| Author |
Message |
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 1:24 pm 
I was looking for a place to post this and couldn't find a thread where we were, so thought it would be useful to have one to accumulate them all. Too many these days!
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 1:30 pm
I'm not one to fall for scams, consider myself pretty savvy.
I had one today that I thought was questionable from the start, but he was very very good.
Said he was from the local Sheriff's Dept (he identified the county correctly). Said I had a failure to appear notice for not showing up for jury duty. I noted that that I had not received any notice for Jury duty.
He had a nice southern accent, and was clearly an adept speaker of English, so that's why even though I was skeptical, I didn't shut him down immediately.
When I said something about it "not sounding right" he assured me that he would not ask for any personal information. That's the part that had me hanging on. How could he scam me if he didn't ask for anything?
He gave me some numbers that went with my "warrant", and then told me the fine was $1000! For each! Then I knew it wasn't legitimate, but hung on to see where he would go with this, since he wasn't asking for any personal info.
He said they would post an assurety bond for me, so I would go to jail (uh huh), but I had to prove my "ability to pay." Then he started saying something about going on line to fill out some vouchers, and once they knew I had some money...
And then I said again, "ya know, you sound like such a nice southern gentleman, and I'm sure such a sweet gentleman wouldn't scam an old lady like me, but just to be sure I'll need the phone number from the Sheriff's Dept, so I can call in and doublecheck this information."
And he hung up.
Here's the thing that had me a bit unnerved. He not only had my home phone but both my work and home addresses. I'm glad I have a big dog. 
|
Kitkat
Member
08-23-2008
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 2:05 pm
Our area has had similar scams. The Sheriff came on local TV to warn about them.
Right now we are having a lot of calls from a "computer tech company" to fix our computers.
|
Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 2:30 pm
I already had that call about 4 times. And the one from the IRS really makes me giggle what with the fellow's thick Indian accent.
|
Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 2:32 pm
One of these days I'm going to try the 'hard of hearing' dodge. You keep saying you cannot make out what they are saying as your hearing aid is broken. Bet that really cheeses them off.
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 4:16 pm
Oh, I get the computer ones all the time. I just hang up on them these days.
And the IRS scam.
This one just threw me because they spoofed a lcoal number, had my address, and it was a nice southern drawl, not some foreign accent.
And then when he came right out and said he would not ask for any personal information, it also threw me off.
Eventually he got to the money part, and then I knew.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 18, 2015 - 7:38 pm
Southern Colorado drawl? LOL. At least for the time you kept stringing him along, he wasn't working on someone else..
Good idea for a thread!
Last scam seminar I attended, one of the speakers was a federal agent (with a gun, even) from the postal service and she talked about mail fraud and went so far as to suggest that you not even drop your mail in a box, even one right outside a post office, but to take the mail inside! Can't say I always do that but that said a lot to me about lack of security.
|
Konamouse
Member
07-15-2001
| Saturday, December 26, 2015 - 11:30 pm
I've gotten text and phone message from "Internal Revenue Services" (the real IRS isn't plural).
Got the computer virus phone call the other day, bad accent and couldn't even read his script correctly.
|
Kitkat
Member
08-23-2008
| Sunday, December 27, 2015 - 10:23 am
For the second time in 6 months, I've had a phone call from the credit card company asking if I had charged a large amount on my card. I had not. Result, the card company closed that account and opened a new one. A real pain for the card company and for the card holder.
The credit card companies have tried to help with fraud by putting the chip in the card. This doesn't help if the card is used on-line. The first time, I notified the police. They were not even interested in filing a report. Didn't bother with them the second time. Did put an alert out with the big three credit agencies.
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, December 27, 2015 - 11:24 am
Kitkat, one of the horrors of being an online business these days. If someone buys something with a fraudulent card, you have no recourse. The credit card company refunds the money, and you (as the retailer) are screwed.
And if someone hacks your website, and you are a small company, the credit card companies fine you an exorbitant amount ($20,000), and may pull your merchant agreement, so you can no longer take cards. And again, there is nothing you can do, no one who will investigate the *thief*, while the credit card companies act like YOU are the bad guy.
