Jump to content

Scams

Mo Horn

By Mo Horn
in Daily Texan

 Share

Recommended Posts

Mo Horn

Mo Horn 8779

Posted
Posted

My FIL in McAllen got a call today telling him that his grandson (my son) was in jail in San Antonio because he hit a car while drunk and the other driver was in the hospital. He was told that he needed to send $8000.00 for bail. They never gave him my son's name or any other details.  He told them to hold on so he could contact his bank to make arrangements.  Instead he called my son who was at work in Dallas who told his grandfather that he was not in jail. My FIL called the local cops to report the number. I'm sure it was a burner phone.  No doubt some people just send money. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GhostOfTomJoad

GhostOfTomJoad 9273

Posted
Posted

My late grandmother got that same type of call about 4 years ago. She didn't fall for it (she was still sharp as a tack in her 90s), but she relayed the incident to my dad (who then called to chew me out because he blamed it on me for something he figured I'd posted on "the Facebook"; the old man's social media paranoid). And my MIL (no pics) got another version of that scam call about 6 months ago. In both instances the scammer was pretending to be me and claiming that I was in jail & had been involved in a car accident & had a broken nose/broken teeth which explained why my voice sounded different.

Oddly, my MIL was closer to falling for the scam than my grandmother. Gramma knew I'd never call to ask her for money. MIL called my wife immediately after the incident to confirm I wasn't in any trouble & admitted that it caught her off guard enough that she was actually trying to work out a way to wire money to the scammer "me", but the conman was insisting that he needed her CC info. 

They're good. They can get enough public info to make it believable to someone who might be confused. In my Gramma's case the scammer didn't identify himself other than to say he was her grandson & was in jail in South America. Gramma then said something like "what would you be doing so far from Texas, (my name)", thereby giving him that detail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kmac30

kmac30 416

Posted
Posted

I know someone (older fellow - 82) who got a call that he had won the Publisher’s Clearing House 3.5M. All he needed to do was FedEx 9k in cash to some address. He couldn’t do 9k,but they agreed 4 would do. They told him it was going to be a surprise and not to tell anyone. So he went to an ATM and got a cash advance of 4K. Sent it. Called the guy and gave him tracking info.

That guy informed him someone from Bank of America would be calling with the next step. He was to set up a Bank of America account and put some amount in there, 10 or 15k. That would show PCH it was active and they would wire to his account and taxes would be covered.

I had to explain to him if he gave them the routing number and account number of an account with 10-15k, they could ACH it out. We called Bank of America and I asked if this guy worked there. The lady on the phone was really nice and confirmed he didn’t.

It took a while but the old guy came around. Then he got in his head he was getting his 4K back. After a long talk we came to the realization that wasn’t going to happen either.

I felt really bad. I had to get brutally honest with the guy. He came and saw me with his wife the next week. He had told her all about it. She was nice, but still gave him shit. “At 82 he’s still learning lessons the hard way!”

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Helobious

Helobious 9465

Posted
Posted

My friend in college got arrested for DWI and had to spend almost a day in jail because his parents didn't know that you actually do have to give your credit card info over the phone to accept any call from jail. They thought they were being scammed. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Fudge Nuggets

Fudge Nuggets 19111

Posted
Posted
On 6/16/2018 at 5:01 PM, Helobious said:

My friend in college got arrested for DWI and had to spend almost a day in jail because his parents didn't know that you actually do have to give your credit card info over the phone to accept any call from jail. They thought they were being scammed. 

How much does a phone call cost these days?  Another reason to always have some cash on you at all times. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
scottsins

scottsins 1951

Posted
Posted
How much does a phone call cost these days?  Another reason to always have some cash on you at all times. 


Ummm...they don’t usually allow you to make the call before you are booked in and processed. They don’t let you take some $ with you to holding.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Fudge Nuggets

Fudge Nuggets 19111

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, scottsins said:

 


Ummm...they don’t usually allow you to make the call before you are booked in and processed. They don’t let you take some $ with you to holding.

 

Well that’s some straight up bullshit.  If you can pay for the call with money in your pocket, then why not?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31086

Posted
Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Well that’s some straight up bullshit.  If you can pay for the call with money in your pocket, then why not?

