caveat emptor

[JohnRoberts]

we are reminded to not trust new members with zero posts and no history here.

We can not police off list transactions. Before sending money to somebody read his/her posts and look for positive interactions with other forum members.

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

For the second time in less than three months some puke has filed false charges on my credit card so it is locked again while I wait for them to mail me another replacement. I'll probably be buying groceries with real money again next week.

I already have one account saying that the autopay for my bill didn't clear today... I hope they can be patient. When I go to the link they provided in the email notice it says I owe $0... that was easy

I don't do much in person shopping so unclear where the pukes stole my data...

when I first called the number that warned about my CC fraud, it wouldn't stop talking to me in spanish... I can drink in spanish, but i couldn't answer their menu questions. After i redialed the number I got an english speaking AI. They booted me to an english (?) speaking customer service person... She didn't exactly speak the queen's english, but spoke whatever she was speaking too quickly to easily follow.

Arghh I was still trying to get all my account squared away from the last time they locked my card and replaced it.

Modern times, modern crimes.

JR

PS; In a fitting coincidence I just nuked 3 new spam accounts, probably the same person.

 

[57sputnik]

Have you by chance recently renewed a driver's license or renewed your tags online or some other web transaction with a state agency?

I've had my CC compromised three times in year and each time it was right after a driver's license or tag renewal. The state used the same private service bureau for all three and it took awhile to figure out. After some research I learned that the company had been attacked by ransomware and the first compromised card occurred within a few days of the ransomware announcement by the company. From now on I'm mailing the state checks.

 

[crazydoc]

In the last 10 years or so, my CC has been hacked 3 times, all within a month or so of ordering parts from a particular guitar site (not one of the biggies). I changed the CC each time (PITA). It took 2 orders to make me suspicious, then the 3rd nailed it down. Haven't ordered from them for a few years (and never will), and no hacks. I was going to email the owner, but couldn't find his email, and figured he might be the one doing it so didn't pursue it.

 

[JohnRoberts]

No common thread between the two recent card hacks spaced a couple months apart.

The good news (I am always the optimist) is that the CC company was pretty quick to ID the questionable charges both times.

The thieves often start with a couple small charges probably to confirm the card is active before selling it to some third party, then it starts raining larger charges.

It doesn't take a super computer to figure out that I probably didn't do those charges.

It is still a royal PIA to have my CC shut down and have to wait for snail mail at low crawl speed to get my new replacement card to me.

I don't do a lot of CC transactions. I think there are ways I could lock or unlock it myself to only work when I want to use it for specific transactions.

They either configured a sniffer on the gas station card reader or on the walmart self checkout terminal. It seems the CC company could pretty easily catch any pattern of similar card hacks from a single vendor's terminal.

Back when I was still accepting CC numbers on my website years ago, that was like doing 24x7 hand to hand combat with web hackers. Those pukes were like spammers on steroids. I don't miss those days. Or all the spammers here before the software upgrade. They are still trying to get in.

JR

PS: I just approved a new member with a rude email @.com addy, if it doesn't fail the internet naming conventions I'll accept it, but no I won't repeat it.

 

[57sputnik]

This is an excellent site to check email and IP addressees: Web Spam Database and IP Blacklist Check

 

[JohnRoberts]

We need to remain vigilant about entering into transactions with strangers.

We try to highlight new members by making their names red, but there are also members who joined up years ago who do not indicate red.

Trust but verify.... If you are contacted by a stranger who is a member here you can review his or her previous posts to get a sense of the person's integrity.

I received one complaint a while back from a member who said he trusted the person because that person was a member here, ASSuming we somehow vetted them. In fact we screen for known spammers but there is no database for scammers who will be attracted by all the activity here.

Caveat Emptor, buyer beware...

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

I just received a scam email to what I thought was a clean email address. All I need to do is pay $750 customs clearance fees to get an $8m consignment in two packages released to me.

Who falls for this BS?

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

It appears that another scam may be going around.

the tells in this case, was offering price too low, shipping cost too low, and insistence on paypal "friends and family"

Be careful... CAVEAT EMPTOR

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

Bump.... Tis the season be careful... Caveat Emptor (buyer beware).

New members are indicated in red so be careful.

Do not transact business via private messages. If communicating offline via email be careful.

Rule #3 Topics involving the exchange of money should be kept only to the Black Market or White Market.

JR

 

[Tubetec]

I was told the other day by my bank my credit card hasnt been activated because I refused to sign up to online banking , not only that there telling me I need a smartphone with an app to make purchases online .
I told them I dont have a smart phone ,nor do I intend to get one , they basically shrugged their shoulders at me , said there was nothing they could do .

I think its unfair to lay the blame for scammers on staff here , as the popularity of the site increases ,it becomes more attractive to scam artists , no ones to blame for that , its an inevitabillity .
Each one of us must remain proactive and report any suspicious PM as quickly as possible , its a shame because trust is hard earned and easily broken by the suspicion brought about by scammers and others will ill intent .

 

[JohnRoberts]

Happy new year and time for a reminder that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

One White Market member was recently hacked and had several "too good to be true" deals listed in the Black Market. Being an established member and WM merchant he checked all the boxes for trustworthiness BUT THE OFFERS WERE NOT.

So always be careful, Caveat Emptor (so old it's Latin).

JR