BajaNomad - a scam that any of us could fall for .....easily.

a scam that any of us could fall for .....easily.

BajaBlanca - 4-3-2012 at 07:34 AM

FROM THE BAJA WESTERN ONION = TODAY

Telephone Scam Alert - Last week I got a call from a supposed long-lost cousin who proceeds to make me guess which cousin he is. Well, of course, the guessing game gives him a name. So now I think I'm speaking with my cousin, who says he got my number from grandma and found out we're in La Paz. He tells me he's in Tijuana on his way down the Baja and could he come for a visit? Well "of course," I say. Keep in mind that I have not spoken to this cousin in years so voice recognition failed me. He then tells me he's going to buy a Mexican cell phone, because his US cell phone will soon lose signal. I tell him to get a Movistar cell phone and to put 200 pesos on it. He says he'll call when he has his new cell phone #. He calls after a bit to tell me he has his new phone but he's still using his old cell because he didn't understand how to buy minutes for his new phone. I tell him to go to any Oxxo. He replies that he's already outside town and would I be so kind as to go to an Oxxo for him and put 500.00 pesos on his new phone # and he'll pay me back as soon as he gets to La Paz. Now, slightly annoyed at my cousin, I figure I'll do this as soon as convenient.

About an hour later, I receive another call from my now-frantic cousin because he's been in an accident. He explains he's using a bystander's cell phone to call, because his US phone now has no signal, and he has no minutes on his Mexican cell phone. He presses me to put some minutes on his phone so he can give me more detail about his situation. I panic and buy 500 pesos on his cell. He calls again to say they won't let him leave the scene until he pays $3,000 US for damages. He only has some traveler's checks and about 1,000 US. They want the money transferred into a bank account before allowing him to leave. Now bells and whistles go off, and I realize I'm being scammed. So I ask my supposed cousin, what his dad's first name is? He replies, "what you don't believe me?" I repeat, just tell me your dad's first name? He attempts to give me a name and gets it wrong.

I hang up knowing I just got scammed for 500 pesos and they were attempting to scam me for more, just by playing on my emotions. If memory serves, this is not a new scam, but when emotions and family get mixed in, you tend to let your guard down. I suggest anyone who gets a call like this to simply call the real family member's home phone before you lose any cash. I hope my error will save anyone else from reacting on emotion, which is what these scammers rely upon. - Name Withheld By Request

:no:

Neal Johns - 4-3-2012 at 07:43 AM

BajaBlanca,
Thanks! That is a cute one - not.
Good thing I am the last one of the Johns - everyone says that.

Neal

Osprey - 4-3-2012 at 08:01 AM

Blanca, those scammers got me for $1,500 U.S. dollars. Now I don't have the money to pay my bills. Check your U2U >> could you loan me some money? Maybe some of the other Nomads could do a little donating. Thanks

RnR - 4-3-2012 at 08:24 AM

VERY similiar to a scam call that I received last year!

It started out with and old friend that was traveling down Baja, wanted to visit, and wanted me to guess which old friend it was. The voice was speaking english with a slight spanish accent.

I just happen to have and old aquaintance that is mexican, has a lot of family outside Matzatlan, and has always talked about traveling down Baja, visiting in La Paz, and then taking the ferry to Mazatlan to visit family. So, when I said "Henry, so you're finally going to do it....", they had a name.

The first phone call was brief and supposedly from Tijuana.

The second phone call later in the day was a progress report, supposedly from Ensenada, and left on our voice mail. I listened to it about three times and finally concluded that it just wasn't "Henry".

The third phone call was from a police station. "Henry" had just had an accident and the police were holding him until he could pay for the damages and could I please send money to a bank account to bail him out.

I had already decided that this was not "Henry" so my first question was "Ok Henry, tell me your complete full name". The caller said "Enrique" and mumbled a few more sylables. On my second request -- CLICK.

This occurred over a year ago. Doesn't sound like the story line has changed much!

Howard - 4-3-2012 at 09:14 AM

If those scum would put as much energy into a real business situation I think that they would make a lot more $.

