The instant that Surfshark has your real information, you are never truly fully private online. So, when your account is attached to your real, legal name, your actual, legal address, etc.… Can be traced back to you. Anything you do. So, don’t do anything illegal. Just saying.
I got called from a scam number about a tax issue they couldn't tell me about without my info. I told them to go fuck themselves. Turned out it was the actual CRA calling about clawing back $500. My response stands, they could not have been more sketchy if they tried
My elderly mother fell for the "Your son needs $10,000 for bail" scam. I, her other son was helping take care of her after my parents were involved in a vehicular collision. I saw my mother rather distressed, and preparing to leave the house, when she was in no condition to do so. It took some effort to get her to admit what was happening, since the Fake-Lawyer advised she had to maintain secrecy due to a "Gag Order". I was familiar with this scam, so I called my brother, and had him tell our Mom, he was fine. No payday for the scammer
My Grandma also fell for this scam. She was lucky the store would not sell her that many gift cards and she messed up the numbers on half the cards when relaying them to the scammer. So they only got away with 500.
There is a bad one where people txt saying its your son, daughter etc and i have lost my phone and wallet and am txting off a friends phone. Please can you transfer my friend money so i can get home safe / get a new phone.
They tried to pull this on my brother saying that his grandson was in trouble, although he did have a grandson but the problem was that the little guy was only one year old.
This one got my grandma too. Her son often needed legal help, so it was totally believable that he has done something and couldn't contact her himself. She spent over 20k in "legal fees".
When my FIL died in 2021 I got a call within maybe 48hrs that we qualified for cremation assistance covering $4,000 out of the $5,500. All I had to do was pay them my portion and they would pay the crematorium the full amount. I have no idea if it was a random cold call or if they somehow actually knew before qe'd even filed any paperwork, but it pissed me off so much. Pissed me off even more that it sounded SO incredibly legitimate that I can't evem imagine how many times it's been successful. Shoutout to ACS for adding the number to their blocked callers list while investigators did their thing to protect other customers.
I work at a grocery store and people fall for the Gift Card Scam all of the time. I've had more than one person try to send money transfers to other countries to try to pay their "Property Tax" and I've had a hard time convincing people that if they own property in Kansas they're not going to be sending money to Guatemala to pay their taxes.
Ya. It’s sad. My mom’s neighbor (who is in her early 90’s) asked me to drive her to get gift cards to pay her overdue taxes. We were able to convince her it was a scam. Glad there are people like you trying to help these people out.
Same. I haven’t dealt with too many people who were obviously being scammed, but I have had people get huffy with me because they had to scan their ID or because the sale was declined because they were over the daily limit. I always explain that gift cards can be used for scams and money laundering and that the restrictions help keep honest people from getting completely cleaned out by scammers. What’s really sad is that the scammers know the rules too and will give their victims instructions for how to get around them, but I hope that anyone with a decent amount of common sense would realize that no legitimate business is going to tell a customer to run around to different stores so they can duck under the limits. It’s a slim hope, but I hold onto it.
I used to work at the service desk for a Western Union retailer, and we were given extensive training on this to try to save people from getting scammed, but some people would not be reasoned with.
It really doesn't take brain cells to know this stuff...People who are being taken by these scams,are unfortunately,usually mentally handicapped,or in some form dementia state.
Its important to remember that anyone can fall for a scam. Scammers usually target the elderly and the naive, but they cast a wide net and there is no line that shameless people will not cross.
I had a call years ago by scammers who were adamant a warrant had been issued for my arrest and I would be arrested immediately if I didn’t comply with their demands. I told them to wait while I checked the system. They asked what I meant. I told them I was at work and could check the warrants system straight away. I was a police officer at the time😂 they didn’t even say goodbye before hanging up. Rude bastards.
You're obviously not good at your job lol As a police officer,you're kind of supposed to track down those kinds of people,and you know,hold them accountable for their crimes lol If every police officer is like you,it's no wonder everyone hates them lol Lazy pieces of garbage.
I had a similar funny interaction with a scam caller. I get a call from a random number [strike 1]. I answer and it is some dude in a HEAVY Indian accent [strike 2] and he says "Hello. My name is FBI Agent Mendez, can I have your first and last name please? [strike 3 YOU'RE OUT!]. At this point I should just hang up the phone but I decide to mess with the guy. "No you can't" I tell him. He asks why. I tell him because you are an unknown person calling from an unknown number asking me for personal information. He says "I just identified myself as FBI Agent Mendez. Now tell me your name please". "I am the queen of England. What is this nonsense about"? I say. "this is about your court case in Texas" he says. I say "I don't have a court case in Texas. Besides, you don't even know my name so how do you know about my court records?" "We identified you through phone records, now please cooperate". He says. I tell him no again. He then says "If you don't cooperate, you face further criminal charges and possible court fines". I tell him "Look, you are in India. You are a scammer. I am not giving you any personal, financial or payment information. I am a smart guy and know what's up. Go scam somebody else." He tells me if I don't answer his questions, he is going to have me arrested and brought to Texas. I laughed hard and said "Go right ahead! Then we can settle this in person. You are an FBI agent right? So come get me! What's your badge number?" Then HE hangs up on me! HAHA!!! Pretty bold impersonating authority like that and threatening jail. These scammers are getting bolder.
Worst part about the Gift Card Scams is if you work in retail and a customer comes in in a panic to buy a bunch of iTunes gift cards the legal teams at most companies have instructed management to train employees to not get involved, so you're not suppose to warn them it might be a scam. I always did anyways... getting written up at a minimum wage job running a cash register versus preventing someone getting scammed for hundreds to thousands of dollars; I'll take the write up thank you very much.
I work retail in the US and our company trained us not only to warn the customer but to refuse any transaction that we suspect is a scam, not only to protect the customer but to protect the company from being complicit in fraudulent transactions.
I had to buy a few giftcards at CVS for Christmas gifts. At the register, I had to read a warning about giftcard scams and accept it before I was allowed to buy them. Kinda surprised me
I get the feeling you're in the south at a smaller chain. I agree all giftcard racks and cashiers I've interacted with in the past 5 years warn of scams/inquire about if you're being scammed/refuse transactions. "Not get involved" is some rudy giugliani level legal advice. As the others have said; DO get involved. Cover our ass from charges on facilitating fraud.
My fiance just got hit for 100 bucks because of a fake gift card. It would have probably saved her a ton of time and stress if someone like you had been smart enough to warn her... keep doing good man lol
My mom almost got scammed just last week. Someone called saying they were from Amazon and that there had been a 1200 dollar purchase. Then, he proceeded to tell her they needed her account and routing number to refund her money. Thank god I was with her when it happened. I was like wtf mom! Amazon is not going to call you for buying stuff. Besides that, the bank would contact you before allowing such a large purchase. I think the most she's ever spent online was like 50 dollars. Moral of the story make sure you speak with older people about scams regularly. I still can't believe she was just gonna give it to them. Like ffs. Stressed me out 😂
My grandfather was about to get scammed by someone claiming his computer had a virus but luckily my mother showed up before it got too far. It's weird; when I was a young adult and buying something expensive like a car, I wanted him around to make sure I didn't get scammed, but there's something about the elderly and internet/phone scams...
I heard somewhere, at a certain point in the aging process, people either lose the ability to trust or the ability to distrust. This leaves them open to scammers in a way thet weren't vulnerable for most of a century.
That's a very good point to make sure to speak with elderly relatives about betting scammed. I've talked to my own mother about this and she is reluctant to even give out details to a stranger in order to receive payment, which is kinda good.
@joshuakarr-BibleMan oh she's generally not very trusting over people over the phone. She's new to Amazon and I guess I just hadn't warned her about these types of things well enough. The crazy thing is they couldn't provide her with her username or anything. I've basically just told her not to give any information over the phone to anyone and to tell them to mail her.
When it comes to confusing info about scams leave it to big corporations and their employees. They'll make you do twice annual training on how not to click on links in emails, and they'll send you emails for said training BY EMAILING YOU FROM A 3RD PARTY DOMAIN ASKING YOU TO FOLLOW A LINK AND ENTER YOUR LOGIN DETAILS.
I had to go through the Infosec training for the Florida Department of children and families. It was so simplistic, it pissed me off. It was extremely simple, common sense shit. I have been on the Internet since 1998. I knew all of this shit already. But no, my other coworkers were dumb asses, and fell for the test email.
We had exactly that at work a couple months ago, a third party company sending us an email with a link to a website I had never heard of. HR had to send a second e-mail themselves the next day to notify us it *wasn't* a scam
The idea that anyone would possess a magic money printer and then SELL it is ridiculous. The person would be like "lol why would i sell it, when i can just print all the money you'd give me for it?"
