Scam using scare tactic

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I got a scam email today using a new scare tactic for the first time. The ruse was my IP address had been detected as being used to distribute child pornography and so was being black listed. It purported to come from Microsoft. When I checked the header it had come from some sort of weird email address. If I had any questions I was to call a supposed Microsoft #, which a Google search showed to be a spoofed # in Hawaii.

People have gotten wise to the soft sell tactics that scammers have used for years so they are now getting bolder using scare tactics. Be vigilant when you get emails intended to scare the bejeebers out of you.

I'm posting this as an FYI.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I got a scam email today using a new scare tactic for the first time. The ruse was my IP address had been detected as being used to distribute child pornography and so was being black listed. It purported to come from Microsoft. When I checked the header it had come from some sort of weird email address. If I had any questions I was to call a supposed Microsoft #, which a Google search showed to be a spoofed # in Hawaii.

People have gotten wise to the soft sell tactics that scammers have used for years so they are now getting bolder using scare tactics. Be vigilant when you get emails intended to scare the bejeebers out of you.

I'm posting this as an FYI.

This also happened to me today, but it was not an E-mail..... they alleged to be from Microsoft ..... also to McAfee ( I suspect this isn't the REAL one ).... also strange IP addresses .... I have Malwarebytes as added protection .....Mike

[Gwolf]

Used to get a lot of phone calls saying my Windows had a virus. Since I use Linux, I would just hang up on them, but now I tell them to wait, there is somebody at the door. I lay the phone down and go back in 15 minutes to hang it up.

[Little Blue]

...Yes, the Daily Scams are everywhere. The wife and I have learned to listen and not answer these calls.
We have caller ID and phone announcements. If we don't know the caller, we just let it ring.

Stay Healthy. .....

[Excoastie]

It is worth it to make yourself aware. Do a Google search on the various cybersecurity best practices as it relates to email, telephone, etc.

It's difficult to be an informed victim!

--Exco

[Raven]

We used to get one saying they were from the taxation office.
They would tell me I owed them money and a arrest warrant had been issued for me if I didn't pay now.
The next time they phoned, I answered.
RCMP "Fraud Division" Sargent Renfrew, how can I help you ?
CLICK

[Pooch]

In the last 4 months or so I have gotten text messages telling that my Ebay or sometimes its my Amazon account has been locked due to suspicious activity and I need to click on the following link to get it fixed. Yeah right, *******… I have tried to block the phone number they came in on … my block app says invalid number so won’t do it. I just delete the texts.

[Fatcycledaddy]

I have received emails saying they have excessed my web cam and have videos of me watching porn at work. They would like $500.00 or they are going to send it to my friends and family.
1. I Don’t watch porn
2. There is no web cam on my desktop
3. If there were a webcam on a laptop it would show my face, not the screen or a combination.

They are not bright and they pray on those that are not very bright.

The other one I am getting 3 -5 times a day right now is a phone call saying she is from the social security office and that she wants to help me with a claim I have recently filed.
It’s a computer generated bot or AI, if there is no response it says “are you there” if it hears any sound in response it goes on through its spiel.
I have blocked the number it comes from and it comes in with a new number.

With the Artificial Intelligence out there today they can make thousands of calls at one time with very few people manning the operation.

[Fatcycledaddy]

I got that call and they said the warrant was for my wife. I shouted yahoo, then told them to come get her it would save the cost of a divorce and they hung up

[Steve W.]

The updated software on my new-ish iPhone has the ability to "Silence Unknown Numbers", which sends the call to voicemail. I have enabled that feature. Since I work in a hospital network and don't know all the phone numbers that my customers might use, I have also changed my voicemail message to: "Hi, this is Steve. I am screening my calls for scam calls. If the number you are calling from is not in my Contact list and you don't leave a message, this number will be blocked."

I will occasionally see a notification flash on the screen for a silenced call, but there is no ring, no buzz, no flash, just a quick notice on the screen. If it is followed by a voicemail, I will respond to the voicemail. My phone life has become a LOT easier.

.

[Tourer]

I don’t answer any phone number I do not recognize. If it’s important they will leave a message. Used to answer them and while they are talking, blew a hand held air horn into the phone.

[JayBros]

I don’t answer any phone number I do not recognize. If it’s important they will leave a message.

Exactly!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Blocking phone numbers anymore is pretty much useless since almost all scam callers spoof the phone numbers that you see. I even got call from myself one time!