Pretty much all of pretrial detention is straight up bullshit.  Probably charge $5 for a local call.

Edited by TwiceHorn
Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Diablo

El Diablo 4232

Posted
Posted
On 6/16/2018 at 8:08 AM, GhostOfTomJoad said:

They're good. They can get enough public info to make it believable to someone who might be confused. In my Gramma's case the scammer didn't identify himself other than to say he was her grandson & was in jail in South America. Gramma then said something like "what would you be doing so far from Texas, (my name)", thereby giving him that detail.

I'm beginning to get some sense of what it is that Vic Mackey may do for a living. Oh, and...

He's driving HataProofs slab

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NotActuallyALonghorn

NotActuallyALonghorn 4965

Posted
Posted

My grandfather got a call one day while we were there from some dude claiming to be my cousin stuck in jail in the Caribbean somewhere for weed and needing money. Only it was clearly a dude and my cousin is a chick (who's name could be either a boy's or a girl's) and was pregnant at the time. No way she would be smoking weed or traveling to sketchy places.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
woohorn

woohorn 1131

Posted
Posted

I missed a 12:30am Saturday morning call from the county jail. The voicemail was the tail end of the Securus Technologies (jail phone contractor) automated credit card system (purportedly).

Think it was legit (not spoofed number), but I haven't figured out who would have been in the hoosegow, so maybe not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21468

Posted
Posted

This happened to me a few years ago.  Cop friend told me they troll the obituaries.  Shortly after my grandfather died, grandma gets the call that I’m in jail.  Told her to buy prepaid cards and call them back.  Thankfully she wasn’t driving anymore.  My aunt went to pick her up and after a few hours, finally got the story out of her.  Aunt calls me, puts grandma on the phone, I tell her I’m fine.  She doesn’t believe me.  I had to leave work, drive across dfw, and meet her in person before she believed I wasn’t in jail in CA on drug trafficking charges.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HouTex

HouTex 1841

Posted
Posted

Some guy from Pennsylvania was calling my cell every day for about a week. He would leave voice messages that to avoid service of a lawsuit to call him back and arrange for the payment of an undisclosed amount. He never mentioned who my creditor might be. His last message was to expect a lawsuit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dbeasy

Dbeasy 14931

Posted
Posted

Dear ,

Because of your use of Shaggy Texas in the preceding 12 months, you will be served a subpoena in regards to your involvement with Shaggy Texas vs Eskimo Hut etal, epluribus umin, unless you immediately buy $3,000 worth of Victoria’s Secret prepaid gift cards and wait for my call for further instructions.

Sincerely
Kevin Morgan
Duke of Montreal

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Shoxthemonkey

Shoxthemonkey 1973

Posted
Posted

The wife received an email from  Visa saying that our address had been changed and of course we hadn't changed it. She checked the statement online and found a couple of bogus charges to our account. One was to "Zaza" for merchandise to the tune of $350. Pretty sure it was the Loch Ness monster. An hour on the phone and we re getting a new number with a corrected address. bastards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gyroprotagonist

gyroprotagonist 2591

Posted
Posted

 a few years ago, a lady at work just would not believe that she didn't really win a Canadian lottery (that she could not remember entering).  Same as one of the above posts.  Wanted her to send in $ for the 'taxes' up front.  I don't think she ever ended up sending money...or at least admitting it to anyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RPM

RPM 26167

Posted
Posted

This may be my last post for a while. Just got an "official call" from an "IRS officer" saying I had been indicted for tax evasion. If I want to avoid prosecution and jail, I am to call them back immediately with payment information.

Looks like I'm going to tax jail because, fuck 'em.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Diablo

El Diablo 4232

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, RPM said:

This may be my last post for a while. Just got an "official call" from an "IRS officer" saying I had been indicted for tax evasion. If I want to avoid prosecution and jail, I am to call them back immediately with payment information.

Looks like I'm going to tax jail because, fuck 'em.

Baboontymes buddy has a spot he's keeping warm for ya.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
EuroHorn

EuroHorn 3204

Posted
Posted

I’ve gotten the Microsoft windows scam where the dude says they’ve been  monitoring my computer and noticed error messages.  They want you  to install software where they can take control of the laptop and diagnose and fix  the problems for a fee.

