I was thinking they might have you wire money to pay off the "fine" and avoid drawn out legal proceedings. Similar to the IRS scam of paying off your back taxes and penalties with Target gift cards (lol!)
Scammer had me going for a while...
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I was thinking they might have you wire money to pay off the "fine" and avoid drawn out legal proceedings. Similar to the IRS scam of paying off your back taxes and penalties with Target gift cards (lol!)
I too don't really get the scam. I get being duped into thinking you're talking to an official/LEO type by them having personal information, but you've only lost the time you were on the phone. The second someone starts asking about bank accounts, gift cards, any sort of payment, etc.........isn't it obvious AT THAT MOMENT that something is amiss?
Maybe I haven't had anyone try to properly scam me.
Maybe I haven't had anyone try to properly scam me.
JoeWras
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It is the heat of passion. We all like to think we won't bite. Myself included.
Yet, you hear of people who admit they knew about scams and still got scammed. Passion and emotion clouded their judgement. I'd like to think I wouldn't fall for it too. I can't imagine I would. But... it is good to discuss this and remind ourselves to be aware.
Keep your shields up.
JoeWras
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In summary, someone calls you with a spoofed number of your Insurance/Bank/Etc. and asks for important information.
The take away is: if you get a call from any of these, especially the "fraud department," simply hang up and return the call on your own to the known number. It will only cost you 1 more minute.
I got a call from my credit card fraud department and told them I need to call back using the number on the back of my card. She said she understood and encouraged me to do so. They won't be belligerent about it. Turns out it was real fraud.
Sojourner
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This part sounded familiar to me, from several voice-bot scam calls I've gotten in recent years. A computer generated voice says something like "You owe us money and fines from an unpaid debt that you have to pay right away. If you do not pay this money immediately, you will go to jail.... (blah blah blah)... You will be put in jail if you don't follow these instructions and pay what you owe." The wording reminded me of the way an 8 year old kid would write a threatening letter. It's mind boggling how unsophisticated and laughable some of these scam operations are.
easysurfer
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I almost got scammed the first year of the ACA. Had an automated call saying this was BCBS, have my name, and said to call a number about my application. The ACA, first time around, I almost called back thinking the call was legit. The Caller ID was spoofed saying BCBS. But my gut told me to not call and I took a step back and called the published number on a BCBS letter. I mentioned about the automated call and they said that was a scam.
GreenEggs
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^^Exactly.
I usually tell scammers & spammers "I'm busy. Mail it to me and I'll get back with you."
Yes. That's why I posted this whole story....even I, as upset as I was, thanks to the many stories and warnings I'd heard about and read about, many on this website, was smart enough, and with it enough to realize we'd probably crossed into obvious scam territory.
My hope is that someone reading this will have learned from my experience here, and not get as far sucked in as I did.
What it cost me was a few minutes of my time, AND some considerable amount of anxiety, that would have been avoided if I'd just realized that if the DEA wants me they know how to find me. Absolutely don't talk on the phone with anyone who is trying to tell you they are a LEO and are investigating you ON THE PHONE.
Chuckanut
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I missed out on the 5 million also. But, I did get three goats which I rent out to people who want their lots cleared of brush and weeds.
I'm hoping that deal is still open. No point in passing up free money.
swakyaby
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Thank you for sharing that story. I recall receiving a phone call about 2 months after I had moved into a new town. The caller identified herself as the Vice President of the local branch of Wells Fargo (where I just happened to have an account). She was polite and friendly, and said she was reviewing the accounts and thanked me for being a customer. She then added that my first name is ________ , same as hers! Conversation was starting to get wierd, I thought. She said she was reviewing the accounts and noticed there was some information missing. She asked me to verify my social security number.
I said very coldly, I don’t offer that information to someone who cold-calls me on the phone. She apologized, and said “you’re right,” and to please call the branch when it opens. Then she hung up. It was 7:00 pm. What bank employee works at 7:00 pm?
I said very coldly, I don’t offer that information to someone who cold-calls me on the phone. She apologized, and said “you’re right,” and to please call the branch when it opens. Then she hung up. It was 7:00 pm. What bank employee works at 7:00 pm?
Maenad
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Score!
And thanks to the OP for this warning! Some scammers are sophisticated, and for a long time I've contended that there's always someone(s) out there meaner and more clever than each of us. Sometimes we're just unlucky enough to run into one of them.
latexman
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Everybody wants your money.
blueskyk
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I recently received a text stating my real name and “I need a favor from you, please contact me ASAP” . It was signed by the priest of my church. I don’t have him in my contacts so I responded with “sure”. After a little back and forth, the request was to pick up a gift card “for a friend who has cancer” and that he would pay me back. Weird, but ok, he’s an honorable man, my priest. Then of course, the dawning when I was instructed to “just send him the redemption code - no need to drop off the actual card. Uh, no, I don’t think so, I thought.
