A New Method of Scamming Folks

[nicholst55]

It seems like there's a new (to me, anyway) method of scamming folks that involves the use of photo-sharing sites (Photobucket, etc.). Here's what the Internet Crime Complaint people and FBI have to say about it: Cyber Criminals Using Photo Sharing Programs to Compromise Computers (http://www.ic3.gov/media/2013/130530.aspx).

I'm also going to post a link to a post by Buddy Hinton on Sturmgewehr.com on helpful tips for spotting and avoiding scams. Buddy is one of those guys that you either love or hate, but he has some very useful information! Tips>Scammers-RedFlags (http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/general.cgi?read=73122)

As the economy continues to 'improve,' you can only expect these scams to increase in frequency and spread.

[41 mag fan]

Sheesh...people just don't have any moral anymore......where'd honesty and integrity and a mans word go...

[DCP]

One cant be too careful these days.

[km101]

If these people worked half as hard doing something honest they could be really successful. Instead they only succeed in being a PITA!

[perotter]

A new one here that has gotten a few people come from people in Nigeria(no surprise). What they do is look thru realtor lists that show pictures of an obvious empty house in nice shape. They download the pictures, address, etc. Then they list that house on the local Craigslist as being for rent at few hundred dollars less than normally would be.

Some one get a hold of them and is told that they had moved back to Nigeria and would rent out the house for a year. Getting a lot inquires, better hurry and look at it. But, their friend who has the keys and paper work is out of town for a week. The person looks at it ,decides they want it but really wants to go inside for a better look. The Nigerians tell them fine, just send them a months rent and they'll hold it. If they decide they don't want it, their friend here in town will refund the money. The money gets sent.

[elkhuntfever]

A new one here that has gotten a few people come from people in Nigeria(no surprise). What they do is look thru realtor lists that show pictures of an obvious empty house in nice shape. They download the pictures, address, etc. Then they list that house on the local Craigslist as being for rent at few hundred dollars less than normally would be.

Some one get a hold of them and is told that they had moved back to Nigeria and would rent out the house for a year. Getting a lot inquires, better hurry and look at it. But, their friend who has the keys and paper work is out of town for a week. The person looks at it ,decides they want it but really wants to go inside for a better look. The Nigerians tell them fine, just send them a months rent and they'll hold it. If they decide they don't want it, their friend here in town will refund the money. The money gets sent.

Yes, my military son was transferred from Seattle to Salt Lake City. He was almost caught in this type scam. He called me for advice as it sounded to good to be true. We figured it out before he was taken.

[Gliden07]

Got a call tonight saying my CC had been compromised press 1 to talk to our security dept. Hung up called the 800 number on the only 2 CC's I have and they told me it was a Scam. I knew something was up getting a call from them on a Sunday night around 6 P.M.!!

[randyrat]

I got scammed today. My boy needed some money I took out my billfold and handed him a 5 bill...He said; don't be silly dad I see you had a 20 in there, I can't buy anything with a $5......Never let anybody know what you have in your billfold.

On the serious side I'm glad you all are posting these scams, just maybe the crooks will have a tougher time

[bosterr]

I got a call from an obvious sounding indian woman who said she could see that I had not yet received my annual statement from Sirrius XM. She said if I wanted to give her my credit card number she could take care of it for me. I asked her how stupid she thinks I am to give my info to someone that could barely speak english. I dropped a bunch of rich curse words in her direction and hung up. The goofy area code is what made me suspicious.

[bob208]

i get them all the time. saying i have a bad debt. but if i give them my card number or checking number we can clear it right up.

[btroj]

If it involves Nigeria it is a scam.

It always amazes me that idiots fall for this stuff. How can anyone not be aware?

[cajun shooter]

It is very easy for people to fall into these types of scams. All it takes is a very naive Mr or Mrs Do Right who feels it is their job in life to help others. A lot of us fall into that group.
They play on two things that are very present in a lot of people. The first is that belief that one day you may be the one with the ship that comes in. The second is that person who is very greedy and has plenty of money that they have gotten very easy and they feel that their life's purpose is to have more. They don't care about anything else but how to increase more of what they have.
Think you may know anyone with these traits.
This is from scam cases that I worked as a Police Officer for many years. Later David

[km101]

I got a call from a well spoken, pleasant sounding, very professional young woman the other day. It was a weekday and during normal business hours. She said that she represented a radiologist who worked in XYZ Hospital. She said that Dr. "A" had read my X-rays while I was in the hospital, and had billed me but had never been paid. She said that this bill was more than 60 days overdue and she had been authorized to collect it. If I wanted to make payment arrangements now, she was authorized to settle the outstanding debt for 75% of the total bill.

Now I had been in the hospital about 3 months before, and I knew that some specialists bill separately from the hospital. At first this whole thing sounded legitimate and I almost fell for it, but fortunately my skeptical nature kicked in. I asked for her phone # and company name and said that I would call her back after checking my records. She then said that she would call me back in an hour as that would be the easiest way to make contact. The red flags went up immediately! I called the hospital and asked to speak to the doctor that she said was the radiologist. The hospital nor radiology department had ever heard of anyone by that name.

I never got a call back. The really disturbing part of the scam was it's professionalism and the amount of information about me that they had. They had enough information about the hospital and the way that the billing system works, and personal information about me and that I had been in the hospital to make me believe that it was someone who was either employed by the hospital or had been.

Either way they were good enough and believable enough that they almost got me. And probably have gotten others! So be very careful and never give anything out over the phone!

[gspgundog]

I once got a call from a nice young lady saying that she was with my cell phone company which she named and said I had won a free upgrade to the newest telephone at the time. She said she needed to verify my info and asked to verify the name and address she had listed on the account. She then told me my name and address and asked if that was correct, which it was. She said that the last two pieces of info she need was my social securtiy number and a cc to charge the shipping too. When she said that the hair on my neck stood up and I said that if she was from the company she already had my soc sec # and all I would verify was last four digits. She came up with a story about how their systems were not working correctly and that she could not get to the server with that info so I had to give her all the digits. Next sound she heard was a click.

[TXGunNut]

I've found that many folks ask for SSN's and don't really need them. Your doctor is one of them. Went to a new doctor awhile back and didn't fill in that blank on the form. I'll never write it down again without asking why they need it, no sense in having it written down in so many places.

[mroliver77]

They finally refused me service at the hospital without my SS number. Grrr. You people that get these calls, are they on a land line? I got rid of mine a few years ago as the taxes were more than the service. No scam calls anymore. No solicitors etc.
J

[dakotashooter2]

I t seems like so many scams com out of Nigeria........Something has always puzzled me. With an average income of around $2800/year where do they find the money for computers to do the scams on??????????????????