Shame on me, heads-up for you!

[sc00ter]

Oh boy, I'm gonna keep this short for now. I got scammed by a spoof call. My "bank" contacted me about a fraudulent purchase on my card and asked if I wanted to dispute it. So, after doing the dispute over the phone I realize the "bank" swindled me AND my wife's accounts to the tune of $81,000. I still cannot believe I fell for this scam but it was absolutely perfectly executed. So my advice to all of you:
Please verify how your bank will contact you in the event of something happening.
I now realized I can use a "safe word" that only me and my bank will know.
Don't answer the phone if they call but don't leave a message. That was a red flag I should have noticed.
Finally, NEVER try to sort out a problem when you are tired!
Don't link you and your other half accounts. Thieves love a added bonus.
After a BUNCH of paperwork, police reports and time we will get our money back.
If anyone has any hints or tips in avoiding these kinds of very professional scams please share, or share your falling a for a great scam and how it was handled. I still can't believe I caused all these problems by being so stupid and gullible.

 

[rayray]

I think the first rule is; never answer questions from a caller. I got a call a few days ago from someone purporting to be a representative from my medical insurance provider. They said they had import information for me, then asked my birthdate to confirm my identity. That’s when I hung up. I figure they called me, so they’re the ones who need to prove their identity.

 

[harryS]

One scam is where the caller opens a discussion about a bank problem and says a code is being sent to your mobile to verify your ID. You're asked to repeat it.
.
The caller is trying to reset your account with the forgot-my-password process, Your bank sends a code to your mobile as part of that, So when you give the code to the caller, they can get in. Yikes,
.
Glad you will get the 81K back, Looking at the info on my financial accounts, I'm not protected.

 

[rayray]

One scam is where the caller opens a discussion about a bank problem and says a code is being sent to your mobile to verify your ID. You're asked to repeat it.
.
The caller is trying to reset your account with the forgot-my-password process, Your bank sends a code to your mobile as part of that, So when you give the code to the caller, they can get in. Yikes,
.
Glad you will get the 81K back, Looking at the info on my financial accounts, I'm not protected.

That one is just plain scary! The problem is that at a given moment in time, anyone is capable of a lapse in diligence. Our mind may be lost in other thoughts when the call comes in, we may be overly tired, or perhaps we’re medicated.

 

[sc00ter]

I learned WAY MORE than anyone about how account security works now. Things you may not know but should be aware of.
You can do what is called a Credit Freeze on:
Experian
TransUnion
Equifax
The big 3 credit score people.
You can do a free account lock. I just froze all 3 of my accounts, and you unfreeze them when needed. It took 15 minutes for each Freeze Account to be activated. Of course they "recommend" you upgrade to a paid service but the basic Freeze works just fine. So far my credit score is still in the mid-800's but I have a feeling I'm going to be disputing some charges.

And yes, harryS nailed what happened to me! This scammer is STILL reaching out making sure I received my new card. He knows the money is put back in to our accounts so he wants another crack at a crook payday. I hope he buys a sub tour to the Titanic with the money he scammed.

A big shout-out to my Credit Union bank for helping fix my dumb mistake and our local police department for no calling me a idiot for falling for this scam. I just want to spread as much info as possible to help everyone avoid this nonsense.

 

[Roamers]

We don't answer a call that isn't ID'd from our Contact List. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

Confirm an issue using your CU/bank/CC website. Or call he institution's known phone number.

 

[indianajo]

Sorry about your trouble, scooter.
I don't answer the phone on my land line. It is for calling fire dept, and putting in the required box on web orders. Since Western Union blew away, I pay utility bills with the land line. Until this spring I used to mail money orders. All WU agents in my county stopped selling the money orders the same week.
My cell phone I only answer numbers on the contact list. Only 9 people know my cell phone #. No business knows my cell # but the cell company, and since it is a burner, they don't know who I am. I add cash to a card at the dollar store quarterly.
My credit is frozen. Thanks to the bbcnews that told me how to do it. I tried to do it 15 years ago, but didn't use the word "freeze" so they locked up my credit for 30 days. *******s. I haven't used credit since the nineties.
I have one bank account with a debit card that I use to order things, or rarely pay a business in person. The SSI payment goes there. If a hacker breaks into the Social Security account at Treasury, the FBI might notice.
I have another account at another bank linked to my 3 retirement accounts, where I make transfers, especially the required ones. If I need to transfer money from one to the other, I carry cash in an envelope on my bicycle. Many people think I'm homeless when I ride the bicycle. I get donations stuffed in my pocket sometimes. Bank 1 doesn't know where bank 2 is.
If I need to buy something like a new car, I pay $10 to the second bank for a cashier's check. No business knows my bank account number anymore. I quit writing personal checks when the banks stopped requiring a paper check and stopped verifying the signatures. I could counterfeit an image of a fake check. A forged signature check, the county sherriff handles it. A fake image of a check, the FBI handles the wire fraud, if you are as rich as a president or fortune 500 CEO.
If you want to contact me, use e-mail, use a web forum, or mail me a letter.

 

[GizmoEV]

I've received a similar type of call and when I asked the caller to provide some identifying information that I know only my financial institution would know, they got angry with me and tried to persuade me to answer their questions anyway. I said, "sorry, you obviously are not legit" and hung up. A few days later I received another call from another financial institution, and I said the same thing to them. They said that they couldn't provide any info but if I would call the number on the top right corner of my statement and ask for a particular department, I could get the situation taken care of. They said they would do the same thing if they were called and commended me for being careful. The legitimate companies should have no issues, the illegitimate ones always do.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I take a totally different approach.
I first provide totally false information... Obviously if they accept it I know for sure it's a scam.
Then depending on the situation, I tell them that I have a bad drug addiction and ask for a credit increase or a loan

 

[sc00ter]

I take a totally different approach.
I first provide totally false information... Obviously if they accept it I know for sure it's a scam.
Then depending on the situation, I tell them that I have a bad drug addiction and ask for a credit increase or a loan

An old lead at my job kept a scammer on the phone for 3 hours before the scammer got mad and hung up. The scammer said he got a inheritance in South Africa of 3 million dollars but had to send $4000 in lawyer fees and tax coverage before he could receive his payout. The nice lawyer/scammer said he could pay with green dot gift cards to expedite the process, but my lead could only find red dot cards with a limit of $100. It was great to evesdrop on that call! Wish I had a good story about messing with a scam caller, instead I have a horrific story about being scammed. Lesson learned!

 

[mfgrep]

Sorry this happened to you!!!!

Another FYI: I placed an ad on Facebook Marketplace last week and was immediately met with TWO scam attempts. Both were the same.
They say something like "we should talk on the phone before meeting to feel comfortable with the transaction".....then "If I send you a six digit code will you repeat it back to me to ensure that I am actually reaching you.....for my safety". Then they send me a Google account reset code that clearly says "do not share this with anyone" in the text.....and the scammer says "did you get the code yet?....please read me the code".

If I had given them the code....they would have complete access to my google accounts...and thus any two factor authentication etc.

These scams are SO PREVALENT now. Be careful out there.