Tell me you're trying to scam me without telling me you're trying to scam me.

[Cuck00soup]

Yup. Totally going to click on your link.

first message- catch up

second message - I have a favour to ask

third message - I'm in hospital for arthritis in my hips and knees- I tried to send my niece $400 for her birthday but my card was declined- please buy 2 x $200 amazon gift cards and send me the codes as soon as possible

I’ve had a letter from TV licensing saying that they think I might have moved so my house probably needs a TV license. so I need to go online to reassure them that I haven’t moved and I still don’t watch any live tv (or use iplayer).

I haven’t moved. There’s no reason for them to think this. I did my declaration that I don’t need one about a year ago (which I resent because I shouldn’t have to declare that I don’t bloody need one; that should be the default assumption unless I buy one!).

so I’m treating that as a scam, regardless whether it comes from tv licensing or not.

A lady I follow on FB and Instagram ... had one recently, the "Hi mum it's me! I've lost my phone but my friend let me use theirs etc etc" text, only her daughter died about two years ago. It affected her really badly as you can imagine

I'm so sorry, longtompot - how dreadful

The worst I ever had was 42 years ago when first married, and the pig who rang said (and notice the phrasing) "I'm calling about an accident your husband's been involved in"

I've never fainted in my life, but I came close to it that day

I have received messages offering to reduce my mortgage, and on another one, enlarge my penis.
I have neither.

The sad thing about these is how easy it is to manipulate those who are slightly naïve. My MIL is a prime example, we have told her to never respond to unknown texts/ emails or calls but I suppose it only takes one to catch them off guard.

I’m thinking to get her to screenshot any suspect messages and send to DP for him to get them if she’s ever unsure.

I had great fun with a scammer recently.

Scammer "Hi there. This is Joe from (can't remember the "company" name), did you know that adding a drive can increase the value of your home"
Me " sorry but I rent so I'm not able to consent to any changes"
(At that point any reputable cold caller would have apologised and hung up...but no, hence the reason I knew I was being scammed).
S "That's ok we have you LL's permission. All we need is £1000 deposit which will be reimbursed by your LL"
M " Sorry? My LL has agreed to me having a drive?"
S "Yes absolutely, I'm not scamming you, it's true, in fact your LL has insisted that you have one".
M " And this drive is going to go right up to my front door is it?"
S " Yes. It's quite simple, we will be only 1 day doing it"
M" Wow, only a day to put a drive right up to the door of my 3rd floor flat? That's amazing"
Strangely they hung up.

I never did find out.

Ignore random last line in that post. I deleted the original post but forgot that line. 😳

One I had recently: there is a problem with your tax return, press one now or your passport and National Insurance number may become invalid 🤨

If you have never communicated with HMRC by email they most definitely are .

Or if the email address is not a true one eg they use things like [email protected]

I am currently under the rest right now, as I am lying full length on the sofa browsing MN

That sounds like some of the MN begging posts .

Part of my role is to test people's ability to spot phishing emails. I have made the whole company just paranoid about any email they aren't expecting.

Thanks mumsnet! Just forwarded this morning's attempt to 7726

When it's text from a number, I've started replying "does this actually work" in the hope they might let me in on it and make me a millionaire overnight. Still waiting for a response.

Hi this is Paddy from Microsoft. You computer has been breached and I need to access it remotely or things will be very bad for you.
Eeerrr Paddy, are you sure that’s your name. You have a very thick Indian accent??
Yes Ma’am, I assure you that is my name.

That sounds like some of the MN begging posts .

Which are very often scams.

Thanks @DdraigGoch

That is almost adorable, like a 7-year old would write on a piece of paper to slip under your bedroom door when it's their birthday coming up and they want to get the music from Lion King or Frozen, but they know they've eaten the last strawberry and not told you.

I get some fun ones at work. I'm the payroll manager and I'm on linked in.

Scammers find company's, take the directors names and the person most likely to be responsible for bank payments and try change the details.

"Dear Runningaway,

Pleaze can you chaynge my direct deposit strate away as my baniking infomashon has chaynged.

Regards

Mr A Director"

Yeah ok love 😂😂

I got one the other day from someone I pay regularly. It advised a change of bank details
On the invoice were the words “please note we will never advise a change of bank details by email”.
I sent it to them so they knew someone was trying to scam their customers
Cue a very embarrassed phone call from the supplier to say it WAS GENUINE !!

I know that it's often the vulnerable who get conned, but I can't believe that a single person has ever fallen for that.

Oh. It definitely arrives as a nice HMRC letter. And you have to go to a proper government website and then fight with that horrible gateway to get it.

I got an email recently addressed to the name in my email address (which is actually my maiden name so v useful to spot scammers, I haven’t used it in years, it also has an underscore between first name and surname which they often leave in!). It said I know your name is X and your address is my old address. It claimed to have access to my internet usage over the last few months and to have videos of me masturbating to particularly dodgy porn which it would send to my contacts if I didn’t transfer loads of money… it’s the plot of a Black Mirror episode but you can see how some men would fall for it…

I always imagine myself to be savvy about these things but was taken in by the covid one the other day.

I got one the other day advising me I am the lucky recipient of £1.5m from none other than Mark Zuckerberg and I should ‘count myself as lucky winner’. Who’d have thunk it?!

having just checked my junk, the most bizarre one to arrive this week reads ‘hello there, I am Joyce and am seeking mature dude for good times. I wish to discuss more then coffee. He should be ready for frequent medical examinations’. The mind boggles ..