You never know though. Many years ago my parents in the Los Angeles area received a call from the airport at LAX with a person claiming to have the same last name. We have a very unusual last name and he wanted to come visit them as he was from South Africa (originally from Germany) and wanted to connect with family members. I told my Mom and Dad to have him show you his passport with his name before opening the front door and low and behold, the whole story was real. He spent several days with me and it was a great experience connecting with family members you never even knew existed. His family escaped the Holocaust and fled to Rhodesia and then South Africa.

Would I do that now in these crazy times, sadly, probably not.

Scamming ANYBODY ?

MrBillM - 4-3-2012 at 09:18 AM

Interestingly, whenever I read or hear of these scams that "ANYONE" could fall "Victim" to, they NEVER appear to be something that I would believe.

Perhaps, it's the distrusting (paranoid ?) nature that I've been noted for since my teen years (and before). The chance that I would give out information over the phone to ANYBODY I didn't know is ZERO.

Awhile back, we received a call (supposedly) from our Insurance carrier attempting to resolve a records discrepancy. As my wife Began to give the lady some information, I stopped her and said "don't EVER tell ANYONE you don't know ANYTHING. Get her name, call-back and extension and, after we check it out, call her back".

Which we did. It was ALL legitimate.

BUT, you NEVER know.

Safe better than sorry. Paranoia is GOOD.

As RWR should have said, distrust and ALWAYS verify.

At least, it's ALWAYS worked for me.

BajaGringo - 4-3-2012 at 09:35 AM

My sister-in-law almost got taken by the very same scam. She lives in Tennessee...

tiotomasbcs - 4-3-2012 at 10:47 AM

An old rule is to never lend money to family or friends. That way you stay on good terms. Cousins, nephews, nieces especially. They don't call or even email anyway except one?! Too busy!

We live in fast times and even here on Nomads must guard ourselves from the public forum. Choose your friends well; we can't choose family. Good heads up. Thanks. Tio

vgabndo - 4-3-2012 at 12:17 PM

Sorry Blanca, but that scam has been around for so long that I think only the poorly informed would have missed it.

The scam that is a lot more clever comes as e-mail from a friend's address claiming they've lost everything while outside the country. I've had this three times, and each time the person in question was or could have been out of the country at the time! It took a call, or a careful reading of the bogus e-mail to determine I wasn't deleting my friends last hope. :lol:

toneart - 4-3-2012 at 01:33 PM

My legitimate nephews are in my will. Their father (my brother) has asked me to never tell them. This has resulted in them NEVER calling me even to ask how I am, or visiting. I don't even know them since they were children. Oh, one of them shows up sometimes when I visit my brother. The other never does.

So, what do I do, remove them from my will? Or should I be grateful that they have never tried to "scam" me, and let it ride?

My dog, Paco, is a lot more loving and deserving. Maybe I should make him my principal beneficiary. Oh, I almost forgot; he tries to scam me daily.

Howard - 4-3-2012 at 01:40 PM

In my friends will he has a great solution to lazy inheritors.

From his money, the estate will match the same amount of money per year that they report on there income taxes.

Lazy people get nothing. Hard workers who are go getters and earn money are rewarded with an equal amount that they earn.

Sounds pretty fair to me!

Barry A. - 4-3-2012 at 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Howard
In my friends will he has a great solution to lazy inheritors.

From his money, the estate will match the same amount of money per year that they report on there income taxes.

Lazy people get nothing. Hard workers who are go getters and earn money are rewarded with an equal amount that they earn.

Sounds pretty fair to me!

Excellent, Howard.

But that will keep an executor busy over the years, and probably he/she will not be popular with the beneficiaries. I suggest you make the executor an Institution (Bank?), or non-related person or a Lawyer that agrees to take that job on and that you trust. There probably will be a fee charged.

Personally, I would never leave anything to anybody that I was not totally comfortable in my relationship with-----------but that is just me.

