Scam Text Messages

[GreatLakes]

I got a VERY weird one that I’ve never heard of before on Wednesday. It was actually a phone call to my cell and I answered it because it’s my work phone. It was an automated voice saying it was from Amazon and if I wanted to authorize a $399 charge for Amazon Prime I should hang up now. If I did not want to authorize it I needed to press #1. When I pressed #1 the call automatically hung up.

Now I’m not sure how big a threat this actually is but since my DH does have a credit card attached to his Prime account for auto-check out, it spooked me. Especially since 99.9% of the time I would have just hung up the second I heard the robo-voice. I also checked my own Amazon account profile and found that it did not have my cell number listed as the contact (I never use it as my primary contact on forms of any kind). I have used it as the contact for placing orders though which makes me think none of our on-line transactions are at all secure.

These spam messages and the actual transactions are not necessarily related. Anyone can buy a list of phone numbers and blast out text messages to them. As more and more breaches happen that include phone numbers the numbers are out there. It doesn't mean they actually got them from the vendor.

It is also possible to generate a script that calls or texts all 1,000 possibilities in known legitimate area code + carrier code combinations meaning they are just casting a wide net. If your phone number is 470-845-6471 a bad actor could have easily programmed a dialer to call 470-845-0000 through 470-845-9999 and capture all of the responses that confirm your number is a valid number for future use. This is the most likely scenario for what happened to you. Someone programmed a dialer to make calls to some large set of numbers and anyone that presses 1 gets moved to the known good number list.

 

[VandVsmama]

I also got the real estate text message once claiming they were interesting in buying our 'property,' which was an apartment we lived in a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. That was amusing.

 

[_19disnA]

Haven't gotten any of those being mentioned. However, in the past I did find it funny when I get what is clearly some scam email. Between the bad grammar and lousy syntax, it clearly was written by someone who doesn't speak English as their primary language. ANY email that doesn't originate from a legit email address for that company gets deleted. NEVER open attachments in an email from someone you don't know.

We don't answer our home phone if the number is unknow to us. When it goes to voicemail they NEVER leave a message so clearly some type of scam also. The scammers know you won't call them back......................works for me.......LOL.

A few stores where I shop in person occasionally ask for my phone number if the event I want to return the item. I just make up a number instead of trying to convince them I don't give it out unnecessarily.

 

[FigmentSpark]

My cell provider has a line that I can report any spam texts and they take it from there. Have you all checked with your providers to see if you can reports these guys?

Also, we have and still use our landline, too.

 

[ronandannette]

You are one of the few people that still have a home landline. Seems like an unnecessary added expense to me.

It's only a few bucks and frankly, I keep it for sentimental reasons. It was the phone number we got when we married and moved into our first home - it went into service on our wedding day (25 years next Wednesday). It's not just a phone number - it's our phone number.

 

[nene0182]

I keep getting ones about people being interested in buying my house. Oh I also got one the other day that asked if I was abused as a Boy Scout and wanted to join a class action lawsuit with a link to click...

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've gotten a few scam texts-my account with [a credit card, a streaming service, a bank] that I don't have. But lately, I've gotten so many political texts. They're usually with one of the presidential candidates, supposedly, and want to know if they can "count on" my vote. Or sometimes they just want to know which candidate I'm supporting.

 

[happily single]

I have been daily spam calls on my business cell. It’s the same thing every day. A crazy sounding man yelling and ranting about religion. I immediately block the number and the next day, same call, new number.

 

[Meriweather]

I keep getting ones about people being interested in buying my house. Oh I also got one the other day that asked if I was abused as a Boy Scout and wanted to join a class action lawsuit with a link to click...

I've gotten several about the Boy Scouts.....written to Richard (the same name as the house another wanted to buy)

 

[disykat]

I started getting spam calls and texts on my cell a few months ago too. Despite blocking them all, they keep coming. And who the heck is "Heather?" on the texts?

I love my landline and one of the reasons is I gave very few people my cell phone number and never had spam. Oh well.

I'm still keeping my landline. I love being able to "sort" who has what number. I do the same with two email accounts.

I also hear better on my landline.

 

[disneychrista]

It's only a few bucks and frankly, I keep it for sentimental reasons. It was the phone number we got when we married and moved into our first home - it went into service on our wedding day (25 years next Wednesday). It's not just a phone number - it's our phone number.

