My Scam Antennea are Twittering, . . .

[Prober22]

Greetings,
Due to lifestyle changes, (plus I have too much stuff, and I bought a new truck that has a short box) I listed my RV on Craig's List. Within hours, I got this email:
____________________________________________________________________
Hello i'm Bill ,just asking about it to make sure its in good condition as im buying it for my son as a surprise who is getting married soon in April and he doesn't know about it, so can you assure me i will not be disappointed? My Mode of payment is PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online, but i have it attached to my PayPal account. Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, I will be responsible for all the PayPal fees/charges on this transaction, if you don't have an account with PayPal, it's pretty easy, safe and secure to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make this transaction as fast as possible. Less I forgot, I have a Mover that will come for pickup once payment is cleared in your PayPal account and they will be handling the title for me, as I look forward to hearing from you with your PayPal information as requested below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Pick Up Location:
And please do send me more pictures of it when you can.
_____________________________________________________________________

This seems too good to be true, so I Googled up "Paypal scams on Craigs List." It seems that the inquiry I got might be from a scammer. I asked "Bill" for more information, but he has gone silent.
Be careful out there!
Jeff

[run100]

Beware of cashier's checks too! They can no longer be trusted.

[Bob__B]

Eric&Lisa wrote:

tinstartrvlr wrote:

...Really made me wonder how they got my phone number (cell) so quickly...

Your really think all that stuff Google (and others) are doing is for your own good? So you have something like a Gmail account. They want you to have a spare 'validation' number should anything funny happen. So they send you a text message and you validate. YES, this does improve security. However, now they have tied your mobile phone to your PC & email. Android phone from Google? Guess what, now it is all tied in to the ads you see on your Chrome (Google) web browser.

And if a 3rd party wants this information, all they have to do is contact Google and give them some money.

So it is not about how they got your cell number so quickly, they already had it.

I got the Microsoft 'virus scam' too. I hung up on them the first time. I work in InfoSec, so I had a pre-built virtual machine ready to sacrifice the next time they called a week later. I ran them along for around 90 minutes. They are VERY good at what they do, and I can see how a non-technical person could fall for the scam. Initial cold caller passed me off to the advanced guy, the whole works. I let them in to the computer and let them install software. I called his bluff when he got to the final push on wanting my credit card number.

Interesting enough... I must have landed on their blacklist as someone who will waste a lot of their time. I haven't been called since!

-Eric

LOL .... That's a LOT of effort to trip them up, but sounds like fun.
Too bad you didn't have a virus to send their way as soon as they connected to your virtual machine.....Best defense is a good offense kind of thing.

[Eric_Lisa]

tinstartrvlr wrote:

...Really made me wonder how they got my phone number (cell) so quickly...

Your really think all that stuff Google (and others) are doing is for your own good? So you have something like a Gmail account. They want you to have a spare 'validation' number should anything funny happen. So they send you a text message and you validate. YES, this does improve security. However, now they have tied your mobile phone to your PC & email. Android phone from Google? Guess what, now it is all tied in to the ads you see on your Chrome (Google) web browser.

And if a 3rd party wants this information, all they have to do is contact Google and give them some money.

So it is not about how they got your cell number so quickly, they already had it.

I got the Microsoft 'virus scam' too. I hung up on them the first time. I work in InfoSec, so I had a pre-built virtual machine ready to sacrifice the next time they called a week later. I ran them along for around 90 minutes. They are VERY good at what they do, and I can see how a non-technical person could fall for the scam. Initial cold caller passed me off to the advanced guy, the whole works. I let them in to the computer and let them install software. I called his bluff when he got to the final push on wanting my credit card number.

Interesting enough... I must have landed on their blacklist as someone who will waste a lot of their time. I haven't been called since!

-Eric

[joeshmoe]

mkirsch wrote:
If you tell them anything, tell them that you deal only in cash, face-to-face, no exceptions. Sorry that you could not make a deal, but that is how you do business.

Uh, no. You do nothing. Certainly don't apologize.

[tinstartrvlr]

cbshoestring wrote:

Merrykalia wrote:


According to how much time I had on my hands, I might correspond with him, but have no doubt, I would never give him any further identifying information. I would play him, therefore, giving him something to do besides trying to scam someone else.

According to a phone call I got....my computer has a virus. Coversation goes like this on my side:


I feel fine? No flu, cold, nothing?

COMPUTER???? oh my!!! Is that serious?

Sure I can turn it on...

Where are my glasses???

Yes, it is on...waiting for the hour glass thingy....yes it is real slow.

log into MY account? You mean my e-mail thingy? ok....where did I put that password?????

type in 1,2,3,4,5,......ok 1,2,4,3,5 oopsie, I typed the wrong thing. can you repeat that site.

I like to see how long they will tolerate me. Sometimes they just hang up, sometimes they are real patient counting their soon to be incoming dollars. Occassionally I have to get my FBI son-in-law to come help....they hang up at that point.

