Got one of those only via e-mail. Was supposed to be from my Uncle (in his late 80’s at the time). He and my Aunt (who was barely mobile due hip and back issues) had decided to just bop over to Istanbul for the week and had gotten robbed. I was supposed to wire money and get my sisters and cousins to do the same. Silly, suspicious, me decided to call my Uncle first before responding. Yep, just as I had thought, everyone was still at home. Turned out that he had gotten a similar e-mail a week or so earlier from a friend who was supposed to have had a similar experience while in London.
I picked that up right away….He didn’t say “Tia” Carmen. He would never refer to his wallet as a “purse” and besides, she just saw him in the driveway working on his car. LOL.
I love getting the phone call about 5 am asking if I authorized a purchase at 3am on ebay, which of course I never have used. I tend to get up early and eat, read a few emails before going back to sleep for another hour or two. and check for any bank alerts on my credit cards so I already know there was no transaction and I’m actually awake at a time when most people are being woken from their sleep. for some reason they hang up on me when I tell them they are liars.
We have an employee at the credit union we go to – one of the “platform people” who we always ask for. She has 3 sons all of whom are in some form of law enforcement.
She was telling us that an older woman had come in and met with her to make a large withdrawal from a CD that was not due. When questioned it was for one of these scams. The branch manager was called and they explained it to the woman and called who was supposed to have called her to show that her that it was a scam.
She then went on to tell us that she, herself had received a call that her son had something happen to him and needed a large sum of cash. In a panic she had the foresight to call one of her other sons to check if that son was working that day – and he was and it was a scam.
But if one panics one can be taken. While this is not a new scam it has been made easier due to the Internet and Facebook as family names and relationships are shown on same. Before it might it might just be a call – your child or grandchild, now they have the names of same to use.
I know that when I was a young teenager my cousins were coming to visit for the afternoon. (1960s) I was on the telephone with a friend and an operator cut in and said I had to get off the phone as there was an emergency call. It was my uncle asking if they had arrived safely as he had a call that they were in an accident on the way to us from “the police”. Luckily they walked into the house in the middle of the call – safe and sound and not having been in an accident. Some sort of scam must have been have been going on.
Templo S.U.D. almost 5 years ago
Now what would her Hispanic grandnephew be doing in a Portuguese-speaking African nation? Not to mention tie up the international phone bill.
KenTheCoffinDweller almost 5 years ago
Got one of those only via e-mail. Was supposed to be from my Uncle (in his late 80’s at the time). He and my Aunt (who was barely mobile due hip and back issues) had decided to just bop over to Istanbul for the week and had gotten robbed. I was supposed to wire money and get my sisters and cousins to do the same. Silly, suspicious, me decided to call my Uncle first before responding. Yep, just as I had thought, everyone was still at home. Turned out that he had gotten a similar e-mail a week or so earlier from a friend who was supposed to have had a similar experience while in London.
fuzzbucket Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Baldo carries a purse?
dlkrueger33 almost 5 years ago
I picked that up right away….He didn’t say “Tia” Carmen. He would never refer to his wallet as a “purse” and besides, she just saw him in the driveway working on his car. LOL.
Ib12us almost 5 years ago
He lost his purse?
micromos almost 5 years ago
Hard to be level people fall for those scams. I always check to see if call is from a local area code. Lmaaotp
theincrediblebulk almost 5 years ago
I love getting the phone call about 5 am asking if I authorized a purchase at 3am on ebay, which of course I never have used. I tend to get up early and eat, read a few emails before going back to sleep for another hour or two. and check for any bank alerts on my credit cards so I already know there was no transaction and I’m actually awake at a time when most people are being woken from their sleep. for some reason they hang up on me when I tell them they are liars.
WCraft Premium Member almost 5 years ago
That is pretty cold. What if it is really him?
Back_phil almost 5 years ago
Baldo has $100k! If he did, he’d be pouring the money into his 1960’s Chevy.
WCraft Premium Member almost 5 years ago
That was a tongue-in-cheek comment. I should’ve given some hint.
Petemejia77 almost 5 years ago
Very true. I would get scollded for not using Tia when saying some of my aunt’s names!
mafastore almost 5 years ago
We have an employee at the credit union we go to – one of the “platform people” who we always ask for. She has 3 sons all of whom are in some form of law enforcement.
She was telling us that an older woman had come in and met with her to make a large withdrawal from a CD that was not due. When questioned it was for one of these scams. The branch manager was called and they explained it to the woman and called who was supposed to have called her to show that her that it was a scam.
She then went on to tell us that she, herself had received a call that her son had something happen to him and needed a large sum of cash. In a panic she had the foresight to call one of her other sons to check if that son was working that day – and he was and it was a scam.
But if one panics one can be taken. While this is not a new scam it has been made easier due to the Internet and Facebook as family names and relationships are shown on same. Before it might it might just be a call – your child or grandchild, now they have the names of same to use.
I know that when I was a young teenager my cousins were coming to visit for the afternoon. (1960s) I was on the telephone with a friend and an operator cut in and said I had to get off the phone as there was an emergency call. It was my uncle asking if they had arrived safely as he had a call that they were in an accident on the way to us from “the police”. Luckily they walked into the house in the middle of the call – safe and sound and not having been in an accident. Some sort of scam must have been have been going on.