Don't open text messages on your phone that are from you if you didn't send them

woodchucker

woodchucker

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Just got one of the new scams. Apparently if you open the link it brings you to a russian site.. I don't know the details, but I got one this morning. I deleted it before opening it because I know I didn't send myself a text. My wife said that the scam has been on the news.. All I have to say is.. if you didn't send it... it's a bogey.

You really have to be smarter these days. I never open mail from someone I don't know. I use a thunderbird, and am able to open mail without opening it. I can view the source code first. So don't open mail you don't recognize.. don't open mail from a friend that has a wierd subject... like just for you.
 
Also don't respond to any weird text that is clearly not for you. Like, "John, did you get the bottle of wine I sent you?" especially if your name isn't John. They are trying to harvest active phone numbers to sell to other spammers. If you respond, you will get on more spam lists.
 
Being I'm bored lately , I welcome texts from anybody ...................................................if they're interested in tools especially . :grin:
 
woodchucker said:
Just got one of the new scams. Apparently if you open the link it brings you to a russian site.. I don't know the details, but I got one this morning. I deleted it before opening it because I know I didn't send myself a text. My wife said that the scam has been on the news.. All I have to say is.. if you didn't send it... it's a bogey.

You really have to be smarter these days. I never open mail from someone I don't know. I use a thunderbird, and am able to open mail without opening it. I can view the source code first. So don't open mail you don't recognize.. don't open mail from a friend that has a wierd subject... like just for you.
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My wife got one last night. She didn't open it either and had just read an article about the scam. Good PSA @woodchucker :beer mugs:
 
This is definitely a timely post as my elderly buddy down the street had a very narrow call with a scam. It's easy to say "oh I'd never fall for that!" until they get you hooked. If I'd not seen this Mark Rober YouTube I would have been as perplexed about what exactly was going on. But it was the exact same script, but it took my wife and I both to semi convince him it was a scam. It was really tough because he didn't know any of his passwords or have them written down anywhere and it was a Friday evening so couldn't seem to get any help. But his daughter got involved and got stuff locked down. When I got him turned around they were in the process of transferring/stealing $15K out of his account. I know the vid is long and but it's interesting and everybody over 65 should watch it because we are the demographic they are targeting.

 
Not having a smart phone will help. I tried a supposedly smart phone. An Iphone SE. It was the most convoluted piece of crud that I had ever tried to use. But them I don't speak "Apple." Spent close to 20 hours with Verizon tech support and never did get it to the point where it was easy to use. Went back to a basic flip phone and took maybe an hour to get up to speed. Life is good.

Back to email scams. I have two emails. One for friends and one for everything else. I never open an email from an unknown source. Or looks weird. I mark it as spam and then delete it from the spam folder.
 
Here (UK) we get utterly convincing texts, supposedly from HMRC (that's the UK version of IRS), or from NHS (supposedly about COVID testing), and many others. The one to claim your "tax rebate" is amazing! It requires "security confirmations" and "password". The one threatening electricity disconnection is also notorius. The one thing they all have in common is a LINK to click, and on some phones, if you go there, it's even hard to navigate off the message any other way.

I have NEVER used a browser link on a phone. The legitimate messages invite you to visit their website separately, and log in in the normal way, and then you get what you need.

It shows us a fact of human nature. There is a certain fraction of us who spend every waking hour, looking for any angle they can.

I even have a blackmailer who emails with a whole tale about how he had "gained access" to my computer, used the camera to video me getting up to various gross stuff, "logged the websites" I might have visited. He goes on about how untraceable he is, no reply, pay in bitcoin, etc. Instant junk delete is what I do.
 
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Shootymacshootface said:
C'mon Dave, where are your standards?
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Coincidentaly , My Mom just called and said my Uncle in Bangledesh passed and left his $20,000,000 estate to his neighbor . She said he was sending me Emails and texts for 3 years trying to get ahold of me . :( Dangit , there goes my new reamer set .
 
graham-xrf said:
Here (UK) we get utterly convincing texts, supposedly from HMRC (that's the UK version of IRS), or from NHS (supposedly about COVID testing), and many others. The one to claim your "tax rebate" is amazing! It requires "security confirmations" and "password". The one threatening electricity disconnection is also notorius. The one thing they all have in common is a LINK to click, and on some phones, if you go there, it's even hard to navigate off the message any other way.

I have NEVER used a browser link on a phone. The legitimate messages invite you to visit their website separately, and log in in the normal way, and then you get what you need.

It shows us a fact of human nature. There is a certain fraction of us who spend every waking hour, looking for any angle they can.

I even have a blackmailer who emails with a whole tale about how he had "gained access" to my computer, used the camera to video me getting up to various gross stuff, "logged the websites" I might have visited. He goes on about how untraceable he is, no reply, pay in bitcoin, etc. Instant junk delete is what I do.
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Don't even open them, just hit delete.
 
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