I got an email today allegedly from Evite from a friend’s email inviting me to an event by Robin Carter. It wouldn’t let me sign in using my Evite password. So I looked it up and it’s a known scam trying to get you to log in via Google to steal that password.
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JustADaughter is heading to South America and I will be in Italy later this summer, we were talking about the prevalence of AI cloning voices, and although we initially laughed at the idea, we decided to bring back a “safe word” in case either of us were to attempt being scammed. I can assure you I would go insane (my go-to is panic) if “she” called to tell me she was hurt or was in trouble, and we created a new safe word, just like when she was in elementary school!
Why this even came up, a dear friend who lives in Canada has a bunch of grandchildren who run a school deep in Mexico. JustAFriend got a call a few weeks ago “Uma, I’m in trouble” she was woken from sleep. It was her 29 year old grandson who was calling and he was crying. She talked to him for about 2 minutes, and suddenly realized it was not him! But she was shook to her core. She’s very savvy, and told me, “In my head I was thinking which account I could wire him $ from quickly”
So yes, it happens and it can be very disarming!
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Ooh the pine straw scammers are in our neighborhood today. Good thing we don’t use pine straw.
Awful there are so many scammers & scams abounding. When things sound too good to be true, double and triple check, especially if you’re being pressured to act quickly. Listen to the alarm bells & watch the red flags! Call the main company and double check and get things in writing!
What do the pine straw scammers do? I had one come to the front door last week, but I told him I wasn’t the homeowner so I could authorize anything. He did have a trailer full of pine straw bales, so how does the scam work?
They take your order and your payment info…but YOU never see anything they sell. Crooks.
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Because of this scam thread & spotlight on scams, I checked carefully about a Apria class action due to a privacy breach—another company releasing patient info. I qualified & was a member of the class & got an email that I’m getting a settlement—gift master debit card for $xx.xx. Tried adding it to my apple wallet but when I tried using it at Costco, it was denied. Came home & had them mail me a plastic card. I will use if to refill my Amazon gift card balance and use it for Amazon purchases until it runs out. This way I don’t have to keep checking the balance, etc. Sometimes companies are challenging about how you spend debit cards.
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I received a “THIS IS NOT A BILL” statements form Medicare. Listed on it was a claim filed from a medical practice in a state 1500 miles away for 6 months of catheter supplies.
I have never sought medical treatment in this state, nor do I use catheters. The statement said that I may be billed for a couple of thousand of dollars by these thieves.
I called my Blue Cross Medical advantage company and it turns out they’d already denied the claim, flagging it as fraud. They suggested I also file a fraud complaint with Medicare.
All done, new Medicare number issued. I asked what to do if this company bills me. The reply was that it was unlikely that I would be billed, as the scammer wants to get paid by the government, as opposed to chasing me for the payment.
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I got the same thing a few month’s ago and I needed my yahoo password. Jokes on them as I don’t know it (usually yahoo doesn’t use passwords but sends a code).
The scam ruined my friend’s (the ‘host’ the evite came from) email and she can’t use it anymore.
I got a gift card for $100 from Goodyear when I bought a set of tires. They sent me the card (after 2 attempts to file for the card). Didn’t work. Sent another. Worked at Safeway but then wouldn’t work at a Kroger. Oh, that location is banned for too many fraudulent cards and now my card is blocked. Sent another. Didn’t work. I finally went back to Discount Tire and the manager issued me a $100 refund. Then Goodyear sent a final card for whatever was remaining after the Safeway purchase, and I put it on Amazon and, like @HImom I didn’t worry about it anymore.
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My friend had been hacked in more than this - someone was using her American Airlines points to buy gift cards. After many hours and a new account, she got that straightend out and spent more hours changing her passwords on everything.
