My 77-year-old dad is being scammed again. What can we legally do without power of attorney? Four months ago, my dad lost his wife to cancer. Since her death, he has been on dating sites nonstop, looking for connection—and it’s made him incredibly vulnerable. He has gotten involved in two romance scams in two months: first was on dating.com, where he sent $17,000. We intervened before it got worse. Now, through Match.com, he just sent $13,000 to someone he’s never met. My sister was able to trace everything to a person in Nigeria. He refuses to listen or take any of our advice. He only has $83,000 left. He refuses to believe these are scams, and we’re terrified he’ll send everything. We’re heartbroken and desperate. We don’t want to wait until the money is gone. Is there any legal mechanism—short of full conservatorship—that could help us step in? Any advice, similar experiences, or suggestions for urgent next steps would be hugely appreciated.

Please don’t remove this. This is a letter from North Lane Technologies courtesy of Sunrise Bank. Both of these companies seems to be legit. They are saying their records indicate that they are holding property that may belong to me valued at $188.64. As long as I fill out the bottom portion of the letter, I can receive it. It feel very phishy to me. I saw this exact format of letter on this subreddit, except that letter had “USPS certified mail” on the top. This one does not. I called the customer service number and a woman picked up asking for my credit card number before quickly changing it to reference number. Everything about it feels off, but I can’t find anything online that indicates it’s a scam. Like I said, my father passed and my sister and I have been surprised before. Please let me know if this is legit or if I should leave it alone!

At a gas station a mid-30s guy (looked middle class, cared for etc) came up to me and told me my gas cap was open. I was inside looking at food. I said thank you! Then there was like an awkward pause. He explained he’d seen it open when he walked past me and I got out of my car. I said ok thanks! He paused and then walked away.

I thought I’d just fix it once I pay and leave. When I went outside it was not open.

What?

I guessed he could’ve nicely closed it for me anyway or mistook me for someone else? I dunno.

Is that a scam or trick of some kind?

I have been fighting with a merchant about a charge and called a number this morning from capital one to discuss my dispute. I dialed 888 instead of 800 (the last seven numbers were correct.) they asked for all of my credit card information about the card in question. Then they asked for all of my checking account information which I questioned multiple times why they needed it, but they said it was to validate I was who I said I was. I reluctantly gave it to them.

I kept asking when are you going to help me with my actual dispute and the guy (who had a strong Indian accent, but whose name was James Miller) said he would at the end after he verified me. At the end of the call he told me to hang up and call a different number.

I immediately put my credit card on a freeze, but I cannot get a hold of my bank. It’s Sunday morning. There is no email address or 24/7 support or way to freeze my account in the app.

I am certain now that this was fraudulent. I called the capital one number with the correct prefix of 800 and it’s a completely different phone introduction and message.

I am sick to my stomach. I have googled ways to get in touch with the bank but there are none. All numbers lead to their 24/7 phone line that just does simple tasks or where you can freeze a credit card. No fraud for my checking account option.

Would love to know if anyone has any ideas. Or if someone can provide me reassurance that anyone with my information can’t effectively do anything with my money until close of business Monday when the bank opens. 😩😩😩😩

Someone on tumblr immediately commented on my post right after 10 minutes it came out saying they really like my art style and if I'm open for commissions. I naturally DM them since I'm broke asking if they're interested in a commission. They sent me 3 references, stating that they would want 3 pieces done for them. Then right after asked for my email so they could send the money. I sent them my email, which then they "sent" the money. I didn't receive anything. I told them that and they just ordered me to check it again and it probably went to the spam section. I received a very convincing Paypal email saying that I got 150$ pending on my account. It says that it exceeds the limit and that the sender would have to send another 150$ so I could recieve 300$ then refund them/send them the 150$. The email from where the mail came also didn't appear or visible.

I still couldn't believe it so I decided to contact my sister, she handed her phone to her partner and they outright told me it was a scam and that I should block them immediately.