If I get a call from a “bank” I always say. “Thanks for the call, I’ll head to my local branch and talk with a teller about the issue.” I also then google the number that called to see if it is a number connected to that bank.
The weirdest telephone scam attempts I've received recently, are someone claiming to be from "border security" informing me via voicemail that agents were on the way to arrest me (they must be the most bumbling agents in the world, to WARN ahead of their arrival!), and a very long recorded message, yelling in Chinese about...something I assume.
I also got a Border Patrol phone call about 2 years ago.... funniest part was, I lived in Ohio at the time, with an Ohio phone number! They didn't even try to switch it up and say the RCMP were coming 😂
I got told the FBI wanted me for something or other.... Except I'm British living in the UK. And whatever it was about (our National Insurance Numbers I think) has NOTHING to do with the FBI!!! 😂😂😂
Got someone calling me on my cell phone claiming to be an "officer" with the FBI. I knew it was bullshit from that point on. Guy tried asking me questions, and I'm like I'll only answer questions with my lawyer present and in your office. The guy on the other end got real hostile saying that I will be arrested. That was a few years ago, and the FBI hasn't busted down my door.
I keep getting scam calls about someone charging $700 iPhone to my Visa card. Well, #1) $700 wouldn't go through on my credit card. It's almost maxed. 2) I don't have a Visa anymore.
Every year, a rep from my bank tries to call me to discuss my account. Every year, I establish that it's an actual bank rep acting sketchy, and then promptly hang up on them because legit or not I do not talk to sketchy people who are trying to get me to talk about my bank account without verifying their identity
Recently had one tell me I had unpaid parking tickets and they were going to arrest me if I didn't pay them right then. Problem with that logic is I'm as blind as old Blind Dave over there hanging out in the Blazement and I don't even own a frickin car! Also side note Dave hey buddy inquiring minds want to know how you plan to make your eventual escape? I mean Danny had a chance at least but dude if he took your cain and everything your screwed. Let alone finding your directions if you actually get out... Simon's going to own you for life bud. From one blindie to another I say thanks for taking that bullet for the rest of us
They will *never* arrest you for unpaid parking tickets unless they pile up to over $10,000 or something. Even then I still don't think they will come after you like that.
Okay, the entire clip was worth the phrase "as effective as standing on the roof and attempting to extinguish the sun with your piss". By god brilliant!!!
The number of Discord scams going around the last couple of years is incredible. I almost fell for one the other week but then I reverted back to my default action, which is nothing. Like magic, the problem took care of itself.
I’ve stopped people from buying gift cards for scam purposes. It’s hard to tell people they’re being fleeced but if it were me I’d want someone doing the same thing. I always emphasize how sneaky and creative the scumbags are so the person doesn’t feel dumb. Anyone from the IRS to Chase to “Windows.” A guy tried to swindle my software engineer dad to pay “windows.” Not even Microsoft. He was like dude really? 😂
Hahaha, I remember the Windows ones. "THIS IS WINDOWS. WE ARE CALLING TO SAY YOU HAVE A VIRUS IN THE WINDOWS!!" My folks kept getting those on their landline so I asked them to give me the phone next time. When the call inevitably came, I pretended to be computer illiterate, on a Mac, and oblivious to the fact that those don't generally run Microsoft's OS.
there was a youtube video I watched where the scammer got to the point of getting the guy (who was deliberately wasting the scammer's time) to go buy the gift cards. The guy kept feigning ignorance about how to do it and make the scammer detail step by step on how to do it. Guy finally buys gift card and scammer tells him to give him the activation code, guy feigns ignorance about how gift cards work and activates the card but for his own account. Scammer completely loses his shit
...That's how they appear in reality lol Never once have I seen a perfectly organized wallet,or purse,where all bank notes face the same way,and are in the "correct" order,according to the denominations...Not once.
When I worked in retail I would always make sure the notes aligned in stacks at the end of the day when counting up. The Aussie notes have clear windows so you can easily tell when they are not all the same way.
I used to work for a call centre for the ATO (Australian Tax Office) and we did indeed call people about their legitimate debts... With a reference number, and a request they call the ATO directly to discuss the issue. I still had a couple of people who insisted that I was a scanner, called me nasty names & hung up. Oh well, document the conversation & move to the next debt...
Instantly mentioning the ATO....the appropriate response to keep repeating “Hello?” Before inserting an expletive, and hang up while half way through a rant about phone coverage 😂
To be fair unless I got the dreaded mygov email (linked accounts) I wouldn't believe you either, unfortunately. Even with the reference number. Just far too many scam calls lately.
It's easy to laugh at the ones who gave their details of the cost of living scam, but these were vulnerable people such as the elderly who didn't understand, or who forgot how money functions in the present day, during that winter I worked in a bank call centre and took so many calls where vulnerable people were tricked of persuaded into giving a stranger sensitive information
A lot of people don't realize that the human brain deteriorates with age in a manner that makes us more gullible. Everyone is most naive and trusting as children, less so as teens and twenty-somethings, we hit our peak of skeptical in middle age, but then our brain starts to deteriorate a bit and we become gullible again. We might say, "I'd never fall for that", but 70-year-old you isn't as sharp as 40-year-old you.
I got a call from an obviously un-educated woman claiming to be from the CDC office in Atlanta, GA. asking questions about my personal medical info. Without hesitation, I asked for the address of her office building. *pause* "Why do you need that ?" I replied, "because I want it it.". *pause* She says, "I don't know." . I say "You work for the CDC and have no clue of the address of the building you work in ?". She hung up.
"But in reality you're eating bread directly out of the bag and dipping it in anything runnier than bread. Life is, in short, great!" Dave is my soulmate.
Van Meegeren is one of my favorite scam artists. He was accused of selling cultural treasure to a Nazi but he was actually forging his paintings. He tried to make it as an artist but critics said he wasn't very good and to prove them wrong he started forging paintings from the Dutch Golden age fooling experts they were real.
Just wanted to let you know you're one of my longest lasting subscriptions. You're content has just gotten cooler and cooler over time, and I really see your framework and setup thriving and it makes me happy. I remember following you when it was just Danny enslaveeeed in your basement 😂
9:33 I hate the whole government intentionally making it difficult to apply for things and Simons non-plussed. "I think that's okay" just reminded mr that unless you've experienced disability yourself or witnessed it in your close circle, most people probably don't have this perspective - I'm speaking from Canada specifically but I'm sure it's applicable to many other countries: the process is so complicated to apply for disability and they offer no assistance in applying. It completely ignores that this is often something people with disabilities struggle with. It ignores cognitive disabilities, neurodivergence and mental illness or even many types of physical disabilities that might cause someone to struggle with getting access to a computer, having the physical, mental, and technical ability to get to the application, go to the bank to get the forms they need, request the right document from the landlord (or have it filed somewhere), get access to a scanner, upload the forms into application... And THAT'S JUST THE APPLICATION *FOR* THE APPLICATION. That determines financial eligibility and then there's an *even longer* process for approval from the government that you are "disabled enough". I just don't think people understand that paperwork is not just paperwork. It's a huge barrier that governments intentionally put in place so they can look like they're helping their citizens while holding onto as much cash as possible. If I wasn't employed at a disability Resource Centre (where we try our best to pick up the government's slack and assist people with this arduous process, as well as trying to teach technology to them, which is my primary job) I wouldn't be able to find another job that can work with me with my ADHD, Fibromyalgia (which not only means chronic wide-spread pain but a weak ass immune system that let's all the viruses in), GAD, and MDD, and the thought of trying to apply for disability, just to not even make enough money to live, even with ADHD meds and some learned coping mechanisms... Honestly if my job ever goes under someone better keep a close eye on me because I don't know if I could do it.
in the US, applying for disability assistance literally involves getting rejected on your first try and then paying a lawyer a share of your benefits to sue the government on your behalf.
My ex-husband fell for the gift card scam. Even though he used an accountant, and the tax office had actually GIVEN him his tax return that year, he was convinced he was going to jail. As soon as he said 'gift card' I was so mad.
2:00 - Chapter 1 - The magic money maker 2:20 - Mid roll ads 3:45 - Back to the video 7:05 - Chapter 2 - Cost of living payment scal 11:40 - Chapter 3 - The hitler diaries 16:05 - Chapter 4 - The IRS gift card scam
Name a scam, my mother-in-law has fallen for it. We're constantly tracking down packages she sent with money, or sorting out medical, cable, satellite & insurance scams. Getting her money back is a part time job for my wife.
the worst my family had was various charities sending my grandmother annual donation forms every 3 months. which is pretty small in terms of scams, but pretty underhanded of the otherwise at least somewhat legitimate charities.
