[Finance] ******** The Scam Thread *********

[rippleman]

Portal-TV-Licence-037940 <fatheha.ali@hotmail.co.uk>

helpfully informs me that my TV License has expired, all I have to do is click on his emaile link.

It's good to know that the majority of scammers are still so bloody stupid. That email address is a joke, You could say that anybody who falls for that probably deserves it. Is TV licencing going to use a hotmail address? Unlikely!

All but the most sophisticated scammers will give you a clue (sometimes more than one) that the email / text is not genuine. If in doubt - hit delete.

 

[Weststander]

It's good to know that the majority of scammers are still so bloody stupid. That email address is a joke, You could say that anybody who falls for that probably deserves it. Is TV licencing going to use a hotmail address? Unlikely!

All but the most sophisticated scammers will give you a clue (sometimes more than one) that the email / text is not genuine. If in doubt - hit delete.

But I did almost fall for the TV licence scam a couple of years ago. The colour, font, logo were exemplary. I was up to my eyeballs in admin and until just before the final click, thought it a simple email to deal with.

Just shows.

Whilst the elderly are very vulnerable.

 

[Zeberdi]

Really odd - has anyone had a email like this before - pretty sure it’s a scam? Received yesterday- but this is the name and email address of someone I had some contact through on a forum about 5 years ago (never since) - we exchanged emails about 3 or 4 times that was it - never met, don’t really know him from Adam - I don’t have the guys phone number and I only use an ipad or iphone and this is an icloud contact so my digital security is quite good.(I think!)

How would a scam like this work?

“A Favour to Ask

Hello, I hope this finds you well

I'm unable to speak over the phone due to a serious throat pains caused by laryngitis, Just wanted to check in and see if you shop with Amazon?

Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Really odd - has anyone had a email like this before - pretty sure it’s a scam? Received yesterday- but this is the name and email address of someone I had some contact through on a forum about 5 years ago (never since) - we exchanged emails about 3 or 4 times that was it - never met, don’t really know him from Adam - I don’t have the guys phone number and I only use an ipad or iphone and this is an icloud contact so my digital security is quite good.(I think!)

How would a scam like this work?

“A Favour to Ask

Hello, I hope this finds you well

I'm unable to speak over the phone due to a serious throat pains caused by laryngitis, Just wanted to check in and see if you shop with Amazon?

Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”

I got a similar one last year that appeared to come from an esteemed (and very well-heeled) member of this board who I was helping with a project at the time, casually inquiring if I had an Amazon account. When I replied yes, I got spun some old yarn about his cards having been frozen and wanting to use my amazon account to send flowers to his friend who was in hospital 'recovering from the cancer'. Promised to pay me back obviously. And yes, their email account had been hacked. Obviously.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Seems to be a lot of SPAM coming out from emails @fathom-labs.io at the moment. Looks like they have got hold of a lot of email addresses and are sending out emails that look very convincing from companies like John Lewis and Boots saying you have won a prize.

 

[Zeberdi]

I got a similar one last year that appeared to come from an esteemed (and very well-heeled) member of this board who I was helping with a project at the time, casually inquiring if I had an Amazon account. When I replied yes, I got spun some old yarn about his cards having been frozen and wanting to use my amazon account to send flowers to his friend who was in hospital 'recovering from the cancer'. Promised to pay me back obviously. And yes, their email account had been hacked. Obviously.

Thanks for the explanation - it doesn’t sound very sophisticated so I don’t think I would have been sucked too far down the road on that one anyway but as long as it’s not my email account that’s been hacked

 

[bluenitsuj]

My Facebook got hacked Friday. They somehow got in, changed email and password and then listed 85 cars for sale on marketplace. I was inundated with messages.
Luckily I was still logged in on my phone so managed to add my email and request a password reset. (This went to my email and the scammer email as I could not delete it at that stage). I had to quickly change password and then delete the scammers email before they could do anything. Seems OK now.
Took bloody ages to delete all listing and messages.