It seems like a massive problem, that no one is doing a damn thing about.
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, December 27, 2015 - 11:24 am
We have had plenty of those scams here lately. They did say on the news and I pretty much assumed already, that the police will never call you (they would just come arrest you) and the IRS won't call either.
My poor niece's grandparents got a call a few weeks back saying she was arrested and they needed to send some money to get her out. They were frantic but got a hold of my ex sister-in-law who reassured them that she was home and fine. It's sad that they prey on the elderly.
|
Kitkat
Member
08-23-2008
| Sunday, December 27, 2015 - 4:20 pm
Karuuna, I was not aware that the retailer was left holding the bag. That is not right! I know that the police don't want to be bothered, but you would at least think the credit companies would want to put a stop this. At least in my case, they did disapprove the charges, so that stopped the persons involved. Plus cancelling the account for that card so that it could not be used again. I want to see the "hackers" arrested.
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Sunday, December 27, 2015 - 4:36 pm
Yeah, I really don't understand why that isn't widely reported - it leaves the public thinking that the credit card companies are the ones who take the loss.
But they don't. They just reverse the charges, so the retailer is the one who is out of luck.
And there's virtually nothing a retailer can do.
So, the credit card companies don't have a lot of motivation to do anything... which is why it has taken chip technology so long to come to the US, when it's the standard in Europe.
|
Willwillbee
Member
09-19-2001
| Friday, December 16, 2016 - 4:28 am
I want to post a warning about buying online - I "usually" insist on using paypal for online purchases because I don't like posting my info online - I did it once for paypal, I don't want to do it for everyone.
I like paypal, I believe they have a 6 month period for recourse which when buying from overseas you need to wait a long time for shipping most times.
I ordered from Choxi (formerly retailmenot) & they were notorious for shipping up to 60 days late. They had offered me several $15 coupons for purchases over $50 & I couldn't pass up the deal.
I ordered $200 worth of items - 4 orders & on each order there was a main item & then minor items to make the $50 minimum. Mainly comforters or zippered mattress covers that they couldn't fulfill. So I didn't get items I really wanted & ended up with stuff I would have never have ordered otherwise.
They tried to insist I get store credit but I refused since I had ordered EVERYTHING that I wanted from them & I fought them & eventually got a refund.
I swore I wouldn't purchase from them again but they offered me $25 off $60 coupon.
60 days later no merchandise & I went to get refund & they were off line & no longer available.
Many people online were stuck with store credits with no store.
I called American Express to file for a refund & they said it was outside the 60 day period that I could have filed. So I was SOL.
I learned a lesson & had to share. Only Paypal online purchases from now on & file for refund instead of trusting vendors will reship items or fulfill store credit.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 6:38 pm
On the other hand, my paypal account was hacked.. at least according to paypal.
I think actually I just hadn't used paypal in a long time and I had a later expiration date on my Discover card and they just wanted me to put that on their database. And they REALLY want to hook up through your bank account. No thanks.
The site where I had trouble was 6pm.com.
I ordered shoes that were UGG in the same size I was used to ordering from UGG, but they didn't fit.
Meanwhile, they sent me two separate pairs, in separate shipments but only charged for one.
I called and asked for a label to send back the shoes.
They said "we aren't Amazon" and said not only did I have to pay for return shipping, I HAD to ship back in the original rather heavy box they used.
And when I went to ship them back, the UPS store quoted a really large amount. They said that the address .. the zip code was listed as a residential area so they didn't consider it a legit business.
So it cost quite a bit to ship back one pair and I thought the heck with me paying to ship back the second pair they sent by accident.
When I asked 6pm.com why their address was in a residential area code and suggested maybe they wanted to get that changed on UPS database, they blew me off.
Wouldn't order ANYTHING from them. I'll stick to zappos and amazon.
Amazon Prime shipping has me spoiled!
|
Abby7
Member
07-17-2002
| Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 7:59 pm
Amazon prime ,has me spoiled too. Been well over a year since I used drugstore.com. Used to love them. They always offered 20% discount on entire order, free shipping, free returns plus free bonus items at times. Few weeks ago, I found out they no longer exist.