I just tell them I am paralyzed from the neck down and to bring a van with a lift. Also, I remind them they will need to empty my urinal bag every 30 minutes, since I am on water pills.
I mess with them too, a few weeks ago I thought fore sure I was being scammed by someone claiming to be FedEx and started messing with them, but turned out it was legit my mother was shipping gifts for her granddaughters 😂
If I have enough time I'll keep them on the phone as long as possible. I figure if I'm driving and have nothing else to do might as well prevent them from scamming someone else
I do the same thing. I had a funny interaction with a scam caller. I get a call from a random number [strike 1]. I answer and it is some dude in a HEAVY Indian accent [strike 2] and he says "Hello. My name is FBI Agent Mendez, can I have your first and last name please? [strike 3 YOU'RE OUT!]. At this point I should just hang up the phone but I decide to mess with the guy. "No you can't" I tell him. He asks why. I tell him because you are an unknown person calling from an unknown number asking me for personal information. He says "I just identified myself as FBI Agent Mendez. Now tell me your name please". "I am the queen of England. What is this nonsense about"? I say. "this is about your court case in Texas" he says. I say "I don't have a court case in Texas. Besides, you don't even know my name so how do you know about my court records?" "We identified you through phone records, now please cooperate". He says. I tell him no again. He then says "If you don't cooperate, you face further criminal charges and possible court fines". I tell him "Look, you are in India. You are a scammer. I am not giving you any personal, financial or payment information. I am a smart guy and know what's up. Go scam somebody else." He tells me if I don't answer his questions, he is going to have me arrested and brought to Texas. I laughed hard and said "Go right ahead! Then we can settle this in person. You are an FBI agent right? So come get me! What's your badge number?" Then HE hangs up on me! HAHA!!! Pretty bold impersonating authority like that and threatening jail. These scammers are getting bolder.
"Is he going to frisk me, too?? Oh yes, please!! And make sure he brings his handcuffs and his long, hard baton with him-I can get a little feisty sometimes!" 😂😂
I got a phone call a few months ago, from a guy claiming to be from europol, informing me of my ID being used in a crime. To avoid arrest, I needed to follow some instructions. In panic, I analysed the phone number and confronted the caller with the info. They hung up.
On a couple of occasions, my bank has called me to discuss something and asked me to prove my identity by answering "security questions". I then tell them, "No. First, you prove that you are who you say you are. I am not prepared to give personal information over the telephone to a random stranger." They have been quite understanding and their solution is to tell me to call the bank on the regular number, ask for extension blah-blah and then to proceed with the conversation. That works for me.
Incident in my family went something like this: Caller: "Grampa, it's me. I've been in a bad wreck and I have to pay a huge fine. I need you to wire me some money." Grampa: "Well, let me talk to your dad first." Conversation went back and forth for awhile of this fake grandchild trying to convince Grampa he didn't need to talk to Dad. But Grampa held firm. "No, I need to discuss it with your Dad before I give you any money." Grandma after being informed of this conversation texts the grandchild: "Did you just call?" Grandchild: "No, I'm at work." Sadly I know of other elderly people who gladly hand over their information in an effort to help a grandchild in trouble. Good thing this one was stubborn enough to not give money to anyone without knowing all the intimate details first.
Little side note: Hitler's main issue as an artist is he applied too late. The first affordable camera was invented the year or two before he applied and made his preferred style of art really undesirable. Its actually not bad but not great. His style was uber-accurate and unimaginative, literally drawing/painting what was there instead of playing with lighting or shadows. Even the people in his paintings didnt seem to really tell a story, just happened to be there at that time. I just wonder how different the world would be if Hitler had applied a few years earlier...
Work at a retail store, and one of the trainings we do is specifically about that gift card scam. And I think (I don’t do cashier stuff) that people can’t buy more than like 5 gift cards at a time with $ over a certain amount.
For a scathing condemnation of the education system: how about a pharmaceutical warning label that reads: "Do not take if allergic." I would love to watch a civil suit trial where the plaintiff complains: "Well yeah, I knew I was allergic, but there wasn't any warning on the bottle that warned it would be harmful to people, like me, who are allergic. They should have warned me."
I’m old but pretty clear headed. I recognize 99% of all scams. One or two that look legitimate send me to my son. I will screenshot the contact in question and send it over. I got a message one day from the U.S. Postal Service with some request (not money but still suspect) which wished me a good day at the end. When my son perused it his texted reply left me laughing. “Mom, the U. S. Postal Service would never wish you a good day.” I ignored it because my kid was right. 😂🤣😂
A relative of mine suffers from mental health conditions that make him really likely to believe anything a random call or email tells him. He'll follow their instructions but won't listen a damn to what I have to say. It's so frustrating.
16:57 in that particular scam when they call my cell phone it’s not even usually a real person at first when you answer the phone that’s talking threateningly at you, it’s a computer generated text to voice program that’s reading off of a script, and you only get a real person on the line to talk threateningly at you if you press a button.
My idiot coworker broke off his engagement and sent the ring to an online buyer's PO Box. We had the FBI in the office for another reason, and they said the ring was gone.
The reason for them specifically asking for gift cards is because they will ask you to take pictures of the purchased gift cards, that way they have the individual numbers, and then ask you to forward the security codes hidden under the removable surface. Then they can simply withdraw the money from the cards without physically receiving them.
Woot of times they'll ask you to tell them the number. But it also erased the trail as well as make it impossible to get your money back since you can't phone up your bank to charge back a scam if it's through gift cards
This is why I block every call, delete every text, and throw out almost every letter I get in the mail if its not from a verified source. Everything I do involving money is on some app or website locked behind a password, if you cant communicate with me there then I don't trust you.
When I was a manager at a shoe store we received an email about the IRS gift card scam explaining that they want wal-mart gift cards and I asked my DM if any of our people actually fell for this and he was like ‘yeah… I can’t tell you but yeah people have fallen for this’
I have a landline phone for my mom because she can't grasp how to use a cell phone. Anyways, some guy that sounded like my son called and said "I was in an accident, I'm at the police station. I need a lawyer." SoI turned my recorder on as I hung up and guess what? A lawyer magically called me. Oh, man, I had so much fun with this guy. He was getting so annoyed with me, whahahaha. He eventually hung up. I wasn't done playing yet.
I got a call from Ofc. Green of the united states service who said my phone was linked to illegal activity in Texas, I told him that I sell contraband so everything I do is suspicious. He hung up.
I particularly love the video he did when he investigated a scam call center in Kolkata where he investigated the scammers, got their info, hacked the live cctv feed of the office then proceeded to phone in and casually name bomb their real names claming to be a psychic 😂 Seriously, the karma he's able to inflict on these scumbags is uplifting 😅
I got called from a number about a tax issue and demanded info to confirm my identity. They couldn't give any info about what they were calling about without my info. It was the Canadian government clawing back $500 in covid payments. It was a legit CRA number but they did their best to be as sketchy as possible. They tried this with everybody and they just ignored the payments, they could reclaim a billion from like 5 people so fuck them
I remember getting one scan. Said my store payment system failed and they can't deliver the package without paying via gift cards... He claimed he was with ups... He transferred me to the main fed ex office to deal with the transaction. (I get bored working graveyard) but to make the final cherry on that inconsistent cake. You could hear the "ups driver" sitting right next to him.
So radical man! Super fucking cool! You're a real freaking hero! Glad you were to here praise yourself,or no one else would be able to see how hard you blow yourself lol
I knew a guy who had a 'cop' call him to say there was a warrant out for his arrest, but he could pay a fine over the phone using Amazon gift cards. 3000$ later, he figured it out.
I was scammed An official looking guy rented me a house, signed all the paperwork, gave him all the move in costs, moved in, lived there for months, got an angry knock at the door one morning… it was the real owner. With police. A squatter took over the property, rekeyed the place, printed out private lease paperwork, had me do a credit app and everything, and it was just a scam I don’t even know how I was able to move the utilities in my name
Anyone can put their name on any utility for any property at any time. The utility companies don't care where the money comes from. Same thing with Insurance. I can take out an insurance policy on Trump Tower if I wanted to.
The biggest scam about the cost of living payments is the fact the money handed out is the basically the same amount that was deducted from Universal Credit when the UK Government reduced payments by £20 p/w...
19:10 They are using other stooges to clean the money, if some scam mails get through your filter there is always these "working from home making thousands of dollars for just a few hours of work each week" emails? Those are for money laundering and forwarding of these packages. The first level might just be a local dumbbell forwarding the packages to a regional cash collector, that will take their cut (and the cut for the disposable dumbbells) before sending the money to India or Bangladesh.
