What new scams have you spoted lately

[Mbroady]

Any new scams (or old ones) come across your screen, or in the mail lately.

I do think its always good to assume it’s a scam, rather then to learn the hard way, but some are so obvious. Regardless, Let’s share in an effort to educate the less experienced.

This is latest for me and I had at least a dozen emails in the last week, all from different email address containing an almost identical message....funny thing is I don’t have a website.........yet

“Hi,

I was checking your website on behalf of this email (insert email) and I see you have a good design and it looks great, but it's not ranking on Google and other major search engines. Do you want more targeted visitors on your website?

We can place your website on Google's 1st page. Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest etc.)”


Hmmmmm, ok I’ll respond....NOT

[catndahats]

I've experienced 3 lately---oh lucky me!

1. I posted a few weeks ago about being scammed by a fraudulent ad on FB----fell for it hook , line, and sinker. Not sure if that is new, but the level of sophistication was enough to fool this old (and very careful) guy on several levels.

Because of that, we cancelled cards, changed our phone numbers, and all the joys that come with trying to get our money back from the fraud.

2. another scam/fraud I experienced recently was receiving a text from our mobile phone carrier asking if I authorized an in store purchase---did not answer the text, but called the carrier. Sure enough someone had gotten our account information, physically went into a store, displayed fake ID, and purchased 2 new devices on our account. It was obviously fraud, and we were let off the hook. Never really got a complete answer as to "how" they did this. But when I went in to buy a new phone the other day, the manager told me that they are having people hack accounts, and somehow forward calls/texts/alerts to the fraudsters phone so that the legitimate account holder never knows until the bill comes in...it is cray-cray the level thieves go to to steal.

3. Another just happened yesterday:
Got a text on my brand new phone and phone number (that no one knows) from "Home Depot" saying I won something, blah, blah, blah...using my name, but asking for personal information--looked at home depot account and of course I won nothing they knew of....how crooks get that information still amazes me

[619TF]

IMHO there really aren't too many "new" scams around. Just variations on the old and plenty of new victims.

[offkey]

Nothing new, but I keep having long lost relatives die in Canada and some kind lawyer has discovered that I am heir to 3 or 5 and this last time 10,000,000$! As soon as have some free time I will follow up and then I can buy all the guitars listed in the classifieds.

[RP]

Just as soon as I've sold and purchased my "last" guitar, you scoundrels draw me back in to buy another. I'm just glad that this isn't an automobile forum...

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by catndahats

3. Another just happened yesterday:
Got a text on my brand new phone and phone number (that no one knows) from "Home Depot" saying I won something, blah, blah, blah...using my name, but asking for personal information--looked at home depot account and of course I won nothing they knew of....how crooks get that information still amazes me

I got that one a couple of days ago. Home Depot seems to be quite happy to communicate with me through my account on their app, so this text looked suspicious from the start. Ignore, delete, forget.

[Busdriver63]

Phone call from Apple Inc.

[Mr. Paul]

People are paying face value for NY Jets tickets!

[Lkristians]

Originally Posted by Mr. Paul

People are paying face value for NY Jets tickets!

Spit take, and this coming from a Jets fan!

[buddyhu]

I've gotten a couple of voicemails asking if a transaction in myCoinbase account is authorized. Your guessed it…..I don’t have a Coinbase account.

But I guess it doesn’t cost much to send robocalls to a bunch of phone numbers and hope that you net a few folks who will help you steal from them.

[rllink]

I got scammed. Ordered some very expensive jewelry for the wife and instead they sent me a guitar and an amp. I tried to return it and as far as I can tell the company was a fake so I'm stuck with it.

[High_Colorado]

Originally Posted by rllink

I got scammed. Ordered some very expensive jewelry for the wife and instead they sent me a guitar and an amp. I tried to return it and as far as I can tell the company was a fake so I'm stuck with it.

Would you mind sending me the name of that company please?

[The Watchman]

texts or emails from delivery companies (like Fedex) about a pending delivery needing fees paid.

Recruiters saying they have a job for me by name, if I share my info so they can contact me.

[mr. beaumont]

I've gotten 2 scam texts in the last month, claiming to be from the US Postal Service, who was unable to deliver a package...they give you a link which does NOT link to the USPS site.

With all the packages being delivered this time of year, I'm sure they'll catch somebody with this one...

[tinnitus]

I don't know if this is a new one or not:

I get several emails daily from what might be legit companies engaged in the despicable practice of buying lists of email addresses to bombard with unwanted ads - junk mail.

- Schwan's Delivery
- Gutter Protector
- Norton
- McAffee
- GoldcoIRA
- Dino-in-the-box
- Hello Fresh
- Fidelity Life
- Medicareplanning
- weedkillerclaim
etc., etc., etc.

At a glance, it would seem that I could simply scroll down within each of those emails, select the blue "unsubscribe" link and opt out of receiving their daily BS. But, is this email from an actual "Home Depot Affiliate?" Or is it some scammer using a (kind of) familiar name in order to collect my responsive email address when I reply? And then sell it down the line as an actual live account to be sold again and further exploited?

AGF is a genteel and polite forum, so I will abstain from articulating the violent, painful indignities I would wish upon those select solicitors listed above, and all the rest. Instead, let's just say I would love to see them all disappear abruptly.