I just got this message from a dear friend:
“I am not asking anyone for money. So if you get a message from me asking for a couple of hundred. Its not me. I just got a Facetime from my cousin asking for money. I saw her face and her lips moving. Then she messaged “Poor connection” and and asked me on messenger for $200, just for one day. I fell for it, because I had seen her face with her lips moving, so was sure it was her. Except her email was not the one I knew. So I did not send the money. She asked for pay-pal fb transfer or e-transfer Watch it my friends. They are getting smarter.”
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Actually her they claim to estimate the # of bales it will take, and then charge an exorbitant amount, claiming it took twice as many bales. Here is are examples: SCAM ALERT: PINE STRAW SCAMMERS 05/28/2026 - Hoover Police Department
How to avoid falling victim to pine straw scammers this fall - WJCL
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I am enrolled in IDX identity monitoring thanks to a hospital data breach. Today I received an email indicating that my data had appeared in 3 breaches. Something about the email seemed off. I looked at the sender address, which included IDX but again, seemed off. I went to the IDX site outside of the email, signed in, and no new breach reports. Scams are everywhere!
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It’s like they tried to scam the scam!!
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I got a call from someone asking if I recognize a charge on my Apple Pay card. I spoke with him for a few minutes and felt something was off. I said I don’t even have an Apple Pay card. Then I told him I would call Apple myself and I hung up on him
What was upsetting is my patient, a former professor, had the same call on the same day. She too did not have an Apple Pay card but she spent hours on the phone with him. He told her to go withdraw $10,000 from the bank and put it in an APM crypto machine. She went to the bank to check it out at that point realized that it was a scam. Had her computer guy come to her house to see what was going on and he told her the same thing I had, which is to get off the phone and to call the company directly, whether it’s Apple or AT&T. It made me sad to think that someone is bright as she could be so close to being scammed.
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Every time I hear someone who should know better fall for one of these, even temporarily, I’m dismayed. The idea that any reputable company would ask you to put your money in crypto or Bitcoin or gift cards or boxes of cash to hand over, is so insane, and yet I read stories over and over with all those scenarios.
Though to be honest, every day on social media I see people blithely sharing the most ridiculous scammy fake stories and posts. Mostly people my age. Critical thinking is getting vanishingly rare.
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This isn’t a scam per se, but I think it’s a rip off. Apparently there was a Blue Cross Blue Shield class action settlement and they said ours was a valid claim but because by the time the lawyers get paid, we would be paid less than five dollars, they decided to keep the money due to us. What kind of nonsense is that? Most of these class action payments are only a few dollars. Only now and then are they more than that. This is ridiculous. They get to pocket money that’s not theirs.Wonder who is getting to keep it? Probably the lawyers.
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My relative works at a bank. The bank sent out the following message:
The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate with family and friends, but it’s also a favorite time of year for scammers… They know banks, agencies, and offices will be closed, making it harder for you to verify anything before acting. Here’s what to watch for and how to stay protected:
• URGENT MESSAGES ARE A RED FLAG - Watch for texts or emails claiming to be from the IRS, a government agency, or a financial institution, warning of an emergency like a locked account or unpaid taxes that need immediate action. Real agencies and reputable financial institutions will never pressure you this way.
• HOLIDAY LINKS CAN CARRY MALWARE - Fourth of July e-cards, fireworks videos, and social media “deals” are common vehicles for malicious links. If something looks too festive to be real, treat it with caution.
• VERIFY BEFORE YOU TRUST - A message from a friend on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or by text could come from a hacked or cloned account. Even genuine friends can unknowingly forward malware. When in doubt, confirm directly with the person before clicking.
• PROTECT YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNTS - If you receive a message about your bank or card accounts, do not click any links or call any numbers included in it. Call your financial institution directly using the number on your card or their official website to confirm.
• LET IT WAIT! - If you cannot verify that a message is legitimate and the sender is closed for the holiday, let it wait… A real issue will still be there when they reopen.
Please enjoy the holiday weekend with your ohana and keep your guard up along with the fireworks…
Mahalo for keeping security a priority,
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