For the bank calling you example, simply hang up, then call the number that you know is for that bank. 99% of the time they'll tell you "We never called you for anything", but if they did, they'll know it and connect you with the right people.
Simon, how many YT channels are you a part of? It seems almost every day a new channel of yours pops up in the algorithm! Love your work, you must be an incredibly busy guy.
Here is the US, my favorite is (deep, authoritive voice) "This is officer Smith, I am asking for donations to the police fund....". Same guy every time. I've blocked him 4 times. Last time I asked "Why are you calling from different phone numbers?" Click. Lol
I got something similar to the IRS scam only it was about not appearing for jury duty and having to go to the court house and get cashier's checks. It was very weird and I freaked out at first and then I called the courts and was told no I was not on any jury list.
Sometimes stores will actually put a sign up near the gift card stand advising people that if they've been contacted and told they need to pay a tax bill with gift cards that it's a scam.
Every supermarket I've been to in the last 5 years here in Australia has had signs at the service desk (and sometimes at the registers) telling you not to buy gift cards to pay off a tax debt 😂
The most common scam I keep getting is a fake text for a toll company asking me to pay for using a tunnel. The only thing is that I've never actually owned a car. A coworker did fall for though, unfortunately.
I just finished with a month long intense scam bait. I was pretty creative this time. I created fake gift cards, CashApp information, bank balances, recipes and a wild back story involving a crime family, difficult upbringing, secret government agencies, global conspiracies, new love, old death and the return of Godzilla.
A guy over the phone called me at the front desk of a hotel, wanting to talk about my medical insurance. I said “sir this is a hotel.” They just hung up the phone.
I've seen notices on the gift card racks warning people against these scams. They generally say, 'If somebody wants you to pay a govt debt or fine with gift cards it is a scam, especially if they tell you to keep it secret from the cashier.'
I worked in a Florida grocery store and this happened, luckily we got our manager to stop them from doing it, but even Floridians will get scammed by that!
I remember years ago I was phoned, on my landline (that I still have), telling me that I had won £50 million on the Spanish lottery. They said I had to pay them £500 for processing and handling fees and then my winnings would be sent to me. When I asked why they couldn’t deduct the fee from my winnings they just hung up.
Thanks for including Kujau. It was a little bit before my time, but it was a joke for many years to come here in Germany. And in 1992 we got a pretty funny comedy-movie out of the whole debacle. Not that the real history of those fakes isn't funny enough on it's own.
Here's a counterfeit story for you. I was a prison chaplain here in Australia for many years. One of my clients was a nice young man, recently married, who worked in IT. Australian money is brightly coloured and printed on plastic and has clear windows with white imagery in each note. He figured out a way to make white ink so he could scan bank notes and print them on plastic sheets. He printed up a batch of $50 notes and slowly started spending them. They got past the cashiers (even without the metallic strip running across the genuine notes) and he carried on for many months. Getting a bit cocky he told a friend and the friend got the guilts and told the coppers. So he got arrested, they searched his home and found more notes. He was given a supervised good behaviour bond for a year or two and that's where I made contact with him. He was a nice guy and he'd never been in trouble before. But his imagination got the better of his judgement and to hear how easily he got away with it was very disconcerting.
I had the tax one from when I was stationed at lakenheath the phone call said I was going to be arrested by parliament if I didn't pay. The parliament of the UK was going to arrest me a us military member for not paying taxes in the UK
Re: the IRS scam, the IRS didn't just put it on the website, it's also on their answering system. Yes, I got one of the calls, was informed I owed a debt. I said fine, I'll call you back at the office as soon as I get home, your ID number is? No, I didn't bite, but I did cover my ass by calling the actual IRS because stranger things have happened.
I love in the uk and was scammed by someone pretending to be Johnny Depp in 2022. I find it really weird that I fell for it because it’s usually me telling my Nan when an email is fake. But with my scammer the gift cards are the last thing he asked for.
Certain states in the US will prevent you from renewing your license for failure to pay taxes but they will not suspend a currently active license. They also have the ability to garnish your wages from any job that holds employees taxes for them.
I learned how to do a proper forgery. Like something from back in the day. You go and buy a book from back in the day. And there's usually a blank page or 2 in the front or back. And you use that paper. You also get a pen or ink from that age. A lot easier to find a pencil. But you can find ink that is made in the same way. This is how one guy would do it when forging 16th century documents
I have a relative who works in a bank… if a teller is being nosy about why you’re taking out so much money… it’s because it’s bank policy to ask in order to prevent fraud…. The number of stories I hear about people going to the bank and needing to take out hundreds of dollars just to go buy gift cards is insane…
The weirdest scam call I got was from someone who used a fake voice. It sounded like something I would have done during a childhood prank call. However, the information they had was not just related to my tv/internet account; they knew the details of a recent natural disaster that affected only my property that had an impact on said service. They had the best info of any scam but they came at it from a complete n00b angle. What gives? If you're trying to fuck me at least come correct. PS- Can I sleep in Simon's beard? I will pay premium rates.
🎶He turned to the bird and said do old Willie🎶 🎶 On the road again, I just cant eait to get back on the road again🎶 🎶 The life I love is making money with my friend🎶 😂
One of my classmates dads had a little trick device similar to the ‘money printer’. It was small enough to fit in your pocket and had two cylinders inside. Before the trick you would take an actual piece of paper money that was uncreased and put it in one end of the machine then use the key to wind it up around the first cylinder. Then for the trick you would show the ‘mark’ a blank piece of paper the size of a piece of paper money and insert it in the other end of the device and turn the key to roll it up on the other cylinder. However as you rolled up the blank paper the money would unroll and come out the side it had been put in. The effect was that it looked like the little device was ‘printing’ money.
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I'm betting you got scammed & made the whole part up about figuring it all out before walking into the Post Office.
I got called from a scam number about a tax issue they couldn't tell me about without my info. I told them to go fuck themselves. Turned out it was the actual CRA calling about clawing back $500. My response stands, they could not have been more sketchy if they tried
Pudd Pudd Pudd Puddy Puddy Pudding Head .... INCOMING fingers in ears
My elderly mother fell for the "Your son needs $10,000 for bail" scam. I, her other son was helping take care of her after my parents were involved in a vehicular collision.
I saw my mother rather distressed, and preparing to leave the house, when she was in no condition to do so. It took some effort to get her to admit what was happening, since the Fake-Lawyer advised she had to maintain secrecy due to a "Gag Order".
I was familiar with this scam, so I called my brother, and had him tell our Mom, he was fine.
No payday for the scammer
My Grandma also fell for this scam. She was lucky the store would not sell her that many gift cards and she messed up the numbers on half the cards when relaying them to the scammer. So they only got away with 500.
There is a bad one where people txt saying its your son, daughter etc and i have lost my phone and wallet and am txting off a friends phone. Please can you transfer my friend money so i can get home safe / get a new phone.
They tried to pull this on my brother saying that his grandson was in trouble, although he did have a grandson but the problem was that the little guy was only one year old.
Unfortunately your mother is not fine.Thats a clear sign of dementia.Her brain doesn't work properly,that's your bigger issue.
This one got my grandma too. Her son often needed legal help, so it was totally believable that he has done something and couldn't contact her himself. She spent over 20k in "legal fees".
The scammers posting fake job postings on Linkedin and such are particularly vile examples of the worst of humanity.
That's a bit extreme, lol
Agree completely
and the ones posting fake house for rent adds in the middle of a rental crisis are pretty fucked as well
When my FIL died in 2021 I got a call within maybe 48hrs that we qualified for cremation assistance covering $4,000 out of the $5,500. All I had to do was pay them my portion and they would pay the crematorium the full amount.
I have no idea if it was a random cold call or if they somehow actually knew before qe'd even filed any paperwork, but it pissed me off so much. Pissed me off even more that it sounded SO incredibly legitimate that I can't evem imagine how many times it's been successful.
Shoutout to ACS for adding the number to their blocked callers list while investigators did their thing to protect other customers.
you mean the 'Work from home! make $6843178294872164872 a year doing nothing"
I work at a grocery store and people fall for the Gift Card Scam all of the time. I've had more than one person try to send money transfers to other countries to try to pay their "Property Tax" and I've had a hard time convincing people that if they own property in Kansas they're not going to be sending money to Guatemala to pay their taxes.
Ya. It’s sad. My mom’s neighbor (who is in her early 90’s) asked me to drive her to get gift cards to pay her overdue taxes. We were able to convince her it was a scam.
Glad there are people like you trying to help these people out.
