Scam alerts!

[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.

[revelarts]

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.

If i had known or thought about it more at the time i would have made the call or e-mail.

But as i said it was a local scammer (by the area code at least) so i called the local police. Seems to me at the least they could have done a number location (like they do with local 911 calls) and send a car over to ask questions. Even if was only to let the scammers know that the cops were aware of what they were doing. At least CALL the number and tell them they are now aware and have them on the radar. Make a note at least.

[NightTrain]

If i had known or thought about it more at the time i would have made the call or e-mail.

But as i said it was a local scammer (by the area code at least) so i called the local police. Seems to me at the least they could have done a number location (like they do with local 911 calls) and send a car over to ask questions. Even if was only to let the scammers know that the cops were aware of what they were doing. At least CALL the number and tell them they are now aware and have them on the radar. Make a note at least.

The problem is that you can easily spoof the phone number. The stupid ones that don't hide their real number are hauled off to the clink in short order... kind of a stupid scammer Darwinism.

I'd bet 100 to 1 that the phone call wasn't local... it was made to look local so that you'd be more easily swayed with their pitch. A phone call from Bermuda is going to make you awfully damned suspicious right out of the gate!

[jimnyc]

The problem is that you can easily spoof the phone number. The stupid ones are hauled off to the clink in short order... kind of a stupid scammer Darwinism.

I'd bet 100 to 1 that the phone call wasn't local... it was made to look local so that you'd be more easily swayed with their pitch. A phone call from Bermuda is going to make you awfully damned suspicious right out of the gate!

Yup. I've had weird numbers call, and I would almost instantly call back and get a message telling me that this number is out of service. They just spoofed that number to try and appear legit. Always dirtbags trying to sell crappy insurance or similar.

[tailfins]

Yup. I've had weird numbers call, and I would almost instantly call back and get a message telling me that this number is out of service. They just spoofed that number to try and appear legit. Always dirtbags trying to sell crappy insurance or similar.

Particularly extended auto warranties: Some have legit information to substantiate their scam. Some knew that exact date my vehicle's manufacturer's warranty expires. I like to ask stupid questions such as: Does this mean the extended warranty I bought from the manufacturer has been cancelled? They say "yes", I then ask "have you ever considered becoming a sex worker because you're incompetent as a phone scammer"?

[revelarts]

The problem is that you can easily spoof the phone number. The stupid ones that don't hide their real number are hauled off to the clink in short order... kind of a stupid scammer Darwinism.

I'd bet 100 to 1 that the phone call wasn't local... it was made to look local so that you'd be more easily swayed with their pitch. A phone call from Bermuda is going to make you awfully damned suspicious right out of the gate!

That's a very reasonable assumption... makes a lot of sense. But it doesn't mean the local cops can't take a minute to check the number. Are all in Bermuda or off shore? I Did call the number back and got a person right away. The local cops at the least should be trained to advise me about FBI as you have,since they get "so many" calls along that line.
they dropped the ball.

[namvet]

I haven't run into any of these crooks. yet. last time for me was the windows tech scam. boy did i have fun with those dumb fucks

[NightTrain]

That's a very reasonable assumption... makes a lot of sense. But it doesn't mean the local cops can't take a minute to check the number. Are all in Bermuda or off shore? I Did call the number back and got a person right away. The local cops at the least should be trained to advise me about FBI as you have,since they get "so many" calls along that line.
they dropped the ball.

That wasn't very professional of your local cops.. they should have pointed you to the correct LEO instead of trying to get you to hang up and forget about it.

I just used Bermuda as an example because the last scammer that I had dealings with was allegedly based there. He sounded Jamaican to me, but I'm no expert on Caribbean accents. I know the Nigerians are nipples-deep in phone scams, along with the Russkies. It's just safer to scam people from another country because of jurisdictions and getting foreign LEOs to cooperate... we're relatively loaded compared to other countries, so we're naturally the choice target.

The Nigerian cops have a whole lot more important matters to investigate than some American cop wanting him to help track down a couple of internet thugs at a cyber cafe scamming stupid Americans with too much money.

