ANOTHER SCAM

I received a Facebook friend request from someone in my contacts yesterday. They then contacted me on Messenger. When I began a conversation I suspected that this was not him because of his very bland answers to my detailed questions about his health and that of his wife. ‘He’ then tried to draw me into an obvious scam to do with an employee compensation scheme. I blocked the ‘friend’ and changed my password. I also contacted my real friend by phone and informed him. This morning I received another friend request from someone who is already a friend on my FB. I ignored it.

It is very disconcerting. I am not sure whether it was my FB which was hacked or my friend’s.

They are such pests. Do be wary.

[CDPO16]

Good job you are 'on the ball' Littlepom. It's such a shame that nothing can be trusted now.

[sassy59]

Pleased you realised Littlepom. So many scams around. Thank you for the info xxx💜

[GDanker in reply to sassy59]

I would also like to warn people of some of the scams for cheap clothing from China. They show very nice pictures on their websites and so make in tempting when you are on a budget. I sent for a cheap dress but, never got it. contacted them time and time again and always got an excuse. I sent them proof from my post office that I did not receive it, they offered to resend it and I agreed, but again, nothing arrived and after that they just quit answering my emails altogether. The name of this particular manufacturer was Corachic. I should have googled them before ordering because many are listed.

[sassy59 in reply to GDanker]

That’s terrible but what can you do? Such a shame. Xxx

[GDanker in reply to sassy59]

Fortunately, as I said, it didn't cost a lot, but still, who can afford to lose money and getting nothing in return!

[tomc]

There seems to be NO hiding place from these people.You are afraid to even answer a phone call. I say lock em up for a very long time.

[Hidden in reply to tomc]

So right. I have caller display on my phone and never answe any that I don't recognise

[tomc]

I usually play them along, either by Please hold your call is important to us and swtich the radio on through the mouthpeice or by playing silly b...gers to the point they hang up. Its fun! but most of all ... It`s payback!!!!

[teenieleek in reply to tomc]

I play along sometimes too on the basis that if they’re trying to scam me someone else is safe.

[peege]

It's outrageous isn't it that the buggers can get to us via using someone else's details. . My poor elderly neighbour was caught the other day, her computer screen suddenly went black, siren like noise sounded very loudly which completely threw her, a message flashed up on her screen purporting to be from Microsoft saying "on no account switch of your computer " with a number to call for assistance. She was so desperate to get rid of the noise so called the number. She was sold protection via her card. She realised her error almost immediately so rang bank to get the payment stopped and cancel her card. Poor thing was really shaken & felt particularly bad in falling for it. I wish she'd called me in.

[Hidden in reply to peege]

That's dreadful.

[peege in reply to Hidden]

Oh yes, another she fell for a couple of weeks ago was saying yes to a cold caller selling spray on insulation for the underside her roof. An appointment was made to come round for a quote, he did. It was very expensive so she said she'd think about thank goodness. When she told me I suggested she ring the Borough Surveyor, she did and he advised her not to touch it.

[Hidden in reply to peege]

Oh dear. Is it possible to persuade her to think that if ANYBODY approaches her it is a scam? If not I do fear that somebody will get her soon.

[peege in reply to Hidden]

She's a wonderfully upbeat clever 84 year old, poor thing is very down about this, thinks its time to give up technology, feels she's well and truly past it. It's such a shame as she's usually quite on the ball about this stuff. I think she'll rise again & put it behind her. I've so many blocked 0843 numbers on my phone that its full. Like you, I never answer unless I know who it is.

[Dixy in reply to peege]

Exactly the same thing happened to me. It scares you so much that you go along with their instructions. Fortunately I came to my senses and switched off. It still cost me over £100 to get the laptop cleaned (softwarewise) and for some new anti virus software. I had to change all my passwords and so did my husband as I had a file with his in, for security purposes. It shook me rigid.

[TomTitTot in reply to peege]

Tell her that if such a thing occurs again that if she simply shuts her device off for a minute or two, and then restarts it, it should be okay.