Same. I haven’t dealt with too many people who were obviously being scammed, but I have had people get huffy with me because they had to scan their ID or because the sale was declined because they were over the daily limit. I always explain that gift cards can be used for scams and money laundering and that the restrictions help keep honest people from getting completely cleaned out by scammers. What’s really sad is that the scammers know the rules too and will give their victims instructions for how to get around them, but I hope that anyone with a decent amount of common sense would realize that no legitimate business is going to tell a customer to run around to different stores so they can duck under the limits. It’s a slim hope, but I hold onto it.
I used to work at the service desk for a Western Union retailer, and we were given extensive training on this to try to save people from getting scammed, but some people would not be reasoned with.
It really doesn't take brain cells to know this stuff...People who are being taken by these scams,are unfortunately,usually mentally handicapped,or in some form dementia state.
Its important to remember that anyone can fall for a scam. Scammers usually target the elderly and the naive, but they cast a wide net and there is no line that shameless people will not cross.
I had a call years ago by scammers who were adamant a warrant had been issued for my arrest and I would be arrested immediately if I didn’t comply with their demands.
I told them to wait while I checked the system. They asked what I meant. I told them I was at work and could check the warrants system straight away. I was a police officer at the time😂 they didn’t even say goodbye before hanging up. Rude bastards.
You're obviously not good at your job lol As a police officer,you're kind of supposed to track down those kinds of people,and you know,hold them accountable for their crimes lol If every police officer is like you,it's no wonder everyone hates them lol Lazy pieces of garbage.
Scams where they inadvertently call the police are my favorite stories.
Should have gotten the account number they wanted you to put money in, then, seize it as proceeds of crime
I had a similar funny interaction with a scam caller. I get a call from a random number [strike 1]. I answer and it is some dude in a HEAVY Indian accent [strike 2] and he says "Hello. My name is FBI Agent Mendez, can I have your first and last name please? [strike 3 YOU'RE OUT!]. At this point I should just hang up the phone but I decide to mess with the guy. "No you can't" I tell him. He asks why. I tell him because you are an unknown person calling from an unknown number asking me for personal information. He says "I just identified myself as FBI Agent Mendez. Now tell me your name please". "I am the queen of England. What is this nonsense about"? I say. "this is about your court case in Texas" he says. I say "I don't have a court case in Texas. Besides, you don't even know my name so how do you know about my court records?" "We identified you through phone records, now please cooperate". He says. I tell him no again. He then says "If you don't cooperate, you face further criminal charges and possible court fines". I tell him "Look, you are in India. You are a scammer. I am not giving you any personal, financial or payment information. I am a smart guy and know what's up. Go scam somebody else." He tells me if I don't answer his questions, he is going to have me arrested and brought to Texas. I laughed hard and said "Go right ahead! Then we can settle this in person. You are an FBI agent right? So come get me! What's your badge number?" Then HE hangs up on me! HAHA!!! Pretty bold impersonating authority like that and threatening jail. These scammers are getting bolder.
Worst part about the Gift Card Scams is if you work in retail and a customer comes in in a panic to buy a bunch of iTunes gift cards the legal teams at most companies have instructed management to train employees to not get involved, so you're not suppose to warn them it might be a scam. I always did anyways... getting written up at a minimum wage job running a cash register versus preventing someone getting scammed for hundreds to thousands of dollars; I'll take the write up thank you very much.
in australia we have inco abt the d
scam posted on all registers. the US is weird
I work retail in the US and our company trained us not only to warn the customer but to refuse any transaction that we suspect is a scam, not only to protect the customer but to protect the company from being complicit in fraudulent transactions.
I had to buy a few giftcards at CVS for Christmas gifts. At the register, I had to read a warning about giftcard scams and accept it before I was allowed to buy them. Kinda surprised me
I get the feeling you're in the south at a smaller chain. I agree all giftcard racks and cashiers I've interacted with in the past 5 years warn of scams/inquire about if you're being scammed/refuse transactions. "Not get involved" is some rudy giugliani level legal advice. As the others have said; DO get involved. Cover our ass from charges on facilitating fraud.
My fiance just got hit for 100 bucks because of a fake gift card. It would have probably saved her a ton of time and stress if someone like you had been smart enough to warn her... keep doing good man lol
My mom almost got scammed just last week. Someone called saying they were from Amazon and that there had been a 1200 dollar purchase. Then, he proceeded to tell her they needed her account and routing number to refund her money. Thank god I was with her when it happened. I was like wtf mom! Amazon is not going to call you for buying stuff. Besides that, the bank would contact you before allowing such a large purchase. I think the most she's ever spent online was like 50 dollars.
Moral of the story make sure you speak with older people about scams regularly. I still can't believe she was just gonna give it to them. Like ffs. Stressed me out 😂
Thank goodness you were there. Sheesh
My grandfather was about to get scammed by someone claiming his computer had a virus but luckily my mother showed up before it got too far. It's weird; when I was a young adult and buying something expensive like a car, I wanted him around to make sure I didn't get scammed, but there's something about the elderly and internet/phone scams...
I heard somewhere, at a certain point in the aging process, people either lose the ability to trust or the ability to distrust.
This leaves them open to scammers in a way thet weren't vulnerable for most of a century.
That's a very good point to make sure to speak with elderly relatives about betting scammed. I've talked to my own mother about this and she is reluctant to even give out details to a stranger in order to receive payment, which is kinda good.
@joshuakarr-BibleMan oh she's generally not very trusting over people over the phone. She's new to Amazon and I guess I just hadn't warned her about these types of things well enough. The crazy thing is they couldn't provide her with her username or anything. I've basically just told her not to give any information over the phone to anyone and to tell them to mail her.
When it comes to confusing info about scams leave it to big corporations and their employees. They'll make you do twice annual training on how not to click on links in emails, and they'll send you emails for said training BY EMAILING YOU FROM A 3RD PARTY DOMAIN ASKING YOU TO FOLLOW A LINK AND ENTER YOUR LOGIN DETAILS.
I had to go through the Infosec training for the Florida Department of children and families. It was so simplistic, it pissed me off. It was extremely simple, common sense shit. I have been on the Internet since 1998. I knew all of this shit already. But no, my other coworkers were dumb asses, and fell for the test email.
We had exactly that at work a couple months ago, a third party company sending us an email with a link to a website I had never heard of. HR had to send a second e-mail themselves the next day to notify us it *wasn't* a scam
So that means if you follow it, you actually fail their test. Brilliant!
The idea that anyone would possess a magic money printer and then SELL it is ridiculous. The person would be like "lol why would i sell it, when i can just print all the money you'd give me for it?"
Why, they're just that nice of course! 😉
If I get a call from a “bank” I always say. “Thanks for the call, I’ll head to my local branch and talk with a teller about the issue.” I also then google the number that called to see if it is a number connected to that bank.
they are spoofing the numbers at least the less incompetent ones
Caller id is able to be spoofed
Banks don't call you lol So,any phone call,from any bank,is not real.
@@jeffdroog except Simons bank apparently
@@jeffdroogsome do. To book appointments if they need to talk to you
The weirdest telephone scam attempts I've received recently, are someone claiming to be from "border security" informing me via voicemail that agents were on the way to arrest me (they must be the most bumbling agents in the world, to WARN ahead of their arrival!), and a very long recorded message, yelling in Chinese about...something I assume.
I also got a Border Patrol phone call about 2 years ago.... funniest part was, I lived in Ohio at the time, with an Ohio phone number! They didn't even try to switch it up and say the RCMP were coming 😂
I got told the FBI wanted me for something or other.... Except I'm British living in the UK. And whatever it was about (our National Insurance Numbers I think) has NOTHING to do with the FBI!!! 😂😂😂
Got someone calling me on my cell phone claiming to be an "officer" with the FBI. I knew it was bullshit from that point on. Guy tried asking me questions, and I'm like I'll only answer questions with my lawyer present and in your office. The guy on the other end got real hostile saying that I will be arrested. That was a few years ago, and the FBI hasn't busted down my door.
@@joelellis7035 Maybe they're on foot from the main office? LOL
I keep getting scam calls about someone charging $700 iPhone to my Visa card. Well, #1) $700 wouldn't go through on my credit card. It's almost maxed. 2) I don't have a Visa anymore.
Every year, a rep from my bank tries to call me to discuss my account. Every year, I establish that it's an actual bank rep acting sketchy, and then promptly hang up on them because legit or not I do not talk to sketchy people who are trying to get me to talk about my bank account without verifying their identity
Recently had one tell me I had unpaid parking tickets and they were going to arrest me if I didn't pay them right then. Problem with that logic is I'm as blind as old Blind Dave over there hanging out in the Blazement and I don't even own a frickin car! Also side note Dave hey buddy inquiring minds want to know how you plan to make your eventual escape? I mean Danny had a chance at least but dude if he took your cain and everything your screwed. Let alone finding your directions if you actually get out... Simon's going to own you for life bud. From one blindie to another I say thanks for taking that bullet for the rest of us
I just laugh and tell them my newest car is from 1935. 😂 Works great on the car warranty scammers. There in mind, I’m also blind.
