I have hopped on this one as soon as I got a message, I got this message below from a trusted friend on Facebook saying ‘Zipper emoji I think you appear in this video look at it, Im really impressed Zipper emojiconfirms? which if clicked on takes you to a site which hacks your data and sends out the same message to all your friends.
Ok as I’ve said before:
First off – if I ever ‘send’ you something that has misspelling in it or improperly capitalized, and I don’t correct myself right away… it’s probably not me…I’d be rather dead then sending out horrifying spelling such as the above!
Second off – if I send you something that has a security certificate warning when you click into the browser and I don’t immediately explain myself (this is a rare occurrence, and more then likely we would be already working together in regards to me fixing your computer) it’s more then likely a scam, and I welcome you to question me on it!!!
Thirdly – (Please don’t take offense but) NEVER click past your browser security unless you know what you’re doing, this will prevent much unneeded headache for you and your friends.
I feel horrible for not doing this sooner, but I keep getting messages from trusted friends in Facebook saying ‘Look what i found’ which if clicked on takes you to a site which hacks your data and sends out the same message to all your friends.
(Sorry for the racy photograph but this is what the current scam is)
First off – if I ever ‘send’ you something that has misspelling in it or improperly capitalized, and I don’t correct myself right away… it’s probably not me….
Second off – if I send you something that has a security certificate warning when you click into the browser and I don’t immediately explain myself (this is a rare occurrence, and more then likely we would be already working together in regards to me fixing your computer) it’s more then likely a scam, and I welcome you to question me on it!!!
Thirdly – (Please don’t take offense but) NEVER click past your browser security unless you know what you’re doing, this will prevent much unneeded headache for you and your friends.
So we got a bid for our sword on eBay, and right after I was accepted it, I realized a message was in the notes. At first, Ethan thought the eBay user didn’t know how to use eBay, as you can message within eBay, so we had a good laugh and I messaged the person. However, their reply rang every alarm bell in my head!!!
Yes thanks for texting I would love to have it mailed to my Cousin in Oklahoma as a birthday gift,i want you to get a steam wallet gaming cardGift Card of $400 inside the package before you ship it and I will add $400 for the steam wallet gaming card, $30 for the shipping through UPS/FedEx and $50 for the inconvenience, are you cool with that?
I just want the gift card as an additional surprise with the package and besides I should have get this done myself but I work away from home with the US Navy?
Text message from scam user frawa-6710
I then noticed we had received a message x2 from eBay, transcript below:
We had to cancel bids for the buyer, frawa-6710, because they aren’t registered on eBay: 313237300522 – Pakistani Samurai Sword Steel Red And Black
We’ve also made it easy to relist your item if it was removed. Although the item is no longer available in search listings, you will find it in the Sold section of My eBay. For more information, please visit: http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/relist.html
To help you avoid this situation in the future, consider setting a Buy It Now price and requiring buyers to make an immediate payment. For more information on immediate payments, visit: http://pages.ebay.ca/help/pay/require-immediate-payment.html
We recommend you take the following actions if this buyer won the item: – If you haven’t received payment, don’t complete the sale or send the item to the buyer. – Don’t communicate with the buyer directly. – Verify any payments you’ve been notified of by logging into your PayPal account (or other online payment service). – If the buyer requests a refund or additional payments, don’t send any money without contacting eBay first. – If you’ve already sent the item, try contacting the shipping carrier to find out if you can stop shipment.
In these types of situations, we may, at our sole discretion, decide whether to credit the fees for removed listings. – We have credited any associated fees to your account.
If you have any concerns or questions, click “Help & Contact” at the top of most eBay pages.
We’re sorry for this inconvenience, and thanks for continuing to work with us.
Another pattern I’ve noted is that if you don’t respond within the hour, the seller will retract their bid. This seems to avoid eBay’s automatic checks to see these aren’t real people, as I only saw the email above from eBay once I had accepted the bid without seeing the comment.
I also noticed we had a few more offers, details of scammers and numbers below:
Message from jegsan_88:one=question=regarding=on=this=item=kindly=text=me=on=720 623 5681
Message from frawa-6710:hello=seller-i- have=a=question=on=this=item=kindly=text=me=on=7204609767 thanks
Message from janmi-1869:one=question=regarding=on=this=item=kindly=text=me=on720 623 5681
Message from acm6687: hello=seller-i- have=a=question=on=this=item=kindly=text=me=on=7207597382 thanks
With this newest slew of scams, it appears people are getting more creative in getting around normal security protocols, so I stress that all of you be on your guard!
I received a phone call from this number with an automated voice who stated the following in a mildly pleasant accent:
“Unintelligible -administration- the reason of this call is to inform you our department has decided suspend your Social Insurance Number and it’s benefits. As we have recieved complaints of suspicious activity on your Social Insurance Number. Your Social Insurance Number is getting used illegaly for money laundering and fake loans. If this is not getting done by you, please press one to speak with our officer to resolve this. Prevent your social insurance number from suspension. Thank you.”
I’ve tried to call back this number using Pop-Tox, and it says this number is not in service.
Whatever you do, do not give away your name, voice inflections or anything else relevant when answering these calls. Better yet, ignore and block them asap! For more info on that, check out this article here: Why Phone Fraud Starts With A Silent Call
Numbers I’ve received this call from so far are as follows:
I received a phone call from this number stating this wasn’t a spam call, and I needed to provide sensitive information as there was troubles with my TD account.
