Welcome Guest Login or Signup
BIRTHDAYS | CLOUDEIGHT COMPUTER CARE | LIVE CHAT | BOOKMARK
| LANGUAGE:
 

BLOGS   WRITE NEW BLOG   EDIT BLOGS  
 
RSS
Exam A Scam
Posted On 03/11/2022 21:04:08 by yourchoice

The news is filled with stories about people who have been scammed by a phone call, an email, and even in person. The temptation is to think that it will never happen to us. Why would any decent person want to hit on anyone, young or old, to make them miserable or even destitute. Maybe we are even tempted to wonder if the persons who were scammed were just too gulible and hope they have learned their lesson. As of last week, I have a story to tell; (watch for the 'red' flags.

For a lot of years, since the beginning of the Internet, I have done consignment selling for customers who didn't know how, or have the time, to post items for sale on the Internet. I started by selling on Ebay, researching the value and/or reasonable asking price, then packing and shipping the 'sold' item to the Buyer. Things have changed over the years, more opportunities, more technology, more customers, but there are also many opportunities for the ruthless and unethical people who are happy to tell a story to gain something of monitary value.

During this past year, we have been 'down-sizing' the massive collection of stuff that we have accumulated at our country lot. Some has been passed on the friends or family, some has been donated to organizations, and some we list for sale. I listed an item from our shop that was of no further use to us, and in less than an hour, I received a text message, asking if it was available (flag). It was the acceptable message to connect Buyer and Seller. I was then told that the inquiry was made for a relative who only communicated via e-mail, and not with text messages (flag), and they would be contacting me (flag). I then learned, through numerous email messages, that the interested Buyer was located on the opposite side of our country, (flag), and would send me a bank draft (flag). I only list locally so how would the Buyer be able to see my listing (flag)? In addition, they said that they would send me a check via e-mail to be deposited in the bank (flag). I had stated 'Cash Only or E-Transfer' in my listing (they didn't read the whole listing). I received the e-mails, with two photos of the check (front and back), and requested that I tell them ASAP when it was deposited so they could proceed with arrangements for pick-up (flag). I was informed by two trusted friends and our bank manager that my suspicions were correct, and this was an attempted scam. Can you guess may next message?

I wrote an e-mail, as requested, telling them that I had just returned from my trip to the bank, and included this curt red-lettered sentence... SHAME ON YOU! YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO SCAM ME. This will be reported and your email and phone have been blocked!!!” They've probably received worse messages!

That evening, I received four more attempts from different phone numbers but the starting routine was very similar to the first attempt. No more attempts for now... but I certainly know of more things to watch for when I'm dealing on line.

There is ALWAYS more for all of us to learn! We DON'T know it all!


Tags: Educate Selling Buying



Bookmark:



Viewing 1 - 5 out of 5 Comments

03/12/2022 15:08:55


momtocam wrote:

With technology, scammers have multiplied. My 92 year old neighbor is besieged daily with phone calls attempting to gain enough info to leave her homeless. I've always said if these scam artist would utilize their devious skills to something honest and constructive, the world would be a nicer place to live. I've know many who were scammed from various scams. It always makes me more alert and to be even more aware of those flags.

You are so right about using knowledge for the good, and not for the illegal, devious, projects. I had a very dear friend who received a call a month ago from "her" grandson who apparently was in jail (crying, and insisting that was innocent). She would do anything for him and knew him well enought that he was not one who would even consider being involved anything that would land him in jail. She spoke to the 'warden', she couldn't afford to pay for the bail, and was told they would make arrangements with whatever she could send. She was so convinced, but it was a scam. After the that conversation, she called her grandson who didn't know what she was talking about. She has learned many things from the meeting that she had with the police, but too late to recover the payment. A sad situation!



03/12/2022 14:59:15


Altara33606 wrote:

I once had a scammer respond to an ad. As soon as i said
I'd meet them in the parking lot at the police department...they 
disappeared, lol.  And yes, that 'check' thing is a big one--going on
for years; a neighbor kid once got that. His parents stopped him.

Most of our selling/buying online is done locally, and I always meet them at a public location like Tim Horton's or a grocery store parking lot... anywhere that there are many other people milling around. 
This experience involved 'out-of-town' Buyer, who needs to make payment before I would ever pack it up and stick it in the mail or involve a shipper. That's a different story and I have done that many times before. 
I was told by the Bank Manager that the attempt to send a photo of the cheque was done a number of years ago, but not considered safe now. He said that is why the 'scammers' are busy. It's not now as it used to be!



03/12/2022 14:52:44


nightfall wrote:

One of the negative sides to the internet are those scammers who want to rob you. Yes they is always more for us to learn. Nice to see a postb from you. I pray all is well in your corner of the world.

This experience has given me a voice to try and 'educate' my non-computer husband. It also added to my basic knowledge that I read about but didn't 'file' it in a good place. It is a good time to come to for us because we are getting to have more time on our hands, now that we are in the physical 'recovery' mode. Spring is on its way!



03/12/2022 14:29:17

With technology, scammers have multiplied. My 92 year old neighbor is besieged daily with phone calls attempting to gain enough info to leave her homeless. I've always said if these scam artist would utilize their devious skills to something honest and constructive, the world would be a nicer place to live. I've know many who were scammed from various scams. It always makes me more alert and to be even more aware of those flags.



03/12/2022 05:14:34

One of the negative sides to the internet are those scammers who want to rob you. Yes they is always more for us to learn. Nice to see a postb from you. I pray all is well in your corner of the world.





Smileycons  -  FolderMagic  -  CalendarPal  -  Cloudeight Stationery  -   NotOverTheHill Powered by M3Server.com