Don't get scammed!

[Daswulf]

Just listed some toys on fb marketplace and craigslist. I never list my phone # without putting it in half text half numbers. 

Anyway, I think it was off market place that I got a text. It mentioned the item and price. I texted back that it was still available. It went on in bad English and I started to realize it was a scam. They wanted to send me some code and verify the numbers. Don't do that!

I toyed with them asking what I was selling and they never answered but wanted to send and me verify a code. 

I knew it was a scam and deleted their code message. 

Told them as much and then the true colors started coming out.

Be careful out there. There are a Lot of scams going on by phone, internet and email, even on marketplace and CL. Law or IRS will send you a certified letter. No legit business asks for gift cards or alternative payment sites. Legit business will work off their websites. NEVER give access to your bank. Always distrust but verify, and Never give them access to your device with a code or viewer.  Check, double check and check again to the point of harassment until they give themselves away. 

Just a PSA from someone who was told to go do something with a goat in the end. Lol. 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Yeah I’ve ran into that for years on Craigslist, post an item for sale an within thirty minutes some spam scammer text ya,

even when you write in big bold letters, (cash in person only!!!) they still text with some stupid scheme,

[Charles R. Stevens]

That particular scam is an attempt to reset the password on your account. Probably face book in that case. 

[ThomasPowers]

I get a lot of scam mails that my account(s) have been compromised and I need to immediately reset my passwords.  Funny thing; I don't have accounts for the social media, banks, online this and that and the emails are faked with the links going to foreign countries.  We were talking with the President of our local bank yesterday and he was telling us how the US financial systems are under continuous attack from various groups in other countries and causing issues for legitimate users.  He was telling us that the bank's card was good for US$100 even if the clearinghouse was shut down due to attack.

We have two disparate credit cards so if one is compromised we can kill it immediately and still use the other.  My wife uses one and I the other to keep them "active".

[Scott NC]

  It applies to everything these days.  I had new 6" gutters put up and the contractor insisted I put a check in an envelope and tape it to the front door.  What the hey is that all about?  Who does that?  He was recommended by the roofing company but I still don't know his motives.  I offered to drop it off and he wouldn't give me an address.  They did a good job but still.  I look for scams everywhere....

[Frosty]

I miss our land line I used to have a pretty good time keeping the scammers on the phone as long as possible running their bill up for nothing. Oh BABY I was excited I'd won 34 million American Dollar Funds and a new Cadillac car! It's amazing how long they'd stay on the line while I looked for my SS card or bank acct number, etc. Eventually I got called names and funny how often I was accused of LOVING a goat. One got really agitated and threatened me with criminal prosecution if I at him laughed again. I don't know when he hung up I was laughing so hard.

Shaming them worked well too though I'm sure nobody straightened up.

I hate scammers, especially the corporate scams. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[LeeJustice]

Scott, that may be related to what I heard is called "whitewashing".  What I heard is that people steal mail from mailboxes, looking for checks that they can change the payee and also maybe the amount.  Watch for the check to clear with the correct amount.

[NoGoodWithUsernames]

I actually had that happen just recently. Paid a bill via check in the mail (all my friends make fun of me for still doing that, everyone else my age pays with automatic withdrawal type of deal. I just like being in control of when and where my money goes I guess.)

Anyways, I had paid the bill and thought nothing of it. It cleared the bank not too long after for the correct amount so still thought nothing of it. A couple weeks later I got a notice the bill was overdue so I started digging, let them know the check was sent, etc. Our bank saves a scan of all checks that go through so pulling that up it was immediately obvious that the name was changed. Was a pretty crappy scan from the "cashing" bank but it was still pretty obvious. Was a hassle getting it taken care of but all ended well.

I still have no idea how the bank where they cashed the check let that slip through... 

[Scott NC]

  Lee, I didn't do it.  I set a time for him to pick it up and he was all red faced and mad.  Lol..  They do business here differently, evidently.   I got the last laugh on that one though.

[Daswulf]

3 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

an attempt to reset the password on your account.

I bet you are correct. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

Scott, he may have been an off the books operation and the extra trip to pick up the check may have cut into his day job. 
 

[Scott NC]

 That would probably explain why he wouldn't give me his address so I could drop off the check.  Nobody home.  Or just a privacy thing.   It just seemed shifty to me.  You never know these days.

[Charles R. Stevens]

True that

[ThomasPowers]

There's always making an arrangement to transfer funds at a "known safe spot".  Last time we bought a vehicle, used,  we did the cash transfer at a bank, although we did not use any of their services.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

When I was at the PD we would have folks use our back lot to make transfers. About half the time the buyers would be no shows.

[Scott NC]

  Sometimes trolls or people selling junk slip on here and I have often wondered if a hacker weaseled thier way on here if clicking on their profile or a link would put spyware on my phone.  I report them when I come across an odd looking post.