They will *never* arrest you for unpaid parking tickets unless they pile up to over $10,000 or something. Even then I still don't think they will come after you like that.
Okay, the entire clip was worth the phrase "as effective as standing on the roof and attempting to extinguish the sun with your piss". By god brilliant!!!
Thanks. I was proud of that one :D
The number of Discord scams going around the last couple of years is incredible. I almost fell for one the other week but then I reverted back to my default action, which is nothing. Like magic, the problem took care of itself.
I’ve stopped people from buying gift cards for scam purposes. It’s hard to tell people they’re being fleeced but if it were me I’d want someone doing the same thing. I always emphasize how sneaky and creative the scumbags are so the person doesn’t feel dumb. Anyone from the IRS to Chase to “Windows.” A guy tried to swindle my software engineer dad to pay “windows.” Not even Microsoft. He was like dude really? 😂
Hahaha, I remember the Windows ones. "THIS IS WINDOWS. WE ARE CALLING TO SAY YOU HAVE A VIRUS IN THE WINDOWS!!"
My folks kept getting those on their landline so I asked them to give me the phone next time. When the call inevitably came, I pretended to be computer illiterate, on a Mac, and oblivious to the fact that those don't generally run Microsoft's OS.
@@FractalShoggoth Lol good on you! I hope you wasted plenty of their time. “How do I open apple windows?” 😂
there was a youtube video I watched where the scammer got to the point of getting the guy (who was deliberately wasting the scammer's time) to go buy the gift cards. The guy kept feigning ignorance about how to do it and make the scammer detail step by step on how to do it. Guy finally buys gift card and scammer tells him to give him the activation code, guy feigns ignorance about how gift cards work and activates the card but for his own account. Scammer completely loses his shit
@@AvoidTheCadaver was it Scammer Payback, by chance? I used to watch them
Some people would rather keep going along and get scammed than admit that you effectively called them "stupid."
My inner former bank teller is very annoyed at how that stock footage of pound notes are all mixed up in dominations and facings.
...That's how they appear in reality lol Never once have I seen a perfectly organized wallet,or purse,where all bank notes face the same way,and are in the "correct" order,according to the denominations...Not once.
As someone with mild OCD im too am slightly Irked
@@jeffdroogmy wallet is almost always in perfect order, sorted by denomination and serial number. Easy to do when the number is bills is zero.
When I worked in retail I would always make sure the notes aligned in stacks at the end of the day when counting up. The Aussie notes have clear windows so you can easily tell when they are not all the same way.
@@shaunneal9981 I worked for the ANZ.
I used to work for a call centre for the ATO (Australian Tax Office) and we did indeed call people about their legitimate debts... With a reference number, and a request they call the ATO directly to discuss the issue. I still had a couple of people who insisted that I was a scanner, called me nasty names & hung up. Oh well, document the conversation & move to the next debt...
Meanwhile those debtors are like "oh crap - maybe if I pretend I think they're a scammer I can buy some time..."
Instantly mentioning the ATO....the appropriate response to keep repeating “Hello?” Before inserting an expletive, and hang up while half way through a rant about phone coverage 😂
To be fair unless I got the dreaded mygov email (linked accounts) I wouldn't believe you either, unfortunately. Even with the reference number. Just far too many scam calls lately.
In the US they (the IRS) state they will never call you
It's easy to laugh at the ones who gave their details of the cost of living scam, but these were vulnerable people such as the elderly who didn't understand, or who forgot how money functions in the present day, during that winter I worked in a bank call centre and took so many calls where vulnerable people were tricked of persuaded into giving a stranger sensitive information
Or even people who have children/young adults with disabilities! I know me and my mum get the cost of living payments!
A lot of people don't realize that the human brain deteriorates with age in a manner that makes us more gullible. Everyone is most naive and trusting as children, less so as teens and twenty-somethings, we hit our peak of skeptical in middle age, but then our brain starts to deteriorate a bit and we become gullible again. We might say, "I'd never fall for that", but 70-year-old you isn't as sharp as 40-year-old you.
I got a call from an obviously un-educated woman claiming to be from the CDC office in Atlanta, GA. asking questions about my personal medical info. Without hesitation, I asked for the address of her office building. *pause* "Why do you need that ?" I replied, "because I want it it.". *pause* She says, "I don't know." . I say "You work for the CDC and have no clue of the address of the building you work in ?". She hung up.
To be fair, I think a lot of people don't know their office address, but they'd just say they'll look it up for you or provide some sort of po box.
Good thinking
I work for the DoD and I don't know my buildings address...
"But in reality you're eating bread directly out of the bag and dipping it in anything runnier than bread. Life is, in short, great!" Dave is my soulmate.
Van Meegeren is one of my favorite scam artists. He was accused of selling cultural treasure to a Nazi but he was actually forging his paintings. He tried to make it as an artist but critics said he wasn't very good and to prove them wrong he started forging paintings from the Dutch Golden age fooling experts they were real.
Just wanted to let you know you're one of my longest lasting subscriptions. You're content has just gotten cooler and cooler over time, and I really see your framework and setup thriving and it makes me happy. I remember following you when it was just Danny enslaveeeed in your basement 😂
I relate to this so hard! I've jumped around to all Simon's channels for a few years now, but Brain Blaze is- allegedly, a legend.
9:33 I hate the whole government intentionally making it difficult to apply for things and Simons non-plussed. "I think that's okay" just reminded mr that unless you've experienced disability yourself or witnessed it in your close circle, most people probably don't have this perspective - I'm speaking from Canada specifically but I'm sure it's applicable to many other countries:
the process is so complicated to apply for disability and they offer no assistance in applying. It completely ignores that this is often something people with disabilities struggle with. It ignores cognitive disabilities, neurodivergence and mental illness or even many types of physical disabilities that might cause someone to struggle with getting access to a computer, having the physical, mental, and technical ability to get to the application, go to the bank to get the forms they need, request the right document from the landlord (or have it filed somewhere), get access to a scanner, upload the forms into application... And THAT'S JUST THE APPLICATION *FOR* THE APPLICATION. That determines financial eligibility and then there's an *even longer* process for approval from the government that you are "disabled enough".
I just don't think people understand that paperwork is not just paperwork. It's a huge barrier that governments intentionally put in place so they can look like they're helping their citizens while holding onto as much cash as possible. If I wasn't employed at a disability Resource Centre (where we try our best to pick up the government's slack and assist people with this arduous process, as well as trying to teach technology to them, which is my primary job) I wouldn't be able to find another job that can work with me with my ADHD, Fibromyalgia (which not only means chronic wide-spread pain but a weak ass immune system that let's all the viruses in), GAD, and MDD, and the thought of trying to apply for disability, just to not even make enough money to live, even with ADHD meds and some learned coping mechanisms... Honestly if my job ever goes under someone better keep a close eye on me because I don't know if I could do it.
Side note: seniors and people with disabilities are the most vulnerable to this, that's part of what I try to do with computer school.
in the US, applying for disability assistance literally involves getting rejected on your first try and then paying a lawyer a share of your benefits to sue the government on your behalf.
My ex-husband fell for the gift card scam. Even though he used an accountant, and the tax office had actually GIVEN him his tax return that year, he was convinced he was going to jail. As soon as he said 'gift card' I was so mad.
2:00 - Chapter 1 - The magic money maker
2:20 - Mid roll ads
3:45 - Back to the video
7:05 - Chapter 2 - Cost of living payment scal
11:40 - Chapter 3 - The hitler diaries
16:05 - Chapter 4 - The IRS gift card scam
God's work. You're doin' it.
Hero^^ even if you don't wear a cape!
@@7-ten They never said they weren't wearing one and I like to think they are. Please entertain my delusion.
@@ZMB-on5ub 😂 even heroes take their cape off to poop.
Name a scam, my mother-in-law has fallen for it. We're constantly tracking down packages she sent with money, or sorting out medical, cable, satellite & insurance scams. Getting her money back is a part time job for my wife.
Hehe, you should charge a 10% recovery fee... 😁👍
you know you can get someone declared incompetent to handle money
Get a power of attorney and make transfers/withdrawals dependent upon confirmation by you or your wife.
the worst my family had was various charities sending my grandmother annual donation forms every 3 months. which is pretty small in terms of scams, but pretty underhanded of the otherwise at least somewhat legitimate charities.
I just tell them I am paralyzed from the neck down and to bring a van with a lift. Also, I remind them they will need to empty my urinal bag every 30 minutes, since I am on water pills.
