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Started By
Message
Reminder to Warn Friends/Family about Internet Scams
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:09 am
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:09 am
Every few months I hear about a family member or friend's relative being duped via scams that are seemingly obvious to most of us. Today I heard from my former secretary (since retired) who was scammed out of $6K+. She found a seemingly reputable tech company via Google who removed a virus from her computer. Months later was asked about a refund and gave personal information and made payments in iTunes gift cards.
Last year it was my grandparents who were scammed by someone claiming to be their grandchild in the hospital following an accident.
Almost without fail, the scams involve payments made via iTunes gift cards and prey on the weaknesses of 60+ year olds.
Take five minutes and talk to older friends and family about these scams. They are all too frequent a few minutes of your time could save loved ones time and money.
Last year it was my grandparents who were scammed by someone claiming to be their grandchild in the hospital following an accident.
Almost without fail, the scams involve payments made via iTunes gift cards and prey on the weaknesses of 60+ year olds.
Take five minutes and talk to older friends and family about these scams. They are all too frequent a few minutes of your time could save loved ones time and money.
11
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:11 am to abitaman6363
You are surrounded by idiots in your life.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:14 am to rpr4695
quote:This is what I came to say, but then I read the OP.
You are surrounded by idiots in your life.
Those fricks prey on older people. And they get smarter and smarter and make it harder to spot the BS
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:14 am to rpr4695
quote:
You are surrounded by idiots in your life.
Shush! I'm about to hit him up to buy some prime farmland about 45 miles south of Miami FL using itunes cards!
Posted on 4/21/18 at 12:27 am to rpr4695
quote:
You are surrounded by idiots in your life.
You would be surprised at who falls for these things. Some of them you would least expect.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 1:04 am to Jim Rockford
I got an email from my Bil from another country asking for money one time! I deleted the email cause his sorry arse wasn’t getting my money anyway. They have to be targeting old people.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 1:42 am to abitaman6363
My dad went through something similar with my grandmother. Luckily he had a power of attorney for her and withdrew all her money from her checking account and basically gave her a monthly allowance and if she needed money for other things that were legitimate.
This post was edited on 4/21/18 at 1:43 am
Posted on 4/21/18 at 2:32 am to abitaman6363
I don’t understand how old people are so easily fooled. This shite is so obvious. Even if they have no idea what iTunes is, being asked to pay bills/ransom in gift cards is ridiculous.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 2:55 am to abitaman6363
Recently, my 90 year old Grandmother frantically called my Father and told him I had been arrested in the Dominican Republic after being found with drugs, and that I had called to ask her for a $3000 wire transfer to pay for my lawyer.
She had literally gone to the bank to do it, they told her the story seemed fishy and to talk to police. She went to the police, they said same thing and to not do it. She still went back to the bank and tried again and they told her no.
She proceeded to call my Dad back and was still certain it was me who called, and supposedly verbally assaulted my character and blamed me for putting her through this.
I got out of my class at A&M to like 20 missed calls and texts from my Dad. Needless to say I was confused as hell. To this day she still believes it was my voice on the phone. Crazy times we live in, lol.
We think her computer, from 2005, and almost assuredly still running Windows XP, allowed her email to become comprised ... because the caller apparently used my childhood nickname to persuade her that it was me.
She had literally gone to the bank to do it, they told her the story seemed fishy and to talk to police. She went to the police, they said same thing and to not do it. She still went back to the bank and tried again and they told her no.
She proceeded to call my Dad back and was still certain it was me who called, and supposedly verbally assaulted my character and blamed me for putting her through this.
I got out of my class at A&M to like 20 missed calls and texts from my Dad. Needless to say I was confused as hell. To this day she still believes it was my voice on the phone. Crazy times we live in, lol.
We think her computer, from 2005, and almost assuredly still running Windows XP, allowed her email to become comprised ... because the caller apparently used my childhood nickname to persuade her that it was me.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 3:00 am to abitaman6363
I heard there are clickers people are using now. They can walk up behind you in a line waiting to pay. Click this thing a few times and have all of your information on your debit card.
