Scammers alert

 

Just to alert everyone. This is what I received today. This is like the 4th or 5th I have received so far after being active in Meetup for some meet up (especially this year) to join some events. This one is more careless because the link was obvious (probably a new scammer who just join). Since I have a little bit of time today, I just shared these after summarizing (detailing) the cases. 

Case 1

I joined some Engineers and Software development group this year. Someone from the same group then approached me through messages. I thought good to know people and after chatting, exchanging of numbers for whatsapp (they claimed it was difficult to chat through meetup messages - to me also because I have to sign-in to send or read message.). The conversation took a big turn from hobbies (if you have dogs, they will put dog pic) to asking pictures to asking more about relationships. None of the conversation leads to the group's expertise of interest. It became very awkward. I put my dog's pic previously.

No matter how I steered the conversation away. It went back to relationships and seriously strange emotion from the said person. At the same time, another similar type of person messaged me. Although it was a Singapore group, both claimed to be from America. That's only when I think something's strange but not strange enough. The language used seems suspicious and the way the sentence was formed for both. They were similar in a way. I usually don't judge people because there are English speakers who speak strangely due to ethnicity. I used to have a pen pal from Aus who have more grammar mistakes than me. I know her via an English teacher to get us to use English during secondary school. After having more exposure to software development, I guess it was AI (but need improvement, man. It was similar to how I code as a beginner. How the sentence was structured and joined.). If not for the second person, I wouldn't suspect anything. You can't type and talk alike (the probability cannot be this high to meet both at the same time).

I looked for his name and pic he sent. Guess what, I found another person's name with the same pic and job. His instagram or fb profile was a suspended account. I am not sure if they photoshop but it was easier just to ask for pic about you (after one pic they asked for more about your personal life). Then they will use it for don't know whatever means (use your pic or profile to cheat other people for money or who knows what). Be careful what you shared online especially your own pic which can easily be downloaded from a video call, shared on other social media, or even through whatsapp. You don't really know if your pic was being use at all. They can be from anywhere from the world. Via whatsapp, wechat, instagram, fb, linked-in and who-knows-what out there (all out of your sights). They can imitate email, phone no. (I tried sending email to myself using a made up email address. It does work.).  I tried sending message to myself (I forgot what's the website that I used. I was learning python through an online course.).

To continue about the guy I chat with, the stories were about a single father with a teenage kid to care for. It is the act of impersonating another (using other people's profile pic and information to know you without exposing themselves). There were people who fall for it and started borrowing money from them at which people fell into it out of sympathy. I told him I am looking for a job. He said he thought I was an Engineer (as if I cheated him. I told him I was an Engineer but was taking some courses back then.). I guess he is worried that he can't cheat a person who doesn't have money. Then he asked me about my previous job, how long I have worked, and then finally leaving a trace of asking about the money and stated it can be invested in business. There were articles about it if you do more research online. Anyway, after reading all those, it is scary. He got a profile pic of mine, he knows my job and my phone number. I was wondering if he can hack me with all those with some reported that he can. I couldn't sleep that whole night and quickly reported both people (Case 1 and Case 2) to Meetup, gave them all the information I have and not sure what's the outcome. I mean not even sure if they can do anything but the next time I checked, one of them was gone from the group and his account was suspended. I didn't receive anything from Meetup about the incident. Soon after that, a few more messaged me (with name like George, Michael and a decent pic) through Meetup which I no longer respond to and then I received the above today and decided to share. 

Case 2 

(Happened around the same time as Case 1, this one happened before that but the topic was less sensitive so it took me longer to realize, if it wasn't for Case 1. They could be from the same community of scammers based on the way they approach things. They could be the same person chatting with you via two accounts. I was inactive for a while and maybe that is why there was Case 1. Just a guess.)

This other one talked about dog because of my profile pic. He asked about my job and he claimed to be a Civil Engineer, so I asked about the work he did. He said he is a contract worker and has contract with Sg. He asked if I know what a Civil Engineer was and he is a Certified Civil Engineer (when I told him I was a Chem Eng. grad so I know). While I was wondering, he joined an Engineers group but asked me these. As if he didn't understand, he explained about Civil Engineering and tell me another time after some conversation has passed about he is a Certified Civil Engineer, asked me again if I knew what's that. 

He showed me video's of his work site and his recent projects (sometimes, it is confidential but he shared.). He thought I don't know about pipelines. I told him I was a Chem Eng grad so I knew about it (It seemed, he doesn't). This was through whatsapp as well (I did not suspect him as he was the first person I shared my whatsapp with as he claimed the meetup message platform is difficult to communicate. I thought Americans maybe don't know how to use Meetup. So I gave my phone number. Now, I guess, they do not have a code to chat via Meetup and they have to type the message which is difficult. That explained the typos, for both.). 

He then describe this and that. Very ready to send pics or videos to convince me he is indeed a Civil Engineer (which is readily available, don't know from where, but I don't usually keep or share those. OR maybe he is just being open and try to keep the conversation going on. I wasn't sure.). He found out I knew more about it and asked me if I was testing him of his knowledge all those while asking him questions. I didn't really asked a lot, only a few after he said something about it. He sounds like he didn't like it (as in I am just checking his knowledge if he is a true Engineer). Instead of like, oh, you know about it, let's talk more about it but he stopped talking about it. It seems like he is trying to get me to trust him first. Using a profession that he thought I don't know was just a way (easier to cheat if that something is what you don't know. That's the best case for them.). Who knows after getting your information, next time he will be you to somebody else. Even though, they failed to cheat you, they can still use your information. They lose nothing.

