<p>OOh, good catch, vp!</p>
<p>I keep getting spam calls directly to my backline in my office. VERY annoying. I’ve told them to stop and to take me off their list, but they hang up fast. And from what I’ve read on the web, if you try to block 1 number they just call you from another in that area code (603).</p>
<p>I have also heard about the apartment rental AND sales scams, where honest folks get duped by folks posing as the owners/managers while the real owners/managers have NO IDEA that their properties are being set used as bait in a scam. It is a crazy world out there–prices below market and huge rush to lock in terms (especially BEFORE being able to see premises) are a huge WARNING that things are not what they appear, especially when owner/manager or others are “out of town,” but need things finalized and/or cash immediately or someone else will get the great deal. </p>
<p>This was featured a while back in our newspapers as well. Lots of scary stuff and free ads on Craigslist & other places give more scope for scammers as well as legit folks.</p>
<p>Have not had a problem, thus far, with VRBO. Have they had scam problems with phantom listings too? Anyone know?</p>
<p>Huh. Interesting. Never thought about that.</p>
<p>My husband recently was victim of the “I was mugged in the UK of everything but my passport please send me $1800 via Western Union” scam. What was disturbing and amusing – the scammer had taken over my husband’s Facebook account and was having live FB chats with my husband’s FB friends. Many of his friends started calling and emailing me. Several decided to play along with the scammer, and promised to send him money and so got an address, which we forwarded to Facebook. They all used various code words to confirm that it wasn’t my husband. One friend told the scammer she would send him money but that he still had to keep their affair secret.</p>
<p>I need a long-term rental overseas this year, and I am very concerned about getting scammed.</p>
<p>If only scammers and spammers could use their obvious creativity in ways that benefitted the whole of society. </p>
<p>They are obviously clever (except the ones that don’t spell correctly) and ambitious - spamming thousands of people everyday while avoiding the detection by the email companies. Eventually if they cast their net wide enough, they will get results because there are enough good hearted folks or suckers who fall for it. </p>
<p>I just have to wonder if these people have day jobs, too. </p>
<p>A couple of years ago, I got what looked like a construction bid with photos for a kitchen remodel on my yahoo. It looked so legit, I fell for it (which is why I don’t fall for anything, anymore). I sent an email to the sender and mentioned it to my husband - he told me its the new scam. I then had to change all my passwords. </p>
<p>What’s next?</p>