Open Thread - Thurs 14 Mar 2024 - Did This Really Happen?
Scams Happen, But This One?
I ran across this article/story/whatever a few weeks ago. It is a first person account from a woman who got scammed and it's called 'The Day I put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger'.
As I was reading it, I couldn't believe how gullible the woman who fell for the scam was. She is supposedly smart, wealthy, highly educated... I'm sure crooks claim to be Amazon as a way to start scams, and I'm also sure that everyone's personal details have been released on the dark web, and are just waiting to be used. But, I'm still not entirely sure the story is true, there are aspects to it that seem unreal.
Pic illustrating the article in the New York Mag (from the magazine article)
The writer says the scammer had the last 4 digits of her social security number and her phone number (of course), her home address and date of birth. Now, I'm not that surprised. That kind of information would be on the dark web, and frankly, the fact that he knew the last 4 digits of her social security number is not shocking either. We are required to enter those last four numbers all over the place. So why wouldn't those be on the dark web as well?
The article says the writer went to the bank and got 50,000$ in cash to give to the scammers. But, a bank would not, I believe, give a person 50k in cash. The bank just wouldn't. Maybe it's different in New York?
Who thinks that Amazon would transfer the call they made to you, which they supposedly initiated out of the blue, to the FTC?
Why would she go along with not telling her husband? How could the FTC ask for that? Maybe she was too deep into the psych to question that?
Here's a fairly long Threads post discussing all of the above and more:
https://www.threads.net/@gruber/post/C3eRN5wM4YT (Sorry, I don't know how to imbed Threads posts so they show actual content...).
And here's great a response to the original NY Mag article: 'The Day I Stepped on 50 Rakes in my Front Yard'. It's worth a good laugh!
There's all kinds of columns, articles, and advice on the internet about detecting and avoiding scams. Here's some advice from the FDIC: Avoiding Scams and Scammers. A key point to all of this: we have to be aware and skeptical.
I should note that an email/article by David Sirota, the first of his series called Sirota's Signals, which is unfortunately behind a pay wall, first brought this to my attention. I was so bewildered by the NY Mag article, and enjoyed the response about the rakes so much, I thought I'd post them here.
Thanks for reading! Here's the open thread - and remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
It's Thursday! And Sunny!
Which is good for here. Some places, it shouldn't be sunny, too darned hot.
Hope all is well for everyone, as well as it can be. I know several of us have been going through hard times, losing friends, redoing homes, etc. It's tough, but we are still here and keeping on, aren't we? And that's good!
I recently heard from a sub-department of my insurance company. A while ago they insisted I switch to commercial insurance for the farm, because we sold about 4 dozen eggs a week. (I am NOT kidding, that was their excuse and they told me that everyone who sells a couple dozen eggs a week should be commercially insured). Anyway, the person told me that they had to add an exclusion to our insurance - covering bread, milk, cheese and clothing. Huh? What? I told her we had retired before they made us switch to commercial insurance, and asked why the exclusions. We have never sold bread, milk, cheese or clothing, although we have made and still make all of those things for our own personal use. Clothing? What the heck. She wrote back that she is checking into it and maybe we don't need commercial insurance after all... *eyeroll*
Anyway, that's my little bit of weirdness for today. I hope everyone's day is much less weird! Let's hear about what's going on, and what you think about scams! And insurance (which kinda seems a scam in and off itself, at times)!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Sorry for being gone yesterday...
It got busy. Good, but very busy, so I'm very late in replying. My apologies!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Thanks very much for the opportunity to "speak"
with you again, Sima. I have no doubts that our paths have crossed out in the real world. Living in the Kitsap was some of our happiest times and most certainly painful -- literally.
Our saga with the estate planning isn't working well. I took OTC's advice and fired the attorney. It didn't take much, I believe he was running away after I informed him of my wishes, that is, separating our assets and letting him know that we have no real property.
Since then it appears that the nursing care "with dignity" grift has resulted in many in the legal field to join in. My current discussion is with a firm which specializes in protecting those in need from the grifters, ie, work as an advocate as the bloodle$$ carcass of an elder enters into funding thru Medicaid. Sure, why wouldn't they want to collect a fee from the public funds.
