I have put my old Nikon, plus another lens, book, bits etc, for sale on Amazon.
Soon after I got a series of fake Amazon emails, plus ones from the "custoner". He was from Nigeria and wanted it as a gift for a valued client and offered £70 extra to send it to an American address. As I said the Amazon stuff was fake, had all the right logos and links, except that I was to contact some other email address when the item was dispatched. Also the wording was wrong, there were spelling and grammatical errors (that were not even American-English!). I contacted Amazon, checked my seller account and forwarded the emails on to them. I ignored the subsequent fake Amazon emaiis telling me that my account would be closed in three days if I did not inform them of the dispatch.
Now another joker has got in on the act, wants me to send it to Lagos, Nigeria (obviously cutting out the American based middle man) as a surprise gift to a valued friend. Similar spelling/grammatical errors. I replied that packing, shipping and insurance to Nigeria would be £200 on top of the £300 for the gear. Also added that despatch would only take place after the full and correct Amazon procedure was carried out and the full amount was indicated as a credit in my Seller Account.
I wanted to add something like, "Shipping [. . .] to Lagos, one of the global capitals of scam, [. . .]"
In all this makes three scams from Nigeria, one a couple of years ago. All three have involved a "valued client/friend" and, IIRC, had similar mistakes in their English. Same gang or just using the same Internet/darkweb resources?
Been on to Amazon but can't access my seller account. They say that it is "under review" (been dormant for over a year). Been "under vreview" for over a month now. But they were happy to let me list the camera.
I told them that if I cannot quickly and readily access my account to check my messages and balance I will withdraw that item, close the seller account, since this is a security matter, and use another sales method.
Emails from the supposed buyer forwarded to Amazon.
Well, looks like that scam has been trumped by a
real order! This time the format and the links are correct and I can backtrack from the order to my seller account.
And it is a UK name and address for a change. Though I spelt her name wrong, it is Mertin and I put Merlin.
Sorry but you are not allowed to view spoiler contents.
Now I get a phone call, with a computer generated voice, telling me that my BT Internet connection will be terminated tomorrow - dial 1 to speak to BT about this.
Strange, I am on Virgin cable, not BT for both phone and Internet.
The phone went fown with no buttons pressed of course.
The last one was an Indian voice telling me my Windows account had been closed (it has not of course). I am sure there are Indians working for Microsoft but I view all such calls with the same caution I view anything ftom Nigeria! And all computer voiced calls . . .
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:19:21 PM
Now I get a phone call, with a computer generated voice, telling me that my BT Internet connection will be terminated tomorrow - dial 1 to speak to BT about this.
Strange, I am on Virgin cable, not BT for both phone and Internet.
The phone went fown with no buttons pressed of course.
The last one was an Indian voice telling me my Windows account had been closed (it has not of course). I am sure there are Indians working for Microsoft but I view all such calls with the same caution I view anything ftom Nigeria! And all computer voiced calls . . .
This scam is that the dial back number is extortionately expensive >:(
Quote from: Tank on June 13, 2018, 12:26:03 PM
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:19:21 PM
Now I get a phone call, with a computer generated voice, telling me that my BT Internet connection will be terminated tomorrow - dial 1 to speak to BT about this.
Strange, I am on Virgin cable, not BT for both phone and Internet.
The phone went fown with no buttons pressed of course.
The last one was an Indian voice telling me my Windows account had been closed (it has not of course). I am sure there are Indians working for Microsoft but I view all such calls with the same caution I view anything ftom Nigeria! And all computer voiced calls . . .
This scam is that the dial back number is extortionately expensive >:(
It was a "Dial one for . . ." type thing. Can they redirect to a premium number I wonder? Though there is a memory of a similar scam on mobiles that allowed them to take command of the device. This was on my landline.
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:35:30 PM
Quote from: Tank on June 13, 2018, 12:26:03 PM
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:19:21 PM
Now I get a phone call, with a computer generated voice, telling me that my BT Internet connection will be terminated tomorrow - dial 1 to speak to BT about this.
Strange, I am on Virgin cable, not BT for both phone and Internet.
The phone went fown with no buttons pressed of course.
The last one was an Indian voice telling me my Windows account had been closed (it has not of course). I am sure there are Indians working for Microsoft but I view all such calls with the same caution I view anything ftom Nigeria! And all computer voiced calls . . .
