IT Security Stack Exchange
IT Security Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [scam]

120 questions
75
votes
5 answers

I gave my cell number to a stranger on the internet. Have I fallen victim to a scam?

I was playing an online game and I came in contact with this user. She was listed as from the same country as me (Egypt). So when she asked me for my cell phone number, I gave it to her. I figured it was to add me on WhatsApp so we can chat or…
Dooma
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54
votes
4 answers

Are non-English speakers better protected from (international) phishing?

After I received dozen of spam mails over the last year with my thrashmail (used for "You must log in once to check out this product.."-Sites, etc.) I noticed they were mostly translated (if they are at all) horribly. I thought about that after…
pguetschow
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39
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3 answers

I have a scammer's phone number. Now what?

I'm trying to ruin a scammer's day (fake check scam). I have his phone number. I am able to call (and record) and text him. He is also willing to mail items to my house. What can I do to find out more about them using social engineering or through…
heyitsmyusername
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33
votes
3 answers

Sextortion with actual password not found in leaks

I have received one of those typical sextortion scams ("drive-by exploit", filmed by webcam (mine has tape on it), pay bitcoin etc.). The thing is that an old password of mine is included (I don't even remember where I used it), but searching the…
user32849
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30
votes
5 answers

Almost fell for "tech support" scam - what is the risk?

An acquaintance of mine got a call from an alleged Microsoft employee and provided him access to his Windows 10 computer via team viewer (commonly known as the tech support scam). But when the scammer wanted to send him a file he got suspicious and…
Phil
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26
votes
5 answers

How could a scammer know the apps on my phone / iTunes account?

I received an email with the subject "Your invoice from Apple #xxxxx". It then continues by: "[...] your payment from "Pokemon Go was accepted [...]". That line made me sceptical. I just downloaded the app recently. How could the scammer know this?…
Peter
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26
votes
0 answers

Email from a hacker with my password

I have received an email from a hacker saying he got my email account password. The password showed in the mail is not my account password but is a password I use sometimes. I checked haveibeenpwned and the password don't report as…
Guillaume Beauvois
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23
votes
4 answers

How does this Bitcoin scam work?

Lately I have been receiving messages from accounts on Discord telling me that I have won 1 BTC in a giveaway. This is obviously not true, but I have a hard time seeing how these accounts will get anything useful out of me falling for this. The…
Daniel
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23
votes
3 answers

This company is telling me that I need a firewall. Do I?

Do I need to buy a firewall? The website networksecure247.com is trying to sell me one. They call and say that "alerts" keep coming up on my network. I have a 2013 Dell computer, and the firewall from Microsoft expired on August 16. This company,…
betty b
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21
votes
5 answers

Apart from losing €40, is there any further risk if someone has my prepaid credit card number and home address?

My girl was scammed and entered my home address and my credit card number on a fake website (through a Facebook ad). What risks am I additionally incurring, apart from having lost €40 (the money that was on the card, and luckily that is one of the…
CoffeDeveloper
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17
votes
1 answer

Intricate fraud attempt on eBay

I would like the community's input on an event that took place recently, that I honestly don't know what do make of: When trying to watch an item on eBay, a warning notice said my account had been compromised and that the account was locked to…
forthrin
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15
votes
4 answers

Unauthorized domain comes up as my website

While checking my website's traffic, I found a referring website that had sent over 400 visits to my site. When I clicked on the URL of the referring website, the site looked almost exactly like my own website. I investigated the URL and found it…
Peter Sell
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13
votes
1 answer

Can people let me know why this command was ran and why he typed "network hacked....clampi found

What is the reason this command was run and why network hacked....clampi found was typed in at the command prompt Title has been changed....somebody gave me the computer to fix after calling a number via a popup that was difficult to get rid…
user104967
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12
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2 answers

Why do scammers use victims' computers to remote-control their own computers?

I've seen videos showing how tech support scammers operate. In nearly all of these videos, the scammer instructs their intended victim to install and run remote-control software, which allows the scammer to control the victim's computer. No…
Psychonaut
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11
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1 answer

Hacker used my account to place an order, but not my credit card. Why?

This scam involves my HomeDepot.com account. For those not in the US, Home Depot is a chain of very large home improvement / DIY stores. Background / how I knew my account was compromised: Yesterday I received 3 emails from Home Depot, followed by…
user469104
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