Business & Finance Being scammed

[brucetiki]

Farmers Union Iced Coffee had a decent scam going on earlier in the year - didn't cost any money, but still a pain in the neck nonetheless.

Earlier in the year, they had a Facebook 'promotion' (later discovered as a scam) where you could 'shout' an interstate mate a Farmers Union Iced Coffee (ie they would send instructions to the mate on how to receive a SMS voucher to redeem at a 'participating' BP service station). In addition, the first few thousand people that 'shouted' a mate would receive the same SMS voucher.

So 'shout' an interstate mate a Farmers Union Iced Coffee link, and I get my SMS for a free Farmers Union Iced Coffee, valid at any 'participating' BP service station (which, according to the link to the map Farmers Union provided on the SMS was any non-On the Run outlet).

Anyway, went to a few 'participating' BP service stations to try and claim the free iced coffee, who had never heard of the promotion and therefore wouldn't honour the voucher (which is fair enough).

Since the scam ended, there's been several complaints about the scam on their Facebook page (both SA people who couldn't redeem their vouchers and interstate people claiming most interstate 'participating' BP service stations weren't stocking Farmers Union Iced Coffee). Surprise surprise, the Facebook page has been largely dormant since the scam ended.

 

[radiojake]

^^^^^^^

Collecting phone numbers?

Junk mail in your inbox coming!

 

[Milang_Panthers]

Farmers Union Iced Coffee had a decent scam going on earlier in the year - didn't cost any money, but still a pain in the neck nonetheless.

Earlier in the year, they had a Facebook 'promotion' (later discovered as a scam) where you could 'shout' an interstate mate a Farmers Union Iced Coffee (ie they would send instructions to the mate on how to receive a SMS voucher to redeem at a 'participating' BP service station). In addition, the first few thousand people that 'shouted' a mate would receive the same SMS voucher.

So 'shout' an interstate mate a Farmers Union Iced Coffee link, and I get my SMS for a free Farmers Union Iced Coffee, valid at any 'participating' BP service station (which, according to the link to the map Farmers Union provided on the SMS was any non-On the Run outlet).

Anyway, went to a few 'participating' BP service stations to try and claim the free iced coffee, who had never heard of the promotion and therefore wouldn't honour the voucher (which is fair enough).

Since the scam ended, there's been several complaints about the scam on their Facebook page (both SA people who couldn't redeem their vouchers and interstate people claiming most interstate 'participating' BP service stations weren't stocking Farmers Union Iced Coffee). Surprise surprise, the Facebook page has been largely dormant since the scam ended.

Was wondering why it was so quiet on the page lately. Normally post stuff all the time. The promotion worked for me and my mates so I don't know what's going on there although I heard a few people having trouble with it. Where abouts in Adelaide were the BPs you went to?

 

[brucetiki]

Was wondering why it was so quiet on the page lately. Normally post stuff all the time. The promotion worked for me and my mates so I don't know what's going on there although I heard a few people having trouble with it. Where abouts in Adelaide were the BPs you went to?

Tried the two non-On The Run BP's on Salisbury Highway (Parafield Gardens and Mawson Lakes).

Seems to be a very poorly handled promo and they've gone to ground once people started complaining about it.

 

[brucetiki]

^^^^^^^

Collecting phone numbers?

Junk mail in your inbox coming!

So far no telemarketers...yet

They can spam me all they want though - it will go to my rarely checked Hotmail account.

 

[FootyJunkie]

So far no telemarketers...yet

They can spam me all they want though - it will go to my rarely checked Hotmail account.

Called something else now I believe.

 

[radiojake]

Called something else now I believe.

Yeah they changed it to Outlook or something

but I still go to hotmail.com and still have @ hotmail.com at the end of my email address

 

[Milang_Panthers]

Tried the two non-On The Run BP's on Salisbury Highway (Parafield Gardens and Mawson Lakes).

Seems to be a very poorly handled promo and they've gone to ground once people started complaining about it.

Ah ok. Yeah I went to a BP down in Christies beach.

 

[brucetiki]

Called something else now I believe.

I know - shows how often I check it

 

[RBW_007]

got a bizarre call yesterday.

someone with what I think was an indonesian accent claiming that he was from the government and that they had had over charged me and that I was to receive a rebate of 2300 bucks.

Obviously I cottoned on right away but let him talk. basically he goes 'would you like it in the form of an electronic transfer or a cheque?'. I'm like just send me a cheque. and then he's like ok i'll just need your personal details then, and then i'm like but If you're the government then you already have my details...


He hung up

Got a similar call saying that I had been overcharged $5000 in fees over a time from my bank and the government was reimbursing me. Said they were going to send a cheque and wanted my personal details. Also get calls regarding my "Microsoft computer" and people claiming to be from Telstra.

 

[Power Raid]

At the computer shop where i work, we've had people come in who have been done by these Microsoft scammers multiple times. Some people are just beyond help. Our all time high score is 3 so far.

First time: Standard story. They rang, said she had viruses, let them in, top work lady. We give her the lecture, never EVER let anyone who rings you into your s**t, that sort of thing.
Second time: They rang, used the same story, she told them she'd already been scammed by them, at which point they said "Yes, but the software we want to install this time will stop it ever happening again." She thinks that's a good deal. Lets them in again. Proceeds to try and convince us that she's not an idiot for letting them again and justifies why she thought it was legit.
Third time: Scammers ring again. "We heard you've been scammed? We're from the federal police and we'd like to refund to your money. We just need your credit card details." She wouldn't fall for that surely? Yep. She did.

oh dear me

 

[Zach Package]

someone on facebook just shared this

Dear students,

There is a scam currently doing the rounds targeting international students.

