S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers

[nuit93]

And, on my phone, every now and then, I get a text that says something like, "VZM 3486."

Anyone know what that means?

Do you have Verizon, by any chance?

nuit93,
Yes, I do have Verizon.  Any idea what they are trying to tell me?  Why would they send me numbers that mean nothing to me?  Or, is it spam?
Thanks!

I just remember getting the occasional message from them that started with VZM.  Usually there'd be more than just a number though.

[cwm]

And, on my phone, every now and then, I get a text that says something like, "VZM 3486."

Anyone know what that means?

Do you have Verizon, by any chance?

nuit93,
Yes, I do have Verizon.  Any idea what they are trying to tell me?  Why would they send me numbers that mean nothing to me?  Or, is it spam?
Thanks!

I just remember getting the occasional message from them that started with VZM.  Usually there'd be more than just a number though.

And my browser just deleted everything I'd written. Starting again...

Verizon usually sends me two types of notifications. ones that start with the VZM are usually ads or extra services you can sign up for (Pay $$ to watch the Super Bowl on your phone! Join our fantasy football league with this exclusive app for only $!), or ones that come from a long string of numbers (possibly an 800 number? I never looked too closely) that are notifications about my account (letting me know the password on the website has been changed, when a bill is available to look over or has been paid).

I would say if there's nothing in the body of the text, it's not a big deal to just get rid of it. I've never had anything important come from one of the VZW #### accounts.

[LazyDaisy]

I wonder if there is an alert set up in your Verizon account to keep track of minutes or data usage. I know that my cell phone carrier sends me periodic text alerts. It's strange that the message is just a number though. Mine says something like, "You have used 75% of your data plan for this billing cycle ending on August 24."

[Iris]

I had a new one today, just now. I'm kind of excited because it was a scam within a scam.

Victor Smith from Microsoft rang because they "have some money" and want to refund me because I was scammed in the past by people pretending to be Microsoft. No I haven't, I said. I hang up on those people, I said. Yes I had, Victor assured me, they had scammed me for $129.99 and they would like to refund that to me. Great! Thanks, Victor, send me a cheque!

No, no cheques. All I had to do was log on to a website and re-enter the details from the credit card they defrauded me on and the money could be alllllll mine. 

[StarFaerie]

I am heartbroken. The worst incident of Munchausen by proxy I have heard of.

Sadly not the worst I've ever heard of. Some children die due to what their caregivers do to them to induce 'symptoms'.

This mother allegedly gave her daughter chemotherapy drugs to make her sick.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/04/12/450235_crime-and-court-news.html

[ladyknight1]

Friend just got this text:

Atten
Contact your DHL delivery agent he just arived at JFK
New York City international airport with your ATM Visa
card contain $2.5 USD so recomfirm your address to him
he misplace your address

(1)Your Full Name.
(2)Mobile Phone Number.
(3)Current Home Address
(4)Nearest Airport
so that he can deliver your ATM visa card
as soon as possible
his name is MR Kevin Anthony
Email;{diplomatkevinanthony@live.be
Regards REV.JERRY MARK
Phone Number.( xxxxxxxxxx}
call Rev Jerry Mark{+xxxxxxxxxx}

[Luci45]

Friend just got this text:

Atten
Contact your DHL delivery agent he just arived at JFK
New York City international airport with your ATM Visa
card contain $2.5 USD so recomfirm your address to him
he misplace your address

(1)Your Full Name.
(2)Mobile Phone Number.
(3)Current Home Address
(4)Nearest Airport
so that he can deliver your ATM visa card
as soon as possible
his name is MR Kevin Anthony
Email;{diplomatkevinanthony@live.be
Regards REV.JERRY MARK
Phone Number.( xxxxxxxxxx}
call Rev Jerry Mark{+xxxxxxxxxx}

In the 1950s there was a TV show called The Millionaire. The guy who delivered the surprise was Michael Anthony. This delivery agent must be his son! And the victim of a fraud is a mark, so they kind of misnamed the perpetrator. Guess the are having fun!

