Posted on 01/23/2020 1:36:32 PM PST by yesthatjallen
FedEx is warning its customers about a new text-based scam that has been using the company’s name to obtain personal information from phone users.
In the past week, a number of people have taken to Twitter with screenshots of messages sent to their phones disguised as package notifications from FedEx. The messages, which sometimes address users by their names, ask them to set their delivery preferences and include a tracking code.
The texts also feature a link to a site that takes the user to a fake Amazon site and asks them to complete a survey, according to photos obtained by How to Geek. After completing the survey, users are then reportedly directed to a page that allows them to claim a gift as a free reward, but, in exchange, they are asked to submit their address and credit or debit card information.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
A couple days ago I got a call. The woman said she was working with my pharmacy to lower my drug costs.
I asked, 'what pharmacy do I use?'
Without skipping a beat she said she was working with my pharmacy and my insurance company to lower my drug costs.
I asked, 'what insurance company do I use?'
She hung-up.
I got one of these texts yesterday. Immediately marked as spam.
Spammers are making cell phones un-usable.
My mom got one on her phone. Told her to block and ignore.
I didn’t fall for this one, but many people do. Everybody loves to know that they have a package waiting for them and a lot of them will let their guard down to facilitate this.
I recieved this last week, but it said UPS. Did not fall for it.
Ca-ching.
I keep my cell off and just check it twice a day.
I am getting the same calls from “Apple Support”. I use these as an opportunity to use my Hindi vocabulary.
Turns out these scammers are caller ID spoofing a real Apple phone number.
Bad enough to get these scams on the phone— but now texting!!
They “group text” many times. I reply “scammer” to let all the others know.
I get a variety of text spam but typically i think from 1 person - it follows the same format. It is typically a 1 day old nonsensical domain name and hosted on a digital ocean droplet.
I talked to a ‘medicare and medicaid’ representative the other day. I asked her if the ‘medicare and medicaid’ offices are now located in Karachi or Lahore. She hung up. I know they are in India but I know they often loath being confused for Pakistanis.
I got one the other day from Elizabeth Warren. Man, that’s scary!
I’ve gotten a variety of emails the past couple of years I’m sure are phishing and blackmail attempts. The most common tells me they need to verify my account information at some credit card entity, or a bank. I get those to verify my account from “banks” where I have no account.
And a favorite was one telling me he’d gotten control of my computer, including my webcam, and that he’d recorded me doing all sorts of things. You can imagine. The main problem with that one is that if anyone did get control of my webcam, all they see would be a field of red. For years I’ve kept the webcam lens covered with a red Post It flag except when I use it occasionally. I didn’t send the scammer the $500.00 he demanded.
And I’ve won many millions of dollars in internet, email lotteries and have inherited millions from unknown overseas benefactors, as well as helped many nice Nigerian gentlemen move many millions into the US.
I get something at least a couple of times per month.
About six months ago DH opened an email from either FedEx or UPS (allegedly).
Ransomware. Arrrrgh!
We have a contract with a great tech support company. It took them about six hours, but they rescued everything, which we thought was impossible.
We never open any of that stuff any more. Don’t even open Amazon confirmation emails.
I got the FedEx text the other day.
I’m on my second go-round with the “Social Security Administration” calls talking about “fraudulent use.”
I get the “student loan” ones (I paid off my very small student loan in the mid-1980’s) and the “vehicle warranty” ones (I drive a 1998).
I delete emails by the bushel.
I WISH I only got a couple a week!
Obviously from an Indian call center.
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