Latest Scam

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by onegoodman, Mar 26, 2012.

  1. onegoodman

    onegoodman Private First Class

    Theres a scam out there involving a walmart $1,000 gift card. I did not respond but I understand they ask for your SSN and bank account if you do respond. Alert any elders you know to this scam. I have blocked all texts from .coms or emails from my phones so if you want to text you have to do it from a phone.
     
  2. gman863

    gman863 MajorGeek

    The best advice you can give isn't about a single scam; it's about the warning signs of most any scam. If an e-mail or online offer contains any of the following, it's almost certain it's a scam:

    * A statement you have won a gift, inheritance, lottery, money or other item of value.

    * A request for personal information (even just your full name and complete street address is enough for some scammers to perform ID theft).

    * Any offer requiring you to send payment to claim a prize or as a "good faith" measure.

    * The scammer sending you money to deposit in your bank account. The check/money order is always a fake - when it bounces, you (not the scammer) are liable for the entire amount and may face criminal charges.

    Bottom line: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
     
  3. onegoodman

    onegoodman Private First Class

    This scam comes in as a text message on mobile phones.
    It seems that the elderly are falling victim to this.
     
  4. hrlow2

    hrlow2 MajorGeek

    I get them on yahoo.com and gmail.com on my desktops.
    Goes out with the rest of the trash.
     
  5. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Honestly, there is nothing different about this than all the rest. Nothing has changed other than the method of transmission. There have always been con men and thieves and there always will be. The vulnerable ones are also the same...the elderly and those that don't educate themselves on the technology that they use. Its sad, but really the only thing you can do is continue to tell those that may not know about the warning signs.

    Basically, gman laid it all out.
     
  6. silas

    silas MajorGeek

    somthing funny was earlier today i read the thread. my mom gave me scam letter from mail. then she said she got a txt. saying she could get 50.00 from walmart. to send info. i told her. we must not be good enough for higher amount
     
  7. COMPUABLE

    COMPUABLE First Sergeant

    >> The vulnerable ones are also the same...the elderly and those that don't educate themselves on the technology that they use. Its sad, but really the only thing you can do is continue to tell those that may not know about the warning signs. LauraR <<

    So true... So true... <unfortunately> :(

    Back in 2004 there was a very nice elderly couple living next door to me in my building and one time the wife got an e-mail which she said "looked official" from a company that offered a 50% reduction on their credit card rates. So she clicked on the link and proceeded to provide her name, address, phone number, social security number (and their three credit card numbers) onto the online-form on the e-mailers' website. Luckily, her son was visiting them at the time and stopped her just before she clicked the OK or 'send' button!

    The moral of the story: Don't ever be tempted to open ANY messages from unknown senders - no matter how good a deal it looks like or how authentic the e-mail looks; the risk of getting ripped off is always very high from such solicitations. The very best internet credit card fraud protection begins by totally avoiding clicking on any unsolicited e-mails that are received in your inbox in the first place. Immediately delete messages you suspect to be spam. And it is especially a good idea to never - ever - respond to any emails that request you provide your credit card info via email and especially do not ever respond to emails that ask you to go to a website to verify personal - especially credit card - information (for those who may not know it; these are known as 'phishing' scams).

    Good Luck... COMP
     
  8. dyamond

    dyamond Imelda Marcos of Majorgeeks

    There is a lot of these scams going around of facebook. I've seen at least 3 retailers get hit with *get a free $500 gift card from [retailer]* scam. Then people who aren't elderly and should know better are going on to these retailers pages, walmart for example, and asking them where is their gift card? I've seen companies then have to post that ANY "deal" would come strictly from them and not some third party and never give out personal info and these people STILL get mad because they aren't getting their gift card! Greed, I tell ya.. that's all it is.
     
  9. Phantom

    Phantom Brigadier Britches

    Yep, it's not so much age, as the 'greed factor'. Everyone, whether they admit it or not, likes the idea of scoring something for nothing, or very little effort. But the only ones scoring something for nothing are the con-people making the "generous" offers.
    Fact of life - money and credit for same, are a very desirable commodities. Everybody wants some of yours. Not everyone is prepared to work for it, or provide something for it - they'd rather steal it. And there is ALWAYS a sting in the tail.
    Always a matter of "user beware".
    Another one going around is:- They ring you up, (always on a private No.). Claim to be from so-and-so bank, (they just pick the most common name for your area and hope that they get lucky and fool you). They ask if you're such-and-such person and ask you to "press 1". You go through this a few times, then they switch you to an 'operator' that starts asking you for bank account and personal I.D. No.'s and so on.
    If you haven't tweaked already, a bank ringing you up to find out their own customer's account No.'s should be ringing alarm bells, anyway. Yeah, it's another scam, of course.rolleyes
     
  10. BILLMCC66

    BILLMCC66 Bionic Belgian

    I received one today and it has a new twist to itby opening with "Hello Dear"
    As said in the earlier post

    If it sounds too good to be true it is.
     
  11. silas

    silas MajorGeek

    somethhing sad here is. my friends grandpa gots many acer farm and land and many farm equpment and over 500k in bank. alk paid off. well gdpa got re married. that woman believes she going to get that million dollar from africa. she withdrawn all money

    Sent that money over the last 5 years. gdpa had to get loans on all farm equipment and farm. and that moneys almost gone. gdpa change number and gdma calls africa telling them they got new number lol. she get many envelopes ea day.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2012

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