Were you ever scammed or almost scammed? Share your story.

[2177V]

Today, my wife, who owns a business received a text message from PG&E which is our power company in California. The text message claimed that they are from the PG&E Disconnection Department and they are scheduled to shutoff the power to my wife's business which generates approximately $1,000 to $2,000 in daily revenues.

The scheduled shutoff is that same morning and text message left a message to call a number. I called that number and the rep stated he needed a $300 deposit so PG&E can change out the PG&E electrical meter in order to suspend the shutoff. I initially stated OK since it was only a $300 deposit.

However, they then wanted me to buy a MoneyPak Green Card from WalGreen Drug Store instead of paying by credit card. That raised red flags in my mind. In any case, I listened to his instructions which is to buy the $300 MoneyPak Green Card from WalGreen and scratch off the security code on the back and then call the same number and provide the security code to him so he can suspend the power shutoff.

I immediately called the PG&E office phone number listed on our utility bills. PG&E office confirmed it was a scam. They were very clever because my wife's business could not afford a power shutoff and $300 was a relative minor expense that I was willing to pay because of our potential loss revenues. The PG&E office stated that the text mail was probably sent to many thousands of phone numbers so they just needs a few hundred people to bite on it.

Anyone out there should share their experience of being scammed or almost being scammed for the benefit of other members.

 

[ERD50]

" ...text message left a message to call a number. I called that number".

Stop right there. A text like that has "spam" written all over it, the last thing you do (unless you are just curious about the scam) is to call a number or email or website that they give you.

If you have any real concern of it being legit, go immediately to your second step - call the company directly using a publicly available number. If people did that, there would be no scams like this. It's pretty simple.

And if you gave them $300, they'd start in on the next play, and say something else requires $3,000. They know they have a 'live' one.

-ERD50

 

[lauradrops]

Probably about 15 years ago we got a notification from my husband's credit card company that our cash advance of 10k would be delayed along with an apology for the delay.

Being that we didn't ask for a cash advance, we called immediately. The CC company said they could not stop the cash advance and that we had to report it to the police. We did just that and the 10k was sent to someone in Pennsylvania who had stolen my husband's identity.

We know he was caught and we were not responsible for the 10K. We weren't filled in any further beyond that. It will always be a mystery.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have had so many calls from scammers. Usually, they don't leave a message, but perhaps once every week or so, one would leave a message and a number for us to call. It may be the "IRS" threatening to put me in jail if I don't pay up, or Paypal or Amazon who is processing an order that I know nothing about and I have to call to stop it, etc...

I once thought of writing down their phone number and reporting it, but it's most likely a throwaway number that cannot be traced. So, I just erase their messages.

 

[kcowan]

I bought a $100 wall paper certificate in a startup mining operation. I kept it framed to remind me....

 

[1242Vintage]

Traveling from Mexico to the U.S. last week we had to get a Covid test in Mexico for $18 each in order to fly back. The negative results came via email to my phone after I paid the $18 for the test, but before the actual test (nasal swab) occurred

Obviously was scammed for $18!?

My lovely wife asked if anyone tests positive. The medical technician said politely that positive never happens and now I understand why.

 

[Sunset]

Traveling from Mexico to the U.S. last week we had to get a Covid test in Mexico for $18 each in order to fly back. The negative results came via email to my phone after I paid the $18 for the test, but before the actual test (nasal swab) occurred

Obviously was scammed for $18!?

My lovely wife asked if anyone tests positive. The medical technician said politely that positive never happens and now I understand why.

I need that kind of testing facility so I can go on a cruise.

 

[Walt34]

We've never been scammed (retired fraud investigator lives here) but not for lack of trying on their part. I'll give them an "A" for perseverance though - they keep warning me that the warranty is about to expire on my 19-year-old pickup truck.

 

[RobbieB]

They never end;

IRS has filed a lawsuit
IRS has issued a warrant for my arrest
IRS has filed a lien on my house
A $1300 I phone has been ordered on my amazon account

The iphone people called a dozen times before they stopped. Yeah, just checked my amazon orders and guess what? No phones ordered. As I expected.