I’ve tried to call back this number using Pop-Tox, and it says “Sorry, something looks wrong with this number. . “
Had issues with my card so i called the number on the back. It had been locked by loss prevention. Got a call from this number soon after. It is loss prevention, but the smart thing to do is call 1-866-222-3456 the number on the back of your card
My conclusion is is that much like this Article ‘CRA Spam Callers Using Inactive Numbers’ these scammers have been using this number as well as TD since 2012!!! So, like recommended in the bit I quoted above from 800Notes.com, when in doubt, always use the number on the back of your card!
*PHONE TIP!* Whatever you do, do not give away your name, voice inflections or anything else relevant when answering these calls. Better yet, ignore and block them asap! For more info on that, check out this article here: Why Phone Fraud Starts With A Silent Call
I’m quite fond of the fact that in our technical day and age, it is becoming more and more common place to ‘Have an App for that!’ Apps make our lives easier, from helping cutting down extraneous tasks to graphic editing. For Android users, many apps are free, made by other users, which can include options such as either ‘Pay to use better options’ or ‘Pay to get rid of ads’.
That being said, an easily downloaded application has become scammers next target. A Toronto Security company has discovered an App called ‘Xhelper’ which is now termed as a malware that is impossible to remove, as it has the ability to reinstall itself and is designed to remain hidden! It even has code to ensure it isn’t deleted when a Factory Reset is prompted, and performs malicious actions such as “showing advertisements to the users, downloading and executing more malicious payloads from its remote server onto the users device”
My advice as a tech user is to research your apps before downloading! Look through those Reviews, weed out the Automated replies, make sure this app is right for you, and if it looks suspicious, DON’T DOWNLOAD!!!! And as an extra layer of protection, or to ensure that you haven’t already succumbed to this malware, install a malware detector.
I received a phone call from this number with an automated voice who stated in broken automation that “ignoring this call would cause legal action before a magistrate.“
I’ve tried to call back this number using Pop-Tox, and it says this number is not in service.
Whatever you do, do not give away your name, voice inflections or anything else relevant when answering these calls. Better yet, ignore and block them asap! For more info on that, check out this article here: Why Phone Fraud Starts With A Silent Call
Numbers I’ve received this call from so far are as follows:
12264698493
0114160998784 (Spoofed, that’s why there is a 0 at the front)
Just when I thought humans had started figuring it out, we’ve got sneaky buggers trying to re-instate chemical usage that will finish killing off our already endangered bees! As a gardener, I’m aware it may be “easier” to grow plants when you don’t have to worry about bugs, but when you don’t have the pollen carrier, the plants will just DIE, and so ends green things being able to live on this earth, at least in our current natural cycle.
‘Sum of Us’ activists have put forward a campaign to save these poor bees, let’s do our part in ensuring our future!
Dozens of bee species are now extinct or on the verge of disappearing. But Bayer and its cronies are twisting the EU’s arm into ignoring bee-saving rules against harmful pesticides — the same rules that got toxic neonicotinoids banned last year.
We all rely on bees to pollinate fruit, vegetables and crops. But around the world bees are in decline, putting the future health of our planet at risk — and unless the EU takes concrete steps to save the bees, this trend shows no sign of reversing.
MEPs urgently need to challenge the bureaucrats that buckled to Bayer’s lobbyists. MEPs could force a U-turn, and revive plans to crack down on all bee-harming pesticides.
It’s the EU’s job to force corporations like Bayer to take bee health seriously — and prevent deadly, bee-killing chemicals from flooding our fields. Bayer shouldn’t be telling the EU what to do. Across Europe, MEPs plastered their election campaigns with pledges to save the bees. Will you sign the petition now to tell MEPs to live up to their promises?
Sign the petition to demand that MEPs fix this mess urgently and protect bees from deadly pesticides.
I received a phone call from this number with an automated voice who stated in broken automation that ignoring this call would cause legal action before a magistrate.
I’ve tried to call back this number using Pop-Tox, and it goes straight to a personal voicemail. After 5 times of dialing back, the lady whose voicemail it was picked up, and she had no idea that this was happening to her number.
This is the newest and ballsiest move I’ve seen these guys perform so far, this is going to cause headaches for basically anyone who owns a number. I’m not even sure there anything our providers can do to prevent this!
You’ve been asked to be the photographer at an event. You’ve signed a contract stating the details, and are eagerly awaiting your payment. However, when it arrives, it’s almost QUADRUPLE the amount you were to be sent! Questioning, you’re told it’s an accounting error and to send the rest to the wedding caterer. You send the money, only to have the deposit/cheque BOUNCE, leaving you out thousands of dollars!
This sounds like something out of a horror film, but what’s truly terrifying is that it’s been happening all across BC the last little while!
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recommends that people protect themselves “protect yourself by knowing who you are doing business with and never accept a cheque for more than your selling price,” when it comes to the overpayment scam.
The BBB also warns that a legitimate company will never ask someone to forward money.
We have the best Roadside Assistance - Towing Service - Emergency Towing in All Washington State. Best Tow Truck Tacoma has the best customer service 24/7.