It is very obvious that the hook in their system is the Durable POA. Combine that power with property owned jointly and even the healthy spouse is drained. Nothing is safe.
We are very close to the formal separation of our assets. Hmm, I don't think they would be nearly as hungry if they knew how little is really there. We are far from the boomers who are sitting on very valuable property. Add to that a pension which makes us ineligible for ever receiving Medicaid and I am sure that we would not be "accepted" as a candidate in any home or even a legal client.
I suggested to MsIndy that we make our next home one with wheels. Unfortunately I think we're a bit too old to park it on a beach in the baja.
Please be well.
Added on edit: What is absolutely most disgusting about this whole business and what we currently deal with in this dystopia, it is that there are so many who most desperately need support. And get nothing except a notice.
Finished Grapes of Wrath. We are living it.
I hope you are satisfied with your new firm.
There are supplemental insurance policies that are the protection from nursing home costs, and also from bankrupting medical bills.
Good luck, friend.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Dang, that is so hard, so hard!
It's such crap, what they make us go through, or what the system makes us go through. I'm not sure what my parents have set up, if anything, for medical expenses. I know that their trust won't allow companies, care homes, etc, to take money out of it but... if the place just sent a bill? I bet I'd have to pay it. My parents get SS, Medicare, and my disabled sister gets SSI. Not sure how that got worked out though, it was before I was trustee on the trust.
Anyway, best of luck as you go through this. I will keep in touch, keep you informed as I go through something similar with my parents. And, I bet we did meet on Kitsap at some time
.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
It snowed
a good honest foot last night, and the weather people say 8" more is coming today. The Denver area is pretty much at a standstill, and my employer has closed for the day.
Spring in the Rockies. A free day off is not to be missed: I'm going back to bed.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
It is 82 here today.
It is currently 34 and snowing at the property we own in Colorado.
Enjoy your day off!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
82?
*faint*
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Snow!
We haven't really had any all year. Not that we get a lot, normally, it is the Seattle area after all. Right now, we have bright sunshine and temps in the 50s and 60s. That'll do! Going back to bed sounds good. I would do that now, but, it's sunny. How dare one nap when it's sunny?
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima. We scurried out yesterday,
picked up a house guest at the SF airport and continued west for a day on the cost including a huge lunch at a water's edge fish joint at a small seaside harbor. Today is a wine pick-up with tasting up in Sonoma.
The news is, at the broadest view, unchanging but there is an interesting twist from Sputnik:
And why not, plausible enough for a petulant pissant.
Didn't rad the scam article, there are vast numbers of scams and scammers and enough people fall for them to keep them going. There is allegedly one whole town in India that makes its living that way. Our landline rings many times per day and they are all some sort of scam, even though one or two might be from real, "reputable" companies pushing insurance or cable/satellite packages. How people can be so gullible is generally one of two things fear or greed.
Time to go slice up some more bread so everybody can have some with breakfast should they so desire.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Bread sounds good
making a non-traditional Irish bread to go with the shepherds pie
for tonight's gathering. It is a quick bread, calls for beer, so will add a
Guinness stout for St. Patty day proximity.
Cheesy Rosemary Beer bread
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
salt/sugar
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBS rosemary
12 0unce beer
2 TBS butter
2 TBS warmed honey for drizzle
Lightly greast a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, salt and brown sugar.
Add 1/4 c honey and beer, stirring well.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Brush 1 tablespoon honey and melted butter over dough.
Bake 50 minutes.
question everything
Sounds good. I have made beer bread in the past,
but it has been quite a while. These days, if I wan't a "quick" bread I have a sourdough based flatbread that comes out like Naan that I'll do.
BTW - loved your column and the included art yesterday.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
That sounds good!
Might be handing that recipe to my husband. He's the bread baker. I'm the cheese maker
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Sounds like a good time with friends...
And bread! Don't blame you for not reading the scam article. It was nuts. I am not surprised that there are places in India or whereever that specialize in scams. I think they've called me before. I just hang up. I refuse to give out my cell phone number, so I don't get calls on it. But the home/farm phones gets lots, or used to. Not so much right now, except the constant political calls...