My bank gave me a sleeve to put my debit card in. Crazy times we live in is right.
My bank gave me a sleeve to put my debit card in. Crazy times we live in is right.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 3:10 am to Errerrerrwere
My cousin got a call at her home in Lake Charles saying that I had been arrested and needed money for bond and asked for her credit card number. The weird thing is that she has been married for about 5 years so we don’t even share a last name.
It really through them off because if anyone in our family would be calling from jail, then it would be me. They called my parents who in turn started calling me and some of my close friends to see if I had been arrested. I was on a bike ride and when I got home I had 20 damn missed calls and text about it. Luckily my cousin was smarter than the scam artist but I can see how an elderly person could fall for that...
It really through them off because if anyone in our family would be calling from jail, then it would be me. They called my parents who in turn started calling me and some of my close friends to see if I had been arrested. I was on a bike ride and when I got home I had 20 damn missed calls and text about it. Luckily my cousin was smarter than the scam artist but I can see how an elderly person could fall for that...
Posted on 4/21/18 at 3:11 am to abitaman6363
A few years back someone called my dad and said that his brother had been arrested and needed bail money (asked for a credit card number). Meanwhile, my dad doesn't have a brother. But I guess you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 3:20 am to abitaman6363
quote:
Months later was asked about a refund and gave personal information and made payments in iTunes gift cards.
what???Posted on 4/21/18 at 4:47 am to supadave3
quote:
but I can see how an elderly person could fall for that...
Absolutely. My mom is 85, and a widow. My father in law was living next door until a few months ago, and is 93.
When he got dementia, we had to watch every move he made because he trusted everyone, including complete strangers, and my husband even had to go thru his mail before he could get it because he'd write checks to anyone and got on so many lists it was ridiculous. He let people in his house that would knock on the door whether he knew them or not.
My mom has been much better. But I still try to remind her of all of the scams I hear about. She did fall for a paving company that "just needed to empty their truck for free." But when they went to the door with a bill, she got so pissed they decided it was better to leave. They were from Texas, and hit the elderly and were gone before the police found them.
The elderly aren't idiots. They grew up in a hugely different time. Technology was a phone that had an operator you told who you wanted to call. My mom remembers when they got indoor plumbing!
They don't think or react like they did 50 years ago. Some fast talking thief can convince them their grandkid is in jail with little effort. Or the IRS is going to throw them in jail if they don't get their credit card NOW.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 7:40 am to abitaman6363
The IRS spam calls I've been getting are pretty official sounding. I can see how they could easily hook someone.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 7:52 am to abitaman6363
Publishers clearing house got to my mom. We are still finding crap she bought from them. Occasionally she would get all dressed up and wait by the door for them to come with her prize money. We finally took away her check book and left a few of her bills from them unpaid. I sent them a letter saying she had died.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 8:19 am to lsuwontonwrap
quote:
But I guess you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
- Wayne Gretzky
- Michael Scott
Posted on 4/21/18 at 8:49 am to HueyP
quote:
Publishers clearing house got to my mom. We are still finding crap she bought from them. Occasionally she would get all dressed up and wait by the door for them to come with her prize money.
I am dealing with this issue. But she really got dressed and waited by the door? God, I feel so bad hearing that.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 9:08 am to JPinLondon
Yes she would sit there when my sister would leave the house and be there when she returned. It was so sad. No amount of talking would help. “ It was all in the letters”. If you read their letters they must be designed by someone that understands elderly brain degeneration. Just a word here are there hinting at the reality they are conning you.
To be honest it is very difficult to read them and not get excited. This company is criminal pure and simple.
To be honest it is very difficult to read them and not get excited. This company is criminal pure and simple.
Posted on 4/21/18 at 10:45 am to HueyP
My father in law used to be a rural carrier for the PO. When he'd get letters like that, he'd tell my husband that it can't be illegal, it came through the USPS. They wouldn't let anything illegal come through the mail.
That's what led to my husband getting his mail before he could.
That's what led to my husband getting his mail before he could.
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