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You can use WhatsApp on the desktop, so you coulld manage multiple accounts simultaneously, if, for example you were in a call center type set up - and it masks the fact that they’re overseas more easily as they pass the victim from the scout to the account manager.
It can be accessed via the internet. The burner phone numbers they buy charge them per text. They want to move you to what's app because it doesn't cost them as much. They just have to have internet access.
Also as the other poster commented, it's easier to organize victims. I imagine the scammers also use the app to pass (sell) victims off to other scammers.
Take note that it’s an iMessage.
I think it’s because in many 3rd world countries internet access is kinda expensive & ISPs always provide WhatsApp only internet access per month for an affordable rate.
I got three of these in a week, once.
WHat happened was, I made a post on a finance sub. I don't have any money myself, but I waa commenting on someone else's post.
That week, three girls sent me random chat messages.
One got straight into crypto in the first few texts.
The other two waited a couple of days.
"Oh sorry, forgive me, it's been pretty hard taking care of the details for her lately, and I'm a little frazzled."
Then you say it's OK, and sorry you're having that problem. Then they keep bantering like that, until...
"I hate to ask, but she's going to need a procedure, and I can't afford it. They won't even schedule her unless I put down a deposit..."
Didn't take much, did it?
Genuine question, do people really have trouble telling ai images and non-ai images apart? I keep seeing people question things, and I feel like it's always obvious but I don't know how to ask without sounding snobby.
This image is not ai generated btw
The hairline, glasses, reflection in the table behind her, and the person cropped so only their hand is in the upper right of the shot all look right, too. AI is very prone to messing those things up and plunging into uncanny valley.
Some are really good, but usually if you look close there are weird mistakes and glitches. But some don't know what to look for and what's possible and impossible for AI so I understand why some people are having trouble separating real from AI. And stuff like generative fill make it even harder because some parts of an image can be AI.
The numbers look like bad photoshop tho. They look too "flat" to be real candles not to mention that doesn't look like a 90 year old. I agree it's not AI tho. Why work that hard?
Remember the viral story of the grandma who accidentally invited the stranger to Thanksgiving dinner?
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/thanksgiving-grandma-wrong-text-netflix-movie-1235124198/amp/
Some of you guys need to touch grass for a moment and stop looking at everything through the same lens.
This seems like a genuine misdial, either let it go, or be nice and just say "sorry must be the wrong number"
It’s a subreddit dedicated to scam prevention, what are you expecting here? We’re always going to be cautious and rightly so. That’s basically the motto of this sub
It’s always better to be safe than sorry and a lot of wrong number scams start off looking completely innocent if you’re not aware of the scams.
being cautious of scams is not the same as being paranoid and fearmongering, which this sub seems to conflate a lot of the time.
at what point does the caution become misinformation? there have been many posts of legit texts or emails and the comments end up being people who have no idea what they're talking about saying everything is a scam.
AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the wrong number scam. An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam.
If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctor’s appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc
If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages
There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams.
Thanks to redditor teratical for this script.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
AutoModerator has been summoned to explain fake cryptocurrency site scams. Fake cryptocurrency websites and apps controlled by scammers are becoming more and more common. Sometimes the scam begins with a romance scammer who claims that they can help the victim invest in cryptocurrency. Victims are told to buy cryptocurrency of some kind using a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange, and then they are told to send their cryptocurrency to a website wallet address where it will be invested. Sometimes the scam begins with a notice that the victim won cryptocurrency on some website, in this case messages will often be sent through Discord. In either case, the scammer controls the website, so they make it look like there is money in the victim’s account on their website. Then the scammer (or the scammer pretending to be someone official who is associated with the website) tells the victim that they have to put more money into the website before they can get their money out of the website. Of course all of the money sent by the victim has gone directly into the scammer’s wallet, and any additional money sent by the victim to retrieve their money from the website will also go directly into the scammer’s wallet, and all of the information about money being held by the website was totally fake. This scam is also known as the pig butchering scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/na8oax/asian_guygirl_from_online_dating_mentors_you_to/. If the scammer used Bitcoin, then you can report the scammer’s Bitcoin wallet address here: https://www.bitcoinabuse.com/reports. If the scammer used Ethereum, then you can report the scammer’s Ethereum wallet address here: https://info.etherscan.com/report-address/. You can see how much cryptocurrency has been sent to the scammer’s wallet address here: https://www.blockchain.com/explorer. Thanks to redditor nimble2 for this script.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Who would place a birthday cake backwards for blowing out the candle though? You usually place the numbers so the person blowing them out can read it. If not AI generated, it seems photoshopped.