[zyrs]

Friend just got this text:

Atten
Contact your DHL delivery agent he just arived at JFK
New York City international airport with your ATM Visa
card contain $2.5 USD so recomfirm your address to him
he misplace your address

(1)Your Full Name.
(2)Mobile Phone Number.
(3)Current Home Address
(4)Nearest Airport
so that he can deliver your ATM visa card
as soon as possible
his name is MR Kevin Anthony
Email;{diplomatkevinanthony@live.be
Regards REV.JERRY MARK
Phone Number.( xxxxxxxxxx}
call Rev Jerry Mark{+xxxxxxxxxx}

In the 1950s there was a TV show called The Millionaire. The guy who delivered the surprise was Michael Anthony. This delivery agent must be his son! And the victim of a fraud is a mark, so they kind of misnamed the perpetrator. Guess the are having fun!

But they must have fallen on really hard times, which isn't surprising if they are flying people around to hand out $2.50.  Even millionaires wouldn't waste that much on $2.50.

[Luci45]

^ Didn't even catch that little detail! I was just enjoying the words. It's all in the details!

[2littlemonkeys]

I'm afraid one of my kids is a little scammer in the making.  I hope I was able to show her it never really works! 

BG: We were at Target one day and I got the kids their school backpacks.  As we were leaving, the security gates went off.  No one ever came over to investigate but I made sure the kids didn't accidentally have anything in their hands or pockets (they didn't.)  Of course, I had the receipt for everything in our bag, so we went on our merry way.  At home, I discovered one of those square security label things and I figure it was either supposed to be removed or disabled in some way and wasn't.  The kids were very concerned about the whole "gates going off" thing but I told that sometimes they do and as long as you aren't actually stealing anything, it's not a big deal because you'll have a receipt showing proof of payment.

So in the car the other day, DD8 (who has obviously been mulling this over) said, "Mom, I know how you can get past the gates!"

Me:  Oh?  How?

DD8: Well, you just buy something.  Then you go back later and steal the same thing but bring your receipt.  Then when the gates go off, you just say, "Oh, it's okay, I have a receipt right here!" and then you have two things!

Me:    Well, that sounds like it would work but every receipt has the date and time stamped on it.  The security guard would know you're lying.

DD8:  Oh.  I guess I didn't think of that.

Me:     Well, please remember that stealing is ALWAYS wrong* and you will eventually get caught and it's really not ever worth it.  Dad and I will be extremely disappointed if we ever find out you're doing something like that.  (then I went into how it seems harmless but it really hurts everyone, yadda yadda yadda...)

She's a really good kid and I doubt she ever would steal anything.  She likes a good puzzle and went about solving the problem of security gates. But her logic scared me a little, LOL.

*I know there are circumstances where this could be debated but I didn't need to get into semantics with an 8-year old with a plan to successfully boost merchandise...

[ladyknight1]

I know someone who's son would constantly do what he was told not to. Like putting his hand on a hot burner or lighting matches.

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

[MrTango]

I know someone who's son would constantly do what he was told not to. Like putting his hand on a hot burner or lighting matches.

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

You'd think that would be a painful enough experience that he'd never do it again...

[ladyknight1]

No reason or logic to explain it.

[Amara]

They went to SeaWorld, and he stole a necklace. Which wasn't discovered until they were almost at their car, when they marched him back to the security/police office and he had to explain what he did and pay for the necklace out of his allowance. He was 8.

I'm impressed by those parents. My mother did much the same thing to me when I was about that age and stole a candy bar from a small neighborhood market. I never stole again.

[Shalamar]

I remember stealing a pack of gum from the local store when I was five.  In my defense, I didn't think of it as stealing - I wanted it, my mother wouldn't buy it for me, so the choice to my childish mind was obvious. 

When my mother discovered it and knew darned well how I'd gotten it, she marched me back to the store to apologize to the manager.  I've never forgotten that.

Topic:  I was walking down the street the other day, happily listening to music on my iPhone, when a panhandler stopped me by yelling at me, then waving her hand in front of my face when I didn't hear her.  I ... did not react well.