Got a popup on my computer with the usual Microsoft scam, so as quickly as I could shut down my computer. Strangely, about two minutes later I got a recorded phone call saying my Microsoft license was suspended. I hung up. Really made me wonder how they got my phone number (cell) so quickly.

Really hate scammers.

[Bob__B]

deltabravo wrote:
Another good phone scam is the people who call from what they refer to as "the Windows Company" and tell you your computer has a virus.

Over a 2 year period, I've the same person call me multiple times.

I tell them there's no such company name "Windows Company"

I've had that one a few times also ..... they told me they were from "windows computer"....Not near as tricky, but it must be working for them since they are still doing it.

I watched a youtube video where a guy recorded himself just keeping one of those scammers online to have fun with them ...... They tried to get him to go get a Target gift card and give them the number.

[Beau_Bo]

Keep in mind that PayPal buyer protection does not cover local transactions, only covers items being shipped.

[mkirsch]

Use paypal where paypal is appropriate. On ebay, many forum sites...

When you're dealing with Craigslist, insist that the deal is CASH ONLY, and be done FACE TO FACE.

[sbryan]

Paypal can be a great way to buy and sell stuff. I use it all the time on one of my motorcycle forums. But you have to have some trust in the person on the other end of the deal and make sure payment has processed before you ship stuff out. I don't think I'd use it for a really big sale but for $10-$500 sales it has worked really well.

[deltabravo]

Another good phone scam is the people who call from what they refer to as "the Windows Company" and tell you your computer has a virus.

Over a 2 year period, I've the same person call me multiple times.

I tell them there's no such company name "Windows Company"

[Dave_Pete]

I had to laugh at this; it reminded me of my Dad.

Dad grew up in the Depression and was always cheerful to try an win something, Publishers Clearinghouse, whatever. The idea brought excitement.

He also got to an age point where his thinking wasn't as sharp as when a youngster.

One day a guy called him about winning a new Cadillac. Just had to buy magazines or something. The guy thought he had a man who would fall for the scam - eventually. Dad was excited about the car. He kept asking them to re-describe the caddy and told him he'd order the magazines when they parked his new car in his driveway. Kept that man on the phone, in his cheerful expectation, for well over an hour - Mom said - who had been listening. The seller even had to get his Supervisor in the end, to try and help clinch the deal, as he still thought Dad would become a buyer. 🙂

Was a funny story to hear later.

What is so sad is how many fall for stuff though. People expect out of others, what they would do to others. The cheaters and liars of the world know that and prey on the meek.

[Bob__B]

I'm getting so sick of these scammers ..... I've gotten to where I wont answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. They are smart enough now to make it look like the call is coming from your area code. In the last couple of years it seems to have spiraled totally out of control.
I felt brave the other day so I answered a call in my area code that I didn't recognize......Turned out it was those scammers who say "can you hear me OK? ....I almost fell for it. The minute you answer yes, they record you saying it and try to put you on the hook for some big ticket item.

[cross21114]

Got this today trying to sell a bed.

"Great..... I'm okay with the price and present condition, as am ready to make the purchase now. I believe with that i won't be disappointed in buying it from you, what is the zip code for the pick up arrangement and do you have an account with PayPal to receive payment?"

Told him I wanted cash, got this back

"PayPal is a means of sending and receiving funds worldwide online, and paypal also ensures we are both safe and secured online in the transaction. with paypal you can send and receive funds securely online. all you need to do is go to www.paypal.com and set up an account there and register and once you have done that just get back to me with your paypal email address which you used to register and your full name so i can proceed with the payment asap and once we are done with that we can proceed from there in arranging for the pickup."

Emailed back "if you have cash, I will meet you." Haven't heard back.

[free_radical]

Prober22 wrote:
Greetings,
Due to lifestyle changes, (plus I have too much stuff, and I bought a new truck that has a short box) I listed my RV on Craig's List. Within hours, I got this email:
____________________________________________________________________
Hello i'm Bill ,just asking about it to make sure its in good condition as im buying it for my son as a surprise who is getting married soon in April and he doesn't know about it, so can you assure me i will not be disappointed? My Mode of payment is PayPal because i don't have access to my bank account online, but i have it attached to my PayPal account. Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal, I will be responsible for all the PayPal fees/charges on this transaction, if you don't have an account with PayPal, it's pretty easy, safe and secure to open one. Just log on to www.paypal.com. I hope we can make this transaction as fast as possible. Less I forgot, I have a Mover that will come for pickup once payment is cleared in your PayPal account and they will be handling the title for me, as I look forward to hearing from you with your PayPal information as requested below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Pick Up Location:
And please do send me more pictures of it when you can.
_____________________________________________________________________

This seems too good to be true, so I Googled up "Paypal scams on Craigs List." It seems that the inquiry I got might be from a scammer. I asked "Bill" for more information, but he has gone silent.
Be careful out there!
Jeff

Does ANYONE out there really buys stuff sight unseen?

Especialy campers?