Scams are getting a lot more sophisticated?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
A little while ago, I got an email that looked like it came from my internet provider (ISP). I had to upgrade my email to 8.1. And there was a link to do that. The link messed up my email and I couldn't get my email. But for $55 I could get it back. BTW, I did check the sender and it appeared to come from my ISP.
Since then, I have been bombarded by all kinds of similar scams. I know I've been put on the sucker list. The graphics are really great, the English is correct; at first, the email sounds reasonable. And they've fixed some of the usual tells that this is scam. My ISP is Breezeline, and if you look at the sender, "Breezeline" is there, but you have to click on "sender" to get all of it, which is "Breezeline/internet/grofrtdent@hotmail.com
To me , it seems the scammers are getting more sophisticated.
 

That is really scary, Fuzzy, as I seem to be a prime target for this stuff. The latest scam is that they keep telling me I have bought some kind of crypto currency. (I don't even understand what that is!) I just ignore it, but it's alarming anyway, as it looks so real. Somehow, Paypal is mixed up in this, that's who I supposedly bought it from. And they include the amount I supposedly paid for this, which is always some number like
$749.32, to make it look more real.

You're right, they are getting much more sophisticated.
 
I posted about this in another thread, but originally intended to post it here. For the second time, I got a text for what I'm pretty sure is a
scam saying the Geek Squad charged me $397 to renew a 12 month subscription. Here are screenshots of the first one I received for $374. As you can see, everything about it, the format, the phone number looks hokey. Of course I did not call the number; I reported it as spam. The charges have not shown up on any of my accounts.

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*'NEW HOTEL SCAM!! *This is one of the smartest scams I have heard about. You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. Typically when checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for any charges to your room) and they don't retain the card. You go to your room and settle in. All is good. The hotel receives a call and the caller asks for (as an example) *room 620* - which happens to be your room.

The phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following: *'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information.**Please re-read me your credit card numbers and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.'*Not thinking anything wrong, since the call seems to come from the front desk you oblige. But actually, *it is a scam by someone calling from outside the hotel*. They have asked for a *random room number*, then *ask you for your credit card and address information.**They sound so professional, that you think you are talking to the front desk.

*If you ever encounter this scenario on your travels, *tell the caller that you will be down to the front desk to clear up any problems.*Then, *go to the front desk or call directly and ask if there was a problem.*If there was none, *inform the manager of the hotel that someone tried to scam you of your credit card information, acting like a front desk employee.*This was sent by someone who has been duped........and is still cleaning up the mess.
 
A scam is only as good as it's answered. I only deal with people and companies I initiate business with because I know them. Plus honestly, there is a certain degree of greed in most victims. I'm honest and very tight with a buck. Any purchase over $20 usually takes a few days of research and vetting.
 
spectratg said:
*'NEW HOTEL SCAM!! *This is one of the smartest scams I have heard about. You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. Typically when checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for any charges to your room) and they don't retain the card. You go to your room and settle in. All is good. The hotel receives a call and the caller asks for (as an example) *room 620* - which happens to be your room.
Click to expand...
Not new at all... that was has been around at least 15 years!

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hotel-room-credit-card-phone-call-scam/

Bottom line: NEVER give CC information to ANYONE who calls YOU!
 
Romance Scams are a global problem. I just watched several videos on YouTube covering this topic. The usual targets are older women using dating sites. Some have lost life savings. Some of the major news networks are covering this. This story appeared on Good Morning America.

 
I am normally on alert for scams. But one intrigued me, I didn't think there was any money for me, I knew they were trying to get $350.00 out of me, but curiosity got the best of me. Like a dim bulb I gave them our phone number.They would call every early morning then usually 2 or 3 times during the day every number I would block. It got to be kind of fun, however the last call I told them again "You are not getting any money out of me" then I blocked the call. I have over 50 numbers blocked. I haven't had a call for a couple of days, they need some new numbers I guess.
 