This scam is that the dial back number is extortionately expensive >:(
It was a "Dial one for . . ." type thing. Can they redirect to a premium number I wonder? Though there is a memory of a similar scam on mobiles that allowed them to take command of the device. This was on my landline.
They might just have worked out that the gullible people, the ones they really want to talk to, will press 1. So at the scam call centre the 'operators' work and when one comes free their system makes outgoing calls to more potential suckers?
Quote from: Tank on June 13, 2018, 03:37:51 PM
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:35:30 PM
Quote from: Tank on June 13, 2018, 12:26:03 PM
Quote from: Dave on June 13, 2018, 12:19:21 PM
Now I get a phone call, with a computer generated voice, telling me that my BT Internet connection will be terminated tomorrow - dial 1 to speak to BT about this.
Strange, I am on Virgin cable, not BT for both phone and Internet.
The phone went fown with no buttons pressed of course.
The last one was an Indian voice telling me my Windows account had been closed (it has not of course). I am sure there are Indians working for Microsoft but I view all such calls with the same caution I view anything ftom Nigeria! And all computer voiced calls . . .
This scam is that the dial back number is extortionately expensive >:(
It was a "Dial one for . . ." type thing. Can they redirect to a premium number I wonder? Though there is a memory of a similar scam on mobiles that allowed them to take command of the device. This was on my landline.
They might just have worked out that the gullible people, the ones they really want to talk to, will press 1. So at the scam call centre the 'operators' work and when one comes free their system makes outgoing calls to more potential suckers?
Yup, reckon so! I know those of my vintage without knowledge deeper than how to send emails or use Fb or Twitter. They are at high risk. I try to help.
Yesterday my phone rang. My caller ID revealed that it was a call from a strange number that I had previously ignored. Just for the hell of it, I picked up the phone. The caller told me that Google was upgrading my business listing. I sold my business and some real estate three years ago. I have no further need for a Google listing. The caller had most of my information almost correct but not quite, He told me that the Google renewal fee was due in order to keep my listing intact. I immodestly told the caller to go fuck himself and the horse he rode in on. He tried to convince me that I had to pay a fee in order to be removed from the caller list. I replied that his horse was a crooked beast.
Another scam to be sure. I may be old and dumb but not that gullible...at least not just yet.
It's nice to call the fuckers fuckers once in a while :grin:
I often answer these calls with: "You sound pretty, can I wear your skin?"
Sometimes, I ask them if the have any coke.
^ I think that I might hijack some of your responses No One.
^Me too!
:computerwave: Me as well!
In the past 4 days I have had: one Asian accented person called "Max", one recorded human voice and one robovoice telling me that my BT Internet/Broadband cable will be disconnected today/tomorrow.
Dunno what the actual scam is, I am not on BT. Should have let the Asian guy go through his whole spiel before telling him to go boil his head!
Probably that they "cannot access my account to renew the rental and would I please send them all my bank details."
Quote from: Dave on July 05, 2018, 02:25:32 PM
In the past 4 days I have had: one Asian accented person called "Max", one recorded human voice and one robovoice telling me that my BT Internet/Broadband cable will be disconnected today/tomorrow.
Dunno what the actual scam is, I am not on BT. Should have let the Asian guy go through his whole spiel before telling him to go boil his head!
Probably that they "cannot access my account to renew the rental and would I please send them all my bank details."
Why don't you tell them about your sciatica?
Margery, she was my true love, she never knew.
My toe nails don't seem to grow as fast as they did.
We haven't had a proper PM since Pitt the younger...
Phone Phishing! Which reminds me:
Some scammers target hospitals as well. Didn't happen in my inner circle but one university professor and his wife (I think his name was Fischer...not sure, though), whose son was admitted to hospital with some serious condition, got a call from scammers saying something along the lines of if they wanted the hospital to treat their son further, they would have to make a deposit. They were given a bank account with a social security number.
Thing is, these scammers aren't the brightest in the flock. A bank account and social security number? Seriously? Anyone with half a brain can see that no hospital would do that.