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
i kinda got
a thing or two on
recent posts that stuck
about asking questions?
astronomers use a lot
of different wavelengths
to peer through the galactic
dust-uv, ultra violet, infrared
microwave-and the images
are stunning of distant stars
and such
my questions
if distant stars give off
intense of microwaves isn’t
our sun a star capable of
doing the same? and it’s the
earth covered in water?
what happens to a cup of
water in the microwave?
goes to that commonsense
theme as well I guess
again just asking questions
(I got a lot more too)
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
getting stuck is the reverse way to go forward
-
not sure if that speaks to your comment tho
comes from getting stuck in snow
first reverse then figure the way out
question everything
I think the article
is the scam. It is preposterous.
I know one client who was scammed by an Aussie whom she met on a dating website. Oh, he loved her, oh he wanted to come to Texas and marry her, but he had to pay some bills, and the travel costs, and so on...and she depleted her inheritance funding her fiance' after hiring me to help her get it. It was about $125,000 she went through. She wound up living in a HUD apartment, her family all turned their backs on her. They were embarrassed by her behavior. The fiance' never contacted her after she went broke.
Carrying large amounts of cash has become evidence of a crime, even though no criminal charge has been filed. Even having cash in large amounts in your home is suspicious behavior. The cash can be seized by the police, and you have to sue to get it back, sufficiently proving the cash is not the result of criminal activity.
TPTB have been figuring out ways to monitor and control your earnings and spending for longer than most folks realize.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Well, got a dime in my pocket
found it in the gutter
can't say it is income
unless bending over is work
can't say it was a gift
since it didn't have a tag on it
so my unreported 10 cent fund is
probably illegal and so face heavy fines
by not reporting it
hmm
question everything
Don't jay walk!
That first crime is the perfect crime. It is not brought to the attention of the damn cops until you commit that second crime!
When this first became a worry, back in the days when we just didn't carry credit cards, and debit cards had not been invented, Texas gamblers would drive over to the race tracks and casinos in La. to gamble. If they got caught speeding, oopsies!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
This...
Is so true! I have heard about a friend of a friend who fell for the romance scam. It didn't last long, her family made her quit. But still... My Mom would fall for scams, but I oversee all that. My Dad used to stop it all, but he can't anymore, he just isn't really there
.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
It seems to me that the the following tweets are indeed related
Yep
Probably related.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I am glad that I drive an older car that does not have all those
high tech gizmos. Big brother is watching!
The rest of the tweet:
sorry, but my old 2005 Astro is not interested
-
enough to figure out who put the key in the ignition
switch, which is ok by me, in a low crime community
Perhaps these new micro processors work for some
but black box repairs are expensive
question everything
My car's a bit older than that...
and a stick shift. How can I get an electric stick shift car? Never. So, no way. My old car does great and keeps on keeping on. I guess I'll give it up when they stop selling gas and have enough electric recharging places.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
By bizarre coincidence, I was accosted by a scam this morning;
I was nosing around with my laptop, when what claimed to be Microsoft took over my computer and refused to close. In relatively fine print, it directed me to call a phone number to deal with the hack of my network.
I yammered for almost two hours with a person of limited English who eventually got across that my Compter had been hacked and the hacker bought some child porn video with funds from my bank's savings account. In order to be able to get my money back, I needed to put the contested sum of 15K in cash a paper bag and ship it via UPS to the Federal Trade Commission.
They diligently and patiently waded through my objections and pointed questions without breaking character. They patched me into a phone call with a guy whom they say is an FTC agent.
Two more hours of sometimes testy dialog left me with this understanding of their story: The hacker(s) compromised both my computer and my cell phone. Thus they were able to beat the text message screening system for suspicious buys. They just replied YES when asked if I really wanted to spend 15K for Chinese video labeled as porn. Thus the bank is off the hook for giving them my money. Obviously, as a banking customer, I have a big problem with that way of doing business.
From here the story leaps into the bowels of the Federal Government. For reasons I still can't grasp, The Feds will hold such a contested account until the bank can square its accounts. Therefore I had to get them cash -- not a cashier's check within an hour or so.
Not buying any story that involves cash.
Gotta admit, as scams go, this one is pretty slick.
I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.
A few years ago I got a call from some computer geek
Who told me that my computer needed fixing somehow and he was talking about a PC. When I said I had a Mac he switched gears so easy and went on to explain what I needed to do.
