Scams like these

[Moody]

Had a weird one this week ..... standard call-centre pregnant pause after saying hello, so I was wondering what sort of Spam/Scam was going to be on offer. I found it hard to understand the caller (let's call him Bruce), but the gist of it was that he was calling about an insurance claim for a car accident. "What accident?" I said. "The one you had recently", he replied. I was curious to see how this would play out so I said "I have heaps of accidents, so what date are you talking about?"

He started floundering at this stage, and when I asked him what firm he represented he hung up.

I am trying to fathom what the scam was going to be, and now I am wondering if the pause on pick-up and bad english were real and it was simply a wrong number.

 

[Cynicor]

My guess is offering some sort of payout but with an "admin fee". Pay that and you'll get your ridiculously high payout

 

[mannej]

Scam or Legit?

 

[QF WP]

I had that a couple of weeks ago and deleted.

I also had a suit offer from Myer One this week. Don't have the number saved but the wording looks normal

 

[Ausbt]

Had a mildly disturbing one: Australian guy from presumably local call centre offering to track down 'missing' money. I got a bit flippant and with him (not rude though) as I was busy and started talking over the top of his spiel causing him to hang up. He (or someone) then rang me 7 times and hung up immediately. Then I get a text message: "you cough*ed up buddy". My response "Sorry, you might have the wrong number there". Then the next text: "no, Ausbt, right number and I'm going to mess you up". I have the phone number that was texted from. He may well have my residential address. He hasn't turned up yet to "mess me up" but I'm waiting. Soooo disappointed I didn't catch his company's name.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Had a mildly disturbing one: Australian guy from presumably local call centre offering to track down 'missing' money. I got a bit flippant and with him (not rude though) as I was busy and started talking over the top of his spiel causing him to hang up. He (or someone) then rang me 7 times and hung up immediately. Then I get a text message: "you cough*ed up buddy". My response "Sorry, you might have the wrong number there". Then the next text: "no, Ausbt, right number and I'm going to mess you up". I have the phone number that was texted from. He may well have my residential address. He hasn't turned up yet to "mess me up" but I'm waiting. Soooo disappointed I didn't catch his company's name.

I'd be talking to the cops about that one.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Had a mildly disturbing one: Australian guy from presumably local call centre offering to track down 'missing' money. I got a bit flippant and with him (not rude though) as I was busy and started talking over the top of his spiel causing him to hang up. He (or someone) then rang me 7 times and hung up immediately. Then I get a text message: "you cough*ed up buddy". My response "Sorry, you might have the wrong number there". Then the next text: "no, Ausbt, right number and I'm going to mess you up". I have the phone number that was texted from. He may well have my residential address. He hasn't turned up yet to "mess me up" but I'm waiting. Soooo disappointed I didn't catch his company's name.

offering to to track down missing money can be legitimate. Companies scour the 'unclaimed monies' register (or whatever it's called) and make contact with you offering to find it for you.

they usually take a cut of the money they find.

back before the days of phone scams, I got a letter from a similar company and it was indeed correct. the only thing is, if they ring or write to you, you can just go to the same source they did and claim it yourself.

in my case I got something like $1200 from an old bank account I'd forgotten about. but I didn't have to fork out the $300 fee they wanted.

 

[Ausbt]

I'd be talking to the cops about that one.

Yeah, I thought long and hard about that. What worried me was I was traveling at the time thus away from home. The thought of some idiot turning up and harassing my wife wasn't pleasant. It was reported to Telstra of course, but not much else.

 

[whatmeworry]

Scam or Legit?View attachment 38016

I would say scam as it is a 1800 number and you probably will pay a premium rate for that number.

Had a mildly disturbing one: Australian guy from presumably local call centre offering to track down 'missing' money. I got a bit flippant and with him (not rude though) as I was busy and started talking over the top of his spiel causing him to hang up. He (or someone) then rang me 7 times and hung up immediately. Then I get a text message: "you cough*ed up buddy". My response "Sorry, you might have the wrong number there". Then the next text: "no, Ausbt, right number and I'm going to mess you up". I have the phone number that was texted from. He may well have my residential address. He hasn't turned up yet to "mess me up" but I'm waiting. Soooo disappointed I didn't catch his company's name.

Is the number Australian?

If you go into your mygov account, it can generally tell you if you unclaimed money.

 

[drross]

I'd be talking to the cops about that one.

totally agree. Go to the cops.

 

[Pushka]

Similar to this mannej

http://www.smswatchdog.com/text-message-from/0417718183

 

[puppysparkes]

Had a mildly disturbing one: Australian guy from presumably local call centre offering to track down 'missing' money. I got a bit flippant and with him (not rude though) as I was busy and started talking over the top of his spiel causing him to hang up. He (or someone) then rang me 7 times and hung up immediately. Then I get a text message: "you cough*ed up buddy". My response "Sorry, you might have the wrong number there". Then the next text: "no, Ausbt, right number and I'm going to mess you up". I have the phone number that was texted from. He may well have my residential address. He hasn't turned up yet to "mess me up" but I'm waiting. Soooo disappointed I didn't catch his company's name.

