The scams are getting really sophisticated now.

[Blackswanwood]

I read somewhere, a few years back, that scammers tend to make the first approach fairly obvious, as that way they filter in the gullible victims. They don't want to waste time trying to scam the tech savvy ones.
I've only fallen for something once, which was a fake USA visa waiver site. In my defence, I had suddenly remembered that mine had expired the night before the flight. However, I'd been through the process many times, and should have smelt a rat, especially when I was charged $80. Luckily, I made a Giant Fuss, and PayPal eventually refunded my money.

I’d say they look for who is vulnerable (not savvy, savvy but in a rush, disorientated due to a crisis such as bereavement etc) John.

A quite common tactic if they manage to engage is to then make contact under a separate guise (law enforcement or bank) to say they spotted a fraud about to occur and tricking the victim into transferring funds for safe keeping.

I have some professional experience of both preventing and picking up the pieces after the event. The perpetrators work in rings and pass potential victim details around. A lot of the perpetrators are also involved in other aspects of crime (human slavery and people trafficking). Technology providers and social media could do a lot more to help … closing down scam advertising and preventing call masking are two examples.

The perpetrators really are the sperm of satan!

 

[Spectric]

The scamers only exist due to a combination of stupidy, gullability plus some vanity. The only people who should experience this issue are those that are medically impaired and no longer fully compos mentis. Lets be really honest here, if you are a wrinkly old man then why would some amazing thirty year old female be interested in you, that is if they are really female and the picture is real so be honest with yourself and don't start giving your money away. Apply common sense, you work hard for your money so don't give it away because some scumbag gives you some bullshieete story in an attempt for you to just hand it over.

 

[johna.clements]

The scamers only exist due to a combination of stupidy, gullability plus some vanity. The only people who should experience this issue are those that are medically impaired and no longer fully compos mentis. Lets be really honest here, if you are a wrinkly old man then why would some amazing thirty year old female be interested in you, that is if they are really female and the picture is real so be honest with yourself and don't start giving your money away. Apply common sense, you work hard for your money so don't give it away because some scumbag gives you some bullshieete story in an attempt for you to just hand it over.

It is easy to blame the victim.

Everybody can be conned.

 

[Spectric]

Everybody can be conned.

Only if you are receptive, never believe anyone on the phone and treat all personal data as for you only and disclose nothing. Never use the device you were contacted on to phone your bank, always use another device and think that everyone is out to steal from you and you will be ok.

 

[johna.clements]

Only if you are receptive, never believe anyone on the phone and treat all personal data as for you only and disclose nothing. Never use the device you were contacted on to phone your bank, always use another device and think that everyone is out to steal from you and you will be ok.

Everybody is receptive to cons at some point. Its just a matter of when the sprouts catch you off guard.

 

[Agent_zed]

Facebook marketplace is full of scammers. Loads of adverts for things that are clearly too cheap. E-bikes for £90 and was looking at chicken sheds the other day and loads of those again for about £90. The pictures are clearly stock images and there is no way they are that cheap.
Out of interest I enquired to know what the scam is and they try and point you to a website or get you to pay and it will be delivered (yeah right). The one website I looked at was branded 'Cost-co' and had taken loads of bits from the genuine Cost-co site but clearly had nothing to do with the actual company.

I remember a few years back trying to sell an old car for spares/repairs on gumtree and a chap contacted me and said he wanted it for his son and that he would pay full asking price but was disabled so couldn't come and collect it himself but would arrange for someone else to collect. I said ok but I want cash on collection. To which he said he was unable to leave the house to get any cash. We went back and forth a bit but clearly he was trying to get me to allow someone to pick the car up and would then claim it he never recieved it and the collection wasn't anything to do with him or that he paid for the car on collection. Would be hard for me to prove otherwise.

 

[johna.clements]

Some one related this to me at work a few years ago.

Someone knocks on the door. "Hi we were fitting carpet down the road and have a large off cut. we don't want to drive back to the yard would you like to buy it off us for £50. " This was a while ago when £50 was worth more.
They try a few doors until they find someone who wants a carpet and is willing to look. The person goes out to the van they unroll the carpet to so the person can look at it. They like the carpet, it is big enough for the room that needs a new carpet so they hand over the £50. Latter they unroll the carpet and discover that it has a big hole in the middle.

 

[Spectric]

I think the secret to not getting scammed is being realistic and having your feet on the ground.

Someone knocks on the door. "Hi we were fitting carpet down the road and have a large off cut. we don't want to drive back to the yard would you like to buy it off us for £50. "

Seen this but with mattresses, often second hand but with a new fancy cover.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, if offered anything that seems tempting, immediately put your guard up and question yourself hard because nothing in the real world comes easy or for free.

 

[johna.clements]

I think the secret to not getting scammed is being realistic and having your feet on the ground.


Seen this but with mattresses, often second hand but with a new fancy cover.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, if offered anything that seems tempting, immediately put your guard up and question yourself hard because nothing in the real world comes easy or for free.

Somethings do come easy and free. The problem is knowing which are genuine and which are scams.

