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I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

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Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#551

Post by danpalmer »

ciabattabread wrote: post #545
danpalmer wrote: post #536

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point I only really buy things from Amazon that are essentially fungible. Cables, adapters, toiletries, tools, none of these matter enough to me to care about exactly what I get, as long as it’s roughly what’s in the picture, and to be honest they’re not even worth counterfeiting. For everything else there’s rarely a reason to not buy directly from brands or niche specialist retailers. Customer support is typ…

Toiletries? You trust Amazon to not swap out your lotion with a cut-rate adulterated copycat?

These are things that don't really matter to me, the point is that I don't really care if they get switched for "cut rate", I'm practically buying the cut-rate version already. That's what Amazon is good for.

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#552

Post by ghostly_s »

harshreality wrote: post #59
ghostly_s wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your neighbor just dialed the new number without hanging up first?

Unless both sides hang up, there's something like a 10-20 second window where the call is held open. Hanging up, picking up within 10 seconds and dialing, means you're still connected to the original caller. If they're clever, the might even detect the click of you hanging up, and play a dialtone for when you pick back up, and stop playing it when you start to dial.

Citation needed. I don't recall any land line phone I've used behaving in this way.

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#553

Post by navjack27 »

msluyter wrote: post #406
klik99 wrote: post #21

There's one easy rule that could have avoided all of this - never give out any info on incoming calls. If I get a call or text about fraudulent transactions, I'll keep them on hold while I log into the bank website. If I get a call about a late payment, I'll thank them for the info and ask them to stay on while I pay online. If I get an inbound call with a more complex request, I'll ask them for their employee info a…

Am I alone in just never answering my phone? Like, ever, for _any_ unknown number. Seems like that alone solves a certain class of problems.

That's what I do. If it's actually important I'll get physical mail or a knock on my door. If I didn't request the communication then the communication is not legit.

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#554

Post by kwhitefoot »

weq wrote: post #285
Spooky23 wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tow drivers make a lot of money. They do a lot of subcontracting and mutual aid type arrangements.

Towys in my country are usually connected to some kind of mafia. Never met an altruistic one like like matts offroad recovery in my travels.

The only time I had my car towed was in Devon, SW England, in 2020. I hit a pothole and blew out a tyre. The company that towed my car took it to their workshop, and took me to my hotel. The next day I spoke to them to organize getting a pair of new tyres. That was a challenge because I had winter tyres on as I was intending to return to Norway before the spring and no one stocks winter tyres in Southern England. It took them another two days to get the tyres. They charged me for the tyres and fitting and that was it, no charge for the ten mile tow.

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#555

Post by zamkam »

klik99 wrote: post #21

There's one easy rule that could have avoided all of this - never give out any info on incoming calls. If I get a call or text about fraudulent transactions, I'll keep them on hold while I log into the bank website. If I get a call about a late payment, I'll thank them for the info and ask them to stay on while I pay online. If I get an inbound call with a more complex request, I'll ask them for their employee info a…

"never give out any info on incoming calls". 100% agree. It's such a simple rule that I don't understand why it's not part of everyone's DNA. Should be taught at home and in schools, same as "look both ways before crossing a street".

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#557

Post by rhizome »

InitialLastName wrote: post #185
rhizome wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never take restaurant phone numbers directly off of Google, I always check their (hopefully existent) website before calling, or at least crosscheck it against other sources. There is no way Grubhub or any of the other mediating greedholes will get even Caller ID data from me if I can help it.

Wait until you find out that Grubhub and ilk have been known to prop up fake websites for places.

Grubhub et al promoting their own phone number as a restaurant's is exactly what I'm talking about.

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#558

Post by lifehasleft »

Nextgrid wrote: post #518
cameronhowe wrote: post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got bitten by this bundle of reviews thing. Amazon was made available in my country some time ago. I went on there to buy video capture device to help convert my parents old tapes to video. I found the device listing I was looking for, with good reviews. Placed my order. Then a counterfeit showed up, completely different from the spec sheet and the image on the listing. I filed a complaint, but they wouldn't give m…

Disputing the transaction with your card issuer is the only answer companies will understand. The company wins as long as more users eat the losses (essentially giving Amazon free money) than those actively fighting for their money back.

I’ve done this before and it worked for me. Can’t say it will always go so smoothly though

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#559

Post by Handytinge »

narag wrote: post #242
dqv wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well this initiated a rant, not directly related to ads, but Google in general. This is an internet literacy issue I’ve noticed more and more. People will refer to Google listings as an authoritative source even if the data comes from some third party. “Is this Jordan’s Tiles?” “No. This is Patrick. You have the wrong number.” “It says on their website this is the number!” “Their website is wrong, this isn’t Jordan’s…

“It says on their website this is the number!” "What do you think is more probable: that the website is wrong or that I don't know who I am?"

I responded with almost that word for word once on one of these calls. They made some angry sounds and hung up!

Re: I'm a scam prevention expert and I got scammed

#560

Post by Handytinge »

underwater wrote: post #529
MerelyMortal wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably because the phone number is calling about a scam (fradulant charge), and then when they hang up, people report the phone number as a scam because they don't understand the difference.

No, it's because caller ID can be easily faked. So both spam calls and real calls come from the same number.

STIR/SHAKEN has been the law in NA (where the GP) is for a year or two, so it should no longer be easy. It's a problem a lot of countries are tackling.
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