I don't know where the monitoring takes place, if it's in my Samsung Galaxy S20 phone or elsewhere, but most spam calls are tagged as "Suspected Spam". I think in the past year I've had only one legitimate caller who did not leave a message. Like others have said, if I don't recognize the number I don't answer. In fact answering can be bad because it confirms the scammer's computer hit a valid phone number.

[canamjhb]

I don't get too many phone spams..... Maybe 2-3 a day. But I do get a lot of computer scams. I label them as Junk or Phishing. I don't know which is more effective. Maybe they're both the same......Anyone know which "hurts" the bad guys the most?

[BajaRon]

Here is a philosophy that has served me well;

There is always time to panic later.

[gkamer]

In fact answering can be bad because it confirms the scammer's computer hit a valid phone number.

Yup. In the spammer world a live phone number is solid gold to be sold to the highest bidder. So all you end up accomplishing is increasing the number of spam calls you get. Like others here have said, if I don't recognize the number I ignore it. That takes zero time out of my day.

[Fatcycledaddy]

Yup. In the spammer world a live phone number is solid gold to be sold to the highest bidder. So all you end up accomplishing is increasing the number of spam calls you get. Like others here have said, if I don't recognize the number I ignore it. That takes zero time out of my day.

Unfortunately I do not have the option of not answering those calls.
I am a sales manager and technical support for a company, anyone who has problems or questions call me, the majority of them from unrecognized numbers.
I can’t wait until retirement, the company phone is gone, and I can ignore phone calls from numbers I don’t know.

[wyliec]

First, let me apologize in advance, if anyone's feelings are hurt. I get these scam messages on my phone, voice mail included, text messages, email and whatever else there is.

One day I finally had it when over the course of a month it seemed I was always being called because I hadn't paid my electric and gas bill. I haven't had our electric and gas in my name in over 22 years. It's in my gf's name. So, one day in my car I answered the phone from a number I didn't recognize. Guess what, the recording said they were going to turn off my gas/electric service unless I pressed 1 to speak to an account rep. So, I pressed 1 and when the rep got on the line I let him talk. When he said they were cutting my service off due to lack of payment, I said check with your mother I spent the night with her, and she has some extra money now. He started swearing and I hung up. That didn't stop those phone calls; I still get them to my voice mail.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

And there's the one, "Hey Joe, put the body under the porch!" <click>

[Baron14y]

I start speaking to them in German. They usually get the point in about 30 seconds and hang up especially since most of them are in India.

[RayBJ]

For what it's worth you can register your phone number(s) with the US Government's "DoNotCall" website. https://www.donotcall.gov/

It won't stop them all but greatly reduced the scam calls I used to get.

[gkamer]

I got an email telling me I had won $10,000 and I needed to call a number to claim my money. I replaied to just take whatever processing fee was due out of my winnings, keep a couple of Benjamins for themselves and send me the rest. Odd, but I never heard back from them.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

First, let me apologize in advance, if anyone's feelings are hurt. I get these scam messages on my phone, voice mail included, text messages, email and whatever else there is.

One day I finally had it when over the course of a month it seemed I was always being called because I hadn't paid my electric and gas bill. I haven't had our electric and gas in my name in over 22 years. It's in my gf's name. So, one day in my car I answered the phone from a number I didn't recognize. Guess what, the recording said they were going to turn off my gas/electric service unless I pressed 1 to speak to an account rep. So, I pressed 1 and when the rep got on the line I let him talk. When he said they were cutting my service off due to lack of payment, I said check with your mother I spent the night with her, and she has some extra money now. He started swearing and I hung up. That didn't stop those phone calls; I still get them to my voice mail.

That - rude & crude ..... and I love it ..... JMHO .... Mike

[Excoastie]

If you get bored, check out some of the "scamming the scammer" videos on YouTube.
Most of these people are hackers and such that go out of their way to disrupt the scammers' operations.
They're also very entertaining while they do it.

--Exco

[Cramdin]

If you get bored, check out some of the "scamming the scammer" videos on YouTube.
Most of these people are hackers and such that go out of their way to disrupt the scammers' operations.
They're also very entertaining while they do it.

--Exco

Those are hilarious. I like the one where the guy finds a CCTV camera he can access and get a visual on the scammer. There's another guy that makes "glitter bomb" packages that explode and shower porch pirates with glitter and records their reactions.