The offenders are targeting students and advertising jobs at a juice bar in Russell Street (address is a bar). They do an interview via Skype and then hack into the students facebook, or the Chinese version (QQ ??) in this case, and post the video, without sound. They send it to relatives saying they are in financial trouble and ask for money to be sent C/O a Professor PAN at their uni, but the professor obviously doesn't exist.

Investigations are on-going. Please be careful!

 

[radiojake]

someone on facebook just shared this

man, international students get milked by our government, universities and public transport systems enough without this rubbish happening -

The fact that these kids can only work 20 hours a week max, and are unable to get a student card to enable concession fare public transport is not only a rort but straight out disgusting

 

[Power Raid]

man, international students get milked by our government, universities and public transport systems enough without this rubbish happening -

The fact that these kids can only work 20 hours a week max, and are unable to get a student card to enable concession fare public transport is not only a rort but straight out disgusting

agree

 

[MisterMarcus]

http://www.419eater.com

Scambaiters in action. Some of the s**t they have gotten scammers to do is great. I do feel sorry for they guys that got conned into entering a war zone though.

Was gonna post about this myself. Hilarious site.

They can get the scammers to jump through all manner of embarrassing and dangerous hoops by promising even a hint of giving them money.

 

[Shane Hird]

Had a mate who got done by the White Van scam in a shopping centre carpark. Paid $800 for a $150 projector worth '$2000'. We never get tired of bringing that up.

haha...I was in a shopping centre carpark in Fremantle the other week, 6pm on a Saturday, and a bloke in a white van pulls up as I'm walking and says out the window " Hey mate have you got a projector at home ?"

I just looked at him and laughed and he tore off looking for another possible target.

People think this is just random stuff, but there's scumbags out there that do this s**t for a living fulltime.

 

[Shane Hird]

I know a bloke who has been selling ads to businesses in a fake magazine for the last 25 years.

He's filthy rich and to this day his little army of ad salesman still sell 50 to 60 thousand dollars worth of ads a week.

It never ceases to amaze me how people believe what they hear over the phone if the smooth talking scammer sounds professional and legit.

 

[bunsen burner]

I once worked for a company who would sell software renewals (essentially extends support and allows updates and patches). They'd get the money off the client and keep it and wouldn't go and purchase the renewal off the vendor.

 

[woopedazz]

man, international students get milked by our government, universities and public transport systems enough without this rubbish happening -

The fact that these kids can only work 20 hours a week max, and are unable to get a student card to enable concession fare public transport is not only a rort but straight out disgusting

But they different skeeeen.

 

[Gough]

Sometimes just one face palm isn't enough.

Sometimes I really miss the good old days when you actually had to have some knowledge to be able to use a computer.

That's a very young Pink Floyd isn't it?

This happened to a flat mate of mine.
Jim had been recently divorced and a bit down his luck so he and another mate decided a ManillaPlayaesque jaunt through Thailand would be in order to cheer themselves up. This was the first overseas trip beyond the odd trip to the Costas for either of them and they were a touch wet behind the ears to say the least.
Turns out the first night they get there, they get themselves pissed up and procure the ladies and head back to the hotel. Jim's hooker then proceeds to to put some powder on her tit which he snorts. Ten hours later he wakes up and finds that she's relieved him of 800 quid in travellers cheques and a brand new camcorder that he'd bought duty free.
Took him a while before he was able to see the funny side of this.

 

[Borry]

Extras work in Sydney. Suck in vulnerable and poor uni students and unemployed to be extras for TV ads promising that they will get good pay then tell them they will be called to provide details on how they will get paid. The call was to invite them to the agent and try and get them signed up to that company where their pay will have significant reductions to pay for annual membership. Vulnerable 'employees' are never paid for their extras work that day.

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

Had my card skimmed at a St George ATM, scammers tried to withdraw money from my account the day before pay day, fortunately ATM's do not dispense 20 cent pieces

 

[davesnothere]

Have a friend who used a Visa debit card recently in Changi Airport in Singapore.....there was a skimming device in the machine over about 20 minutes he had 20 withdrawals from the account totalling some 3500 dollars ....unfortunately the bank refused to reimburse him the money being a Singapore bank atm Westpac wouldn't accept responsibility or liability....lesson being of you have a debit card overseas make sure you honey have a small amount of money that can be accessed directly from the account just top it up from another account as you need it.

 

[Borry]

Two fraud incidents on two of my credit cards within three weeks.

The first was that someone had spent $1000 on Cosmetics and at the Opera House, luckily that was picked up and I got the money back. Second was some Chinese person getting my credit card details off Paypal somehow and spending $120 on a Chinese toy store. Got that money back too.

 

[JuddsABlue]

I know a bloke who has been selling ads to businesses in a fake magazine for the last 25 years.

He's filthy rich and to this day his little army of ad salesman still sell 50 to 60 thousand dollars worth of ads a week.

It never ceases to amaze me how people believe what they hear over the phone if the smooth talking scammer sounds professional and legit.

50-60k a week?

3 million a year

25 years

How is he still getting away with it? All these companies are pouring in money for ads and none have noticed the ads don't exist or check to whether these magazines exist?

Can anyone in the industry confirm these numbers are real and if something like this is plausible

And also that's not really a scam, it's more outright theft on a million dollar level