Oh I forgot all the free vacations I won too. Keep them please, don't need another time share sales pitch. Of course, that's not a scam, just a pest.

They all talk to the machine and nobody else.

 

[natetheb]

Personally, I actually enjoy all the scam calls I have been getting lately. The latest type, which started last week, was a Medicare Free Offer type scam. At first I just hung up, but the next couple I decided to see how long I could keep them on the phone and feed them fake information before they got pissed and hung up on me. Sadly, my best time was 10 min, 15 seconds. My next goal is 15 minutes, but I haven't been getting any calls lately so I wonder if they blacklisted my number....?

 

[ERD50]

Personally, I actually enjoy all the scam calls I have been getting lately. The latest type, which started last week, was a Medicare Free Offer type scam. At first I just hung up, but the next couple I decided to see how long I could keep them on the phone and feed them fake information before they got pissed and hung up on me. Sadly, my best time was 10 min, 15 seconds. My next goal is 15 minutes, but I haven't been getting any calls lately so I wonder if they blacklisted my number....?

That would be great! But I fear (somewhat irrationally) that some smart-alek at the call center will put my phone on continuous auto-dial, or random attacks in the middle of the night.

-ERD50

 

[ivinsfan]

Just as a side comment I thought it was pretty much standard procedure to get the proper contact number for the entity such as power company and call them directly.


Wouldn't you actually know if you had paid your power bill?



Certainly our cell phone numbers aren't secret anymore...

 

[easysurfer]

Almost got scammed the first year Obamacare came into effect.

I had an automated voice mail with a recording saying the call was from BCBS. Caller ID said BCBS, even addressed me by name.

I'm sure the scammer was trying to steal personal information.

 

[ERD50]

Almost got scammed the first year Obamacare came into effect.

I had an automated voice mail with a recording saying the call was from BCBS. Caller ID said BCBS, even addressed me by name.

I'm sure the scammer was trying to steal personal information.

I seem to remember one of those. I was with BCBS, so not too surprised they'd call, but soon into the convo, they asked me to ID myself. I said "You called me, who were you calling?". They tried again, but I wasn't going to provide anything, hung up. Contacted BCBS, and they said they didn't have any reason to call.

I think there were only a few carriers in IL at the time, so they'd have a pretty high hit rate with any IL area code.

-ERD50

 

[CardsFan]

A few years back, I got a call, at work, from XYZ bank saying my car payment (low interest) had not been made, and do you want to pay now to avoid a fee?

I told them I was leery and would call the number on the bill. They were polite and said "no problem, we understand".

Turns out it was legit. I had forgot the payment, and they saved me the late fee by letting me know, and understood my hesitancy on the original call.

Lately we have both been getting spam texts. We know not to open them, but it is a pain.

 

[NW-Bound]

The OP was talking about a threat to cut-off power to his wife's business. I just now recall a similar incidence with my business office quite a few years ago.

I managed a local business office for a small company of which I was a partner, and the rent and electric bill were paid by our financial guy in the main office on the east coast. One day, I received a letter by the electric company threatening to shut off the power soon if they did not receive last month's bill soon. Mad as I was at the financial guy who forgot to pay the bill, I had to drive to the electric company office to pay in person.

A legitimate business would not make you pay via a gift card, or through Western Union, or any untraceable means.

 

[athena53]

Lately I've been getting e-mails confirming that my Norton Anti-Virus subscription has been renewed for some crazy amount ($300-$400) and will be charged to my credit card. For more information call this number...

I don't have a subscription and the times I've gotten that message I've monitored my 2 credit card accounts. Nothing showed up. I'm guessing that many people call to protest and give away too much info.

And-periodically someone uses our priest's name on an e-mail account they create and asks for gift cards to give to women with cancer, people at the hospital, church staff, etc. He's in a lot of meetings so can't get them but he'll pay me back. Just buy them, scratch off the back to reveal the number and send him photos. Uh-huh. I go back and forth with them saying what a pleasure it would be for me to be with him when he gives them out, or offering to bring them to church.... Nope. When I ask a question only he would know (whose funeral did we have most recently?) they slink away. Sadly, one of our parishioners got scammed by one of these e-mails.

