S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers

[bloo]

Went into Walmart.com's website and cancelled the order and deleted the two credit cards stored in there.

I try to never keep any card on file, it does take me one more minute to order something but at least I'm protected against that.
What bothers me is that for amazon I have to actually register the card to use it, then I have to go and delete it.
I ordered shoes today from a site I've used once before and was pertubed to not having to put my card info, turns out they had registered it and I had to go delete it.

Plus I'm pretty sure not having my card already in hold me up from doing some impulse* shopping.

* Impulse meaning that I've already thought about it for a few weeks, wondering if I need it and all that..

Good points. Looks like I'll have to be more cautious. This means no impulse buys through Google Play (sniff, sniff), which is probably a good thing.

[Elfmama]

My DH got a phishing email the other day. They did a good job- it looked pretty legit. It was supposedly a receipt from PayPal, showing his recent purchase of a watch. They were banking on him hitting the "Report problem" link at the bottom in a panic, to say he didn't buy that watch, and having him input his correct PayPal information to verify his account.

I got that one the other day!

My personal hotmail email account is my first name, plus the rest of my initials--for example, midgecdf@blahblah.com. When I looked at the "to" field on that email, it had been sent to midgecdf@blahblah.com, midgemmm@blahblah.com, midgeabc@blahblah.com, etc. They just typed in a first name, a bunch of letters after, and hit send, hoping for the best!

I just got this one today!  I had just used  my PayPal account for the first time in several months, and a few days after the legitimate transaction, I got this one.  I went to the PayPal site (in a separate browser window, not via any links) to verify that no such transaction had been processed.

I got a fraud alert from Discover and phoned. The customer service person informed that I could use the link and not have to call. I was too shocked to try to explain it to her.

My credit union used to have contests, and to announce these contests, they would send out emails.  "Your chance to win a cruise for 2 to the Bahamas!  Click here to log in and enter!"  The people I spoke to just could not understand why this email for a legitimate contest got calls asking "Is this real, or a scam?"

[SCAJAfamily]

Weird that he wasn't selling anything

That's
what they all say when they come to the door.  My doorbell just rang at 9 pm and some strange guy who "wasn't selling anything" and who "just lived down the street" was there.  I spoke through my window and told him not interested.  He asked when was a better time to come back and I replied "never" and turned off the porch light.

That is always the first thing out their mouths, but lo and behold they are selling solar energy/alarm systems/bug removal services/religion/magazines.  It is crazy.

[Gyburc]

I know I posted a while ago about the Big International Bank I used to do business with (basically, terrible service, no accurate information, and when my bank details got hacked in a way that strongly suggested that their online banking systems had been infiltrated, their entire investigation consisted of 'Do you ever use your debit card online? Well, that was probably it then!).

Just before I managed to transfer to another bank, I received an automated telephone call from Big International Bank (BIB), telling me that there had been some questionable activity on my account, and that I should press X number to get in touch. When I pressed X, I was asked to provide my online/telephone ID and PIN. I'm ashamed to say that I actually entered the first number before thinking 'Hang on a minute!'

So I called BIB's helpline, and after much kerfuffle, I got through to an operator. I explained that I'd received a call that was very likely to be fraudulent, and told her the details. 'Oh, no!' she replied. 'That was one of our calls - it's quite genuine! This is how we contact our customers.'

 

It turned out there hadn't been any odd activity on my account after all. I'm so glad to have got away from that company.

[nutraxfornerves]

The Information MInister of Ghana wants to help me to become the owner of a gold company and a hotel in Accra. My lifetime dream has always been to run a hotel in West Africa, so I can't wait...

Attention:

I am the Minister for Information Mahama Ayariga.

And as the Information Minister, I got an info that a certain refugee here in our refugee camp named you as the rightful beneficiary of his fund ($40mUSD) before his illness but the funds were never delivered to you properly and then a Banker has used your Millions of Dollars to Buy Gold Company and Hotel here in Accra Ghana South District. In this case, the Banker has been arrested and prosecuted at the High Court of Justice here in Accra Ghana.

The Government has authorized me as the minister for Information to inform you about the present situation, and to also inform you to either Come to Ghana, or we are to make Change of Ownership of the Company and the Hotel to your own Name, to ensure the Company is legally Handed Over to you, or you can inform me on what to do, either to sell the Company and the Hotel so i can Transfer you the Fund through Bank here in Accra Ghana West Africa.

Thanks for your Understanding. Hope to hear from you soon and please i urge you to help out, looking forward to working with you.

--
Mahama Ayariga
Minister for Information & Media Relations
Accra Ghana
+233xxxxxxxx [really is a Ghana number]
E-mail - infomahama@[free email account]
Web - http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/governance/ministers/19545-mahama-ayariga [real government web site]

[P12663]

*I* never get these kinds of emails!  No Nigerian prince or minister or widow or anybody has told me that I am trustworthy enough to help them steal millions of dollars!  I have never won the Grand Prize in a drawing that I never entered (or one that I did enter, for that matter)!  No one offers to buy my junk and oh yes, will I ship it overseas - here's a check for $20,000, keep half for your trouble and just send me the rest!  I feel, I feel, ignored! 

I'm going off to pout. 

