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[STEMO]

Lot of talk/news/warnings about how sophisticated scams are becoming. I think most of us think that we'd never fall for them, and that's probably true of the more simple ones. But there are some new ones knocking around that are hard to spot, and there's a chance anyone might fall for them. Spear phishing, tap jacking, quishing, heard of any of these? Well read up, be aware.

This one is a bit of a read, but it's a doozy:

https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html

Try reading the stuff after the scam story, how the psychology works.

[Rangie]

I don't think I'd even put a tenner in an envelope & hand it to someone..😂

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Lot of talk/news/warnings about how sophisticated scams are becoming. I think most of us think that we'd never fall for them, and that's probably true of the more simple ones. But there are some new ones knocking around that are hard to spot, and there's a chance anyone might fall for them. Spear phishing, tap jacking, quishing, heard of any of these? Well read up, be aware.

This one is a bit of a read, but it's a doozy:

https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html

Try reading the stuff after the scam story, how the psychology works.

If  a scam is sophisticated anyone can be duped.

 However, if you are willing to give all your money to help a man from Nigeria then you shouldn't be allowed out alone.

[Mr Skrunts]

Just had a run of cold calls from "Sky"

They identify themselves as working for sky to reduce my plan.

Soon as I mention my phone says its Sky calling the phone gets cut off . . . by them.

[TheBoy]

Those that believe they can't be duped are often some of the most lucrative, and relatively easy, targets. Generally referred to as Suckers in the cyber world.

Spear fishing and whaling takes a bit more time and effort, so tends to only get used for specific circumstances, usually for information, rather than financial reward - think spying, be that governmental or business.


I sit on the edge of this sort of stuff in my day job, and have many dealings with some properly clever people who can get most people to give over stuff they know they shouldn't. via various means, including techniques similar to hypnosis.  "Anyone who feels they can't be conned is an egotistical idiot"

Obviously, most scams are at least initiated by lower cost scammers, the type that pretend they are from Microsoft/Sky/BT/Police/Bank and want you to install Teamviewer on your PC so they can sort.  As a rule, these tend to be easier for our brains to pick out because none of those organisations cold call you to tell you you have a problem.

Lastly, if you're stupid enough to use Arsebook - other equally inept social media platforms available - you have to accept that *everything* you have ever entered is now public domain, no matter what your privacy settings are.  If any of your virtual friends, or their virtual friends, or their virtual friends or their virtual friends etc etc have ever posted *anything* public, all your private stuff is available with the right tools.  Which, given the stupid passwords we tend to use in the English speaking world, generally means your passwords for most sites are guessable - at a recent event, our clever peeps used a camera to scan our names as we came in, and then used their Arsebook tools to come up with 3 likely passwords for each person...   ...about 70% were correct , with the remainder of those that had Arseache, they had enough info to socially engineer the correct passwords.


We are currently at a heightened level of various factions poking around looking for ways in anywhere, as the Admins here can testify - not that a small little car forum is much of a target.  Utility companies are particularly sort after at the moment, and Southern Water has already fallen victim this year, and one of the US water companies being compromised last year.  To this end, its worth remembering that you need to keep your smartphones, tablets, PCs, security cameras, set top boxes, TVs, routers and everything else fully up to date, and stop using stuff that is not up to date.

[Mr Skrunts]

I think it was called the "The Real Hustle" on TV a few years 2 men 1 woman.  Totally opened my eyes to how blatent, easy or creative scams had got had got.

Like standing outside a bank night safe in a uniform and shop keepers handing over takeings without question.
Mobile phone cons the list just went on.


More and more sophisticated these days

[Sir Tigger KC]

Funny thing.

I was reading this thread and the linked article earlier this evening and the landline rang. The display on the phone said Out Of Area . The only people that phone my landline these days are scammers, elderly relatives and there are a few people I know living overseas who probably only have that number for me. So out of curiosity I answered...

Me: Hello
Caller: Is that Sir Tigger? (Lady with a foreign accent)
Me: Who's speaking please?
Caller: Oh hello, my name is Xxxxx Xxxxxx.  I think you own shares in Xxxxxxx Plc. Does that ring any bells with you?
Me: No not in the slightest. Good night! Hung up.

Thing is. I do own shares in Xxxxxxx Plc, and so there's someone out there who has gone through the Xxxxxxx Plc shareholder records which are in the public domain and have my shareholding details, have my landline number and probably my address etc... 

Maybe they were going to offer me a whopping amount for my shares?