Ordered some things from target. Free shipping/free returns. Speedy delivery (not receiving it all in one package...fine). Will see how returns go (my fault/need to get smaller size).
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 8:38 pm
I ordered from Choxi (formerly retailmenot)
I think you mean formerly NoMorerack? Retailmenot is just a couponing site, they don't sell anything.
They did go out of business in October, leaving a lot of people stuck.
|
Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 7:34 am
Actually drugstore.com was bought by Walgreens five years ago. They ran it as a separate website until July of this year when they shut it down in favor of supporting only their Walgreens website.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 10:40 am
I am SO sad that Rite Aid is being bought by Walgreen's. I shop at Rite Aid. One is next to Curves where I work out, another across the street. There are already several Walgreens around, none as convenient and I don't LIKE Walgreens.
And I read that they were ordered to divest themselves of quite a large number of Rite Aid stores and those would go to Fred's.. which I had never heard of but are apparently mostly in the Southeast. I googled and a picture of one looked quite bleak and ugly and apparently most of them don't have a pharmacy. Rite Aid next to Curves is my go to pharmacy for those times I need an antibiotic or other treatment NOW (as I did when I had shingles.. you want that med in you immediately so the normal mail order option doesn't work).
Hasn't happened yet, but already I see my Rite Aid changing, and not for the best and the people who work there seem to feel the same.
I just hate it when these takeovers happen.
Same with Time Warner now being Spectrum. NOTHING has improved at this point, for sure.
But in terms of scams.. lately I get so many emails pretending to be Amazon saying I should review my order, take a survey, win a gift card. But of course it isn't really Amazon.
Also getting a bunch pretending to be Walgreens.
I really hate scams and scammers.
|
Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 12:09 pm
I keep getting an email from USAA saying they are contacting me for security reasons about my account.
I don't have any accounts with USAA, it is amazing.
And I have gotten delivery issue emails from "Amazon and Fed Ex"; I try and forward them to the company if they have a link for it.
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 8:39 pm
And I can't stand Rite Aid. I used to shop there, but they burned me on one too many "specials" that turned out to be just a very fine hair away from being an outright scam. At the time I quit them, their "specials" were certainly false representation and very, very, very close to intent to defraud, both areas in which I have qualified as an expert in court. I am not real fond of Walgreens either, and I deplore the monopoly they seem to be forming across America. Stopping Walgreens used to be the only reason I saw for keeping Rite Aid around. I guess Walgreens had that same view. And don't even get me going on CVS. I now fill my prescriptions at Costco and Fred Meyer, a Pacific Northwest crocery chain in the Kroger family. In South Texas I fill prescriptions at Walmart and CVS.
It's a jungle out there, kids.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 9:53 pm
I could die before getting parked and into Costco (if I belonged)..
I used to go to a small independent pharmacy and may go back, just for the few things I need ASAP.
I'm on mail order through my part D plan for my three regular prescriptions.
I wish I could just choose Rite Aid and am thrilled that you can still choose Walmart (where I'd never go), CVS, Costco and Fred Meyer.
I'm sure I'll cope..
|
Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 10:26 pm
Been well over a year since I used drugstore.com. Used to love them. They always offered 20% discount on entire order, free shipping, free returns plus free bonus items at times. Few weeks ago, I found out they no longer exist.
Oh no.    I didn't use it much. But when I couldn't find a drugstore or beauty product -- went there. Looked there just for reviews too.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 23, 2016 - 10:47 pm
I just go to Amazon 
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, August 16, 2017 - 1:08 pm
Well good news if Carnival called you and bothered you about a "Free Cruise" between 2009 and 2014. If you qualify, you can get $300/annoying phone call.
So, sometimes we win.
To see if you are a winner, click here, and then click on "file a claim." You can then choose to enter your phone number to see if you are one of the lucky annoyed ones and file a claim.
Good luck! let me know if any of you win the Carnival Lotto!
http://www.classactionrebates.com/settlements/carnival/
|
