be paid to you.

We are working with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Benin Nigerian and Ghana Government and the United Nations (UN) to ensure that you receive your payment. We thus, officially inform you that we have verified your contract/Lottery/ inheritance payment file after close monitoring and found out why you have not received the payment, both on your part and on the part of your debtors.

Our discussion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN) and Benin Nigerian and Ghana Government agreed that the US$2.7M should be paid to you through the use of an Electronic ATM Card System. The ATM card will be processed by the UBA Bank.

NOTE THAT FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR FUND TRUE ATM card IT WILL COST YOU $80 FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATM card AND YOU WILL RECEIVE IT OTHER TWO DAYS AND MAKE USE OF IT

Note that if you still wish to receive your FUND do get back to us Immediately so that we will remove your FUND transfer from the list of Those FUND to be seized by the United States Government. Also be Informed that we need only a DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY SEAL OF TRANSFER (DIST) to complete the delivery of your ATM card. The fee to delivery your ATM card is $80 and no other fee is involved. You are required to send The fee of $80 by WESTERN UNION or MONEY GRAM to the issuing office at The bank where your FUND originated as stated below

Receivers Name:..Ben ikechi
Country ...Benin
AMOUNT $80 USD
Sender's name...
MTCN Number.....

Reconfirm you full details below to be forwarded to the Bank or FBI

(1)Your Full Name:
(2)Address:
(3)City:
(4)State:
(5)Zip code:
(6)Direct Cell phone Number:
(7)Age:
(8)Sex
(9)Occupation:
(10)Confidential E-mail address:

We have mandated the United Bank of African . Plc to process your payment within 48 hours of receiving your details which means that you must notify us once you contact the bank to enable us follow up with them to ensure that your payment is promptly processed. You are to get back to us if you need further clarification and do feel free to inform us of your past effort to claim the funds and if there has been any monetary involvement from you. To who and how much did you spend without results as this will enable us to prosecute those involved.

Faithfully Yours,
chuks Eze
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
(FBI Washington)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I love to play with these idiots. I feed them all kinds of lies and act as though I'm all excited and compliant. At some point they usually figure out they're being played and leave me alone.

Even the hack emails supposedly from foreign women looking for love, I tell them I want to meet them and I'm rich and want to send them lots of money...

[aboutime]

We got rid of Land Line phone about 10 years ago. When we got a package deal of Internet, and TV on cable from COX...part of the deal was a Land line. But, we never used it.

All we have are TWO cell phones that allow my wife and I to stay in touch from the Doctors office, or the Grocery store. Our family knows our numbers, and so do our bill collectors. Otherwise, any numbers we do not recognize, or haven't listed as CONTACTS...get MUTED by hand while they ring. Many of them leave voice messages from 1-800 numbers that we just GET RID OF of label as SPAM.
Our rule is. If we don't know you, or we didn't call you. WE FORGET YOU.