Has anyone else noticed a dramatic uptick in the number of spam texts they're getting--both fake DMV alerts, etc., but also the "hello" or "how are you" variety whose purpose I never understood?
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I get some blatantly obvious ones, like texts from country codes outside my country... Or MLM texts that start off basically with "Can I talk to you"...
I have an NYC based cell # so I figured it was just due to more people in the region compared to where I currently live. I also don’t understand the “how are you?” spam texts.
Speaking of gold reminds me of funny things I C in cop shows. 1 bar of gold weighs 400 Troy ounces (26.25 #), but you’ll see somebody put 25 to 30 of them in a backpack and run away with the backpack on their back. Between 656.26 # to 787.5#. And whispering after firing a 45 inside a warehouse.
I THINK those last ones are just to see if they get a response and confirm the number's in use, kind of like sending out a spam blast and seeing which addresses don't bounce back as failed.
Don’t forget the texts from [email protected] reaching out to both buy your house AND to recruit you for a great opportunity at Amazon that you’re uniquely qualified for.
When an occupier attacks a country without cause.
The FBI (federal terrorist enablers) put out warnings yesterday or today to Apple phone users.
Perhaps Iran has a deal with Google and Android.
Yes and my phone is really just a default phone. I use it very infrequently. The latest is "Google" frantically contacting me about an old biz account. Right.... I scrubbed my Google account and footprint after their Gulf of America acquiescence earlier this year. Also getting "Hello" pokes.
Yes. Sigh, have to explain to my 88 yo mother that no, you don’t have unpaid tolls and they aren’t going to suspend your license for the car you don’t drive anymore.
Ever since DOGE got into OPM, I get lots of phone calls telling me I've been approved for thousands of dollars of loans. I'm talking a minimum of 4-5/week for months now.
It's a close race each week to see if they or the Dems fundraising contact me more.
I’m Dutch so probably on a different spam call radar - but I’m getting them WEEKLY now. Most frequently “Hello. I want to talk to you. Add me on WhatsApp.” in a robotic goice
The ones that start with “hello” and then “can you hear me” were being used a while ago to try and say that you bought/ordered something once they got your “yes” recorded. I basically just don’t answer my phone anymore.
Yes those “hello” texts are the 1st step in “pig butchering”. They hope to strike up a friendship with you (by targeting those who answer) & eventually they can steal from you with some type of investment scam. It’s called “pig butchering” because first they “fatten you up” by getting your trust.
And the people who send those are often slaves/captives in places like Myanmar who are beaten or killed if they don't make their numbers, which takes a lot of fun out of fucking with them.
John Oliver did a superb episode about all of this, including the trafficking part. Now whenever I get one of these, I feel sad and scared and powerless for the person who was forced to send it.
Yep. I also read a book about Crypto where the author went to China and into Myanmar and saw the office buildings (behind razor wire and guard towers) that are the home base for this.
It's just fraud and death all the way down and nobody in power fucking cares
Yep. Because of the removal of perceived consequences since the election and dismantling of consumer protections (not that there were many real consequences/protections anyway).
I've read - and this makes sense - that they're often a first step to phishing schemes. If you respond in any way, you verify the number does in fact go to a real person that can/will respond.
Nicola235 just told me she was Rebecca from Klarna. The bots aren’t even good. I clean out my “regular” texts a few times a week and count on people to use signal.
Yes! Apparently they had found a job for me! It was news to me that I was unemployed and the amount per hour they were offering was laughable. Obviously reported it as spam
1. If you respond your number might be marked as "active" which could result in you receiving further spam because your number gets sold to other spammers.
2. Starts the conversation to a pig butchering or romance scam. They'll eventually ask for crypto.
It's what's called a pig-butchering crypto scheme. Apparently it's a very long process, but I've been getting these "wrong number texts" for years. I answered a few of the early ones but always felt they were sus af.
those are just to gain access to your phone - somehow if you reply they gain access to your phone and too many people do their banking and all om their phones
Also MTA scams they text you to say you have a ticket for $6 from 2024 pay now - DON'T pay now just delete it
I got one that was for some shipment scam or whatever I think and then my provider texted me and was like, "Hey, that last text was an email to SMS thing and we're discontinuing that. You should message them and let them know" and I was like, "mmmmmmmm nah."
the “hello” ones are to validate working numbers that have a live person monitoring them. it is social engineering depending on your “friendly nature” to respond politely that they’ve contacted the wrong person- then they know it’s a live line & therefore worth $$ to sell.
Yes, yes, YES! Had almost stopped & now multiplecals & texts daily? Did Trump do an EO allowing them? Or did the DOGE boys sell out numbers to spammers?
I’ve gotten a couple in the past week that could have been written by my husband. The first one was worded exactly like his typical checking-in text. The other one said something related to an in-person conversation we had had an hour earlier. I hate it.
To be clear, I just delete and report spam immediately, but the increase has been noticeable (maybe 1 a week before, now 1-2 per day). They are *almost* as numerous as Dem fundraising texts 😂
I get an absolute huge number of fake DMV / traffic / ticket texts now. If Seattle ever does try to legitimately contact me about my car...good luck - because I'm not replying and I am certainly not facing any consequences for not replying.
I noticed this in the spring. It was really bad. And then have only had like one in the past month or so. I guess they've moved on to you? Sorry about that!