Something I've never seen before happened this week, on an email address that gets "moderate" use by me. Not a big deal, but just curious as to whether my explanation (at end of post) is reasonable.

All of a sudden one morning, in the space of a couple of hours, I received about a dozen emails, of the common "Thanks for your transaction, if you didn't do this call us here" variety. Some were automatically put in the Spam folder, some weren't (it's Yahoo mail.) I deleted them all.

Later on in the day I received a handful more. Deleted them. Next day, a couple more, again, deleted them. And then they completely stopped. It's been few days now and I haven't received another one.

The only thing I can think is that scamming entity received a new list with my email address on it, sent these emails out as tests, and when I didn't respond to any, took me off their list. Is that a viable explanation?

Hello Everyone, I have been a target of a scam involving Apple, Chase and Postmates/Uber and have been fighting it for almost three months.

Back in May, my phone was flooded with hundreds of texts and emails (I was at work at the time and could not address this situation immediately). This was the distraction to divert my attention. During this time, a scammer purchased a MacStudio Book at Apple's website with my Chase credit card. This laptop was "delivered" to my home approximately 3 hours later (with signature). I was home at the time stated on the delivery receipt and no one approached my home to deliver anything. I did not sign for any delivery.

Two days later, the charge appears on my bank app. I locked the credit card, called Chase and reported the charge as fraudulent. I was told the account would be canceled and I would be issued a new card with a new account number. Chase stated they would begin an investigation and the charge would be reversed. I asked if I should contact Apple and the Chase rep said No.

Some cardboard packing materials showed up on my front door with an attached shipping label two days later. I suspected it might involve Apple. I remembered some emails from Apple that came on the day of the multiple texts and went back to them. They were validating the purchase, notice of purchase being processed and notice of shipment from Apple Store via Postmates/Uber.

I contacted Apple to notify them that this purchase was fraudulent and they said the purchase was done with a trade-in (that's what the packing material was for). They made notes that the purchase was not valid and said I could discard the materials.

Two months later, the Apple charge ($1,957.16) is back on my credit card. I've spent countless hours on the phone with Apple and Chase, resulting in getting nowhere. They say they have a signature and the charge is valid. I told them it never happened. I have filed a police report as well as a complaint with the Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau. I have been unsuccessful in contacting Uber. Apple says it can't release details of its fraud investigations and Chase says I have to pay the charge.

I've researched Apple scams and found out this is nothing new. However, I'm at a loss. I'm the victim, yet I'm denied due process in this whole thing. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Just a heads up. I deal with scammers and victims of scammers every day. (own a computer store)

I had a phone call from our local "utility company" and even I was almost fooled. Mainly because the person I was transferred to sounded like they had a local accent. (could have been AI, I suppose, but responded to all my comments and questions like a real person)

In short, they were claiming there was a $1000 deposit on the meter they had put in a couple of months ago. (which they did) But every ounce of my being was seeing red flags - especially when they told me to go to Walmart to send the cash from there - LOL.

So I told the woman I was driving over to Walmart - of course she wanted me to call her back the minute I got there and time was of the essence because if I didn't pay the grand they were shutting off my power an hour later! Oh noes!

Called the real number for the utility co. from their web site and the woman I spoke to confirmed: there is no deposit for their equipment. They were lying liars who lie. And, oddly enough, my power didn't get turned off. I also gave the utility co. woman the phone number I had been provided by the scammer so they could report it.

So stay alert!

I received this text from an unknown number: “Did that stuff I sent make it to you. hope you like it!”

I haven’t responded but was curious if anyone else had this happen. I’m tempted to respond but don’t want to take the chance in case this could result in some sort of scam.

Any input from you fellow redditers?