[NightTrain]

I haven't run into any of these crooks. yet. last time for me was the windows tech scam. boy did i have fun with those dumb fucks

Yeah, I was just thinking about that! I had 3 or 4 of them so frustrated with this stupid American that couldn't navigate to their trojan page that they were ready to kill.

"Okay, where are you now?"

"Ummm... in my Friend Requests for Facebook. I think?"

"No! Okay. Type this in your address bar!"

"Type what in?"

They'd slowly spell out the address, and I'd make them do it a couple of times.

"Now what do you see?"

"Page not found. Okay, now I'm back at Facebook."

"NO! Okay, type this in. Okay? TYPE IT IN!"

"Page not found. Huh, now I'm at Facebook again. Should I go to my friend's list?"

"Grrraakkk!"

And I'd get passed to the scammer in the next cubicle while the last one beat his head against the desk. I figured the more time they wasted on me, the less time they'd have to scam a gullible American. Plus, trolling these shitheads gave me great satisfaction.

Their tears of frustration were delicious!

[namvet]

Yeah, I was just thinking about that! I had 3 or 4 of them so frustrated with this stupid American that couldn't navigate to their trojan page that they were ready to kill.

"Okay, where are you now?"

"Ummm... in my Friend Requests for Facebook. I think?"

"No! Okay. Type this in your address bar!"

"Type what in?"

They'd slowly spell out the address, and I'd make them do it a couple of times.

"Now what do you see?"

"Page not found. Okay, now I'm back at Facebook."

"NO! Okay, type this in. Okay? TYPE IT IN!"

"Page not found. Huh, now I'm at Facebook again. Should I go to my friend's list?"

"Grrraakkk!"

And I'd get passed to the scammer in the next cubicle while the last one beat his head against the desk. I figured the more time they wasted on me, the less time they'd have to scam a gullible American. Plus, trolling these shitheads gave me great satisfaction.

Their tears of frustration were delicious!

they always told me click the start tab. for some reason we never got that far

[aboutime]

Whether anyone here cares to believe me or not. Whenever you receive a call from an Unknown number, from anyone you do not know, or do not recognize the number. IF YOU ANSWER IT, you are giving the caller the PHISHING bait they need to use your number. Even if it is UNPUBLISHED.

RULE OF THUMB. If you didn't call someone, or haven't seen the number before. HANG UP. PERIOD!

[Elessar]

I keep getting a Barclay CashForward World MasterCard Application form in the mail.

It has a block in which "You can choose to stop receiving "pre-screened" offers of credit from this and
other companies by calling 1-888-567-8688...."

Call the number and the first thing they ask for is your Social Security Number!
They do not ask for the Personal ID Code that is on the notice.

I would say BEWARE!

[aboutime]

I keep getting a Barclay CashForward World MasterCard Application form in the mail.

It has a block in which "You can choose to stop receiving "pre-screened" offers of credit from this and
other companies by calling 1-888-567-8688...."

Call the number and the first thing they ask for is your Social Security Number!
They do not ask for the Personal ID Code that is on the notice.

I would say BEWARE!

That's how they succeed in fooling people. MONEY, and the THOUGHT of getting SOME. Never fails, and today's society is so easily convinced to believe everything. The Scammers make BIG BUCKS on the ignorance of selfishness.

[Drummond]

Possibly some scammers are more sophisticated than I'd give them credit for (... depends on who they are ?). But, I suggest a VERY easy, simple, litmus test that can be applied to any suspected scammer trying to contact you.

Simply ... ask THEM to give information about YOU ... assess for yourself, if you can, what information about you they SHOULD already have, if they are really who they claim to be. The last scamming attempt I was subject to was stopped in its tracks by my asking the caller the simple question: 'If you are who you say you are, you'll have a database containing basic information. Tell me .. WHO AM I ?'

The caller abruptly rang off, and didn't call back.

Maybe in the US, scammers do more to attempt research on their hoped-for victims. But in many instances, they'll have scant info to start out with ... remember, their approach is to get information from YOU, not the other way around. Counter it by probing to see what, of a basic nature, they can tell you they already have (and should have !) on file about you. My guess ... almost always, they'll fail that test.