You’re pressured to ‘act now’ regarding a deal
When you get a phone call or an email regarding an ‘amazing deal’, think twice before you dive in headfirst. The ‘act now’ scam has been around for some time now and it’s quite prevalent because as a society and as consumers, we’re buying things faster than we ever had before.
This is why, at first glance, this might seem like just another deal. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, also known as the CFPB, warns us that this is a classic warning sign instead. Scammers are also less likely to give you detailed information or they might flat out refuse to answer questions on the basis of ‘the clock is ticking’.
An honest business wouldn’t pressure you into buying anything like that. The best thing you can do it decline their offer and just hang up. If the deal was something you may have been interested in any way, do your own research online and see what a few searches bring back.
You’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes you never entered
Scammers have no qualms impersonating U.S. government officials. They might call to inform you you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes even if you’ve never entered any such competitions.
If you’re wondering what’s the harm, here’s the catch: they’ll ask you to pay taxes upfront in order for them to send you your prize. While you are expected to pay taxes on winnings, you should know that the CFPB will never call to inform you about winning anything. If you have entered a competition, it’ll be your responsibility to check your status.
Victims will pay the supposed taxes and then they’ll never hear back from the scammers. Sadly, this elaborate scam was one of the top reported threats of 2018 according to a report by the FTC, so be on the lookout!
You’re told to send money by mail for a reward
Similarly, fraudsters will ask for personal information when they claim you’ve won a big-ticket item. This seems less harmful than paying any taxes or sending them any money upfront, but it could be even more damaging.
Rule of thumb: don’t ever give away your social security or credit card numbers. No institution is ever going to contact you and ask for them. So, no matter how much you want the prize they claim is waiting for you, don’t fall for this trap. The moment anyone asks just hang up and go on your merry way.
About 2 years ago, I had someone call me from “Dell computer” to tell me that they randomly monitored some of their computers and, while checking on my computer, they found that some scammer had accessed my computer and had installed some spyware. I wasn’t sure if they were on the “up and up” so I asked some questions. I asked him what model computer I owned and he told me correctly. I asked him the service tag number and he got that right too. I then told him to tell me what I needed to do and he said that if I would just give him permission, he would take over my machine and check it and remove the spyware for me. I was duly suspicious, but let him go. After a few seconds I saw my mouse pointer start moving on screen. Then, it dawned on me that there was no way that Dell could monitor every computer their company makes, it would run into many millions. I then reached over to my battery backup that I use and pushed the power button off and told him that I would contact Dell for myself with the REAL 1-800 number. Of course, he argued and I just hung up on him. I then called the Dell Customer Service line and told them what had happened. They told me that there was no way they could monitor any computer of theirs and I had done the right thing. Since then, I have gotten several other scam calls with the same line. If I don’t have much to do, I will play along with their scam just to have some fun. If they say they were monitoring my “Dell computer”, I would say, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a Dell (I really do), I have an HP.” That will befuddle him some. He would go on and on about “your Dell, not HP” and I’ll insist I don’t have a Dell just smiling from ear to ear. After a few minutes I would say, “You obviously have the wrong number” and hang up. I did this one time and just a few minutes later, a person with the same foreign accent (they always have a foreign accent) and said he was from HP and had been monitoring my HP computer! It was the same person, to be sure. I then turned it around and told him that I didn’t own an HP, but a Dell. He was very frustrated and cursed at me and hung up!!
That is so true, concerning foreign accents. Just about every call regarding one service or another comes with some one with hard to understand accents. They also use other peoples numbers and if you call that number back it is usually a private individual who has no idea what you are talking about. They use other peoples phone numbers.
This is a great tip particularly to those fresh to the blogosphere.
Short but very accurate info… Many thanks for sharing this one.
A must read post!
I have been getting e mails saying I have a package that could not be delivered, first it was from FedEx. I did have a package coming but not one that would have to be signed for so wondered why they sent it, but I opened it and it gave a tracking number that i clicked on it said to press CONFIRM to open to see what the package was. Right away I could tell it was a scam and closed it out. We looked up fedex and they said they had no package for me and that all there tracking numbers were 12 numbers long and the one i pushed was only 10. Next day I get the same email message but this one was from USPS thinking maybe the FedEx had just dropped it off at the post office I opened it and the same thing so closed it too. The third day I get the same email but this time from UPS, I deleted that one too then on fourth day get same message but did not have a sended name only a symbol, so delegated it too.
Now every day and some times more than once a day I get emails saying I have won coffee pot, drill, electric mixer or some prize. The first one was from Wall mart and we had just bought groceries there so I opened it and they said I could get one of these prices but only showed cook wear set. You had to pay the shipping coast then if you won something they would send it. Another scam I am sure.
I was contacted and told I can get up to 150000 dollars for a grant from the hhs govt. Dept. Then they tell you , you can get cash or check sent directly to you via fed rx. Once you agree on computer, they ask you to pay fed 1500 dollars upon delivery, either cash, pay pal or credit card photo to them. They also tell you not to share this info. I was Soooo suspicious, I told my accountant that warned me against it, as a scam. Thank God
ha ha reading your comments I found this issue going on with FaceB00k. Just to play the game i contacted 148 women of all ages just to say hello and made it understood that I didn’t want anything and that I was retired and unmarried and was just looking for someone to talk too………well They wrote a couple of times telling me about themselves and just about all of them went to universities in different states lol yah right. Anyway within a couple of days I get this message on Facebook that they need money or gift cards for a certain amount sent to them for needs like their Aunt needs a prescription or their internet is going to be shut off or kicked out of their apartment, One told me that she needed a new telephone and another said she needed to buy pads because she started her period and didn’t have any money. Now all these girls had pictures of themselves so they said and were total foxes but I don’t think it was them lol. It could have been men writing for all I knew. The other scam was a very close friend was hacked on Facebook and sending me a message about getting free money that she did it and it worked out great. All I had to do was e-mail this certain person. Because I got this E-mail I almost believed this lol.
Scammers r now calling cable customers offering to lower ur bill by $100. They say they r losing millions of customers to streaming so this is an attempt to keep their customer base.
They seem to have the last 4 numbers of the credit card that is actually on file for payment with the company which makes the solicitation of the rest of the card numbers almost in order. NOT GOOD.