Do you also get the work from home job recruitment scams? Those are pretty strong for me these days (“hello” and the Dems are still the most prevalent, tho)
Idk if this helps anyone but I typed up and saved an automatic-sounding text asking them to confirm their yearly $69.69 subscription to bdsmxxxanal(.)com and receive a free beaded anal suspension hook by responding “YES DADDY”
For a laugh, check the country code on the phone numbers of the “DMV” texts you get. Mine have consistently been coming from numbers in the Philippines
The "hello how are you" ones will eventually get to the scam part 😆 🤣 😂 some idiot tried to use my step-dads profile Pic to try to scam me... his friends and family were notified and the profile was reported several times. 😆 🤣 😂
I still answer my land line. It's becoming unbearable this past couple of weeks. Medicare (which I'm not eligible for), electrical providers, and dubious charities.
Watch John Oliver's episode about "pig butchering", then you'll understand. They try to get you into a conversation, build an emotional bond and then steal your money. I block them on sight.
The "Hello" ones are likely pig butchering starters.
I used to engage with them for lols, but then I read that most sending them are basically slaves in Myanmar who are beaten or killed if they don't make quota, so it took a lot of fun out the the exercise
In the three times I explored the "hello" texts, they have turned out to be beautiful single ladies trying to plan something with a friend who ended up thinking I had a really great personality and would like to meet some time. Sooo, not all of them are catfish attempts
LOL, sometimes the weirdo reaching out to you is for real. Last summer, My brother-in-law and I were diving from boulders into Shaver Lake (CA). Some boaters saw us doing it and decided they wanted to join us. One of the guys lost his Apple Watch on impact with the water. My B-I-L and I are divers
so we put on our kid's masks and free-dove down to see if we could find the watch. We did! My B-I-L also found a second Apple Watch at the bottom. Not knowing how long it had been at the bottom of the lake, he dried it out in rice and then charged it. The next day it worked. Somehow, he was able to
find the owner's contact info and texted her... "Hello, is this _______?" He told her he had found her Apple Watch at the bottom of a lake and was willing to send it to her. She thought it was some scam and was reticent to give her address, but told him she lived in Moorpark, CA.
I've been getting an average of 2 to 3 spam texts a day. My elderly mom gets multiple spam calls daily on her land line every morning starting at around 8AM. We block the numbers but they just call the next day from a new one. Its infuriating.
Yup. Just got one a few minutes ago alerting me to my one-time Coinbase login code with a number to call immediately. (This just after I made a purchase online…)
Been getting a lot via WhatsApp recently too as it gives them a way of confirming it's delivered/read of course. I.e. showing its a valid and live number.
I'm sure someone has already said this, but it's to establish a back and forth conversation if you reply with "who is this" that then gets factored into a risk algorithm trying to figure out if the random text is spam, or you got someone's number at a party or something. Bad actors try to game this
Yes! It’s like they’re trying every trick now—fake DMV alerts and the awkward ‘hello’ texts from mystery numbers.Totally! I get those ‘how are you?’ texts and I’m just sitting here like, who even are you?
Yes, best not to engage. I did. One was a “doctor” who worked for Doctors Without “Boarders” 😃Another was the legal counsel to the White House…who insisted I “use Telegram right away cos I want to talk to you about politics”. 🙄
I get many texts about jobs and they often don’t even bother to fill in the script. “Hi, this is {name} from Amazon. We have a great opportunity for you to earn {$500/1000} each day you work”
I had two texts pretend to be women texting their friend something like "Sorry I'm running late, can't find the address." I played along and wrote "Wrong number." In a few replies this turned into, "You seem like a nice man, very understanding, probably older, right? Not like young men today."
I recognize these ones right away, and ussssually just block + report, but on occasion, I'll play along for a while just to tie up their time and keep them away from their real marks.
I'm sure it's pretty fruitless for me to do that, but...it gives me joy to annoy them a bit.
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They want your true name
I occasionally get spam for sports betting, but not often.
The FBI (federal terrorist enablers) put out warnings yesterday or today to Apple phone users.
Perhaps Iran has a deal with Google and Android.
it gets quiet after that 🤷
It's a close race each week to see if they or the Dems fundraising contact me more.
I think the vague “hello” ones are intended to get you into conversation and ultimately catfish you into sending money.
Oooookay.
I assume the ramdom "Hello" texts will either become romance scams or job scams depending on how they feel out the recipient.
For example, in many states, I can look up your mortgage security instrument for free, without a log in.
(There's not really private info on it, per se, but it's a puzzle piece)
And texts saying I better pay my tolls.
And now voicemails saying there has been suspicious activity on my Apple account.
I block and report, but I have the sense that there is no one on the other end looking for fraud anymore.
lots of scam followers I imagine?
Both 365 area codes, numbers not known to me. Weird.
Allegedly these texts are the first step of "pig butchering"
It's just fraud and death all the way down and nobody in power fucking cares
Reimagine people.
1. If you respond your number might be marked as "active" which could result in you receiving further spam because your number gets sold to other spammers.
2. Starts the conversation to a pig butchering or romance scam. They'll eventually ask for crypto.
Also MTA scams they text you to say you have a ticket for $6 from 2024 pay now - DON'T pay now just delete it
BUT WHAT DO I KNOW.
https://castro.fm/episode/Z7hd97
I’ve been using the AT&T ActiveArmor app and it’s pretty good at blocking most of that crap.
I believe the “hello” ones are meant to start innocent seeming catfish attempts
I used to engage with them for lols, but then I read that most sending them are basically slaves in Myanmar who are beaten or killed if they don't make quota, so it took a lot of fun out the the exercise
That’s weird, I retired more than a decade ago.
A group with everyone named Natasha where everyone's real name is Boris
https://bsky.app/profile/carlmega84.bsky.social/post/3lrnuqubgts22
lots of fake job offers, lately, which is probably an economic indicator of some sort!
when I have actually texted with job-related people, they use a corporate address or number
I'm sure it's pretty fruitless for me to do that, but...it gives me joy to annoy them a bit.
The hello texts are meant to establish a relationship and over time get money from you. They might be LLM's at this point