Have a Talk With Your Parents

[Our03z4]

My elderly mother got scammed yesterday. I thought they never would have fallen for such an scam, especially one that required the use of gift cards but unfortunately I was wrong. They had a spam pop-up on their computer saying that they needed to call "Microsoft" and she called the spam number.

They then gave remote access to their computer and were told to login to all credit cards and bank accounts. They then told them they were from the FTC and needed to go drain all their bank accounts, in cash, and put it into gift cards, which they did. $4000 worth which was all they had to their name. Luckily I found out but to late, they were still in the scam and I was able to stop further damage.

If you think your parents wouldn't fall for it they actually may, have a talk with them.

I'll pay my parents bills until they get back on their feet so they'll be fine but they are just so upset they fell for it.

[cmyx6go]

So sorry to hear this. There's a special place in hell for these scammers.
People suck.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

There's a special place in hell for these scammers.

If someone will pay the airfare, I'll personally fly to Nigeria and send a whole bunch of them express delivery!

I spent a few days with my elderly mother two weeks ago. She received at least three scam calls per day, and thankfully identified them right away so I am not concerned about her falling victim.

Suggestion to Our03z4 that someone scan the mother's computer for viruses and malware, and ensure that a virus scanner and ad-blocker are installed.....

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

If someone will pay the airfare, I'll personally fly to Nigeria and send a whole bunch of them express delivery!

I spent a few days with my elderly mother two weeks ago. She received at least three scam calls per day, and thankfully identified them right away so I am not concerned about her falling victim.

Suggestion to Our03z4 that someone scan the mother's computer for viruses and malware, and ensure that a virus scanner and ad-blocker are installed.....

Thanks for the advice. First thing I did (while she was still on it) was pull the plug on the computer. Spectrum said to junk the computer which I planned on and to also replace the modem as the IP is potentially compromised. I'm buying them new ones tonight.

I'm just glad I checked in when I did, I about had a heart attack seeing a pile of gift cards on the table as I walked in. My goal at this point is for them to feel no life changes. My parents are the sweetest and most innocent people you could ever meet. I told them to trust no one nowadays.

[CTinline-six]

I work in IT, and the scams are getting pretty believable for elderly people or those who aren't looking for it. I see a lot of the IRS calling people scams now that tax day has passed, or e-mails asking people to click on links.

[oVeRdOsE.]

they always found new ideas.

If you use internet, we get shoot at to never send money to anyone online or by phone.

The government asked me for 2000$, and ignore it for months, until I got few reminders, and I had to do many calls to make sure it wasnt a scam.
It was legit, but all this to say, even super legit documents I dont believe it at first.

My dad got scammed not so long ago. he inherited from my gran pa , his taxi driver licenses. At one point, before Uber, the value hit 220 000$ cad. Uber came in, and the value dropped around 90k$.

There was some law suits to get the money back for government and a scammer took this opportunity to scam. It looked legit, and meeting were held in person. Until he requested 3000$ for layers fees, and the guy stole money like this to many taxi drivers.

[p0p]

^ the government took my money yesterday $**,***.00 (TaxDay)

I install uBlock original on my moms Chrome, that helps with these types of pop up + no adds watching youtube.

Also watch out for text messages - one almost got me; While the wife was out with friends. I got a text saying "Your BANKNAME account is blocked" call xyz

Like how did they know the BankName

[M_Six]

Sorry to hear that. This type of scam is all too common these days. You'd like to see these scumbags put away for decades. But the truth is, many of them are outside the reach of U.S. authorities. And even if they are in the U.S., there is technically nothing illegal about some of these scams.

My late sister's husband is blowing every dime he has on this gift card crap. His stepson and his sister have all tried to get him to see that this is all a scam, but he won't believe them. And if a person is not officially considered mentally incompetent, there's not a damn thing you can do about it. I give it a year before he loses his home and is destitute. So sad to watch helplessly.

I keep getting phone calls where the caller ID says Aetna Medicare. They have nothing to do with Aetna, yet they somehow get away with using Aetna's name in their scams.

[nerdogray]

I have my parents on their own mail domain and have ended up blocking everything from Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc... all the free mail domain services. They receive far too many "invoices" that my father has fallen for three times (he has dementia). I will check the message logs daily, and if I see a legitimate email get blocked, I will add it to an exception list.

[2000cs]

My mom, 92, gets the “granddaughter in jail” scam call occasionally. Always interrupts them to say, “I’m so glad you called; your dad promised me he would help with the rent this month and I haven’t heard from him yet.” Always hears click next.

She is careful but the scammers are really good. Fortunately she doesn’t do on-line banking at all, and takes her checks into the post office to mail (has had a check washed in the past).

[Pauly Wauly]

I'm sorry to hear that your mom got scammed. It's usually the honest, nicest, and innocent people who fall for those kinds of things.
I almost fell for a phone scam many years ago when it was a new thing. I had never heard of phone scams at the time, and if it wasn't for my oldest son (who was a teenager at the time), I would have gotten scammed.

It's a good thing that you found out about it and are able to stop it from happening again.

Now, whenever one these f%#=g scammers calls me, I just waste their time until they figure out that I know what they are all about, and when they do, most of the time they just hang up.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by p0p

I got a text saying "Your BANKNAME account is blocked" call xyz

Like how did they know the BankName

Sometimes a lucky guess by using a large/popular bank, but personalized scams are common using customer information stolen in massive data breaches and sold on the dark web to the highest bidder.

There's a reason why companies large and small pay for cyber insurance, and provide identity theft protection after they are hacked.....

[UncleWede]

I had just received my secret clearance back in NINETEEN HUNDRED and 80-something. I got an email from a Nigerian Prince who wanted to send me a bunch of $$$.

I had aduty to report foreign contact to the security office. They laughed,


and laughed



and then they laughed some more.




A few years back: "No, mom, Martin didn't go to Mexico, the federalies don't have him"

[dreamingat30fps]

I wonder if this was a thing back before the internet? Like did they scam people by mail or phone or something?

If it's inherent to the internet and older people having not grown up with the internet or maybe just not being as tech savvy. Does that mean as the older generations die will the new older generation (like me and probably many on here) stop falling for these thus ending this whole scam business?

Or will they get on the AI train or some other tech that maybe we don't know much about and they will start scamming us with some new shit?

[pikkagtr]

Jokes on the scammers
I have all their finances and power of attorney
They have each like $250 to their name

[Donatello.]

I am sorry to read this. Hope they catch these pieces of shiz and I also hope your parents end up ok

[Gemini562]

I'm really sorry to hear about your mom's experience with that scam. It's shockingly similar to what happens in the movie "The Beekeeper," where the mom also falls victim to an internet scam.

[Esteban]

Sorry OP to hear about your poor ol' Mom getting scammed. Luckily for her she has a good son like you to take care of her.

All 4 of our parents are deceased, so are all the uncles and aunts. We are the eldest folks in the family. Guess I'll have to have a talk with the wife.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I wonder if this was a thing back before the internet? Like did they scam people by mail or phone or something?

"Sandy Duncan" (the actress) personally called my grandmother on the phone before the Internet was open to the public, telling her that she won an all-expenses paid cruise vacation and just needed to pay for the gift taxes before the tickets could be sent. My grandmother is long dead, but it is still a joke in our family about who will be going along with her on the trip when the tickets (that she fell for) finally come in.....