Computer, & Phone Scams, Hacks, & Viruses

[mikepukmel]

All of the address info is back in post 67.
T

Thanks, ok yeah I get these too! Tons of them, mostly in my Hotmail account. Often some really funny sounding thing
that doesn't even try to mimic a valid sounding email address.

[big_teee]

Its ancient history now, but if you hit reply, of course don't send the reply, but if you hit reply, what is the destination full email? Would love to see that.

All of the address info is back in post 67.
T

[mikepukmel]

I got this email today.
It looks legit, but has to be a phishing scam.
I logged into prime, no notices.
Since nearly everyone now uses amazon, and prime, please be careful with your personal information!
See Screenshot.
T

Its ancient history now, but if you hit reply, of course don't send the reply, but if you hit reply, what is the destination full email? Would love to see that.

[Chuck H]

A while back my wife kept getting calls saying she had a payout due from an insurance company she'd never heard of. This went on every few months for over a year, then we had a letter that was very poorly written saying the same thing. The contact number was a premium rate so that got binned. Around two years after the 'scam' calls ended she received through the post a shares pack saying because the company was unable to contact us the cash value had been transferred to tradeable shares. We still didn't recognize the insurance company but there were instructions on how to trade in the shares for cash. We went to a bank in town that had a trading terminal for the public and with some guidance cashed in the shares - enough to buy a motorcycle she was considering at the time.

We asked at the bank about the shares. They looked up the company and it turned out to be the result of a series of takeovers and when the original company was taken over all the policyholders were awarded a cash sum because the company was mutually owned. It subsequently changed hands a couple of times more and the share value had risen far more than the original cash value.

The main problem all along was the whole thing looked like just like a scam.

I've had the same thing happen to me. I won't go through the whole story, but it was some small investment deducted from regular paychecks when I was younger. That along with two monthly bonuses payed relative to sales performance. This company had changed hands twice before the books settled. Not enough to buy a motorcycle, but IIRC I did get an ADAT home recording system

I don't remember the logistics now, but there use to be a free service through the department of the treasury that allowed you to look up any unclaimed money that might be allocated to you. That's actually how I found the money in the above scenario. It was mine, but just sitting in a bank earning interest for the company until I claimed it. That might explain why they never contacted me. And why many people aren't contacted. It turns out there's a lot of unclaimed money. In todays skeptical circumstances any attempt to pay out would be taken for a scam anyway.

[Mick Bailey]

A while back my wife kept getting calls saying she had a payout due from an insurance company she'd never heard of. This went on every few months for over a year, then we had a letter that was very poorly written saying the same thing. The contact number was a premium rate so that got binned. Around two years after the 'scam' calls ended she received through the post a shares pack saying because the company was unable to contact us the cash value had been transferred to tradeable shares. We still didn't recognize the insurance company but there were instructions on how to trade in the shares for cash. We went to a bank in town that had a trading terminal for the public and with some guidance cashed in the shares - enough to buy a motorcycle she was considering at the time.

We asked at the bank about the shares. They looked up the company and it turned out to be the result of a series of takeovers and when the original company was taken over all the policyholders were awarded a cash sum because the company was mutually owned. It subsequently changed hands a couple of times more and the share value had risen far more than the original cash value.

The main problem all along was the whole thing looked like just like a scam.

[Enzo]

Oh they all use spoof numbers these days. Here in the town of Mason, the local cable company provides VOIP phone, and all of them start with 604. A lot of the spoofs grab a local number to display. SO I get calls from Joe Blow from Mason at 604-1234, but I answer and it is the same "This is your last chance to receive lower credit card rates..." I am sure if I looked up Joe Blow in the phone book, it would be his real number. One day I got a call, looked at caller ID and the call was from...ME!!! I had to answer just to find out what I wanted.

[Chuck H]

Careful calling back, that is a ploy some use. An 800 number offshore somewhere and you call it and unknowingly are connected to a $5 a minute service.

I only return calls that I think might be someone I'd want to talk to. Right area code, maybe I recognize a couple of numbers in series, etc. I'd never call back on any obviously suspect number. Never an 800 number. It does seem though that these scam operators are able to attach local area codes and those numbers go defunct after a short time interval. Because I've seen that too. I'll call a number back and it will be out of service. Somehow they can forward to unclaimed numbers temporarily for their scams and then back out undetected leaving the number as they found it. "IT" is a wonderful thing for these guys with hacker/coders sneaking into grandma's house to bilk her out of anything they can steal.

As mods we see the same thing here on the forum. IP addresses that are located in Chico or the silicon valley that are part of a network that links direct to China but channels through a southern Cal service. Usually bots or spammers.

To use a modern colloquial, I'm woke.

[Enzo]

Careful calling back, that is a ploy some use. An 800 number offshore somewhere and you call it and unknowingly are connected to a $5 a minute service.

[Chuck H]

I don't answer my phone if I don't recognize the number. Occasionally there will be a piece of a voicemail saying something like "To clear up this matter you need to speak with..." or "It's urgent that you talk with us to avoid more penalties." etc. I never call those back, But sometimes will call a number back if I'm not sure I don't know them. Last time I did I just got a "Hello?" in a thick Indian accent. I said 'Yes, someone called me from this number.' Then I got "Who is this?" and some stammering, then "Oh,.. uh,.. This is Amazon. Why were you calling today?" I repeated 'Someone called me from this number.' Then they abruptly hung up.

That's a pretty typical rundown of how it often goes. If they choose to stay on the line I'll start messing with them until they hang up. I think that last one must be Terry's friends.

[Enzo]

We keep getting calls telling us a warrant has been issued for fraudulent activity on our social security account.. Press 1 to speak to an agent to arrange payment.

[big_teee]

I got two spam phone calls today.
Both saying my Amazon Prime account had been charged for a $150 dollar order.
To call if the charge was not correct.
I logged into my amz account and there are no such charges.
So Beware to all.
T

[eschertron]

Here's the email address it came from.
noreplys-accpt.track8339347153@attmailedwk7.com
Not from amazon.com
**
I just sent a copy of the emai to:
stop-spoofing@amazon.com

I've received an email recently that looked quite authentic. Better than what I've seen before. Unfortunately for the phisher, I don't hold an account with that business. And yes, I've gotten into that habit of looking at the source and return addresses of all email from any source that asks me to reply or click. Just personal business as usual today, I guess?

[big_teee]

Here's the email address it came from.
noreplys-accpt.track8339347153@attmailedwk7.com
Not from amazon.com
**
I just sent a copy of the emai to:
stop-spoofing@amazon.com

[Leo_Gnardo]

I got this email today.
It looks legit, but has to be a phishing scam.

Doesn't have the usual poor syntax & badly spelled words that are the major clues - the phishers are improving their game.

Smart move to check your account but NOT use any link in the email.

[big_teee]

I got this email today.
It looks legit, but has to be a phishing scam.
I logged into prime, no notices.
Since nearly everyone now uses amazon, and prime, please be careful with your personal information!
See Screenshot.
T