[Tykelady in reply to peege]

That's a new one to me.

[sassy59 in reply to peege]

How awful! Xx

[Donald_1931]

I often get young attractive ladies wanting to be my friend on Facebook. I can’t imagine what their purpose is, I doubt they are after my body. ☹️

[Hidden in reply to Donald_1931]

😄😄

[Maggie_Mae in reply to Donald_1931]

Away with ya Don .. 😀 oh you make me Giggle

[SORRELHIPPO in reply to Donald_1931]

The Rolls Royce maybe?

[GDanker in reply to Donald_1931]

I visit a forum on a website called Quora. A woman who participates also, sent me a friendly message saying she would like to get to know me better. I was curious so I replied to her and basically, it was her asking me a lot of questions. Then I told her I had things to do and had to go. She said fine, she would message me again the next evening. There are thousands of people who participate on Quora and so I wondered why she would pick me. I looked up her profile and she is some kind of trader in stocks so I figure she was pushing them and using Quora for contacts. I ended that real quick.

I think she was legit but I would rather she came out and said what the real reason for contacting me was from the beginning. She did say something about hoping that it would be of mutual benefit to both of us, which gave me a clue.

I think she picked me because I am older and maybe, therefore, thought I'd be easier to sway and perhaps have some savings under my mattress. I may have things wrong with me physically but mentally I'm still all there!

[Hidden in reply to GDanker]

She definitely was NOT legit. Legitimate share traders never contact you. An ex police inspector friend of mine lost 30,000 through being taken in by someone who befriended him in that way. They are very slick. Well done for cutting contact. I would also report her to the forum. They are for health issues and business is forbidden

[GDanker in reply to Hidden]

This was not a health forum but just things in general. However, you are probably right. I found it suspicious myself but thought I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. Still, not so much benefit that I wanted to maintain contact! You are right to advise against contact with such individuals!

[peege in reply to Donald_1931]

Hmm, im not getting handsome young men wanting to befriend me Don 🤔

[Greenthorn]

Have u checked your settings. Are your friends *Public". I know they're is a process for reporting a fake ID on Facebook cos that happened to me a few years back.

[Hidden in reply to Greenthorn]

Yes thanks. I will check again

[Jaybird19]

dont do faceook , or instagram any more . but I have a big computer problem. I believe neighbours in rented house next door have access to my screen and phone , believe. I think it It was obtained by using TPLink and they wanted use of router and got it . I changed router and it took 10 days to crack it . then it started again .police not interested as not involving money but I cant get anyone to believe me these . neighbours have now left . my tablet and computer have been reported by google as being used by someone else and some miles away. they left and live elsewhere but this problem continues I am told that this cannot be done . my stepson will not listen and stopped talking to me. always told not possible . Have done everything I should do , it has been to computer expert and this wasn't he case it was while there this message has been sent to my drafts screen now halfway through , not by me! It can happen if I pause and while not touching computer. Have been interrupted in many ways and popups too, and never know what is genuine and what is not .

[Maggie_Mae in reply to Jaybird19]

You be careful you have no banking apps etc By sound of things something going on .. do you have a doorbell camera or house security camera linked to your computer? ( so easy for these to be hacked and peeps actually watching inside your home) 😱

Biggest app problem JUST now is an app where you order food to EAT ( can’t say the app online obviously 😉) … scamming peeps bank accounts and credit cards 😱😱😱😱

[Jaybird19 in reply to Maggie_Mae]

thanks Maggie May, I didn't know that but this is a more remote now, there's nothing linked to my computer unless they are using something fitted to connecting wall in the next door house as I think. but have to find someone who believes me. T hey moved in a hurry and i heard drilling just before they left for last time. I suspect landlord didn't get his rent. I don't have bank details on computer so cannot get food delivered now and cannot order things now by computer or phone and that makes life more difficult.

[JJ_7 in reply to Jaybird19]

Hi jaybird19. I use nirsoft freeware to monitor anyone who may be connected to my router. Its free and very effective. This software will unequivocally tell who is piggybacking or hacking your service.