“Call me” I texted. And that was the end of it. But by this time I’m embarrassed to say I had revealed DH and I would be out of town for the weekend. If the scammer knew my name and my priest’s name, did he have the church directory with my address?
As noted several times in this thread, personalization that plays on an actual relationship, past activities or associations is really effective in scamming. I’m a fairly skeptical person and I got sucked in.
“Call me” I texted. And that was the end of it. But by this time I’m embarrassed to say I had revealed DH and I would be out of town for the weekend. If the scammer knew my name and my priest’s name, did he have the church directory with my address?
As noted several times in this thread, personalization that plays on an actual relationship, past activities or associations is really effective in scamming. I’m a fairly skeptical person and I got sucked in.
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Bryan Barnfellow
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This used to work for me...in the old days. As soon as I realized they were scamming me (they were confirming an "order" I had supposedly made for some useless products). This was at my office. I said OK, happy to do that, let me put you on hold for a minute, pushed a few buttons on my phone to make some electronic noise as though I were dialing another extension, then said, "Operator, yes, it's him, please start tracing." Instant hangup. Kind of brightened up my day.
-BB
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We attended a Fido event about a year ago where their security VP presented on scammers. What the OP is describing appears to be the highest level of scam where a high net worth person is targeted. These scams can get pretty sophisticated. It scared us enough to start using 2 factor authentication as well as purchase another PC that is used solely for ultra secure financial access and communications. Overkill, but it makes us feel good.
CoolRich59
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Yep. It’s classic F.U.D. (Fear. Uncertainty. and Doubt.) These people are masters at sowing it and exploiting folks who are normally level-headed and skeptical.
Koolau
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In the heat of an attack, it's difficult to recall the adage "Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear." If someone shows up with a badge and a gun, maybe. If someone calls - fugidaboudit. YMMV
Lienlord
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Craigslist Scammers
I listed a truck for sale on craigslist this weekend. And as usual, the first few days were beating away the scammers that pounce on new ads! It really gets old and tiresome to see them over and over, but I guess that’s just part of it. Even more frustrating now that craigslist charges you $5 to post a vehicle ad!
I listed a truck for sale on craigslist this weekend. And as usual, the first few days were beating away the scammers that pounce on new ads! It really gets old and tiresome to see them over and over, but I guess that’s just part of it. Even more frustrating now that craigslist charges you $5 to post a vehicle ad!
Teacher Terry
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Locally CL is not charging for vehicle ads. I am really sick of scammers and people in general since listing our motor home. People make appointments and never show. A few hours ago a man supposedly bought our RV and went to the bank for the money. We will see if he actually shows up.
Lienlord
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Well, I had to pay $5 to list my truck for sale on Sunday night. Are you suggesting I was scammed? Haha
Be careful immediately calling back using the number on the credit card. A couple in my hometown was recently scammed out of $35000 this way. The original scam caller actually suggested to the couple that they hang up and call back to the number on their bank card. This made them feel secure of course. But the scammer had some way to keep the line open after the couple thought they had hung up. The couple then dialled the number on their bank card, or they thought they had. The scammer was still on the line, and pretended then to be a rep from their bank. He helped the couple transfer their money to a “new account” so it would be safe. The sad part is that the bank won’t reimburse the fraudulently-obtained cash because the customers themselves did the transfer!!
COcheesehead
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My new neighbor just had this happen....
Received wiring instructions on the closing company’s letterhead in an email for her new house. Everything looked official. Money was wired. Someone at Wells Fargo caught it and said the person at the receiving end was not legit. The money was held. It took almost two weeks to get it back, even though it never hit the bad guys account. The closing was delayed, but eventually happened.
Apparently the email at the realtor was hacked. Never, ever put closing instructions in an email. We were told that when we bought our last house. Not everyone knows that.
We did a wire from Fido and we did everything over the phone with multiple security checks, i.e. they only called us at the number they had on file. Codes were texted only to that number as well. I was impressed with Fido’s handling.
Received wiring instructions on the closing company’s letterhead in an email for her new house. Everything looked official. Money was wired. Someone at Wells Fargo caught it and said the person at the receiving end was not legit. The money was held. It took almost two weeks to get it back, even though it never hit the bad guys account. The closing was delayed, but eventually happened.
Apparently the email at the realtor was hacked. Never, ever put closing instructions in an email. We were told that when we bought our last house. Not everyone knows that.
We did a wire from Fido and we did everything over the phone with multiple security checks, i.e. they only called us at the number they had on file. Codes were texted only to that number as well. I was impressed with Fido’s handling.
Yup, absolutely correct. As a former federal LEO, we had warrants in-hand when we knocked on doors, & no warnings. We never made threats, either...or, rather, I never made any, to be accurate.
It couldn't be easier to spoof your phone number, these days. Just browse to https://www.spoofcard.com/free-spoof-caller-id & you can try it out, for free. So, seeing a caller-ID number from DEA or the FBI doesn't mean anything, & I just tell the idiots to call my former boss! So far, I haven't heard back from any of them.