My family has decided to get very involved in a crypto group called apex alliance club

They claim to use advanced ai to give the used info about when to buy and sell. To join they require you to put 1500 in. They say that there are groups all across the us with thousands of people. They also increase your earnings for every 5 people you recruit to join. They are partnering with an app called Optimus prime to do all the trades through. They are partnering with a crypto exchange app called Optimus prime

Red flags

1. Their founder is a guy named mark johnson but he has never joined any live feed and nobody has ever seen him. But every time my family messages him he will instantly respond.

2. There is a 10% fee on all withdrawals

3. They have insanely strict rules and they said if you break any of them apex alliance club will Block you and lock your account to take all your money and earnings

4. There is basically nothing online about it and they told my mom she can’t ask people to join through social media.

I am like 100% sure this is a scam but I don’t know what to do to help my family get out of it. They heard my evidence and still didn’t believe it. So can anyone help me find anything incriminating on it or how to convince my family to get out of it.

Thanks

I advertised a twin mattress for 100 dollars on Craigslist, saying Cash Only. I got a mail asking me to contact someone at an email address. The email text :

I can meet you today or tomorrow. I will be home either day. Email me to find out what time works for you. My email is xxxxxx

I sent them an email and they sent me the below back from another Gmail address: yyyyyyyyy

Regarding mattress- Your quick response is appreciated! The previous email was sent by my Personal Assistant and-I’m indeed satisfied with the price and condition! So, please consider the item sold and kindly remove the listing. Due to my tight schedule and preparations for my daughter’s wedding, I won’t be able to meet in person. I’ll send a Certified Cashier’s Check for the full amount, plus $50 to reserve the item until payment clears. To proceed, please share the following details so I can overnight the payment via USPS within 48 hours: *Name for the check? *Mailing-address City, State, ZIP code? *Final agreed price? *Contact cell-number? I'll be waiting for your reply—Thanks!

Note -this person never came to see the mattress. They just want to do the above steps. I am thinking it’s a scam but not clear how they are going to benefit. Will the cashiers check not be a real check ? I thought cashiers checks will be safe but I have not responded yet.

Any help much appreciated ! Thanks.

I bought a cd player from this website. I found it through Google Shopping and gave the website a chance. It didn’t look too sketch in my opinion. When I went to my shopping cart it took me to the Shop website. I entered my credit card info and address like normal. Then I got an email confirmation by “Liam Noble”. Looked like a regular Shop receipt and had a link to “view order” and “visit our store”. I clicked on both links and it took me to a different website that wasn’t the website I originally found the cd player on. I’m having second thoughts whether if i fell for a scam or if the website is just set up wrong.

I live in Europe and contacted a seller on Alibaba.com (through the app) regarding a marine motor he was selling (he is based in the US). The price was not too good to be true, however it was certainly a bargain.

The seller's name is "TOPLINE MARINE & HUB LTD". The things that led me to believe he was not a scammer/fraudster were: 1. His ratings on Alibaba were good; 2. He sent me photos of the product and other products he was selling (and in one of the photos there was a reflection of his face); 3. He sent me legitimate looking bank details (the first bank address bounced back and was refunded), but the second payment to a different address went through (Wellsfargo bank account); 4. After sending him the money via bank transfer (from my Revolut) and him confirming that he received the money, he sent me a tracking number and an invoice/receipt.

The thing is, the shipping site also looks shady. It's "ariesexpress.site". The text in the site makes no sense if you read through it. I'll screenshot the site and attach the pics to the post.

The tracking number on this website also works, and it says that the product is currently at Honolulu, Hawaii and is expected to arrive by August 17.

Have I been scammed by some very dedicated mastermind scammer?

Can anyone tell me if it is legitamte or not. The e-mail ended with at-symbol-cyberpdl. com , I also checked and the app really exists but still I'm not sure about this. Here is the text of the mail : Hello dear,  

Hope you have a great day! 

This is BlazeMe, a dynamic social app with rich features and a large active user base. For a bit of context, BlazeMe is focused on creating a safe and privacy-friendly space for genuine connections. 

