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Almost got scammed


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I ordered a Lee SS press from Amazon, it came from Midway, delivered by USPS via UPS

I got a text that my package was held up at the warehouse because of insufficient address. I started to give my address but they wanted 0.03 cents on my credit card.  I then noticed the package at my back door. I called the phone number which was a weird number and some guy was mumbling. I gave him a few choice words, hung up and blocked the number. It was from the Philippines! Beware! It looked like the USPS website with logo and all!🤨

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2 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I had one of those texts on Monday.  I actually thought about it a few times before deleting it.  The thing was… I actually had a $732 package coming that day.

Scary huh? 

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I particularly like the ones with fabulous fortunes I can claim or beautiful women who have been Following me!  Our phone company has really good screening so I usually just get bogus stuff on the computer.

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8 minutes ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

I get emails like that all the time - I just delete them.

This was a text not an email. They got my phone number from the order I assume.

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7 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

This was a text not an email. They got my phone number from the order I assume.

 

That had to be an insider employed by UPS or USPS or Midway where you ordered it from. How else would they know you are getting a package today, have your phone number and probably the tracking number also. Too many coincidences for a random phish.

 

Glad you noticed the package!

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What’s scary about this is this was a TEXT from USPS about my delivery order. It was so real looking I almost fell for it. First time this had ever happened. I got spam phone calls and spam emails all the time. This was different! 
 

Yes the tracking number was also on the text.

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2 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

That had to be an insider employed by UPS or USPS or Midway where you ordered it from. How else would they know you are getting a package today, have your phone number and probably the tracking number also. Too many coincidences for a random phish.

 

Glad you noticed the package!

I ordered it from Amazon but it came from Midway! It was delivered by UPS but via USPS!!Too weird for me.🤪

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1 minute ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I ordered it from Amazon but it came from Midway! It was delivered by UPS but via USPS!!Too weird for me.🤪

 

That's a BUNCH of hands in the pie!

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Sounds to me like another reason not to text. When I order from anywhere and my phone number is required, it gets my landline. NOBODY gets my cell phone number unless it's personal. There's probably only a couple dozen PEOPLE with my cell phone number, and just about the only person that calls it is my wife, and THEN just when I'm at the store and she needs something. 

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42 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Sounds to me like another reason not to text. When I order from anywhere and my phone number is required, it gets my landline. NOBODY gets my cell phone number unless it's personal. There's probably only a couple dozen PEOPLE with my cell phone number, and just about the only person that calls it is my wife, and THEN just when I'm at the store and she needs something. 

 

I will not give my cell phone number OR E-Mail address to anyone. Seems like every one wants one or the other, or both, for one reason or another. If that's what it takes to join your XXXXXX, then no thanks, I'll do without.

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If I get an email, or a text, from the post office or from UPS or from FedEx or from DHL or from anybody, and they tell me that my package is held up because of blank.

 

Fine. If they can't send it on to me, they will send it back to where it came from. And then the sender will try again.

 

But I'm not going to give 'em my address or my phone number, and I sure ain't going to pay the 3 cents postage due with my credit card.

 

If my package does not arrive on time I will get on the horn with the shipper and tell them my package has not arrived, and they need to reship. They can fight with the post office or UPS or FedEx or DHL or whoever.

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I have gotten the USPS text and the UPS email. The USPS one I get about once a month. The UPS one I have gotten a couple of times. 
Each time I get the USPS one I reported it to the USPS Fraud Division up until the last couple of months. They never respond in any way. Heck, for all I know the flippin’ USPS Fraud Division is fake. 
The UPS one, just like the USPS scam occurs right after I order something. With the USPS scam it’s after ordering from Amazon. 
With UPS it’s usually after ordering directly from a company. 
The USPS scam almost got me once. The darn website was exactly like the USPS official site. The need of 30 cents was a bit stupid so I bailed. My package showed up that afternoon. 
 

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1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

... the tracking number was also on the text.

That is a bit deeper than normal. Did you verity it was the right tracking number? I do get texts (and emails) with bogus tracking numbers.

 

If it was the actual tracking number, then either you (one of your devices), your provider, the shipper, or the vendor was hacked.