Find it here: nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_...

Good luck

[Caspiana]

This happens a lot. 😞 I'm glad you sussed it LP. xx

[garshe]

This happens often .ignore them always.

[GDanker in reply to garshe]

Hi Garshe, GDanker here! I sent a message to you yesterday as I had a question about something you wrote in reply to someone! However, I didn't realize that the reply was from 4 months ago until after I'd written it!

I just wondered how you went from blood oxygen levels that were in the 70s and on oxygen for 18 hours a day to now having, I believe, a steady 95 and not on oxygen anymore. That is really remarkable! Did you just cut back on your walking for a while and then slowly start up again or how did you do it? I don't walk enough for one thing!

I also take some of the supplements you take but hardly walk at all and I'm really worried as I feel my health is starting to deteriorate. I know that we are all different, have different conditions and not all are able to obtain the same results but when you get a chance, I'd really like to know how you did it.

I know that right now I am cutting in on someone else's question and don't mean to be rude so please don't feel that you have to answer at this moment but any day that you feel up to it!

[garshe in reply to GDanker]

I replied to you yesterday on the post . xxSheila 💕💕

[Didgeydo]

Hi, this happened to me, a friend request and I accepted then I received abhorent messages from this person, I deleted him from Messenger and he still managed to ring me, I tried deleting him from facebook but it would not work so in the end I blocked him, now I do not accept any new friends on FB.

[Firefly25]

Thanks for the warning! 🌷

[Bingo88]

Yes you have to be careful . If someone sends me a request and I can't see pictures or posts on there Facebook it gets refused. And also if I have not seen any posts from a new friend within a month I get rid. You have to be so careful. Take care and enjoy your day. Brian

[Hidden in reply to Bingo88]

The problem with both of the requests that I received had the photo which I knew. I think that maybe their accounts had been hacked. I checked my privacy levels and all hidden except to friends. It really is annoying.

[Bingo88 in reply to Hidden]

Yes sadly some have the account hacked and don't realise it. If you don't know someone personally don't do anything they ask. I had a new friend of a month recently asked me if I could receive a pass number from Facebook. Because they were locked out of there account and if I gave them the number they could get back in. But it's a way of getting control of your account as well. So I said no. You have more friends you have known longer than me ask them. A few days later this person was kicked off Facebook. Take care

[Hidden in reply to Bingo88]

The dangerous thing about this one was that I knew the person and their pic matched. I was suspicious that their conversation didn't serm right and as soon as they brought money into it I stopped and blocked them. Many people might have been caught on that one.

[Qr83k_-Jd in reply to Hidden]

Hey there Littlepon , You don't know me but I can't believe what is happening to you having never yet had a scam or anything like it. I think it is horrible but you did the right thing by blocking them and you changed your password and didn't respond to the message you received. I feel so angry with the people who do this, what is wrong with them? I just cannot understand people who do such awful things. I feel so sorry that you have to put up with such awful people.

[Hidden in reply to Qr83k_-Jd]

It is so annoying. I hope that you avoid being targeted.

[Qr83k_-Jd in reply to Hidden]

Yes it must be really irritating and I hope I never ever get caught because I can be quite gullible.

[Bingo88 in reply to Hidden]

As soon as people ask me for money it's goodbye anyway. Take care. Brian

[Izb1]

I had a friend request from my Aunt who is already a friend, I deleted it but let my Aunt know, these people are savvy so have to be careful. I also had an email from my Aunt which looked real but when I sent her a message she said she didnt send it, when I looked again properly it had a different name in brackets, so am very careful now , but what a society we live in now where its acceptable to be a thief and not much in the way of being punished for this bad behaviour x

[watergazer]

Thank you. X

[HollyBoyd]

Thank you for the warning LP xxx

[Mavary]

The trouble is you can’t trust anyone anymore. I hope you’ve seen them off now.:

[Alberta56]

Thank you Littlepom for the alert.