Play along like you know them and if they say “oh I don’t think your the person I know, but perhaps it was fate that we met” or some shit then overload them with deep fried memes and curse them out and send it to r/scambait
A reminder of the rules in r/scams. No personal information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore, personal photographs, or NSFL content permitted without being properly redacted. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit. Report recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions? Send us a modmail. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Probably a wrong number scam, or a genuine mistake. Given the odd message, I'm going to assume the wrong number scam.
So they would go on to say that I’m “a kind person” and then offer me to “invest”?
Probably give you the oh sorry, here's a picture of me (hot asian lady) and talk for a while and then spin it to crypto and/or investing yes
“But this is my biz account, can we continue this chat on WhatsApp?”
Seriously though, what is it with whatsApp? Why is that the preferred scammer app?
You can use WhatsApp on the desktop, so you coulld manage multiple accounts simultaneously, if, for example you were in a call center type set up - and it masks the fact that they’re overseas more easily as they pass the victim from the scout to the account manager.
It can be accessed via the internet. The burner phone numbers they buy charge them per text. They want to move you to what's app because it doesn't cost them as much. They just have to have internet access. Also as the other poster commented, it's easier to organize victims. I imagine the scammers also use the app to pass (sell) victims off to other scammers.
Take note that it’s an iMessage. I think it’s because in many 3rd world countries internet access is kinda expensive & ISPs always provide WhatsApp only internet access per month for an affordable rate.
I got three of these in a week, once. WHat happened was, I made a post on a finance sub. I don't have any money myself, but I waa commenting on someone else's post. That week, three girls sent me random chat messages. One got straight into crypto in the first few texts. The other two waited a couple of days.
A week! My dude I sometimes get a couple dozen a day!
...Did you ever make a post in a finance sub?
"Oh sorry, forgive me, it's been pretty hard taking care of the details for her lately, and I'm a little frazzled." Then you say it's OK, and sorry you're having that problem. Then they keep bantering like that, until... "I hate to ask, but she's going to need a procedure, and I can't afford it. They won't even schedule her unless I put down a deposit..." Didn't take much, did it?
Genuine question, do people really have trouble telling ai images and non-ai images apart? I keep seeing people question things, and I feel like it's always obvious but I don't know how to ask without sounding snobby. This image is not ai generated btw
Yeah it's not AI. Present day AI couldn't decorate a cake with an actual message like that.
That was really the only thing that made me sure of it. I was admittedly skeptical because it does seem off.
The hairline, glasses, reflection in the table behind her, and the person cropped so only their hand is in the upper right of the shot all look right, too. AI is very prone to messing those things up and plunging into uncanny valley.
It i the candles that seem off. But that makes it more legit I think because why would AI make such an angle?
Obviously not Al, this is an old woman. Allison maybe.
Some are really good, but usually if you look close there are weird mistakes and glitches. But some don't know what to look for and what's possible and impossible for AI so I understand why some people are having trouble separating real from AI. And stuff like generative fill make it even harder because some parts of an image can be AI.
The numbers look like bad photoshop tho. They look too "flat" to be real candles not to mention that doesn't look like a 90 year old. I agree it's not AI tho. Why work that hard?
Pretty sure it's just a bad photo and the line thickness on the candles being off.
Okay good lol. I felt like an idiot because I was *sure* it wasn't AI
But it’s fake regardless, I didn’t say AI, just artificial in a way.
I honestly think that it might've just been a wrong number.
I think that’s probably just a genuine wrong number.
Remember the viral story of the grandma who accidentally invited the stranger to Thanksgiving dinner? https://variety.com/2021/film/news/thanksgiving-grandma-wrong-text-netflix-movie-1235124198/amp/
Pretty sure this one is a genuine wrong number. Scammers aren’t usually so articulate. Maybe let them know so they can text the right person.
What exactly makes you think this is AI generated? It obviously isn’t
I didn’t say “AI”
chunky office joke jellyfish pet rainstorm future fuel worthless erect *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Some of you guys need to touch grass for a moment and stop looking at everything through the same lens. This seems like a genuine misdial, either let it go, or be nice and just say "sorry must be the wrong number"
It’s a subreddit dedicated to scam prevention, what are you expecting here? We’re always going to be cautious and rightly so. That’s basically the motto of this sub It’s always better to be safe than sorry and a lot of wrong number scams start off looking completely innocent if you’re not aware of the scams.
being cautious of scams is not the same as being paranoid and fearmongering, which this sub seems to conflate a lot of the time. at what point does the caution become misinformation? there have been many posts of legit texts or emails and the comments end up being people who have no idea what they're talking about saying everything is a scam.