 

If other than you (your devices), more reports will be put out soon.

 

In any event, I always go to the source of truth looking up the correct phone, email, or web address before inquiring. On very rare occasion, I have had a legitimate fraud alert. And this sometimes means shutting down a card and waiting several days for replacement card.

 

Have not yet had a hacked account with payment information, but probably just a matter of time. I have a lot of accounts.

 

I am also signed up with USPS UPS, and FedEx for delivery alerts and tracking. Som when a service says to expect a delivery and some wierd text or email sys there is a problem, there is not a real problem.

 

What gets difficult is when a shipper makes some mistake, and a product with a carrier should be headed towards me but keeps moving further away, getting the shipper to acknowledge an F up is difficult. Something shipped from Minnesota to Tennessee should not be out for delivery in Sacarmento.

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18 minutes ago, John Kloehr said:

That is a bit deeper than normal. Did you verity it was the right tracking number? I do get texts (and emails) with bogus tracking numbers.

 

If it was the actual tracking number, then either you (one of your devices), your provider, the shipper, or the vendor was hacked.

 

If other than you (your devices), more reports will be put out soon.

 

In any event, I always go to the source of truth looking up the correct phone, email, or web address before inquiring. On very rare occasion, I have had a legitimate fraud alert. And this sometimes means shutting down a card and waiting several days for replacement card.

 

Have not yet had a hacked account with payment information, but probably just a matter of time. I have a lot of accounts.

 

I am also signed up with USPS UPS, and FedEx for delivery alerts and tracking. Som when a service says to expect a delivery and some wierd text or email sys there is a problem, there is not a real problem.

 

What gets difficult is when a shipper makes some mistake, and a product with a carrier should be headed towards me but keeps moving further away, getting the shipper to acknowledge an F up is difficult. Something shipped from Minnesota to Tennessee should not be out for delivery in Sacarmento.

I’m not 100% positive that the tracking number was correct, I deleted the text snd blocked the number which was from the Philippines! 🤨

I got an email from UPS that said my package was delivered, well I already knew that but the UPS email looked legitimate. Who knows?

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I get texts like that.  Also emails.  I always report them.  USPS and UPS (who each subcontract with the other now, and Amazon uses USPS for some deliveries) will NEVER contact you that way.  I'm always tempted to go to the site and give 10th and L Streets
Sacramento, CA 95814 as the address and update the telephone to (916) 324-0333.

I have to chuckle at the fear of texting, the OHMYGAWD!!!!IFITEXTI'LLGETSCAMMED! mindset.  First, if you EVER make a call on a cell phone, you will get spam/scam texts.  Doesn't matter if you text or not.  There's a good chance that landlines get attempts at scams like that, think about the scam calls you get - car warranty, pay off student loan, Hi grandpa I'm being held hostage and you need to go to walmart and get $600 in gift cards to set me free-but your landline isn't set up for text.  Hell, I bet fax machines get attempt at scam texts.

Want to avoid any chance of scams?  Cancel and disconnect all forms of communication except hand written letter or face to face conversations.

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I had that exact same thing happen, the scammers hacked the home companies shipping pc and sent out notices to everyone receiving a pkg that the pkg was delayed for insufficient shipping amount and I needed to send $3 and change to get UPS to release it. They dident get their money and Monday morning there was a warning email sent from the shipper explaining what had happened. Of course now some scumbag has my phone number

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7 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

First thought that comes to mind is some sort of digitally compromised device.

 

Or just a scambot that is programmed to send the same message to a gazillion phone numbers in sequence.

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2 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Or just a scambot that is programmed to send the same message to a gazillion phone numbers in sequence.

This is the most likely event.

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4 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

I have to chuckle at the fear of texting, the OHMYGAWD!!!!IFITEXTI'LLGETSCAMMED! mindset. 

I'm not in fear of anything like that, I just don't see the point of most texting. If I have something to say, I will call and say it. If whoever I call doesn't answer, I leave a message. 

If I want somebody to text me, it'll be something like "Text me the directions", or "Text me the address", so that I don't have to write it down. 

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38 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

If I want somebody to text me, it'll be something like "Text me the directions", or "Text me the address", so that I don't have to write it down. 

