Spammers & Scammers

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Staff member
Not sure why but we have been getting a flood of spam accounts in recent weeks (15-20 a day). Every time I log in there are accounts waiting to be approved and nearly all of them are spammers. If anyone wants to question the real name rule sit in my shoes for a few days and you will certainly see one of the best defenses against spammers and scammers is having to register with a real name. Most of these losers fail to get it.

I'm very diligent about not giving out my contact info but these losers in life are able to get a hold of it. For example, when I'm at the auto parts store and they ask for my phone number I decline. That company's database of personal information, which you just know isn't safeguarded like it should be, is worth money so hackers will break in and steal the info and sell it to low-lifes who abuse us with their spam and scams. Not sure about you folks but I get scam attempts on my phone and email multiple times a day. I'd be willing to bet in the history of mankind there has never been a time where there were more attempts per capita to steal from folks than today. All these scams are a sad statement about the state of humanity. Too bad state and federal authorities do little about it. It is up to the individual to protect themself. Be wary!
 
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The worst part is they target the elderly. I suppose the easiest solution would be to ditch technology, smartphones and the like. Sometimes I think technology steals more of our lives (the time we spend) than all the scammers and spammers combined. RM
 
RM

My parents are in their 80s (dad turns 89 tomorrow) and some close friends of theirs were scammed out of something like 50k when they wired the scammer money for what they thought was an emergency for a grandchild. Zero chance of getting it back. Probably a scammer in another country. I would love to see our Gov impose tariffs, commensurate and punitive, on countries (India, China, Russia, Jamaica, etc., etc.) whose citizens scam our citizens and that money be used to payback and fight this type of crime. Sadly, I don't see any solution other than educating and protecting yourself. There are few consequences for the perpetrators.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Steven

Weaponizing Spammers/scammers. Too funny!
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It maybe should be shameful to admit, but it is what it is and I can be incredibly petty and stubborn... I spent the better part of a day once in lab 174 using every phone in there to spam some Indian dudes who called and tried to scam me on my cell phone. By the end of the day they were begging me to stop calling them and promised never to bother me again. I had to be there watching a screen for 12 hours. Might as well multi-task and tie up some dumbazzes phones so they can't call other people.
 
Steven

As if the scammers couldn't get any lower, I recently saw a documentary on how they are using human trafficking to staff their call centers. Layers upon layers of depravity. I approve of you using gov resources to tie up their time.
 
Infuriating. Both my parents have been scammed - fortunately for lesser amounts and caught on before the sums got larger.

I'm sure a few of us would be happy to chip in reviewing requests, if you get to a point where a small team doing so would be helpful.
 
I fear the digital situation with the things described are only going to get worse with the advent of AI and supercomputers. I think it is going to get more expensive to protect yourself and run robust enough software in any internet connected device, business, et al to be able to counter it.

Is there anyone here that hasn't been notified from some entity that they were hacked and some of your personal information might have been leaked in the last several years?

I kind of feel sorry for anyone that has used any of these genetic testing businesses, because that info is beyond sensitive, and I would not want to be in any database of any company with this information. The 23andme bankruptcy highlights how this info can trade hands, and once you give them that data I don't think you really own it anymore, regardless of the language on your agreement with that company. And the truth of the matter is once somebody else has it it doesn't matter if you technically own it or not, they have it. The only real asset they have of value is the database, anything else would be peanuts. I believe it has been sold to Regeneron for drug research, and that is probably being litigated and nobody knows where that will end.

A criminal is a criminal, doesn't matter if they have a keyboard or a tire iron.
 
greg setter said:
I fear the digital situation with the things described are only going to get worse with the advent of AI and supercomputers. I think it is going to get more expensive to protect yourself and run robust enough software in any internet connected device, business, et al to be able to counter it.

Is there anyone here that hasn't been notified from some entity that they were hacked and some of your personal information might have been leaked in the last several years?

I kind of feel sorry for anyone that has used any of these genetic testing businesses, because that info is beyond sensitive, and I would not want to be in any database of any company with this information. The 23andme bankruptcy highlights how this info can trade hands, and once you give them that data I don't think you really own it anymore, regardless of the language on your agreement with that company. And the truth of the matter is once somebody else has it it doesn't matter if you technically own it or not, they have it. The only real asset they have of value is the database, anything else would be peanuts. I believe it has been sold to Regeneron for drug research, and that is probably being litigated and nobody knows where that will end.

A criminal is a criminal, doesn't matter if they have a keyboard or a tire iron.
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I agree with you, BUT... AI is also likely to provide solutions as it does problems. We may end up with better, cheaper solutions than we have today. Here's hoping.
 
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