 

[Justice]

I had a similar Amazon approach this week which appeared to come from one of my clients asking me to get his daughter an Amazon gift voucher for her birthday as he was out of town. They had problems logging in to Amazon with the promise of reimbursement when they returned. I sussed immediately as we aren’t close enough for him to ask me in the first place and B he’s a multi millionaire and I doubt he would be pissing about with an Amazon voucher for his daughters birthday present.
I replied send me £1000 by western union and I will get your daughter a decent present I didn’t here back.

 

[tedebear]

My Facebook got hacked Friday. They somehow got in, changed email and password and then listed 85 cars for sale on marketplace. I was inundated with messages.
Luckily I was still logged in on my phone so managed to add my email and request a password reset. (This went to my email and the scammer email as I could not delete it at that stage). I had to quickly change password and then delete the scammers email before they could do anything. Seems OK now.
Took bloody ages to delete all listing and messages.

This worries me, they had to guess your password in the first place? Otherwise how are they doing this? Befuddles me...

 

[bluenitsuj]

This worries me, they had to guess your password in the first place? Otherwise how are they doing this? Befuddles me...

I don't know. And what were they trying to achieve. They didn't touch anyrhing apart from putting the listing on.

 

[Springal]

I don't know. And what were they trying to achieve. They didn't touch anyrhing apart from putting the listing on.

Was your email / password combo in a data breach ?

You can check https://haveibeenpwned.com/

You should also have 2 factor authentication on really

 

[Coldeanseagull]

#

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Really odd - has anyone had a email like this before - pretty sure it’s a scam? Received yesterday- but this is the name and email address of someone I had some contact through on a forum about 5 years ago (never since) - we exchanged emails about 3 or 4 times that was it - never met, don’t really know him from Adam - I don’t have the guys phone number and I only use an ipad or iphone and this is an icloud contact so my digital security is quite good.(I think!)

How would a scam like this work?

“A Favour to Ask

Hello, I hope this finds you well

I'm unable to speak over the phone due to a serious throat pains caused by laryngitis, Just wanted to check in and see if you shop with Amazon?

Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”

Don't think it's a scam, he just fancies you what with all those kisses!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I don't know. And what were they trying to achieve. They didn't touch anyrhing apart from putting the listing on.

Um, clearly hoping for some daft buggers to part with cash or bank details before seeing a non-existent car?

 

[redoubtable seagull]

How Secure Is My Password? | Password Strength Checker

Passwords are the bloodline of data and online security, but our research on the password habits in the U.S. shows that less than half of Americans feel

www.security.org

Quite a useful tool as well.

 

[bluenitsuj]

Um, clearly hoping for some daft buggers to part with cash or bank details before seeing a non-existent car?

I was getting the messages

 

[London Pompous]

I fell for one eight years ago. It said vote Brexit and get your country back.

 

[dazzer6666]

Really odd - has anyone had a email like this before - pretty sure it’s a scam? Received yesterday- but this is the name and email address of someone I had some contact through on a forum about 5 years ago (never since) - we exchanged emails about 3 or 4 times that was it - never met, don’t really know him from Adam - I don’t have the guys phone number and I only use an ipad or iphone and this is an icloud contact so my digital security is quite good.(I think!)

How would a scam like this work?

“A Favour to Ask

Hello, I hope this finds you well

I'm unable to speak over the phone due to a serious throat pains caused by laryngitis, Just wanted to check in and see if you shop with Amazon?

Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”

Had one of these today……purported to come from someone I only vaguely know.

 

[Fungus]

How Secure Is My Password? | Password Strength Checker

Passwords are the bloodline of data and online security, but our research on the password habits in the U.S. shows that less than half of Americans feel

www.security.org

Quite a useful tool as well.

Hmm, not sure I’d want to put my passwords in there! Any password manager that generates passwords should give an indication of the strength.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

Hmm, not sure I’d want to put my passwords in there! Any password manager that generates passwords should give an indication of the strength.

The website is listed by the Online Safety Alliance, which is a training provider for staff working in the education sector. The site a useful tool for checking password strength.