Last time I had a land line about 9 - 10 years ago it was close to $30 (if I remember right) and that was with no long distance or special features. I am all about cutting out expenses that I don't need.

I get wanting to keep "your number." I had not connection with my last phone number, as I had only had it at most a year. And I had, had 3 - 4 others in the previous 18 years.

 

[low-key]

you know we are all wise to this stuff, and really laugh at it, but some of these ohne messages or text, realy seem real, and could fool people who arnt online a lot, and of course are Senior Citizens , I would love it if we havd somehitng like and auntomativ 15 years of prison if you play any part in these scams, we got to protect our old

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I occasionally get text messages from alleged potential home buyers looking to buy our house. They stopped when one time, I texted back with, "OMG! I'm so glad you contacted me! I have some great multilevel marketing essential oils that I'd like to talk to you about! They'll change your life!"

I get those also, but it's for a home in a city I've never lived in. My DH does things like that with spam calls. We've gotten several from the "IRS" in Texas. He tells them that he can't possibly repay the amount he owes & begs them to please support his family, while he's in prison. If it's for a loan, he'll tell them he's so glad they called. He can't repay the loan, but we really need the money. Will they please let us have it anyway? For the DEA calls, he tells them they're too late. He was already arrested & he was walking out of the jail on bail as they speak. For some, he'll say he can't talk know, but he'll call them back if they give him their number. If they don't offer up a number, he'll ask why they won't give him their number, when they have his. He proceeds to whine that it's not fair. Sometimes he'll offer up his social security number & banking info quickly. When they get ready to take it, he suddenly realizes he's lost his wallet. He always has some kind of reply. I actually feel sorry for the caller. They always end up hanging up on him. I'm more of an ignore or "no thank you" kind of person.

 

[ThisIsJason]

I have gotten the Amazon text/phone call about a charge on my credit card for X amount numerous times over the past month.
A text about someone wanting to buy 'the land' I own.
Today alone I got 7 phone calls and 5 texts about my social security number.
About three times a year I get a massive group text (50 numbers attached to it) from a 'woman' who just moved to my area and is looking for fun and some link to click on. Always comes super early in the morning (2-3am).
Way to many political ones now.

 

[robinb]

I have been getting them the last couple of weeks.
Always to Richard (no Richard here).....interested in his house and lists an address and the last few, still to Richard, Boy Scout abuse

I get them addressed to “Faith”. I’m an atheist so it really amuses me.

 

[VandVsmama]

Way back in the day when I was a kid, my dad had a 2nd phone line at our house for work (paid for by his employer). Whenever the phone rang outside of work hours, he knew that it was a telemarketer or something like that. So he would purposely answer the phone for fun and would say things like "City Morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em!" Usually the person on the other end would say something like "Uh...um...I think I have the wrong number."

 

[clutter]

You are one of the few people that still have a home landline. Seems like an unnecessary added expense to me.

To unbundle my package and drop the phone, I'd save $5/month. I can swing it to use the landline number for any and all internet activity etc. I was out of town this summer and brought my car in for service so I had to give my cell phone number. Since then, I've been getting daily calls about renewing my car warranty. hahahahaha. Sadly, thanks to Covid, my cell is now my work phone, so I have to answer most calls.

 

[ronandannette]

To unbundle my package and drop the phone, I'd save $5/month. I can swing it to use the landline number for any and all internet activity etc. I was out of town this summer and brought my car in for service so I had to give my cell phone number. Since then, I've been getting daily calls about renewing my car warranty. hahahahaha. Sadly, thanks to Covid, my cell is now my work phone, so I have to answer most calls.

This is exactly what we do too. And more and more stores here are insisting you be put “in their system” when making a purchase before the register will issue a receipt. So irksome, but we just give the home number and move on. I have no choice but to answer my cell, also because of work, unless it’s very obviously a spam call.

 

[dclpluto]

You are one of the few people that still have a home landline. Seems like an unnecessary added expense to me.

One of the few? 40 percent of American households have a home phone. 6.5 percent of American households just have a home phone and no cell phone. 3.2 percent doesn’t have a home phone or cell phone.
Is 40 percent few to you? Under half of course and will shrink In the future but I don’t call 40 percent few.

 

[disneychrista]

Is 40 percent few to you? Under half of course and will shrink In the future but I don’t call 40 percent few.

i don’t know a single person who has a landline.