I now have a rule that if they aren’t in my contacts I don’t answer. Get lots of 7 second voice mails that say nothing.
2 decades ago I did answer a call from a credit card company that wanted to give me a better interest rate and I did. It wasn’t until I hung up that I wondered if I had gotten screwed. It was legit, but I wouldn’t do that again.
Of course the phone companies can crack down on these types of calls and spam calls. We have the do not call thing and anyone who breaks it is supposed to be fined, but for some reason they or the government don’t do anything about this.
We just experienced
some bank fraud, with someone who had managed to skim my wife's debit card. We shut the card off immediately, of course, and disputed the charges. But then my wife got a phone call, and the voice on the other end said "This is (fill-in-the-bank) on a recorded line, calling about some suspicious charges on your debit card". The caller ID was correct for the institution.
Well, isn't that special. It all sounded extremely official, of course, and might have worked. Except they called on a Sunday, and we know good and well that our bank (credit union, actually) doesn't have anybody who actually works on Sunday... My wife played along until they started trying to pump her for more information (just to "confirm" it, of course), at which point she said "You already have that information. You aren't getting any more. By the way, what is *your* name?". They refused to answer that question, at which point she told them off in a way that would make any sailor blush. That's my girl...
On Monday, we confirmed with the credit union that they had not called us- they still don't have anybody who works on a Sunday. But some of those bastards are getting pretty creative.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
These are very scary times. Technology has become the enemy
In my case the culprit was thunderbird and firefox. I was trying so hard to maintain the POP3 emails so I switched from my traditional emailer. Little did I realize that thunderbird had opened sessions and then didn't close them. It worked wonderfully for the ones I saw in front of me but I had no idea what the others were doing.
The net effect was that the bad guy managed to corrupt my online banking page by intercepting the regular page and inserting some extra buttons that would take me to one of their pages. My router had been spoofed too (firefox and chrome, primarily chrome).
Even to this day I cannot add a payee or modify one. I haven't used bill pay. Venmo and Paypal are out of the question. In 2 weeks I will ask them for a final statement for my and MsIndy's accounts and a check.
In a couple of hours we will go to our new bank and change our accounts from joint to individual, hers and mine. Next week we will do the legal stuff (note crossed fingers).
The bad guy may be able to clear out one of them but I hugged the LOML and said that we will stand together in spite of the BS. It's only money, we started out with less. Hel, we started with nothing.
Please be well...
Dang, this is scary...
I use Thunderbird and Firefox. I haven't had any problems with extra sessions, etc. But now I'm gonna haveta look very closely. I hope all goes well with getting the new bank stuff set up. What a pain in the keyster to have to do.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Very creative!
Good on your wife for telling them off like a sailor.
It seems to me, and I'm probably wrong, but the same company that does all the legitimate phone help in India or whatever (like you initiate the call the credit card company for a question - so it's legit) has another floor or floors where they do scam calls too. But, I'm cynical that way.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
The phone companies and government don't crack down..
Because they would lose a source of money and have to pay more to get people to do the work for blocking the calls... or that's my cynical view of it.
My Mom and Dad get those computer calls all the time. Or, they used to. Dad can't do computers anymore and my Mom never did. But she used to take the call and worry, and worry, and worry, but deny it nonetheless. My, I don't even respond nicely to the calls anymore, I swear at them. Even the ones asking for money for the police
.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
That scam is super slick...
And it sure sounds like the one described in the article. I have not gotten such calls, but then, I don't answer the phone much. Maybe that's it, or maybe my bank account doesn't have enough in it. I too would be never, ever give people cash if they asked for it.
Much respect for going through all this and being able to see through this scam! Much respect!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
They did not call me.
They conned me into calling them by freezing my computer and supplying a "Microsoft" phone number. They had multiple voices in the scam qnd they took me through re-opening my computer which in an ironic way gave them more credibility,
The heart of the story was that the bank would deduct $15,000 from my savings account any minute now to cover what they had paid for the porn. So I had to hurry my ass to the bank to take out that much cash to send to the FTC. Then I would get the same amount back from the FTC "within 48 hours."
Hurry up and take money out of your account to keep that sum from being deducted by the bank.
Hurry up is the second tell after cash.
As of the close of business hours today, the threatened deduction has not been made.
I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.