Posted on 11/27/2021 3:30:44 PM PST by ThunderSleeps
Just a heads up on a new (to me) scam.
Got a robo-call today allegedly from Amazon. Something about suspicious activity on my account. Ok, I pushed the button to talk to a real person.
A guy comes on the line and asks if I was purchasing an iPhone 11. I of course said no. (I'm an Android guy) He said fine, the purchase would be denied. (this is a key part of the scam)
I had him on speaker phone and went to my Amazon account. There was no record of an iPhone purchase. Now he claimed they had denied it. But it is just part of the setup because they are not affiliated with Amazon in the least.
He then said their "cyber team" would help correct and protect my account. He asked what kind of phone I had, iPhone or Android. He then said for the cyber team to help correct my account I needed to go to the play store and install "AnyDesk." I looked it up, it allows full remote access to your device. H**l no.
That's when I hung up on him. So be forewarned fellow freepers - there are new scams coming out all the time.
I have called people (like a hotel) and they call me back right away. “Okay - give me your VISA number and we can hold that room.”
I always hesitate, but then think “Okay - I left a message, they are calling back from the same number - it is probably okay.” (I hope!)
I got a text claiming someone bought $1000 with of stuff on my account. They’re working extra hard this year.
Never, never, never click on a link in an email. If AOL needs you to update something (and seriously AOL?) they will ask you to log into your account and update from there.
When I hover over the links they all have some portion that says AOL in them
That means nothing. Scammers often create email accounts that spoof real ones by being close to it or containing the company’s name somewhere in the string but often with other words, numbers, etc.
“with amazon you probably have to go through their internet system.”
We’ve had excellent customer service with Amazon the few times something hinky has happened with scams. They’ve answered the phone almost immediately, and have been tenacious in solving the problems.
800-388-5512 - Amazon Account Services
“Easily fix if you set up your account for 2-step authentication.”
That helped us. No phony purchases on our account after we did that. Once someone got as far as changing our password (which we fixed working with Account Services), but they could go no farther since the next code is texted directly to my cell phone.
“There is simply no way to call Amazon”
800-388-5512 - Amazon Account Services. Good to work with, in our experience.
I do that often; it’s fun. The best was when I pretended to go along with every step the guy directed me to do, and acting clueless about computers.
After about 20 minutes he asked me, “Now what do you see on your screen?”
I said, “I see the Virgin Mary.”
He shouted, “You see the Wurjun Mary?!”
I laughed and hung up.
“the Feds called the other day and said they were gonna sic the LEOs on me..”
Once Biden’s thug IRS army is established, these calls won’t be scams. They WILL sic LEO on us.
Peggy.
I like the way you think!
That does happen. I have left messages for work I need done from drainage/landscaping companies and they don’t always return calls with a name. I figure anything important will result in a message being left. I will not break my neck to get to a phone.
What I don’t understand is the many robocalls that come in and no messages are left. What is the purpose of that? They pile up in my phone and I have to delete SILENT messages to get the message button to stop blinking. I can block up to 50 numbers and then I delete everything and start blocking again.
You can be registered on DO NOT CALL and if you want to make a stink about it, I guess there’s $$ involved but who has time or energy for that fight? I wish people had to get permission to call our numbers and also permission to mail junk!
“First mistake: You answered the phone.”
Yep. I don’t answer my phone unless the person is in my contacts
To: ThunderSleeps
I can’t figure out why anyone answers any of those calls. If you don’t see a name you recognize, why answer? I don’t have anything except a cordless phone - I look at the caller ID, let it ring and if it goes to message, listen to silence and delete it and then block the number. Of course, they just call on a different number and the cycle repeats but I can keep blocking as long as keep calling. I don’t know why anyone would fall for any scam!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Having dumped my land line in the early 90s, over spam calls, not scam, I dumped my cell in the lead up to the 2016 election because of literally hundreds of calls and texts from political organizations all over the country, all wanting donations and they were overwhelmingly from republican campaigns. I get along just fine without any phone.
There is some scam out there where they want you to say yes or no. I can’t remember how the scam goes but either way I think they were recording your voice and using it latter. So basically all you want to ever say on a phone call where you don’t know who it is is probably “What do you want”, or something like that. I know it is rude etc but that is how it is now days.
Isn’t it hilarious that we have to PAY for these things (phones in this case) and yet we’ve grown totally leery about using them? Like it’s this little spy that sits on the table next to your bed, or in your backpack or your pocket. All. Day. And yet you never distrust it enough simply to let it go.
They should pay us to use this stuff. Especially “smart” phones.
Thats a crazy throw-back. I didnt even realize it still existed.
I don’t forward it. But you can copy and paste or just tell Amazon the source.
Risky, but the advanced part of that sage advice I’ve offered for years (perhaps stating the obvious, pertinent nonetheless):
1. Acquire and use a separate no-fee credit card with appropriate/low limit for travel use (airfare, hotels, car rental etc.),
2. Acquire & use a separate no-fee credit card for all out of state purchases (travel meals, sundries, gifts, etc.)
3. Online purchases:
a. Acquire a low limit, no-fee credit card SOLELY for online purchases,
b. Acquire a prepaid gift card for risky purchases that wouldn’t normally have purchase protection under the credit card (used items, online subscriptions etc.)
4. Use a separate credit card for all bill payments/recurring charges ONLY.
5. Keep track of the cards/accounts in a secure application. I use OneNote with a password protected page. There are apps, but I don’t trust anything which runs in an app, especially on a phone.
6. Never, EVER do banking on a phone except in an emergency.
7. Never, EVER do financial transactions on public WiFi or any public network (use your phone’s hotspot, card rules apply, and change passwords regularly).
Remember: Convenience breeds complacency, which leads to vulnerability and, eventually, loss.
PayPal obviously has its advantages, but I refuse to use it and am currently unaware of other secure, Conservative-friendly options. To-date, credit cards afford the user the best protection and, lastly, never, EVER use a debit card that’s associated with your primary account, especially for recurring charges (I have a secondary account which always has limited funds; my primary funds account is 2nd-savings, also with limited funds).
Most people are unaware that it’s not the card services which are vulnerable, but the dozens of card processing services...the ones which service the transactions online - which should ALWAYS be under a secure (HTTPS) server - and the little machines you slide your chipped card into.
One more thing: I never, EVER use a 3rd-party ATM, so I’m invulnerable to their software vulnerabilities, ‘card skimmers’ OR, for that matter, ATM fees.
And yes, my wallet is RFID shielded (highly recommended).
I know what you mean.
But also, the feature of knowing when not to answer makes it possible.
Caller ID was similar, but the level of info now is even better.
And I think there are more of these scam calls than in the past, but I could be wrong about that.
In the past we didn’t know who was calling. We had to answer the phone to find out.
And I will greet them with a shotgun as well. That jackbooted idiot sneaking up the path to the back yard is literally in for the surprise of his life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.