They prey on desperate people, just like snake-oil peddlers and priests, except these two latter types of scammers don't do it in hiding.
https://youtu.be/_QdPW8JrYzQ
^ Hilarious Dave. Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
I play this for them:
http://www.joesdump.com/audio/RoboAnswer_JoeActor_20130930_LoopIt.mp3
Quote from: joeactor on July 09, 2018, 09:12:04 PM
I play this for them:
http://www.joesdump.com/audio/RoboAnswer_JoeActor_20130930_LoopIt.mp3
Did you do HAL2000 Joe? I was waiting for the voice to say, "Dave" somewhere in there!
Pardon my memory if this has been covered before.
Hmm, will have to find a way to connect a recorder to play on my phone . . . Hey, got a splicer to record incoming calls in the bits draw, wonder if it plays out as well?
Quote from: joeactor on July 09, 2018, 09:12:04 PM
I play this for them:
http://www.joesdump.com/audio/RoboAnswer_JoeActor_20130930_LoopIt.mp3
:rofl:
Quote from: Dave on July 09, 2018, 10:14:33 PM
Quote from: joeactor on July 09, 2018, 09:12:04 PM
I play this for them:
http://www.joesdump.com/audio/RoboAnswer_JoeActor_20130930_LoopIt.mp3
Did you do HAL2000 Joe? I was waiting for the voice to say, "Dave" somewhere in there!
Pardon my memory if this has been covered before.
Hmm, will have to find a way to connect a recorder to play on my phone . . . Hey, got a splicer to record incoming calls in the bits draw, wonder if it plays out as well?
Oh yeah... Hal's inside me somewhere...
^ Portal :love:
"Daisy, Daisy..." :lol:
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on July 10, 2018, 01:42:26 AM
^ Portal :love:
"Daisy, Daisy..." :lol:
I've been replaying Portal 2 - so amazing...
Quote from: joeactor on July 10, 2018, 08:15:53 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on July 10, 2018, 01:42:26 AM
^ Portal :love:
"Daisy, Daisy..." :lol:
I've been replaying Portal 2 - so amazing...
:P I must have played it 4 times already, always looking for alternative ways to solve the puzzles...
We just got a new phone a few weeks ago that plays a message, ""Enter 1 to continue". This stops all robocalls, since the software doesn't yet have that level of sophistication. Since our TV and phone are provided by the same company, the calling number shows up on the TV. So, my wife can tell me when a call has been blocked (I watch maybe 1 hour of TV a month, main exposure is when walking through that room). The phone used to ring 10-12 times a day with this crap. Now, it rings maybe once or twice. Cell phones are not immune, btw; I have more blocked numbers than I have contacts! ::)
Oh, them helpdesk scammers are awesome for targeting with counter-scams!
There are things I can and cannot say, but I can say that there are lists of their phone numbers out there, which an enterprising Internet troll can call and for example let them rummage on a slightly modified and well-disguised Virtual Machine. They are getting good at spotting the like, though, so some any-old-iron hardware, which you don't use for anything other than a paperweight and some occasional lulz is recommended.
This feels a bit like a mandatory disclaimer, but I actually mean it; if you do take up this hobby, do not do stuff like break into their bank accounts, install malware on their client fleet or anything like that. That would be bad, not to mention highly illegal. There is plenty of innocent fun to be had wasting their time and trying to make their heads explode without exposing yourself to any sort of practical liability.
Quote from: Asmodean on October 15, 2018, 12:33:56 PM
Oh, them helpdesk scammers are awesome for targeting with counter-scams!
There are things I can and cannot say, but I can say that there are lists of their phone numbers out there, which an enterprising Internet troll can call and for example let them rummage on a slightly modified and well-disguised Virtual Machine. They are getting good at spotting the like, though, so some any-old-iron hardware, which you don't use for anything other than a paperweight and some occasional lulz is recommended.
This feels a bit like a mandatory disclaimer, but I actually mean it; if you do take up this hobby, do not do stuff like break into their bank accounts, install malware on their client fleet or anything like that. That would be bad, not to mention highly illegal. There is plenty of innocent fun to be had wasting their time and trying to make their heads explode without exposing yourself to any sort of practical liability.
Heh, my favorite (which I myself got caught in one time) was when one of my friends made a recording as follows:
[click] "Hello? Hello? Is there someone there? I can barely hear anything. If you're there, please speak up. Hello? Hello?" Etc., until he finally says, "Leave a message". Of course, by then one is yelling at the phone to be heard. :lol: I SO wanted to put this message on our phone, but the wife pointed out that anytime anyone legit called, they'd have to wait through that blather, so I didn't do it.