My day: someone tried to steal money from my mother...

[El Pollo Guerrera]

While at work today, I get a call from my mother. She tells me she got a phone call from Grandson (my brother's son, aka. my nephew) and he needs money wired to him to avoid "legal trouble" (went in to more detail but not relevant). She wants me to pick her up, take her to the bank and then to a Money Mart to wire the cash to the Philippines...



I tell her it wasn't him. She insists it is, although it didn't sound like him but he said he had a cold... but she wants to go to the bank.

After about five minutes of arguing, I convince her to phone Grandson directly, to ask what the hell is going on.

After about two hours of waiting and worrying, Mom called me back. She called and talked to Grandson.

Grandson had no idea what Mom was talking about...

Also, apparently, this douchebag called Mom back and asked for the money again. She hung up right away this time.




Damn... I'm doing my best to take care of her, but it's like her mind is starting to go...

[DASH 243✅]

Glad she didn't lose anything.
People suck.

[Paul]

Yeah, this scam has been going on for years. Glad you were able to educate her before she made a mistake.

[JIMBOB]

My mom just told me the other day that someone we used to be neighbors with called them. The person said they claimed to be their grandson saying they were in jail and needed bail money. They used my name!

[arrogantmodel]

One time I was at my mom's house when her cell phone rang. She answered it, and tells me that it's somebody asking for me. She gives me the phone and I say hello.

Immediately, a woman says, "Hey, can I borrow fifty or sixty?" I ask, "Fifty or sixty what?" She goes, "Dollars."

I don't recognize the voice at all, so I ask who is calling. This woman, now sounding annoyed, goes, "It's your mother." I say, "I don't think so." and I hang up.

Weirdest phone call ever. Some lady calls my mom's phone, apparently asks for me by name, and asks to borrow money claiming to be my mom. Either it was all a huge coincidence, or she was running the worst scam ever.

[Dub H]

Dec 19, 2018 5:15:01 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

One time I was at my mom's house when her cell phone rang. She answered it, and tells me that it's somebody asking for me. She gives me the phone and I say hello.

Immediately, a woman says, "Hey, can I borrow fifty or sixty?" I ask, "Fifty or sixty what?" She goes, "Dollars."

I don't recognize the voice at all, so I ask who is calling. This woman, now sounding annoyed, goes, "It's your mother." I say, "I don't think so." and I hang up.

Weirdest phone call ever. Some lady calls my mom's phone, apparently asks for me by name, and asks to borrow money claiming to be my mom. Either it was all a huge coincidence, or she was running the worst scam ever.

Honestly if a stranger called me asking for Fifty dollars and just admited she was a just stranger that wanted to borrow money, i would be more likekly to give the money than that scab

[Powerline]

Yeah, it's scary how many of these scams there are, and while I'm glad awareness of them is rising, it's nowhere near where it should be.

Any federal establishment (IRS, a prison, banks, student loan departments, debt collectors, electric/water company, etc.) that is telling you to give them money over the phone is likely full of shit and the establishment they pose as won't typically accept money over the phone (especially the IRS and utility companies; those are common scams, but those establishments will mail and then visit you at your house as a last resort, they won't contact you on the phone).

If their method of payment is using a payment card from a WalMart or Target or CVS, that's also a major red flag. They want it done that way to avoid it being traced back to them. Once that money is on a GreenDot card or something of that ilk, no bank (or even GreenDot themselves) can trace where the money went.

Best way to avoid it is to not give in to immediate pressure or being forced into immediate action. These companies aren't going to go from no notice whatsoever to "immediately shutting off service" or any kind of BS like that. And as a basic rule of thumb, don't give any bank or payment information over the phone under any circumstance, even if it is a legitimate business. And don't wire transfer money unless you KNOW FOR A FACT the information to the receiver is provided directly from the person you're sending to; NO THIRD PARTIES.

There's way more info you can look into; basically, don't give in to pressure to have things shut off or "this warrant will be executed", and stuff like that. Be cautious with your money.

Dec 19, 2018 6:42:35 GMT -5 Dub H said:

Dec 19, 2018 5:15:01 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

One time I was at my mom's house when her cell phone rang. She answered it, and tells me that it's somebody asking for me. She gives me the phone and I say hello.

Immediately, a woman says, "Hey, can I borrow fifty or sixty?" I ask, "Fifty or sixty what?" She goes, "Dollars."

I don't recognize the voice at all, so I ask who is calling. This woman, now sounding annoyed, goes, "It's your mother." I say, "I don't think so." and I hang up.

Weirdest phone call ever. Some lady calls my mom's phone, apparently asks for me by name, and asks to borrow money claiming to be my mom. Either it was all a huge coincidence, or she was running the worst scam ever.

Honestly if a stranger called me asking for Fifty dollars and just admited she was a just stranger that wanted to borrow money, i would be more likekly to give the money than that scab

The problem is they usually don't just want that much.  They'll tell you the only way is with bank information or that they need you to cover a fee that doesn't exist and it all builds up.  Many scammers will even use the bank info to store money they get from other victims.  There's no way in hell it would have stayed at $50-60.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

Yesterday, I got the "we got extra concrete, do you want us to use it on your sidewalk" scam.

[Dub H]

Dec 19, 2018 8:25:44 GMT -5 SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts said:

Yesterday, I got the "we got extra concrete, do you want us to use it on your sidewalk" scam.

honestly one of the things I follow is that I never do any transactions or information by mail or phone. if it is something important or realistic there is other ways


but never ever give any information by phone

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

My mom got tricked by one of those "Hi I'm from Microsoft, please let me into your computer" guys.