I love messing with the idiot scammers. Tax scam usually goes along the line of "Your right, good luck catching me."
I mess with them too, a few weeks ago I thought fore sure I was being scammed by someone claiming to be FedEx and started messing with them, but turned out it was legit my mother was shipping gifts for her granddaughters 😂
I spent the most amusing lunch break dealing with one. They were committed to the bit and I kept advising on how to fix holes in their script.
If I have enough time I'll keep them on the phone as long as possible. I figure if I'm driving and have nothing else to do might as well prevent them from scamming someone else
I do the same thing. I had a funny interaction with a scam caller. I get a call from a random number [strike 1]. I answer and it is some dude in a HEAVY Indian accent [strike 2] and he says "Hello. My name is FBI Agent Mendez, can I have your first and last name please? [strike 3 YOU'RE OUT!]. At this point I should just hang up the phone but I decide to mess with the guy. "No you can't" I tell him. He asks why. I tell him because you are an unknown person calling from an unknown number asking me for personal information. He says "I just identified myself as FBI Agent Mendez. Now tell me your name please". "I am the queen of England. What is this nonsense about"? I say. "this is about your court case in Texas" he says. I say "I don't have a court case in Texas. Besides, you don't even know my name so how do you know about my court records?" "We identified you through phone records, now please cooperate". He says. I tell him no again. He then says "If you don't cooperate, you face further criminal charges and possible court fines". I tell him "Look, you are in India. You are a scammer. I am not giving you any personal, financial or payment information. I am a smart guy and know what's up. Go scam somebody else." He tells me if I don't answer his questions, he is going to have me arrested and brought to Texas. I laughed hard and said "Go right ahead! Then we can settle this in person. You are an FBI agent right? So come get me! What's your badge number?" Then HE hangs up on me! HAHA!!! Pretty bold impersonating authority like that and threatening jail. These scammers are getting bolder.
@@corkbulb2895 LOL, In the old southern meaning, bless his little heart.
When I got one of those calls, they said a federal Marshall to arrest me, and when I asked if they were sending the handsome one, they hung up.
"Is he going to frisk me, too?? Oh yes, please!! And make sure he brings his handcuffs and his long, hard baton with him-I can get a little feisty sometimes!" 😂😂
I got a phone call a few months ago, from a guy claiming to be from europol, informing me of my ID being used in a crime. To avoid arrest, I needed to follow some instructions. In panic, I analysed the phone number and confronted the caller with the info. They hung up.
Cool fucking story! Make a movie while you're at it! Fucking inspiring.
On a couple of occasions, my bank has called me to discuss something and asked me to prove my identity by answering "security questions". I then tell them, "No. First, you prove that you are who you say you are. I am not prepared to give personal information over the telephone to a random stranger."
They have been quite understanding and their solution is to tell me to call the bank on the regular number, ask for extension blah-blah and then to proceed with the conversation. That works for me.
Incident in my family went something like this:
Caller: "Grampa, it's me. I've been in a bad wreck and I have to pay a huge fine. I need you to wire me some money."
Grampa: "Well, let me talk to your dad first."
Conversation went back and forth for awhile of this fake grandchild trying to convince Grampa he didn't need to talk to Dad. But Grampa held firm.
"No, I need to discuss it with your Dad before I give you any money."
Grandma after being informed of this conversation texts the grandchild: "Did you just call?"
Grandchild: "No, I'm at work."
Sadly I know of other elderly people who gladly hand over their information in an effort to help a grandchild in trouble. Good thing this one was stubborn enough to not give money to anyone without knowing all the intimate details first.
Little side note: Hitler's main issue as an artist is he applied too late. The first affordable camera was invented the year or two before he applied and made his preferred style of art really undesirable. Its actually not bad but not great. His style was uber-accurate and unimaginative, literally drawing/painting what was there instead of playing with lighting or shadows. Even the people in his paintings didnt seem to really tell a story, just happened to be there at that time.
I just wonder how different the world would be if Hitler had applied a few years earlier...
Work at a retail store, and one of the trainings we do is specifically about that gift card scam. And I think (I don’t do cashier stuff) that people can’t buy more than like 5 gift cards at a time with $ over a certain amount.
For a scathing condemnation of the education system: how about a pharmaceutical warning label that reads: "Do not take if allergic."
I would love to watch a civil suit trial where the plaintiff complains: "Well yeah, I knew I was allergic, but there wasn't any warning on the bottle that warned it would be harmful to people, like me, who are allergic. They should have warned me."
I’m old but pretty clear headed. I recognize 99% of all scams. One or two that look legitimate send me to my son. I will screenshot the contact in question and send it over. I got a message one day from the U.S. Postal Service with some request (not money but still suspect) which wished me a good day at the end. When my son perused it his texted reply left me laughing. “Mom, the U. S. Postal Service would never wish you a good day.” I ignored it because my kid was right. 😂🤣😂
A relative of mine suffers from mental health conditions that make him really likely to believe anything a random call or email tells him. He'll follow their instructions but won't listen a damn to what I have to say. It's so frustrating.
Then have another friend call him and tell him to stop falling for the scams and listen to you, easy peacy
16:57 in that particular scam when they call my cell phone it’s not even usually a real person at first when you answer the phone that’s talking threateningly at you, it’s a computer generated text to voice program that’s reading off of a script, and you only get a real person on the line to talk threateningly at you if you press a button.
My idiot coworker broke off his engagement and sent the ring to an online buyer's PO Box. We had the FBI in the office for another reason, and they said the ring was gone.
The reason for them specifically asking for gift cards is because they will ask you to take pictures of the purchased gift cards, that way they have the individual numbers, and then ask you to forward the security codes hidden under the removable surface. Then they can simply withdraw the money from the cards without physically receiving them.
Woot of times they'll ask you to tell them the number.
But it also erased the trail as well as make it impossible to get your money back since you can't phone up your bank to charge back a scam if it's through gift cards
This is why I block every call, delete every text, and throw out almost every letter I get in the mail if its not from a verified source. Everything I do involving money is on some app or website locked behind a password, if you cant communicate with me there then I don't trust you.
simon you need the "YOU ARE AN IDIOT" soundbite on a sound board....
simon you need a sound board
When I was a manager at a shoe store we received an email about the IRS gift card scam explaining that they want wal-mart gift cards and I asked my DM if any of our people actually fell for this and he was like ‘yeah… I can’t tell you but yeah people have fallen for this’
I have a landline phone for my mom because she can't grasp how to use a cell phone. Anyways, some guy that sounded like my son called and said "I was in an accident, I'm at the police station. I need a lawyer." SoI turned my recorder on as I hung up and guess what? A lawyer magically called me. Oh, man, I had so much fun with this guy. He was getting so annoyed with me, whahahaha. He eventually hung up. I wasn't done playing yet.
I got a call from Ofc. Green of the united states service who said my phone was linked to illegal activity in Texas, I told him that I sell contraband so everything I do is suspicious.
He hung up.
"You've just got to be good enough to apply at art school" Yea. That part.
This will be the first Simon whistler video I watch for 2024. ☝️
Happy New Year, fellow Whistler-nauts, from the Land Down under 🎉🇦🇺
Jim Browning's videos about scam call centers are fantastic. He's worked with several other channels too to try and shut them down.
I particularly love the video he did when he investigated a scam call center in Kolkata where he investigated the scammers, got their info, hacked the live cctv feed of the office then proceeded to phone in and casually name bomb their real names claming to be a psychic 😂 Seriously, the karma he's able to inflict on these scumbags is uplifting 😅
I got called from a number about a tax issue and demanded info to confirm my identity. They couldn't give any info about what they were calling about without my info. It was the Canadian government clawing back $500 in covid payments. It was a legit CRA number but they did their best to be as sketchy as possible. They tried this with everybody and they just ignored the payments, they could reclaim a billion from like 5 people so fuck them
@@timpearce8563 He's so deadpan too it really makes it 10x better. I am glad he uses his powers for good
I remember getting one scan. Said my store payment system failed and they can't deliver the package without paying via gift cards...
He claimed he was with ups... He transferred me to the main fed ex office to deal with the transaction. (I get bored working graveyard) but to make the final cherry on that inconsistent cake. You could hear the "ups driver" sitting right next to him.
I've received the fake IRS call before. I believe that I told them where they could go and what they could do to themselves when they got there.
So radical man! Super fucking cool! You're a real freaking hero! Glad you were to here praise yourself,or no one else would be able to see how hard you blow yourself lol
The worst thing about IRS scams is they (the IRS) communicates all the time that if you get a call from them it is a scam..snail mail only
I knew a guy who had a 'cop' call him to say there was a warrant out for his arrest, but he could pay a fine over the phone using Amazon gift cards.
