A scammer's blueprint: How cybercriminals plot to rob a target in a week(reuters.com)
reuters.com
A scammer's blueprint: How cybercriminals plot to rob a target in a week
https://www.reuters.com/graphics/SOUTHEASTASIA-SCAMS/MANUALS/klpyjlqelvg/
25 comments
My mother-in-law fell for a love scam last year. Luckily we caught it early and no money was lost, but I was surprised how difficult it was to convince her it was a scam despite the obvious signs and family and friends all telling her it was. The scammer claimed to be the actor Jack Wagner (popular on Hallmark channel and soap operas). Out of desperation we looked him up on cameo and paid him for a video message telling her it wasn't him texting her, and that finally snapped her out of it.
I read these and it's beyond my comprehension how people can get sucked in and fall for it. And yet I know I'm not special and I think back on periods in my life where I was depressed, under a great deal of stress very apprehensive, and I wonder "Could they have gotten me then?"
(My mother who is 88 years old has been so indoctrinated in scam avoidance that she refuses to set up an online password for her bank, and totters to the branch every two weeks to do her banking, where they plead with her to do it online. But she's not gonna get scammed. Also she finds the idea of a new romance at 88 "repulsive".)
(My mother who is 88 years old has been so indoctrinated in scam avoidance that she refuses to set up an online password for her bank, and totters to the branch every two weeks to do her banking, where they plead with her to do it online. But she's not gonna get scammed. Also she finds the idea of a new romance at 88 "repulsive".)
Similar situation here, with slightly different ages. My mom's friends have chatted about relationships before, and they all come to the same conclusion: none of them want to bury another husband.
I think a lot of the hope is to have someone else bury them.
Intense. It's unfortunate so many are affected. Imagine "a senior uniformed figure like a general" messaging you and within a few days, asking for a $20k deposit. It feels like we've failed people as a whole to not light this kind of deception up like a torch. Perhaps it points to a deeper lack of connection within humanity as a whole.
What is enabling so many people to be like "oh, I got a random text from an unknown number, I guess I'll trust it and potentially marry this person and send my life savings to them"? That is a catastrophic failure and it must be commonplace enough to enable an entire industry to pursue it.
What is enabling so many people to be like "oh, I got a random text from an unknown number, I guess I'll trust it and potentially marry this person and send my life savings to them"? That is a catastrophic failure and it must be commonplace enough to enable an entire industry to pursue it.
I think this is partly because past generations have too much of a baggage of high trust societies. We live in a new era where everything and anything is being wagered. Essentially, sharks have found a way to unlock the value.
I don't think you're entirely wrong, but the idea of trusting strangers being "baggage" is sad
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There's a question I've always asked, why are most people so willing to answer phone calls from numbers whose owners they do not know.
My rules are simple, when asked for a phone number I usually either say I do not have a phone or refuse to give it—even if it greatly inconveniences me. Second, I never answer calls unless I know the person who is calling.
If scammers can't reach one then one can't be scammed (at least not by phone).
My rules are simple, when asked for a phone number I usually either say I do not have a phone or refuse to give it—even if it greatly inconveniences me. Second, I never answer calls unless I know the person who is calling.
If scammers can't reach one then one can't be scammed (at least not by phone).
These cases can get quite interesting. They interviewed an investigator on a local show, and he said they often intercept money going to a scammer, and contact the person to inform them they were being scammed. Up to that point, the sender has no idea.
It can take quite a bit of effort to convince them they've been scammed. The usual reaction is "You did what?! I was sending money to a loved one. How dare you!" They then have to give the sender a sense of the evidence they have, etc.
And some percentage never believe it and remain upset. And will then resend the money through other channels.
It can take quite a bit of effort to convince them they've been scammed. The usual reaction is "You did what?! I was sending money to a loved one. How dare you!" They then have to give the sender a sense of the evidence they have, etc.
And some percentage never believe it and remain upset. And will then resend the money through other channels.
> And some percentage never believe it and remain upset. And will then resend the money through other channels.
Elderly people I assume?
Elderly people I assume?
The common denominator is "having money", which elderly are more likely to have. Divorced people with poor social connections (i.e. lonely) are a big vector, and that's typically skews to older folks.
The problem is banks and financial institutions have been blocking legitimate transfers for ages for anything above $10k. I lost count how many times it happened to me. One time a large sum of money was in limbo for almost 5 days and I needed it for an urgent government deposit in another country, ironically.
I wish Crypto or something like that takes off and wipes them all out one day.
I wish Crypto or something like that takes off and wipes them all out one day.
Sorry, but how is that "the problem" when it comes to this?
The public lost trust in financial institutions. So when they say they are blocking something for our own good we will take it the wrong way by default.
But wouldn't crypto make this so much worse?
For scams, absolutely worse. But for everyday use it would be a bliss.
I disagree, but there's nothing I can really add to this discussion that hasn't already been said back and forth thousands of times online :shrug:
Yes, but in this case it's not a standard message from the bank, but an actual human contacting the victim trying to explain the problem to them.
I worry more about Indian scammers than Chinese scammers, not that Chinese are more moral but so many Indians work in call centers already it’s extremely difficult to tell which ones are not scammers.
I wish websites like this had a "cut the bullshit" option so I could just read. I mean yes, it's pretty and lovely but I don't always want to feel like I'm on a "choose your own adventure" when reading something.
I mean it's beautifully presented, but why does it need to be so graphical?
(Thankfully in Firefox I can click the Reader view and it provides that)
I mean it's beautifully presented, but why does it need to be so graphical?
(Thankfully in Firefox I can click the Reader view and it provides that)
Nice. I love if a scammer contacts me. I always send a goatse picture, this does the job
Terrible website. I gave up after a while, as everything was taking ten times as long to convey information as simple text would.
Too bad, as the topic is interesting, but not enough to make up for aggressively bad presentation.
Too bad, as the topic is interesting, but not enough to make up for aggressively bad presentation.
It's really dishearting to imagine how the victims feel after this. Being so vulnerable to someone you trust only to learn it was a ruse all along to scam you is probably one of the most awful feelings I can imagine, on top of the missing money.