McBride said:
Romance Scams are a global problem. I just watched several videos on YouTube covering this topic. The usual targets are older women using dating sites. Some have lost life savings. Some of the major news networks are covering this. This story appeared on Good Morning America.
Click to expand...
I can see senior scams as being illegal but not romance scams. If a woman tells me loves me, but I send her money and I've never met her in person and I don't see the money again.....well that's on me, even at my age. I'ts called accountabilty.
 
My iphone has a wonderful option: you can block all calls from numbers that are not on your "contacts" list. You get a silent text message telling you that you received a call from such-and-such number, but the phone never rings, and you are never bothered by it. The callers go straight to voicemail.
The callers have an opportunity to leave a voicemail message, just in case it is a "real" call. But since I've been using this service, I haven't gotten one voicemail message from any of these unfamiliar numbers. (Gee, I wonder why?)

You can access it on Settings.
 
Sunny said:
My iphone has a wonderful option: you can block all calls from numbers that are not on your "contacts" list. You get a silent text message telling you that you received a call from such-and-such number, but the phone never rings, and you are never bothered by it. The callers go straight to voicemail.
The callers have an opportunity to leave a voicemail message, just in case it is a "real" call. But since I've been using this service, I haven't gotten one voicemail message from any of these unfamiliar numbers. (Gee, I wonder why?)

You can access it on Settings.
Click to expand...
Yes, my old android phone years ago did this.
 
I am normally on alert for scams. But one intrigued me, I didn't think there was any money for me, I knew they were trying to get $350.00 out of me, but curiosity got the best of me. Like a dim bulb I gave them our phone number. Each number I block as they come in and they call often. I have over 50 numbers blocked. As it blocks a number the phone makes the cutest sound.
 
This morning, I got an email saying that my Seniorforums account is
at risk and to change my password.

*It came in on a separate email account that is not connected to my
SF email.

Weird.
 
spectratg said:
*'NEW HOTEL SCAM!! *This is one of the smartest scams I have heard about. You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. Typically when checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for any charges to your room) and they don't retain the card. You go to your room and settle in. All is good. The hotel receives a call and the caller asks for (as an example) *room 620* - which happens to be your room.

The phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following: *'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information.**Please re-read me your credit card numbers and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.'*Not thinking anything wrong, since the call seems to come from the front desk you oblige. But actually, *it is a scam by someone calling from outside the hotel*. They have asked for a *random room number*, then *ask you for your credit card and address information.**They sound so professional, that you think you are talking to the front desk.

*If you ever encounter this scenario on your travels, *tell the caller that you will be down to the front desk to clear up any problems.*Then, *go to the front desk or call directly and ask if there was a problem.*If there was none, *inform the manager of the hotel that someone tried to scam you of your credit card information, acting like a front desk employee.*This was sent by someone who has been duped........and is still cleaning up the mess.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this information! I had never heard of this scam before. I will share this with my son, since we both stay at hotels a few times a year. In fact, my son will be staying at one for a few days later this month.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Thank you for this information! I had never heard of this scam before. I will share this with my son, since we both stay at hotels a few times a year. In fact, my son will be staying at one for a few days later this month.
Click to expand...
Lots of hotels won’t put a call through unless the caller can give the name of the person they’re trying to reach.
 
Jules said:
Lots of hotels won’t put a call through unless the caller can give the name of the person they’re trying to reach.
Click to expand...
Yep, that has been my experience. You need to state the name, not a room number.

And the hotel staff will not give out a room number if asked.
 
That Lady in PA said:
Yep, that has been my experience. You need to state the name, not a room number.

And the hotel staff will not give out a room number if asked.
Click to expand...
They are also not supposed to say the room number out loud when assigning you your room. This has usually been observed in my experience (most recently in London this weekend).
 
Doste said:
They are also not supposed to say the room number out loud when assigning you your room. This has usually been observed in my experience (most recently in London this weekend).
Click to expand...
Right. They just hand you the little folder with the keys in it. The room number is inside.
 
Saw a scam today.

Two emails received, almost identical. They claimed my Amazon payment method had expired and prompted me to click on something to put in new credit card information.

Surely everyone knows that Amazon doesn't do this and that you should only change/add payment info on their web site? Right?
 

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