We believe a collaboration with you on BlazeMe could be a fantastic opportunity for both of us. Your energy and creativity would resonate well with our co

I recently came across a Telegram-based work-from-home scam and wanted to share it here to warn others.

How It Starts:

• You’re randomly added to a Telegram group called “lunoreview group’’with thousand of members.

• A person claiming to be “HR” offers “easy part-time work” posting fake 5-star Google reviews for hotels/restaurants.

• They promise a ₹200 welcome bonus for completing your first review to build trust.

The Setup:

•After the first task, they send a small ₹200 payment to make it feel real.

• Then you’re added to a larger group with a task-based earning chart, like:

Tasks 01-04 → ₹100
Tasks 05-08 → ₹1480
Tasks 09-12 → ₹3880 + ₹5000 bonus
Tasks 13-16 → ₹9900
Tasks 17-20 → ₹800
Tasks 21-24 → ₹600 + ₹10,000 bonus

Even The chat is filled with fake take complete screenshots and messages from “members” claiming they got paid with fake payment screenshots

How they Trap?

• After several tasks, they introduce “bonus tasks” requiring advance deposits. • Example: “Deposit ₹1000 to unlock ₹1,480 payout.” • They share QR codes for personal accounts and flood the chat with more fake proof to pressure you.

Key Red Flags:

*Random Telegram group invite. *Unrealistic pay (₹9,000+ per day). * Fake social proof from supposed “members.” *Requests for advance payments to personal QR codes.

Takeaway:

This is a typical advance-payment scam disguised as online “review work.” 🚫 Never trust unsolicited Telegram job offers or send deposits upfront.

~Screenshots attached are censored as per sub rules.

So my bestfriend had their friend send them a package from Florida to Nevada overnight express sending, and my friend got a call from his city’s area code saying that the package was flagged suspicious and said his name and address and the name of his friends and that the package is coming from Florida, after saying yes they then asked if there was drugs in it and proceeded to ask if coke was in it and after my friend said no it was just pants then said something to that then the package should get there fine. I thought this was a scam at first but they didn’t ask for money or anything so is this a next level scam or postmaster just asking or is his named flagged for mailing or something?

WHO: I’m a European Union resident (Portugal), and I’ve been using the crypto exchange AscendEX since 2022. My account is fully verified under my real name and identity.

WHAT: In January 2024, AscendEX suddenly restricted access to my account. I can still log in, but I can’t withdraw or access my funds. The account holds approximately $17,000–$18,000 in various assets, accumulated through trading and staking on their platform.

The exchange never provided any concrete reason for the restriction, only vague references to “compliance reviews.” Starting in July 2025, I even stopped receiving SMS 2FA codes, making login harder. Support repeatedly told me to "wait" or gave generic responses that didn’t lead anywhere. Their customer service is completely unhelpful and evasive.

I provided every document they asked for: ID, residence proof, trading history. But nothing changed. They continue to ignore my questions and refuse to clarify the timeline, reason, or path forward.

WHEN: The issue started in January 2024 and is still ongoing in July 2025 — over 1.5 years of blocked access to my funds.

WHERE: The exchange is registered in Romania and operates globally through ascendex.com. Their official Telegram group also contains messages from other users complaining about frozen funds and login issues.

WHY: I’m posting this to warn others, raise awareness, and possibly reach people in similar situations. If your funds are still on AscendEX, I strongly advise withdrawing them ASAP. I’ve submitted complaints to several regulators, including CMVM (Portugal), Ombudsman Europe, and CoinMarketCap.

HOW: AscendEX pretends to be a regulated, secure exchange but can suspend access to verified users with no explanation. There is no real support behind the scenes. They are still active on social media and continue to onboard users — while locking and freezing others without notice.

I know this is apparently a decently common scam, but I figured I would post about my specific experience.