Do you turn down the free and easy because it could be a scam.
The men with the carpet could have just had too much carpet and did not want to take it back to the supplier.

It is not very helpful to others or yourself to state that the stupid and gullible fall for scams. Most people do not think they are stupid or gullible and so by your logic " they could not fall for a scam". If they do not think they could fall for a scam they are more likely to fall for a scam because they will be overconfident.

 

[John Brown]

To get back to the original post, I personally doubt that's genuine. I think someone produced that for a joke.

 

[johna.clements]

It's a joke, I thought it was funny.

No need to be insulting.

Yes it is an obvoius joke. But sadly sensible people do fall for stupid stuff.

 

[NFav]

We had a very convincing scam attempt at work a few weeks back, a call from the bank about some suspicious attempted withdrawals.
The thing is they had some very accurate and recent information on our business account activity and I was fully drawn in for a while, it was only when they were getting me to download a remote access program we started to get suspicous.
So while I was 'having trouble' downloading the program, my business partner rang our banks fraud line, and surprise surprise, no one from the bank was on the phone to us let alone asking us to download anything. My partner immediately said to me its a scammer, said scammer must have heard and hung up.
Just shows you can never be too careful.

 

[artie]

I have a few items on Market place. I got a msg asking if they're still available, I said yes. Then I received this.

Agree given the distance then I will make your payment via EMS EXPRESS delivery. EMS will send a postman to your home with cash in an envelope as soon as you receive the money, you will then give the item to the postman and he will send it to my home if that is ok with you?

I declined but wonder what the scam was?

 

[johna.clements]

I have a few items on Market place. I got a msg asking if they're still available, I said yes. Then I received this.

Agree given the distance then I will make your payment via EMS EXPRESS delivery. EMS will send a postman to your home with cash in an envelope as soon as you receive the money, you will then give the item to the postman and he will send it to my home if that is ok with you?

I declined but wonder what the scam was?

Sending cash is not safe but that does not mean its a scam.

But what are you supposed to do. Count the cash in case its is accidentally short.

If the cash is ok no problem but if not then what.

You accept the shortfall and hand over the goods and then never see the rest.

You return the envelope with the cash in and it disappears, then what.

 

[Blackswanwood]

The scamers only exist due to a combination of stupidy, gullability plus some vanity. The only people who should experience this issue are those that are medically impaired and no longer fully compos mentis. Lets be really honest here, if you are a wrinkly old man then why would some amazing thirty year old female be interested in you, that is if they are really female and the picture is real so be honest with yourself and don't start giving your money away. Apply common sense, you work hard for your money so don't give it away because some scumbag gives you some bullshieete story in an attempt for you to just hand it over.

So you’ve just branded members who have mentioned they’ve been victims of fraud earlier in the thread as stupid, gullible and/or vain . I doubt they are.

 

[Spectric]

Do you turn down the free and easy because it could be a scam.

Yes everytime unless I have made the first move, just watch the Tv program that looks into scams and if you are not shocked or bewieldered then I would be very concerned as you might be wide open to being scammed. Woman gets phone call, it's the police looking at catching some fraudsters and need her help. Bells should already be clanging like mad by now. They claim her money is going to be taken by fraudsters but if she helps them they can catch them in the act and save her money. What do I do she says, nothing until they contact you but we will be monitoring your phone and be ready to act, ok she says and call ends. Few days later she gets a call saying her money is at risk and she needs to transfer immediately to a safe account so she just obliges and allows the transfer, money gone. They probably played on her being a good citizen and not trying to take any money on the first call just primed her for the scam.

 

[woodieallen]

It's a joke, I thought it was funny.

No need to be insulting.

Then stick a smiley emoticon there. We're not mind-readers and you do have form.

 

[johna.clements]

Then stick a smiley emoticon there. We're not mind-readers and you do have form.

Most people realised that was satire.

I suppose you thinking that it was genuine proves my point that everybody can be conned.

 

[artie]

you do have form.

I assure you I don't.

Are you smarting from something that upset you previously?

Try to let it go.

 

[stuart little]

Facebook marketplace is full of scammers. Loads of adverts for things that are clearly too cheap. E-bikes for £90 and was looking at chicken sheds the other day and loads of those again for about £90. The pictures are clearly stock images and there is no way they are that cheap.
Out of interest I enquired to know what the scam is and they try and point you to a website or get you to pay and it will be delivered (yeah right). The one website I looked at was branded 'Cost-co' and had taken loads of bits from the genuine Cost-co site but clearly had nothing to do with the actual company.

I remember a few years back trying to sell an old car for spares/repairs on gumtree and a chap contacted me and said he wanted it for his son and that he would pay full asking price but was disabled so couldn't come and collect it himself but would arrange for someone else to collect. I said ok but I want cash on collection. To which he said he was unable to leave the house to get any cash. We went back and forth a bit but clearly he was trying to get me to allow someone to pick the car up and would then claim it he never recieved it and the collection wasn't anything to do with him or that he paid for the car on collection. Would be hard for me to prove otherwise.

Chicken sheds too 'cheep'!