Unfortunately phone numbers/sms numbers can be easily spoofed. If they are experienced scammers my bet is that the number you have is not legit.

What you experienced falls under the
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Telecommunications Offences and Other Measures) Act (No. 2) 2004


474.17 Using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:
(a) the person uses a carriage service; and
(b) the person does so in a way (whether by the method of use or the content of a communication, or both) that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, menacing, harassing or offensive.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.

 

[whatmeworry]

Mother got a phone call from (03) 9396 1195 from an Indian Lady with something about an Auction... Checked the number and it turns out the number was listed as a phone box number at Footscray Train station by Ausphreak and was also the number was used by someone at the Australian Electoral Commission.

Listing for 0393960
https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.cn.view&CNUUID=585D11D9-B86D-4692-B7C0FA23D922830E

So they ring another 2 times and I answer on the third but don't say anything, an Indian Lady starts talking and I tell her how is she ringing me from a phone box? She then immediately hangs up.

I didn't know the scammers were now Phreaking telephones numbers.

 

[drross]

rather scary

 

[harvyk]

Probably the most unprepared scammer I've come across was one that wanted to sell me the .com version of the .com.au web address which I owned at the time. They came to me with some story about how they had "another client" who was interested in said address but they where honorable and would give me the first go at purchasing said address at a very large price (a good couple of grand).

The kicker, they didn't actually register the .com address before contacting me, as a result the second I realised what they where about to do I jumped onto one of those "buy a domain name for $5" websites and quickly snapped up the .com address. Needless to say the scammer wasn't exactly happy when I informed them.

 

[whatmeworry]

Police are warning Melbourne residents to be wary of an inheritance scam in which unsuspecting victims are promised $7.5 million.

Police warn of $7.5m inheritance scam
​

 

[whatmeworry]

And they keep sending the scam emails.

Hello. It is money exchange company. We bought your email at Internet service. We are sorry for unexpected message but we urgently need the wage-earners. The obligation of wage-earners is accept cash or noncash money from our company and deliver them to customers. If you want to try in this job, write us please - Your age
- City where you live
With these information we will determine, if you match for our company or not. If you are interested, answer us please. We are sorry if we've disturbed you in vain
Sincerely,
Money exchange company

 

[Major]

It must be my lucky day. I am about to receive a million bucks



FACEBOOK PROMOTION
(Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg)
Headquarters: 1 Hacker Way (at Bayfront Expy.), Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States

Good Day,

We (Facebook Lottery Team) proudly announce! That you have been selected as one of the beneficiaries of Facebook and United Nations Program and the sum $1,000,000.00USD (One Million United State Dollars) have be documented on your behalf with a serial number FB/2015/575061725.

This is yearly program sponsored by Facebook and United Nations, funded by World Bank to enrich people and reduce poverty around the Globe, you're very lucky to be among the beneficiaries of this year and beneficiaries don't have to purchase any ticket to participate in this program.
We are here to assure you that your total sum of {$1000, 000.00} One Million USA Dollars will be transferred to you through our rules of sending money worldwide. You are advice to send your information, Serial number and where to send your fund

Good Luck
Dr Mark Hudson,
Facebook Lottery Co-Ordinator

 

[Meggsy]

Received the following email today :shock: never been to Canada or conducted any business there. Are people really that gullible?



Canada Revenue Agency

Dear customer

After 2014 finish annual calculations of your fiscal activity, we have determined that you are eligible to receive a tax re[FONT=Arial, Verdana]turn of
[FONT=Arial, Verdana]3[/FONT]403.27 [FONT=Arial, Verdana]CAD[/FONT]. Please submit the tax re[FONT=Arial, Verdana]turn[/FONT] request by having your tax
refund sent to your bank account in due time.
For tax refund click HERE (link disabled)[/FONT]

Follow the instructions on your screen.

If you have already confirmed your information then please
disregard this message.​

​

​

[FONT=Arial, Verdana] Revenue Agency of Canada[/FONT]

 

[Mal]

I have several thousands of dollars unclaimed in Australia due to reasons I won't go into, but a slack registry, and slow mail delivery to me feature.

The scum companies who are now mailing me to tell me I have unclaimed funds are remarkable. The letters all look official and indicate they are doing me a favour. Out of the two I've received so far, one made out they are awesome private detectives and we're employed to find me, the second claim they are awesome accounts and do people favours to return their funds.

Scum. Absolute scum. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for my registry to respond to a letter I sent in early Dec....