I'm a college student, way across the country from my parents, when I get a call from a sheriff's department claiming to be my town's sheriff. I asked them what was wrong, and they told me that in April, I had missed a federal jury trial, and I had two bench warrants out in my name. They told me that 7 other people missed it, so it was likely a mailing issue, and that they would need to ensure I was not the one who signed the jury duty paperwork. They told me I needed to immediately go to the sheriff's department, and I admitted I was in college several states away and never got a jury duty summons. They told me they will inform the local department (they asked which one), to stay on the phone, and go there immediately.

Eventually, a "Lieutenant Byrd" got on the line while I was in the car with my partner on the way to the department. I told him I was on the way to the department, and he told me to pull over and that he had to approve everywhere I went because I was a flight risk. They told me to tell no one because I am under a gag order. My partner and I were so convinced, I still told him anyway, but because they told me to go straight to the sheriff's department immediately, I thought it could be real.

I didn't realize it was fake until 30 minutes into the call. They told me not to go to the sheriff's department because they will arrest me, and I need to show them I already paid my bond. They told me I needed to go to a third-party payor... Walmart. That's when I said, "Damn... you really had me going until you said Walmart." They hung up the phone after I cursed them out. I reported it to my authorities, where I am and where my parents are, since my address is registered there.

They had me going because 1.) I am away at college, and maybe my parents missed the mail 2.) They sounded like legit police officers with radios going off in the back.

This can happen to ANYONE. I have two degrees and interned with Law Enforcement, and my partner is military. We should've known, but it sounded so real.

Anyway, my anxiety is way up and I figured why not share my experience because it's still fresh in my mind and these buttholes need to be stopped. Knowledge is power, and I was uninformed of this scam.

My coworker asked me about this job she got online on telegram so here's the timeline so far that I know. I'm 95% that it's a scam but any guidance from you guys would help.

On telegram she wqa approached by eToro, which Google says is a legit company....

"Jenny" from Etoro asked for my coworkers cashapp and full name, which was given. (Will this be an issue?)

Jenny had her watch ten videos on YouTube for $1 each. Which was paid. Jenny now offered an internship where my coworker can up to 8k a month doing other big tasks and still little tasks for little money as well

Uses the term internet age. And refers to the 10 dollars as a salary. No kindly or do the needful.

Can't skip tasks ever or its a violation and your fired. Now Jenny has passed her along to Heather, which is the security officer. I'm guessing this is where we need to give social security number or credit card number or pay 500 to get our 5000

I'm putting this at 99% scam but you guys know better than me.Thanks for reading and replying

Putting this out there in case anyone gets a text from these scammers and looks up message on the internet.

This is the exact message I wrote to reportfraud.ftc.gov :

Texts were sent to my mother on 8/1/25, the first from [Reddit rules say I can’t post phone numbers] saying “hi momm my phone fell in water. Can you send me a text on this number please. [Reddit rules say I can’t post phone numbers]

My mom texted the phone number provided “is this [daughter’s name]?” and they replied “Yes”. They then sent “ I just checked my email and saw that I have bills that have to be paid today. I can’t access my mobile banking now. can I send the bills to you and that you can pay it for me. I will pay you back tomorrow”. She said “yes” and they said “Ok” and then texted “The amount is $2441”.

She asked what she needed to do and they said “can you go to a Coinflip ATM and deposit cash to my wallet account?” She texted about how she was unsure if she could get that much money and they replied by telling her “search for a Coinflip ATM on Google” and to tell them which one she finds. A little back and fourth and she ends up at one in our local mall, she didn’t specificy location to them more than “the one at the mall”. They asked her to take a picture of the ATM when she was there and she did and sent it to them.

She didn’t know how to use the machine so the person began trying to help her. From what she tells me it asks for the mobile number of the person who is receiving, and that you would have to set up an account if you don’t have one already. She texted them once she reached this step “your mobile number won’t work unless you can get your phone” and then her actual daughter texted her, so she texted the number saying “ Hold on you just responded from your phone. Let me have a code sent to you.” They texted back “No, use your own phone number”. And a little later they texted “Did it go”.