 

[gramma dishes]

*I* never get these kinds of emails!  No Nigerian prince or minister or widow or anybody has told me that I am trustworthy enough to help them steal millions of dollars!  I have never won the Grand Prize in a drawing that I never entered (or one that I did enter, for that matter)!  No one offers to buy my junk and oh yes, will I ship it overseas - here's a check for $20,000, keep half for your trouble and just send me the rest!  I feel, I feel, ignored! 

I'm going off to pout. 

 

 

[Luci]

*I* never get these kinds of emails!  No Nigerian prince or minister or widow or anybody has told me that I am trustworthy enough to help them steal millions of dollars!  I have never won the Grand Prize in a drawing that I never entered (or one that I did enter, for that matter)!  No one offers to buy my junk and oh yes, will I ship it overseas - here's a check for $20,000, keep half for your trouble and just send me the rest!  I feel, I feel, ignored! 

I'm going off to pout. 

 

 

If you would send me your email address, I willl be glad to forward some to you........... 

[kherbert05]

I just had a potential scammer come by my house. He said his company had put in the sensors for my alarm system (came with the house) and they were recalling them could he come in. Well I don't let people I don't contact myself into the house. If I hadn't been taking the trash out I wouldn't have answered the door.


I called my alarm company.
1. They supplied the sensors
2. there is no recall (they did replace the battery back up a few months ago)


I'm going to file a report with the police about possible scammer. I also warned my neighbors on either side it was a scam.

[mumma to KMC]

I'm not sure if this guy was scamming me, but he seemed just off:

Shortly after we bought our house, nearly two years ago, a man came to the door offering some sort of service, I think something related to cleaning the ducts for allergies, I honestly don't recall. I do know it was something that going door to door seemed odd to do in the first place. Added to that fact that we live in the country, and one has to drive to go door to door it seemed even stranger.

He gave me a welcome mat with the logo for the big state university as a "free thing" they were offering, just for opening my door. Okay. He made his speech about his service, then he asked if I would like to sign up for it. I told him I didn't think we'd be interested in the service, but if he left his card, I'd show it to my dh and if he thought we might have a need, he'd give a call.

The man did not have a card to give, instead saying he'd stop by again, and "Oh, I'll need the welcome mat back, because we only have a few to give out."

I started making sure the doors were locked after that.

[mumma to KMC]

Another one I just thought of: This is about another brother of my dh.  He is married with children but can't manage to keep a job for more that a few months, so he asks his parents for large loans a few times a year. He pays them back, but shortly after, he asks for money again. He lives rent free at the home of his MIL as well. His excuse for not having any money is because most of his income is going to pay child support on two kids he has out of state. He says it is based on the income he had while working at a automobile assembly plant. However, he won't go to court though to have the amount reduced.

A few years ago, he got it into his head that he wanted to buy a house for his family. This was laughable mainly because he had horrible credit, no real job, and no down payment. (This was 2006, the time of easy financing, but he was so bad off, he wasn't going to qualify for anything.) His parents did not have the money to loan him, so he went to his sister and asked her for $5000 for the downpayment.

I think I heard the laughter from across the county.

[Miss Misery]

I just received an e-mail from a lovely widowed lady in New Zealand who is deaf and dying from cancer. She told me that  Almighty Deity chose l'il ole me to help distribute her considerable wealth among the poor and downtrodden.

 

[magician5]

I am livid. I know it does me no good to become angry, but .... how stupid do they think I am?

Phone rings, waking me up from nap.

"Hi, this is John from the shipping department of [something like] Emergency Alert Services."

[My thought: I didn't order anything like that] "What?"

"You know, it's your new 'I've fallen and I can't get up' kind of system"

[RED LIGHTS OF SEVERAL KINDS GO ON: (1) I hope the company that registered that trademark doesn't find out about this scam, (2) Yeah, it's definitely a scam, why don't they just ask what model copier I allegedly ordered toner for? (3) Do I string this guy along until he asks for a credit card number so he can 'activate the service'? (4) Do I just set the phone down and let him waste his time for a few minutes? (5) Do I put on my old-fogey voice and ask 'Oh, yes, by cracky, sonny, my great-grandson said he was orderin' me one of them newfangled things, tell me more'? (6)Do I see how many indecent proposals I can make before he gives up?] "No"

"We have to know where to send..."

"No, just no!"

"Well, this order is already in the system..."

[How long is he going to try?] NO! [I hang up]

So, question: do they think that everyone in their 60's and up is incredibly stupid?

[Luci]

(5) Do I put on my old-fogey voice and ask 'Oh, yes, by cracky, sonny, my great-grandson said he was orderin' me one of them newfangled things, tell me more'?

So, question: do they think that everyone in their 60's and up is incredibly stupid?

Calm down, it's nothing personal.  Yes, #5, please.

And no, they don't think everyone is that stupid, but enough people bite that it is worth the effort, sadly.

At least they are putting some (annoying) effort into it, while the ones with the emails are just fishing/phishing and being annoying with no work!

[ladyknight1]

I am a type II diabetic, and take medication to control it. Somehow, this diagnosis has been sold to marketing people, and I get mailings intended for the 60+ age bracket. I will not qualify for another 16 years! No, I don't need your Hurry-cane!