3000$ later, he figured it out.
I was scammed
An official looking guy rented me a house, signed all the paperwork, gave him all the move in costs, moved in, lived there for months, got an angry knock at the door one morning… it was the real owner. With police.
A squatter took over the property, rekeyed the place, printed out private lease paperwork, had me do a credit app and everything, and it was just a scam
I don’t even know how I was able to move the utilities in my name
Anyone can put their name on any utility for any property at any time. The utility companies don't care where the money comes from. Same thing with Insurance. I can take out an insurance policy on Trump Tower if I wanted to.
The biggest scam about the cost of living payments is the fact the money handed out is the basically the same amount that was deducted from Universal Credit when the UK Government reduced payments by £20 p/w...
19:10 They are using other stooges to clean the money, if some scam mails get through your filter there is always these "working from home making thousands of dollars for just a few hours of work each week" emails? Those are for money laundering and forwarding of these packages. The first level might just be a local dumbbell forwarding the packages to a regional cash collector, that will take their cut (and the cut for the disposable dumbbells) before sending the money to India or Bangladesh.
For the bank calling you example, simply hang up, then call the number that you know is for that bank. 99% of the time they'll tell you "We never called you for anything", but if they did, they'll know it and connect you with the right people.
"Eating bread directly from the bag. Dipping it in anything runnier than bread."
I've been called out.
Simon, how many YT channels are you a part of? It seems almost every day a new channel of yours pops up in the algorithm! Love your work, you must be an incredibly busy guy.
Here is the US, my favorite is (deep, authoritive voice) "This is officer Smith, I am asking for donations to the police fund....". Same guy every time. I've blocked him 4 times. Last time I asked "Why are you calling from different phone numbers?" Click. Lol
I got something similar to the IRS scam only it was about not appearing for jury duty and having to go to the court house and get cashier's checks. It was very weird and I freaked out at first and then I called the courts and was told no I was not on any jury list.
Sometimes stores will actually put a sign up near the gift card stand advising people that if they've been contacted and told they need to pay a tax bill with gift cards that it's a scam.
Australia does this, as well as putting signs near the self check outs in some places about giftcards too.
The best part is that I couldn't hear the street cleaning, and only kind of noticed it when Simon stopped to complain about it.
I love Daves riff on everything in the UK, same page Dave, same page!
Every supermarket I've been to in the last 5 years here in Australia has had signs at the service desk (and sometimes at the registers) telling you not to buy gift cards to pay off a tax debt 😂
The most common scam I keep getting is a fake text for a toll company asking me to pay for using a tunnel. The only thing is that I've never actually owned a car. A coworker did fall for though, unfortunately.
I just finished with a month long intense scam bait. I was pretty creative this time. I created fake gift cards, CashApp information, bank balances, recipes and a wild back story involving a crime family, difficult upbringing, secret government agencies, global conspiracies, new love, old death and the return of Godzilla.
A guy over the phone called me at the front desk of a hotel, wanting to talk about my medical insurance.
I said “sir this is a hotel.” They just hung up the phone.
I've seen notices on the gift card racks warning people against these scams. They generally say, 'If somebody wants you to pay a govt debt or fine with gift cards it is a scam, especially if they tell you to keep it secret from the cashier.'
I worked in a Florida grocery store and this happened, luckily we got our manager to stop them from doing it, but even Floridians will get scammed by that!
Yes,because everyone in Florida has lead poisoning,and early onset dementia.Its a helluva mixture.
I remember years ago I was phoned, on my landline (that I still have), telling me that I had won £50 million on the Spanish lottery. They said I had to pay them £500 for processing and handling fees and then my winnings would be sent to me. When I asked why they couldn’t deduct the fee from my winnings they just hung up.
16:16 "Sitting at home in your underpants, eating bread from the bag, dipping it in anything runnier than bread" -Dylan Moran wants his joke back.
Thanks for including Kujau. It was a little bit before my time, but it was a joke for many years to come here in Germany. And in 1992 we got a pretty funny comedy-movie out of the whole debacle.
Not that the real history of those fakes isn't funny enough on it's own.
"Accountant, what's going on!?"
"I have a client who can't spot a scam."
Here's a counterfeit story for you. I was a prison chaplain here in Australia for many years. One of my clients was a nice young man, recently married, who worked in IT. Australian money is brightly coloured and printed on plastic and has clear windows with white imagery in each note. He figured out a way to make white ink so he could scan bank notes and print them on plastic sheets. He printed up a batch of $50 notes and slowly started spending them. They got past the cashiers (even without the metallic strip running across the genuine notes) and he carried on for many months. Getting a bit cocky he told a friend and the friend got the guilts and told the coppers. So he got arrested, they searched his home and found more notes. He was given a supervised good behaviour bond for a year or two and that's where I made contact with him. He was a nice guy and he'd never been in trouble before. But his imagination got the better of his judgement and to hear how easily he got away with it was very disconcerting.
Why is no one talking about Dave's godly statement about putting out the sun with your piss? Golden moment right there 👌
Glad we’re having this talk I live in the US GA to be exact and Almost fell for one last well glad it was flagged and I double checked seriously
I had the tax one from when I was stationed at lakenheath the phone call said I was going to be arrested by parliament if I didn't pay. The parliament of the UK was going to arrest me a us military member for not paying taxes in the UK
New Brain Blaze days are my favorite, factboi and blazement bois.
Re: the IRS scam, the IRS didn't just put it on the website, it's also on their answering system.
Yes, I got one of the calls, was informed I owed a debt. I said fine, I'll call you back at the office as soon as I get home, your ID number is?
No, I didn't bite, but I did cover my ass by calling the actual IRS because stranger things have happened.
"... dipping it in anything runnier than bread. life is, in short, great."
omfg , Dave, youre gonna kill me lmao
What's so surprising? That's HP's entire business model. You want ink with that money printing machine?
"Wow! You are so rich. How do you make so much money?"
*Guy with a money printer:* "Uhm, well..."
I love in the uk and was scammed by someone pretending to be Johnny Depp in 2022. I find it really weird that I fell for it because it’s usually me telling my Nan when an email is fake. But with my scammer the gift cards are the last thing he asked for.
Certain states in the US will prevent you from renewing your license for failure to pay taxes but they will not suspend a currently active license. They also have the ability to garnish your wages from any job that holds employees taxes for them.
Simon: “I don’t need the money”
Writers trapped in the basement: 😭
"Anything runnier than bread" That Dylan Moran reference made me smile :)
I learned how to do a proper forgery. Like something from back in the day. You go and buy a book from back in the day. And there's usually a blank page or 2 in the front or back. And you use that paper. You also get a pen or ink from that age. A lot easier to find a pencil. But you can find ink that is made in the same way. This is how one guy would do it when forging 16th century documents
I love that Smash Bros. Simon Tangent alarm 😂
I don't know when Simon got so sassy but I love it!😂
The scammers who post fake rental propertys and get money upfront are the worst kind of people. Especially during a housing crisis aswell
Kitboga is a great channel that trolls primarily Indian scammers
They are great, in small doses.
Yeah. There's a few, but that's one of the best
I have a relative who works in a bank… if a teller is being nosy about why you’re taking out so much money… it’s because it’s bank policy to ask in order to prevent fraud…. The number of stories I hear about people going to the bank and needing to take out hundreds of dollars just to go buy gift cards is insane…
The weirdest scam call I got was from someone who used a fake voice. It sounded like something I would have done during a childhood prank call. However, the information they had was not just related to my tv/internet account; they knew the details of a recent natural disaster that affected only my property that had an impact on said service. They had the best info of any scam but they came at it from a complete n00b angle. What gives? If you're trying to fuck me at least come correct.
PS- Can I sleep in Simon's beard? I will pay premium rates.
I always love watching Count Whistler's videos!
Sam is killing it with the edits in this one! 🔥
I recently saw a commercial about the IRS gift card scam with undercover agents outside the person's house as they're on the phone.
18:18 I am fully down with this rant... that should've been done before everyone has to work in the morning
🎶He turned to the bird and said do old Willie🎶
🎶 On the road again, I just cant eait to get back on the road again🎶
🎶 The life I love is making money with my friend🎶 😂
One of my classmates dads had a little trick device similar to the ‘money printer’. It was small enough to fit in your pocket and had two cylinders inside. Before the trick you would take an actual piece of paper money that was uncreased and put it in one end of the machine then use the key to wind it up around the first cylinder. Then for the trick you would show the ‘mark’ a blank piece of paper the size of a piece of paper money and insert it in the other end of the device and turn the key to roll it up on the other cylinder. However as you rolled up the blank paper the money would unroll and come out the side it had been put in. The effect was that it looked like the little device was ‘printing’ money.