 

 

Texting is texting.  And I don't think it matters much to the scammers how you use your phone, using your phone is using your phone.

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5 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

First thought that comes to mind is some sort of digitally compromised device.

Reading through these posts, many of the fishing attempts appear to be random but several indicate that either UPS or USPS computers have been penetrated by scammers and neither is doing anything about it. Or a proverbial “bad actor”* is providing information to the scammers.

 

———

*not meant to criticize any Hollywood types.  ))))

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8 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Or just a scambot that is programmed to send the same message to a gazillion phone numbers in sequence.

That’s most likely the situation!

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15 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

I ordered a Lee SS press from Amazon, it came from Midway, delivered by USPS via UPS

I got a text that my package was held up at the warehouse because of insufficient address. I started to give my address but they wanted 0.03 cents on my credit card.  I then noticed the package at my back door. I called the phone number which was a weird number and some guy was mumbling. I gave him a few choice words, hung up and blocked the number. It was from the Philippines! Beware! It looked like the USPS website with logo and all!🤨

That has been going on for a wile now .

I warned my wife about a year ago to block them messages. 

I own a business and have parts shipped every day .

Beware of text messages and email looking to get your information. 

Rooster 

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I got a text yesterday from +31 6 27 44 xx xx.

 

but all it said was “hi, how’s your health?”

 

hm, only a Russian friend would start a conversation like that, now which one?

 

country code 316 is Netherlands, okay that narrows it down somewhat, a refugee.  It turns out she’s the one who went to Peru with a friend. Friend became addicted to cheap cocaine and Yulia took the first opportunity to go to Netherlands where her mother is.

 

in this case not spam but I have had other international texts that were.

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Another reason for caution is the "one ring" scam, now including texts and emails requesting a return call for something  which might be legitimate.

 

From: https://www.goerie.com/story/business/2019/05/19/don-t-hold-line-for/5116886007/

 

"The scammer's goal is to have you call back, thinking an important call was disrupted. If you call, you usually hear a message that says something like, "Hello. You have reached the operator, please hold."

 

While you wait, your phone account is getting charged a hefty per-minute fee on top of the international call rate. That's because these calls appear to be U.S. numbers — with areas codes including 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 849 and 876 — but most of them actually originate from the Caribbean."

 

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ive gotten these - first time i had nothing on order so i knew it was a scam , ive treated every one since as that , actually even if legit they can send it back to shipper for correction - dont need me fixin their problem , 

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15 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

I get texts like that.  Also emails.  I always report them.  USPS and UPS (who each subcontract with the other now, and Amazon uses USPS for some deliveries) will NEVER contact you that way.  I'm always tempted to go to the site and give 10th and L Streets
Sacramento, CA 95814 as the address and update the telephone to (916) 324-0333.

I have to chuckle at the fear of texting, the OHMYGAWD!!!!IFITEXTI'LLGETSCAMMED! mindset.  First, if you EVER make a call on a cell phone, you will get spam/scam texts.  Doesn't matter if you text or not.  There's a good chance that landlines get attempts at scams like that, think about the scam calls you get - car warranty, pay off student loan, Hi grandpa I'm being held hostage and you need to go to walmart and get $600 in gift cards to set me free-but your landline isn't set up for text.  Hell, I bet fax machines get attempt at scam texts.

Want to avoid any chance of scams?  Cancel and disconnect all forms of communication except hand written letter or face to face conversations.

I would agree with this but add , the original scam was theft of mail, examination of the letter’s contents and either theft of anything valuable in the letter or using the address to set up future fraudulent activities after you forgot about the original theft. We are somewhat rural (though civilization is beginning to surround us) and have had our mail stolen several times over the years. Once by a letter carrier! Had checks washed and revalued, then attempts to cash them, gift cards stolen (especially around holidays or graduation times) gotten I don’t know how many letters telling us that our accounts are being closed or others are being opened in our name. Gets old really fast. Gotten to where we take outgoing mail (paying bills usually) to the PO, or watch for the carrier and go get the mail as soon as possible. 
YMMV but I would love 10 minutes with a baseball bat and these scumbags in a small room. Won’t happen but it is a favorite fantasy of mine. 
Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:
Gateway Kid

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