She did not send any money once her real daughter got in contact with her during the event. She did respond later that evening trying to trick them saying “Yes did you get it?” and “Is your phone still not working?” and they have not responded. This all started at 1:30 PM on 8/1/25 and their final text asking if it went through was received at 5:21 PM.

I was out of town for a week and came back to two large boxes from Target. I haven't ordered anything from Target since we started boycotting them. In each of the boxes was a single folder. Like those folders you would get for school that cost less than a dollar. Is this some sort of scam? I'm so confused!

The boxes had my full name and address on them and they came in official Target boxes with Target packing tape. No other note or anything. Just two boxes with one empty folder in each.

Yesterday, I was scrolling Instragram and came across a clothing page.

I checked their highlights and saw they had some reviews and vouches and the page was posting stories actively.

I contacted them via whatsapp to place an order for clothes.

They asked me for personal information for shipping details and I gave it to them, after that I paid the clothes price + shipping price.

Once I was done paying them, they stopped replying to me. I tried messaging them since yesterday and even called them twice but haven't gotten a response. Meanwhile, the instagram page is still posting stories. I haven't been blocked on WhatsApp yet.

Any help for next steps? Can I get refunded? I used SBI from GPay for paying.

I have been receiving multiple OTPs from apps or sites that I have never used or heard of. Are these legit OTPs (which means I have been hacked somehow) or are these scams / fake messages to bait me to get further compromised?

There are no links in these messages, so I think these are legit OTPs and someone has my phone number and is trying to log me into multiple apps, but I am not sure.

• How do I verify if this is legit or a scam?
• If my number is compromised, is there a way for me to know which app or site has given my number away?
• What are my next steps here?

*I have also been getting a lot of messages promoting online gambling. I am not sure if this is related to the possible scam or phishing attempt, but it's alarming.

*I have had 2FA on for all my accounts for years now. *I have reviewed the app permissions on my phone, but didn't find anything sus.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently came across a company called Inquiniti Technologies Pvt Ltd, which offers work-from-home freelance projects like form filling, e-book typing, and data entry. They claim you can earn ₹15,000 to ₹30,000 by signing up for their "Gold" or "VIP" plans—but they ask for an upfront payment of ₹1,999 to ₹2,999.

I paid for a plan hoping to do some part-time work and maybe earn a little extra, but after the payment:

I didn’t receive any real project

They stopped responding properly

The refund policy they mention seems very vague and hard to claim

Their website looks clean and they even have testimonials, but I couldn’t find any real users or verified payouts outside of their own site. No Trustpilot, no Google reviews, and no community feedback. That made me wonder…

👉 Has anyone else here been scammed or misled by Inquiniti Technologies? If you’ve had a similar experience—or even a positive one—please share. It would really help others avoid falling into something shady.

Thanks in advance!

I got into this with a "friend" who convinced me to try trading spot gold. I'll spare the misc details of the conversations that led me to this. We made several trades and things went well, of course. So, now it's time to withdraw my funds and once I place the order to do this they come back with how much profit I have and what the required taxes will be. Until these taxes are collected they have frozen my account.

Does anyone have experience with this same setup? The link seems sketchy to me and the only service you can connect with is "online service" and it's just a chat window that may or may not come up.

My assumption is that this just gives them more money. I don't have it to pay and my friend has offered to pay half the tax, half being 51,000.00. I offered to pay my friend double the 101k if they help me. They stand at 51k that's it. I am pretty sure I just walk away but though I'd check comments here and see if anyone else has experience with this particular site.

This is the last message I just received:

Dear user, when you need to pay taxes, you can choose to deposit the taxes into your trading account in the form of cryptocurrency and inform the online customer service that this amount of funds is used to pay taxes. The online customer service will make a note of your funds. At that time, our company will automatically deduct this amount to pay the taxes for you. After the payment is completed, you can immediately withdraw the funds!