She realized what she was doing just about a second too late and the computer was locked out.

My response to her was "You're not that old!"



Both my parents are smokers so I'll probably be burying each of them before their mind starts to go too badly. Take silver linings where you can find them, I guess.

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2018 6:42:35 GMT -5 Dub H said:

Dec 19, 2018 5:15:01 GMT -5 arrogantmodel said:

One time I was at my mom's house when her cell phone rang. She answered it, and tells me that it's somebody asking for me. She gives me the phone and I say hello.

Immediately, a woman says, "Hey, can I borrow fifty or sixty?" I ask, "Fifty or sixty what?" She goes, "Dollars."

I don't recognize the voice at all, so I ask who is calling. This woman, now sounding annoyed, goes, "It's your mother." I say, "I don't think so." and I hang up.

Weirdest phone call ever. Some lady calls my mom's phone, apparently asks for me by name, and asks to borrow money claiming to be my mom. Either it was all a huge coincidence, or she was running the worst scam ever.

Honestly if a stranger called me asking for Fifty dollars and just admited she was a just stranger that wanted to borrow money, i would be more likekly to give the money than that scab

In that case, can I have 50 bucks?

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Basically the same thing happened to my grandpa. Except I was in jail and needed bail. Since I couldn’t answer such skill testing questions as my own name, my brothers name and the fact I’m not the eldest grandson like I claimed on the phone, he hung up and called the police.

[Dub H]

Dec 19, 2018 19:40:12 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Basically the same thing happened to my grandpa. Except I was in jail and needed bail. Since I couldn’t answer such skill testing questions as my own name, my brothers name and the fact I’m not the eldest grandson like I claimed on the phone, he hung up and called the police.

Sad History.Did you ever get out of jail?

[Dr. T is an alien]

Pro tip: Anyone calling claiming that they are from the IRS and you need to pay money or you will get your house foreclosed on/wages garnished/fined out of existence, just remember that while the IRS can love you long time in all of those ways, they are an old fashioned lover. They sent passionate love letters and don't call you on the phone.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Dec 19, 2018 19:59:31 GMT -5 Dub H said:

Dec 19, 2018 19:40:12 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Basically the same thing happened to my grandpa. Except I was in jail and needed bail. Since I couldn’t answer such skill testing questions as my own name, my brothers name and the fact I’m not the eldest grandson like I claimed on the phone, he hung up and called the police.

Sad History.Did you ever get out of jail?

Probably not.

[A Platypus Rave]

Dec 19, 2018 20:27:54 GMT -5 Dr. T is an alien said:

Pro tip: Anyone calling claiming that they are from the IRS and you need to pay money or you will get your house foreclosed on/wages garnished/fined out of existence, just remember that while the IRS can love you long time in all of those ways, they are an old fashioned lover. They sent passionate love letters and don't call you on the phone.

Also (unless I am mistaken) you can not be served anything over the phone.

if someone says you are being summons to appear in court it must be done in person.

Also... if they say they accept amazon gift cards as payment.... it's probably not the IRS.

[Deleted]

My parents used to get those scam calls all the time Mainly the IRS,Microsoft key and occasionally the grandkid needing money but the worst was maybe 6 months before my mom passed she received a call from someone claiming they had kidnapped her daughter and if she didn’t pay them $5,000 they’d shoot her in the head my mom was mortified and she was a very trusting soul as my mom tried to get more info from this person they got more and more angry and then claimed they had my dad aswell and now if she doesn’t give them $10,000 they’ll kill them both now my dad was upstairs taking a nap and my mom knew he was in the home but she was still scared that maybe they did have her daughter because she was in a panic the person claimed they would kill her daughter and hung up so my mom called the police they came to her house claimed they’d look into it but nothing came of it.After this ordeal my mom stopped answering the phone.I have no idea what would possess a person to call a total stranger and try and scare them like that.

[Paul]

Dec 20, 2018 4:02:14 GMT -5 @mrbonezone said:

I have no idea what would possess a person to call a total stranger and try and scare them like that.

Greed. They know they can scare people into sending them money.

[dirtyoldman]

Dec 20, 2018 4:02:14 GMT -5 @mrbonezone said:

My parents used to get those scam calls all the time Mainly the IRS,Microsoft key and occasionally the grandkid needing money but the worst was maybe 6 months before my mom passed she received a call from someone claiming they had kidnapped her daughter and if she didn’t pay them $5,000 they’d shoot her in the head my mom was mortified and she was a very trusting soul as my mom tried to get more info from this person they got more and more angry and then claimed they had my dad aswell and now if she doesn’t give them $10,000 they’ll kill them both now my dad was upstairs taking a nap and my mom knew he was in the home but she was still scared that maybe they did have her daughter because she was in a panic the person claimed they would kill her daughter and hung up so my mom called the police they came to her house claimed they’d look into it but nothing came of it.After this ordeal my mom stopped answering the phone.I have no idea what would possess a person to call a total stranger and try and scare them like that.

Id love to see those c**ts get strung up.

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

Dec 19, 2018 20:27:54 GMT -5 Dr. T is an alien said:

Pro tip: Anyone calling claiming that they are from the IRS and you need to pay money or you will get your house foreclosed on/wages garnished/fined out of existence, just remember that while the IRS can love you long time in all of those ways, they are an old fashioned lover. They sent passionate love letters and don't call you on the phone.

same thing up here. those orgs typically won't threaten legal action unless someone is doing major tax evasion, like in the millions or billions of dollars. they typically just charge a penalty and additional interest on already outstanding charges instead of calling the police lol. they MAY call you depending on the situation for information but they sure as hell don't call to demand money/threaten arrests.