Do you feel sorry for ripped-off customer?

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't think that's the reason.
Senility plays a very good part on this sort of scam.

In some cases, certainly, but none-the-less, lots of highly capable, and very intelligent people fall for these scams - judging by what I see on TV, the dating scams, and the phone banking scams. The latter, where they ask to to transfer your money, into a safe account, or by gift cards.

 

[johnny2007]

In some cases, certainly, but none-the-less, lots of highly capable, and very intelligent people fall for these scams - judging by what I see on TV, the dating scams, and the phone banking scams. The latter, where they ask to to transfer your money, into a safe account, or by gift cards.

I don't classify them as "intelligent".
Someone calls you out of the blue and asks you to transfer money to a random bank account or buy gift cards...
Sounds like a scam to me...

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't classify them as "intelligent".

They vary, from just normal people, to some otherwise extremely intelligent. It's not really about lack of intelligence, it's a matter of being too trusting of others, not wary enough.

Someone calls you out of the blue and asks you to transfer money to a random bank account or buy gift cards...

They call you out of the blue, yes - but they have a very convincing storyline, often about bank staff being corrupt, them being the police, or the bank's security people ringing you for help to catch them. Even the best, get caught out.

Sounds like a scam to me...

Correct, but remarkably easy to get pulled into it. The dating scam, relies on you being so desperate to find a partner, that you get involved with someone online, then eventually they come up with some tale of misfortune, and needing some money as a temporary loan. The perp, having built themselves an entirely false persona, including photos, to back up their story.

There is one on TV at the moment, a guy scammed out of £225K, in an investment fraud. Never, say never.

 

[johnny2007]

They vary, from just normal people, to some otherwise extremely intelligent. It's not really about lack of intelligence, it's a matter of being too trusting of others, not wary enough.



They call you out of the blue, yes - but they have a very convincing storyline, often about bank staff being corrupt, them being the police, or the bank's security people ringing you for help to catch them. Even the best, get caught out.





Correct, but remarkably easy to get pulled into it. The dating scam, relies on you being so desperate to find a partner, that you get involved with someone online, then eventually they come up with some tale of misfortune, and needing some money as a temporary loan. The perp, having built themselves an entirely false persona, including photos, to back up their story.

There is one on TV at the moment, a guy scammed out of £225K, in an investment fraud. Never, say never.

In today's world where every day we hear about these scams, I don't believe that people caught out are intelligent.
I agree that the love scam is easier to fall for if one is desperate and lonely, seen on TV many times.
My friend's wife died at 60 and a couple of years later he got together with a younger girl.
He split his money, a very large chunk in an account she wouldn't know about with address registered at my friend's daughter.
His kids were made aware of this financial situation so the new girlfriend could not run away with the money.
He kept his current account with a few grand in it and pretended to be a standard pensioner.
She disappeared after a year or so.
He's now with a girl of his age, widow with same interests.
He is intelligent.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

In today's world where every day we hear about these scams, I don't believe that people caught out are intelligent.

Until you are caught out!

My friend's wife died at 60 and a couple of years later he got together with a younger girl.

Happened to me too, I attracted quite a few scammers, but I set myself up with rules, in advance, to deal with it.

 

[johnny2007]

Until you are caught out!



Happened to me too, I attracted quite a few scammers, but I set myself up with rules, in advance, to deal with it.

Then you're intelligent.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Then you're intelligent.

No, just always on my guard.

As it happens, I've just had a rare scam caller, ring me on the mobile, claiming to be from Three Mobile, an obvious, barely understandable Pakistani female, so I played her along.

She asked how my connection was to the cell, I said it kept dropping out, during calls. She said she could give me a 5% discount, if I gave her my card details, at which point I called her out. I'm not a Three customer, as she would know, if she worked for them, and they would already have my card details anyway.

 

[johnny2007]

I don't get many spam calls anymore, the scammers must've blacklisted me.
Whenever they call I tell them to go feck themselves and put the phone down.
Then the next one gets "I told you to go feck yourself. Did you manage to do that?".
They put the phone down...
Best one is the text scam about the kid who lost the phone and wants money.
This is my standard reply: " Hi son, nice to hear from you. Don't know if you have short memory or you're just stupid, but your mum kicked me out and now I live on the street. You know where I beg during the day, so come see me and bring me some food and money please. Thanks"

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I don't get many spam calls anymore, the scammers must've blacklisted me.

Nor do I, as said - they are rare, on the mobile. Landline gets many more, I assume - I don't actually know because I have that set to block unknown. I sometimes ring those numbers back, out of curiosity, and almost all, are spoofed numbers, and so obviously scammers.