red flag... Red Flag... RED FLAG... PULL UP, PULL UP, PULL UP

[susandennis]

So, the email from my old boss sounded like him and getting it twice really sounded like him and then... The request - did not make a lot of sense but he's really old so maybe and it still sounded a little like him...

Thanks for responding, I am sorry for bothering you with this mail. I need to get GOOGLE PLAY GIFT CARDS for my Niece. It's her birthday but I can't do this now because my knees are giving me problems as well. I am going up and down one step at a time. This method is neither graceful! Or fast!, and I tried purchasing online but unfortunately no luck with that. Can you get it from any store around you? I'll pay back.

Kindly let me know if you can handle this?

But. 1. Why can't one of his 4 million grandchildren who live next to him in Connecticut handle this? and 2. He has to go up/down stairs to buy a card?

He's old. Ok. I respond and tell him, sure, I'd pop into Walgreens tomorrow when I'm out - what denomination did he want? And the stink level rose.

Thank you very much. Total amount needed is $300 ($50 denomination) from any store around you and I need you to scratch the back of the card to reveal the pin, then take a snapshot of the back showing the pin and have them sent to me via email so I can forward it to her easily, Hope you understand?

Once again thanks and God bless you,

And it no longer sounds like him at all. God bless you??!! Not Joe.

I replied

Joe, This does not sound kosher. I think I'll let you handle this some other way.

And his retort nailed the scam:

Why can't you help me ?

I'm ashamed to admit that it took me to the third email to check the email address. He's used AOL since AOL first arrived on the planet. This was gmail.

What a complicated con. Wonder how many of Joe's friends he got? And yes, I sent the original note to his AOL address.

Comments

[vysila.livejournal.com]

At least you cottoned on before you actually went out and got the cardsQ

[vysila.livejournal.com]

Cloudwalker added the Q by stepping on keyboard just as I hit send. He wanted to say hi to Biggie!

[susandennis]

cat's feet LOVE keyboards. at least Biggie's do. He'd say hi back but he's gone for his pre-Amazon delivery nap.

[bill-schubert.livejournal.com]

Wow. Really old white Nigerian prince from Connecticut. That's fun. So easy to just be on cruise control.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

some scammer earlier today tried to get me to believe that I was going to get charged for $6000 worth of electronic equipment I didn't buy on amazon and stuck a friend of mine's name on it. Of course I didn't buy into it, I also tried to call my friend to warn him that his name was being used like this but he was in the middle of class and couldn't talk on the phone.

[letmesaythis.livejournal.com]

Can I share your story with my mother (via email, not posting it online)? I do mean literally copying and pasting it word for word?

I'm pretty sure she's quite vulnerable to stuff like this now.

[susandennis]

OF COURSE!!! feel free to post it anywhere if you want — it's public anyway.

[letmesaythis.livejournal.com]

lol, oh yeah, right. Thanks, Susan.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

My husband got a similar call today about how someone charged our bank acct for a $600 Google Gift Card and is going to call him tonight to help him fill out the form to get the charges reversed. No such amount left our bank today.

Nice try, Joe.

[susandennis]

wild and wooly!

[sweetmeow]

This is a reminder that no matter how savvy you are -- and you are that -- anyone can get scammed. The savvier we become, the savvier the scammers become to make us believe them. Wow. I'm so glad you caught this!

[susandennis]

Thank you. Although I do feel a little less savvy having not caught it sooner. Oh well.

[richaarde.livejournal.com]

Electronic security has become so sophisticated that criminals almost never bother with it. Usually they get what they want by tricking people into giving it to them.

Glad you caught on before you lost money on it.

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

that was close, well done for spotting it. I have heard of that one before but not known anyone who has been approached

[sleepybadger.livejournal.com]

Our purchasing person fell for this scam when the email claimed to come from our CEO. In her defense, it was 100% on brand for him, but it was still something that she was extremely embarrassed about.

[opakele.livejournal.com]

It would have taken me a bit catch on. You are right, when I saw potentially $300 of MY money at stake here, I would focus.

I suppose it is useless to look for a place to report this stuff...

[meowmensteen]

God bless.