If I was in ToneArt's shoes, I would not leave anything to nephew's that I barely knew, or that showed no interest in me, especially if I had tried to be their friend with no reciprocation from them----------even a favorite charity is better than that------------or his brother, or NPR even in Tony's case. :spingrin:

Barry

motoged - 4-3-2012 at 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
Blanca, those scammers got me for $1,500 U.S. dollars. Now I don't have the money to pay my bills. Check your U2U >> could you loan me some money? Maybe some of the other Nomads could do a little donating. Thanks

Osprey,
Gee, really sorry to hear that bad news...

I was recently contacted by agents of a relative in Nigeria that I did not know I had, but, luckily for me it wasn't a scam. The agent explained that the relative had recently died in a car accident and left her $2,000,000.00 estate to me. As it worked out , I had to only provide my bank account numbers and that amount will be deposited in my account once the agent receives the $5,000.00 cheque I just mailed that will cover the agents fees.

So, by next week I will be a millionaire X2....so lending you some money will be easy for me to do.

Just send me your bank account number and password and I will forward you some money.

How much do you need?

:biggrin:

toneart - 4-3-2012 at 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote:

Barry

NPR....of course! Thank you for the idea, Barry. :tumble:

tiotomasbcs - 4-3-2012 at 05:34 PM

You guys are great! Such a plethora of experience and advice. All better than good! Thanks Howard and Motoged! Why I read and participate in this little sandbox?! :tumble:

Que piensa Blanca? Great responses, no? Tio

[Edited on 4-4-2012 by tiotomasbcs]

Udo - 4-3-2012 at 05:46 PM

I'll throw in a $20.00 (US). I'll hand it to you next time I see you, Osprey, or would you like me to PAYPAL you, Buddy!

Quote:

[Edited on 4-4-2012 by Udo]

toneart - 4-3-2012 at 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo
I'll throw in a $20.00 (US). I'll hand it to you next time I see you, or would you like me to PAYPAL you, Buddy!

Quote:

Osprey, Udo.... :lol:

motoged - 4-3-2012 at 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart

Osprey, Udo.... :lol:

Jeeeeezuz

A post about scams and some people still take the bait.... :?:

DavidE - 4-4-2012 at 01:04 AM

I got a telephone call several years back saying "they had my brother held hostage in Tijuana". They wanted five thousand dollars cash wired by Money Gram to an address in Tijuana. I told them to go ahead and kill him. This was followed by a bunch of spanglish that included the words P-nche pendejo cabron and then the phone was slammed down. I think i knew the guy's voice. My brother had passed away fifteen years earlier.

Howard - 4-4-2012 at 10:18 AM

Just to set the record straight before any of you ask me for money, that was a friend who had that kind of $, not me! :biggrin:

[Edited on 4-4-2012 by Howard]

Santiago - 4-4-2012 at 12:25 PM

A good friend of mine who has a small, family business, did the following:
due to the recent downturn (you may have heard about it), they changed their will. Their two adult children will inherit it all, but only if their net-worth exceeds what it was in 2006 and it must reach this level by end of 2103. Else-wise, they told the kids, they are spending it all.
Interestingly, they report that the kids are working their a** off making the business grow. :smug:

BajaBlanca - 4-4-2012 at 03:21 PM

excellent answers indeed .... Tony - put me in your will

)))))))))))))))) sounds like we have visited you more often than the nephews ....... :biggrin:

my son is in the air force and someone tried to scam a family friend by saying he was in trouble abroad ... it was horrible until she also realized it was a scam ...this was an 80+ year old woman who really had her wits about her !!

MrBill - I love the advice to get a name and number and call back.

we also had a long lost relative contact us once ...and it was real - he also flew into los angeles....but it is pretty easy to weed out the false from the real in this situation. a few questions and you get a "feel" for the genuineness of the quest to find a relative.

I am so gullible - these threads and stories have to be drummed into my brain over and over for me to remember .....

Speaking for myself ..................

MrBillM - 4-4-2012 at 03:48 PM

I would HOPE that ANY long-lost relatives I have STAY LOST.

Unless they're Rich, Near-Death (at least nearer than me) and want to include me in their distributed largess.

Even that probably wouldn't work out, though, given how long those things take.

Best they just stay away.