Phone and Email scams: How they work.
 

I ran across this video on Youtube the other day, it is a great explanation of how the scams work and why people fall for them. Besides being educational and informative it is entertaining to watch the thieves get caught.

[URL="https://youtu.be/VrKW58MS12g"]

https://youtu.be/VrKW58MS12g

Forewarned is forearmed.

Everyone should educate friends and family about these scammmers.

NEVER GIVE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER TO SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW....

I hope you will forgive me for not clicking on a link in a message from someone I don't know. Perhaps there is a term that I can search for in YouTube the will find the same video.

I will second your comment: Never give access to your computer to someone you don't know!


EDIT: It seems you can use the search function on the youtube.com page to find the video. Search on VrKW58MS12g (from the link above)

EDIT 2: Cute and informative video. I sent it to my parents in the hope it will help them avoid this scam.

The video was entertaining. But, unless the scammers were convicted and served serious prison time, the sting didn't accomplish much of anything. The people arrested probably got off with no punishment and continue to operate more scams.

Sorry you don't think it was worth the effort. But if more people get wise to what is happening and how they operate the fewer people will become a victim. Education is the best defense.

I like to mess with them and waste their time asking ridiculous questions.

Strangely enough they didnt believe me when I told them my car was a Lamborghini.

I don't understand the concern. If you use the internet at all, you are constantly clicking on links from someone you don't know. Every time you access a merchant website or Google something, and click on a selection, you are linking to another website. Most people click on hundreds of links every day. Although, it can be risky to click on a link provided in an email message because it can initiate a harmful program on your computer.

The entertainment value was worth the effort.

Exactly that. A posting on a forum is, to me, even more risky than an email. An email was directed specifically to me and I can see the address of the person that sent it. A posting on a forum has just been tossed out to a large number of people from someone I may have never heard of before.

When I access a news site I avoid ads, I trust that they are protecting their site in order to protect their reputation, and even then I check that the links appear at least a little bit legitimate (mostly a judgment call). I do the same for Amazon or other business sites. Google is a bit riskier but I still look at the site name and the link to get at least some bit of comfort that the site might be safe.

Ultimately, being on the internet is risky business. However, some things are riskier than others.

Good video!


One of the hats I wear professionally is IT security. I'm very aware of these things and I don't accept anything at face value. At one point, they got past my first line of defense!

We had ordered a murphy bed from Amazon for around $1500 for our CYV.

I got a call from "Amazon" to verify the charge.

The caller ID said Amazon.
The person knew my full name, my email address(I.e. account)
They knew what I purchased, when I purchased it and the purchase cost to the penny.
So now I'm almost believing it's Amazon even though Amazon NEVER calls anyone, for any reason.

The first tip off was the connection was crappy VOIP connection. It sounded like I was talking to someone in a cave in India.
No accent and clear English.
The second tip off was they needed to confirm the credit card ending in XXXX.
Now my alarm bells are going off so while I'm talking to her I looked on both my credit card and my Amazon account, showing the charge went through.

I said to the girl "Oh, damn, you guys are good, I bet this one works all the time?"
"Sir, this is Amazon, we need to verify your credit card".
me: "No, this is not Amazon and your scam didn't work, move on and don't call again"

My machines are not compromised, so I figure they have someone inside of Amazon that can see order traffic. They forward the information to a call center who calls the customer.

Wow that one is scary, can see why people will fall victim to that one

I ultimately did call Amazon and after a long run around finally spoke to their security people. I had recorded the latter half of the conversion, so I sent them that too just so they were aware of it.

He re-iterated to me that Amazon does not call people. All interaction with the public starts on the website. They do not reach out to people. A confirmation on a charge, if they did such a thing, would come through email.

I couldn't agree more! Unfortunately, right here in TV we read in The Sun how someone has been screwed out of their savings by someone posing as their grandchildren, or a con stating they are from IRS stating they owe the Federal Government back taxes, and unless the person sends in $5,000 in gift cards they will be arrested. It's a sad situation because they prey on the elderly. The IRS will never call you, their communication will come by mail.

The best advice I can offer is to just hang up the telephone once the subject focuses on money.

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Most people who are victims of scams are greedy and trying for a quick buck. The real victims are the elderly who are intimidated. One simple rule to follow. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!!!!

I remember my neighbor telling me she received a so-called phone call from her grandson. She said the person she was talking to sounded so much like her grandson. She did not fall for it and hung up. The caller was saying he was in an accident but the conversation did not go on too long as my neighbor told him she did not believe he was her grandson as her grandson would use his name and not say this is your grandson. Now if the caller did use the grandson’s name, who knows what could have happened.

New Scam
 

I had call from doctor who would come to my house and check me for heart problems .This is a scam to charge it to Insurance and Med care . Don't bite .