Scam text replies by phone to ads ....

Heads Up ....

Apparently software exists to scan the cl***ifieds and generate
a text message to your phone ....


Received a text message from 646-504-5289 this morning ....

" Hello ...What is the present condition? "





Jim

 

A typical scam message is: "Do you still have the item for sale?"

 

Never put your cell number in an ad.

 

This was an ad in the cl***ifieds for hauling

I have been doing it since 2008 and this is the first time
I have received a text message ....

I guess technology exists to scan the cl***ifieds and detect
a number - then generate a text message

A variation on the email scam approach but the phone number
is disclosed in the process

I guess it is worth it to get a disposable cell phone
if you are a scammer




Jim

 

Great tips to protect yourself from con artists.

It sad to think this is how some people intend to make a living by scamming other people.

Their sole job in life is trying to separate you from your money!!!!!!!!!!

Jimbo

 

Nothing new. Extremely common if you use Craigslist.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

This is why you will see a few digits spelled out on an ad.
Instead of 347- you will see 3 four 7 .

Stops the scam bots

 

^^Some but not all.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

I recieved a text to my landline call late at night last week.

 

I sell a lot on craigslist and get these messages all the time and phone messages from cl***ified companies trying to list cars Im selling for a fee somewhere else. Bottom line is this is the junkmail of our time. If you don't put your phone number in the ad it slows down the negotiations and scammers will email you anyway and if you spell out some of the numbers in your phone number it confuses the old guys for some reason.

Ive never been scammed and I can't see how anyone falls for cl***ified scams. Sell your **** for cash in person or ship after receiving a secure paypal payment. Common sense.

 

I agree ....

But on forums like the HAMB there are some members
who believe that if they get a text on their phone,
it must be a HAMB member ....

The indiscriminate targeting of internet cl***ified sites
has shifted to public forums where some members might
think they are more secure ....

I do not believe this is a member of the forum,
just computer scanning ...




Jim

 

Yes, good point

 

What about the CL email replies that supposedly come from hearing-impaired devices? They typically say, I'll take it, and want an address for delivery of a money order or check by UPS with a pickup order from UPS after the check clears. Is that a scam on your bank account, info, or what? Similar deal from someone who is on a ship, but wants to send money, ship later.
I always prefer a cash deal, but have been warned about people coming "to look" at what you are selling only to come back later for some free shopping.

 

I didn't even know they could do that. I need to keep up with the latest technology more.

 

^^^ It's really annoying I have no clue how exactly it works but you just send a regular text to a land line and they receive a call tell them they have a text to land line and a robot reads it to you. And you get charged.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

Thanks for the post mate,i have definitely learnt from this, Gaz!

 

Rfraze. Sounds like a scam. I get all the same bs. Do a simple google search on the phone or the email address. You'll likely get tons of results from others letting you know it's a known scammer.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

I'll give that a try. Thanks. How would you do that thru the Craigs List email they contact you on? Any input about the dangers of giving mailing address to these contacts, so they can send a check, greatly appreciated.

I actually got a call from a live person the other day on some side trim and I kept thanking him for using the phone to talk.

 

^^ Um I'm not sure. I actually no longer answer any emails for cls ads. I prefer to just put my number in the ad and request that I'm contacted by text message and if you must call leave a message. I find it much easier to weed out the bs. Plus I have a caller id app so most times I can get a name and city. It came in really handy over the weekend while to sell some rare ot parts. A quick search told me was a big time collector.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

It would not be difficult to write code that searches for spelled out numbers and replaces them with their numerical counterparts.

Just like how folks think that doing "user (at) email (dot) com" is a foolproof method. Would not be difficult to replace every "(at)" and "(dot)" with "@" and ".".

If really paranoid, you'd be better off putting your contact info in reverse, with instructions for the reader to read it in reverse. An added benefit is that it'd weed out the idiots. If they're not smart enough to comprehend a simple instruction, you won't have to deal with their stupidity on the phone or via email.

 

Another method I have seen is to upload a picture of your phone number.

I think it is foolproof... for now.

 

I wouldn't be so sure. That is why when your asked to type in the security code on web pages it's a highly distorted image.



Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone

 

the hearing impaired phone calls are done from a scammer on computer who contacts at&t operator who by law has to place the call to you. they know he is a scammer from overseas by the delayed time he takes to answer your questions, operator will give you hints that he is a scammer but by law cannot come out and tell you that they suspect a scam, I had 3 of these calls in the last few years. tell the operator you think he is a scammer and you want to end the call. she will say "good idea to end the call"

 

I sell a lot on CL and armslist and get these scam texts and emails all the time lately I have been placing fake ads with their number in them see how they like it. I have noticed that their numbers come up as disconnected after a few days not a perfect solution but I get some amu*****t from it

 

Because they only use the numbers for a few days and move on to a new one. Harder to keep up with them that way.

 

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

 

Mark: Now you are really dating yourself with the picture of that portable phone from god know when.

Hate to say it but I do remember those crazy looking phones!

Jimbo

 

Now that's funny! I like that.

 

Hackers and scammers----there is NO SEASON and NO BAG LIMIT. Lock and load.

 

Any time they use the words "item" or "condition" or want to pay with a check it's a scam.