 

I've also gotten a call from the “department of defense” to say I’m eligible for a government grant to use on anything except alcohol and drugs. I just need to provide them with a bunch of personal information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Apep

Apep 645

Posted
Posted

A few years back, my grandmother got a call from "my cousin" saying that he was in jail in Oklahoma, please don't tell Dad, and please wire money. This guy sounded like my cousin and even knew our informal nickname for my grandmother. She called my uncle instead and learned that my cousin was at work. They tried the same scam using my name a week later, but she called me instead.I was really glad she didn't get taken in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Player

Player 4575

Posted
Posted

MIL got a call from a “US Marshal” saying that because she failed to appear for jury duty in a federal case, a warrant had been issued for her arrest. To avoid arrest, all she needed to do was purchase some prepaid visa gift cards...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Diablo

El Diablo 4232

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

This. 

People always like to talk about telemarketers and whatnot. Why does anyone ever answer calls from unknown numbers unless they're expecting one? 

About once a week I get a phone call from Ranger, TX. I have no idea who it is or why they keep calling. I'm a bit curious but not that curious. Fuck answering from numbers I don't know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13388

Posted
Posted

Always good to tell the elderly folks to never give out personal info and credit card info to someone that calls you.    It's very rare that anyone needs immediate payment to avoid a catastrophe.    and many many websites looks like the real deal, especially on a phone, when they're not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hookem48

hookem48 4630

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, El Diablo said:

About once a week I get a phone call from Ranger, TX. I have no idea who it is or why they keep calling. I'm a bit curious but not that curious. Fuck answering from numbers I don't know.

I was born in Ranger so this hits close to home. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
woohorn

woohorn 1131

Posted
Posted

I know someone on old site dealt with this too, but I got a USPS confirmation of forwarding address change postcard a couple of months ago. Said effective in 10 days but I cancelled it. 12 days later I got an Uber credit card with 20k (humblebrag) limit.

 

No telling what was up and USPS fuckers wouldn't tell me what address "I" was forwarding mail to.

 

Worst of all is that Uber cc people were dicks about cancelling card and wanted my ssn, etc. to even talk about cancelling it.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MAROON

MAROON 445

Posted
Posted

Got this e-mail today - needless to say I'm getting on the next flight to Washington National:

 

Attention Shipment Owner,

I am Mr. James Davidson, Head Officer-in-Charge, Administrative Service Inspection Unit in Ronald Reagan, Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C, United States. Am contacting you over an abandoned shipment of Two Metal Trunk boxes containing $6.5M USD each.

 Note, the details of the abandoned shipment is linked to your email address on the official document from United Nations' office in London. kindly reply back this email if you want your shipment processed and deliver to you.

 

Best Regards,
Mr. James Davidson,
Director of Administrative Service Inspection Unit.
Email: mrjamesdavidson@outlook.com

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 years later...
Poe It Up

Poe It Up 126

Posted
Posted
On 6/15/2018 at 10:21 PM, Mo Horn said:

My FIL in McAllen got a call today telling him that his grandson (my son) was in jail in San Antonio because he hit a car while drunk and the other driver was in the hospital. He was told that he needed to send $8000.00 for bail. They never gave him my son's name or any other details.  He told them to hold on so he could contact his bank to make arrangements.  Instead he called my son who was at work in Dallas who told his grandfather that he was not in jail. My FIL called the local cops to report the number. I'm sure it was a burner phone.  No doubt some people just send money. 

Wow, this is eerie. This happened to my grandfather about a month ago. This scammer claimed to be my lawyer and said that I was in jail for drugs. They wanted 10 grand in cash put between pages of a magazine and mailed to a town in Georgia or I’d be stuck in jail. They even had a guy on there crying and pretending to be me (they didn’t use a name either), I mean these people are truly sick. The worst part is that these assholes targeted a man with dementia, so he fucking fell for it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
immortal13

immortal13 4059

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, SHOOTER12 said:

I don't know what the hell happened, or what I've done but for the last 2 weeks I have gotten more spam and scammer calls than in the entirety of my cell phone life.

I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure it's because you've been touching yourself at night

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...