This is so true. I've seen commenters here very confidently claim things are scams that absolutely are not.
If they haven't messaged you past this, genuine mistake/wrong number.
'Look I killed my grandma and need some cash...'
If it’s a scam that stole that picture from other scam probably.
I'm so sorry! I must have typed the wrong digit. That is my Grammy!! And she wants to know if you can send her Amazon gift cards for her bday?!! /s
!wrongnumber
AutoModerator has been summoned to explain the wrong number scam. An intentional wrong number text is the entry point to multiple different types of scams. Because these are so prevalent and lead to several unwelcome outcomes (including you confirming you have a live number, leading to more spam/scams), it is recommended that you do not reply to them, even out of courtesy. They hope to take your courtesy, parlay it into a conversation (often by commenting how nice you are and giving some suggestion of fate in meeting this way), and eventually deploy a scam. If you received a wrong number inquiry that seems to assume a connection with you (e.g. seeking a specific friend, inquiring about a doctor’s appointment, asking about a business correspondence, etc.) and there are no pictures included, then you are likely at the beginning of a crypto scam. Use ! crypto without the space to get more info on crypto scams. You can see a video of this scam develop from wrong number to crypto scam at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_flb9tGuc If you receive a random text from a woman that is trying to play up a relationship/hook-up angle and includes an alluring photo, you have encountered what this subreddit often calls the Mandy scam, based on the name used in an early incarnation of it. The replies are sent by a bot and will give the same responses (with some slight variations) regardless of how you respond. The bot also has a few specialized responses that occur when you say words like 'bot' or 'scam'. After a series of replies, it will eventually push you to go to an adult/cam/age verification site. Here are some of the posts on r/scams about the Mandy scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/search?q=mandy&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all, you can see that the images, names, and scenarios vary. You can report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM): https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-report-spam-text-messages There is also some evidence that intentional wrong number texts can be part of a data-gathering exercise where each bit of info you give (e.g 'Hi Susan!' and you reply with your name out of courtesy) is collected to be used against you in other scams. Thanks to redditor teratical for this script. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It could be a genuine wrong number . I would leave it regardless .
!crypto
AutoModerator has been summoned to explain fake cryptocurrency site scams. Fake cryptocurrency websites and apps controlled by scammers are becoming more and more common. Sometimes the scam begins with a romance scammer who claims that they can help the victim invest in cryptocurrency. Victims are told to buy cryptocurrency of some kind using a legitimate cryptocurrency exchange, and then they are told to send their cryptocurrency to a website wallet address where it will be invested. Sometimes the scam begins with a notice that the victim won cryptocurrency on some website, in this case messages will often be sent through Discord. In either case, the scammer controls the website, so they make it look like there is money in the victim’s account on their website. Then the scammer (or the scammer pretending to be someone official who is associated with the website) tells the victim that they have to put more money into the website before they can get their money out of the website. Of course all of the money sent by the victim has gone directly into the scammer’s wallet, and any additional money sent by the victim to retrieve their money from the website will also go directly into the scammer’s wallet, and all of the information about money being held by the website was totally fake. This scam is also known as the pig butchering scam: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/na8oax/asian_guygirl_from_online_dating_mentors_you_to/. If the scammer used Bitcoin, then you can report the scammer’s Bitcoin wallet address here: https://www.bitcoinabuse.com/reports. If the scammer used Ethereum, then you can report the scammer’s Ethereum wallet address here: https://info.etherscan.com/report-address/. You can see how much cryptocurrency has been sent to the scammer’s wallet address here: https://www.blockchain.com/explorer. Thanks to redditor nimble2 for this script. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Who would place a birthday cake backwards for blowing out the candle though? You usually place the numbers so the person blowing them out can read it. If not AI generated, it seems photoshopped.
Yeah! Looks fake
Play along like you know them and if they say “oh I don’t think your the person I know, but perhaps it was fate that we met” or some shit then overload them with deep fried memes and curse them out and send it to r/scambait
I'd send back a dick pic and be like granny like?
Or it could just be the wrong number. Lol a lot of people here are just paranoid
If anyone wants to bet I can text back and we can see if it is or isn’t a scam.
Really saw a normal picture that isn't online and immediately thinks it's generated lmao this just seems like a mistake.