 

[RobbieB]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the "computer scams"

This is Microsoft technical support and we see that your computer has been infected with...

Sure it has...

 

[CardsFan]

Lately I've been getting e-mails confirming that my Norton Anti-Virus subscription has been renewed for some crazy amount ($300-$400) and will be charged to my credit card. For more information call this number...

I don't have a subscription and the times I've gotten that message I've monitored my 2 credit card accounts. Nothing showed up. I'm guessing that many people call to protest and give away too much info.

I forgot. I got that one about 2 days ago.

 

[Calico]

They never end;

IRS has filed a lawsuit
IRS has issued a warrant for my arrest
IRS has filed a lien on my house
A $1300 I phone has been ordered on my amazon account

The iphone people called a dozen times before they stopped. Yeah, just checked my amazon orders and guess what? No phones ordered. As I expected.

Oh I forgot all the free vacations I won too. Keep them please, don't need another time share sales pitch. Of course, that's not a scam, just a pest.

They all talk to the machine and nobody else.

I got this one last week, but mine was an $1100 I phone. I guess the scammers liked you better!

 

[HenryD]

Call from the 'grandkid'. 'I'm in jail in Mexico, send money, don't tell mom & dad'. Cost a family member several k.

I used to get voicemails warning that my 'social security account is about to be canceled'. My phone's been doing a pretty good job of labeling 'potential spam'.

 

[2177V]

" ...text message left a message to call a number. I called that number".

Stop right there. A text like that has "spam" written all over it, the last thing you do (unless you are just curious about the scam) is to call a number or email or website that they give you.

If you have any real concern of it being legit, go immediately to your second step - call the company directly using a publicly available number. If people did that, there would be no scams like this. It's pretty simple.

And if you gave them $300, they'd start in on the next play, and say something else requires $3,000. They know they have a 'live' one.

-ERD50

Actually I did PG&E a favor. When I discussed the scam with PG&E and I told them about my call and that the scammer was waiting for me to call them back with the security code of the cash card.


PG&E informed me that they intend to call that number and identify the scammer as myself and give them a false security code and then attempt to tie up the phone line so that the law enforcement can trace the phone number to the location. In any case, this scam is common but they needed a live person on the other line for a certain amount of time in order for law enforcement to trace the line.

 

[athena53]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the "computer scams"

This is Microsoft technical support and we see that your computer has been infected with...

Sure it has...

I borrowed a reply from someone who posted here.. short pause followed by, “But I don’t HAVE a computer!” In a bewildered voice.

 

[Scrapr]

Back in the 70's I was treasurer for my fraternity. Got a call at dinner time from a light bulb salesman. Send a check here and receive xxx light bulbs. I bit on it. Never did get a big box of light bulbs

 

[SecondAttempt]

One of my hobbies is "scambaiting." It involves engaging with the scammers to basically waste their time although it is fun to get them really angry and frustrated or get them to do things like make signs or paint their bodies with embarrassing sayings.

I just dropped one this morning that I have been jerking around for almost 2 years. He now thinks I am able to track him and the boss and that I am going to tell the bosss he gave me information.

I do not suggest others try this unless you have the computer and other skills to protect yourself. I have developed some useful tools to make things more convincing including IDs, wire transfer confirmations, Western Union confirmations and so forth. I even have pictures of gift cards. There are various online tools that can be used to track someone if they click on a link or open an attachment. And the bait of a western union confirmation number is too hard to pass up for most of them. I even have a fake law firm website that can get involved when needed.

There are great Youtube videos of people doing this and really messging with the scammers.

And bonus...I now know how to cuss someone out in a couple of Nigerian languages! If that's not a useful life skill I don't know what is.

I am careful where I select my targets and never go after someone who has targeted me because then they could know my real information.