Before them, actually somebody messaged me through Meetup but I was too busy to reply and I forgot my password to Meetup. I logged in from my comp but I don't on my handphone. When I did go back to Meetup to check, that person's message was gone. I didn't see the message also of what it was about. Thinking back of those two, I think it could be another scammer being removed. He can't chat with me, found somebody else and got reported. What's the point. After being removed, he/she can always make up a new account with a new IP address via VPN if IP was tracked, with a new profile and pic. Their journey will still go on to find the next victim until someone got scammed. They get away with it and created another account. What's the big deal with crime being done? They have the money to purchase more high tech stuff to do more, forged evidence of being legal and then getting away with it. If our current knowledge cannot catch up with them, hey, what do you think about it. It is easier to earn money being a scammer it seems. Law can't help you in anyway because you willingly send the money to them. They can be anywhere in the world. The trace they left, probably not even consider illegal or being checked. From some of the cases that I've read, you can just consider yourself as being unfortunate. The world goes like if you believe them, serves you right and you should just take it as a lesson (from most of the comments). If you got killed, you are just not careful enough. What about the scammers? Do you care if they deserve the money they "earned"? compared to being cheated of the money. Why nobody think of that! What's wrong with people these days (if it doesn't affect you, you judged them. Most of the time, berating those who got into the trap but not the one who do the crime.). You worked day until night to earn what you have. Maybe years. All gone within a day to these people with the effort to cheat you of the money. Whether the people who got cheated were right or wrong to begin with, cheating other people, it's a wrong in the first place.

Case 3

Somebody called me, claiming to be from Singtel. It was a pre-recorded voice and so, I just dismissed it. Then recently, a real person called and claiming to be from Singtel. She told me there were some suspicious activities from my line and I thought probably yes because I have been receiving scam call from MOM, MOH, Loan shark, Online betting, Soccer betting and DHL quite frequently. Last year was just a few call, this year is like maxed out. The obvious was when it was Chinese-speaking or English-speaking pre-recorded voices so this obvious one not entertained but something is definitely wrong. This time, I really thought it was from Singtel. She said the suspicious activities need to be addressed until they asked me to turn on my laptop and they WILL instruct me what to do about it. Well, this was when I realized, this was another scam call. If Singtel got problem, why don't they solve it but asking me to solve it. It makes me think of another incident which was awhile back.

Case 4

The person called our home-line and claimed to be from Microsoft. They said somebody have been using our account for some illegal activities and the police will catch us if we don't do anything about it. Same thing, he asked us to turn our computer on. My sis almost did and I almost did it. We said we don't know anything about this and need to ask somebody else but they would make it seems urgent and asked to do it fast. That 's when I looked up for such incidents online and found people got their laptop hacked into and locked until payment is made to unlock it. They took remote control of it. Worst still, if they get hold of your confidential documents, credit card no. or bank account no. We reported to the police about it anyway. Just in case, they go and scam other people after failing to scam us. They called back a few more times after we hung up and said we need to get our computer (gave us enough time to check on similar scammers online), but we didn't pick it up and he just stopped calling. 

Lesson learnt. DON'T chat with strangers. DON'T exchange numbers on social media (chat via their platform but without giving more information for them to impersonate you or use against you). DON'T click on any links that even your friends or family said they have clicked on them and nothing happened. Even PDF could have some malicious code written in it.

I hope scammers don't read this and make improvement to their code or ways of scamming. Anyway, there are more people getting scammed. If the money transferred to somewhere via banks or third parties, everybody knows but they can't do anything to people who received the money, no matter how you claimed they are scammers. There is obviously records. People need account to send and receive money right? How they know your money gone but don't know where it has gone to. I stopped using Paypal also because of such incidents occurring on their platform. You lose your money but not them and why they bother to stop the obvious scammers who are their VIP customers. Don't get scam. Another worst thing is, you don't have an account with them but somebody used paypal to get money from your bank account. If you don't check, you don't see the money being deducted. Make sure you check your account often because if it was awhile back, they probably can't check. If it was recently, good luck having fun calling them to sort things out (especially in M'sia). You might or might not get it back. DBS stopped mine one time and stopped them because they found transaction made from UK while I was in Sg. I have to change my card no. after linking them to passion card and ez-link.

Just reject all calls from now on. I have to pick up some call because I am currently job hunting (from the course that I have taken this year). As to resume being used, I am worried also. All my information inside, not sure if recruiters are real or fake. Some are true but how to tell true from fake, this one I have no information about it yet. Probably I have to stop sending via recruiters.

Another is the cookies stored. There are some information about your purchase. Then your comp started to show things that you have purchased. Is it a bad structure for security? It gave us the security to check who we are so we can access things but at the same time, it used it to advertise. I bought some underwear via an e-commerce platform, somehow, the person who used the same router or wifi having the underwear being advertised to him/her. He is a guy leh... I looked for Uniqlo's shirt and on all the websites that I go to, their advertisement all about Uniqlo. I need to research on how this work as I am learning cookies now.