What The Fark 6: FARK OFF!

[LynahFan]

If you don't mind me asking, how did the scammer insert themselves? Did the scammer call first?

There were both calls and emails, but I don't know which was first.

[French Rage]

For the initial purchase, I was in another state and wired money to the title company (or bank, cannot remember the exact details at this time) which I think is similar to the situation described where an scammer inserted themselves and got the money instead. Either way, I made several phone calls the day of transfer to ensure details of the transaction.

Same here. It was April 2021, so I think everything was still being done non-in-person as much as possible. I think I called the person on the other end to check a lot of details, partly because I was nervous and partly because we were getting close to running out of time in the closing period and I wanted to make sure everyone was done without any additional mistakes that would delay things. I also had to go in-person t Chase to do the wire based on the size (#humblebrag) so maybe they would have been able to detect anything.

(None of this is meant to imply LF's friends did anything wrong, a lot of this is there-but-for-the-grace-of-god-go-I, because I knew squat about buying a home and would have been the perfect patsy.)

[French Rage]

A grad school friend and her husband, both PhDs, just shared on Facebook that they lost their life savings to a scam. They finally saved up enough to buy a house in the DC area. The scammer inserted itself in between them and the title company, and basically provided fake account info for them to send the down payment to. They are working with the FBI, but the money is likely just gone. Absolutely horrible. They said all the documentation from the scammer looked perfect - coming from the right email address, right fonts and format, perfect English, etc.

I would certainly have never thought to call the title company directly on a verified number to confirm the transfer details - but you bet your *** I will the next time.

If you don't mind me asking, how did the scammer insert themselves? Did the scammer call first?

[dxmnkd316]

Wait, please tell me it wasn't the full value of the home. In dc.

[LynahFan]

That's why I worked directly with the bank.

Thats ****ing tragic though lynah. I don't even know how they recover from that.

Absolutely devastating, especially since they were buying the house due to a new, very, very, very long awaited baby. They are absolutely shattered.

[dxmnkd316]

That's why I worked directly with the bank.

Thats ****ing tragic though lynah. I don't even know how they recover from that.

[WisconsinWildcard]

Every time I've closed on a house or refinanced, I just had to bring a single check to an in-person meeting that covers all closing related-costs. I'm confused why you need to deal with the title company directly?

For the initial purchase, I was in another state and wired money to the title company (or bank, cannot remember the exact details at this time) which I think is similar to the situation described where an scammer inserted themselves and got the money instead. Either way, I made several phone calls the day of transfer to ensure details of the transaction.

[unofan]

Not sure if it is a more recent thing but when I closed on a house 2 years ago, this was recommended to me several times (and I did do it).

Every time I've closed on a house or refinanced, I just had to bring a single check to an in-person meeting that covers all closing related-costs. I'm confused why you need to deal with the title company directly?

[WisconsinWildcard]

I would certainly have never thought to call the title company directly on a verified number to confirm the transfer details - but you bet your *** I will the next time.

Not sure if it is a more recent thing but when I closed on a house 2 years ago, this was recommended to me several times (and I did do it).

[Kepler]

A grad school friend and her husband, both PhDs, just shared on Facebook that they lost their life savings to a scam. They finally saved up enough to buy a house in the DC area. The scammer inserted itself in between them and the title company, and basically provided fake account info for them to send the down payment to. They are working with the FBI, but the money is likely just gone. Absolutely horrible. They said all the documentation from the scammer looked perfect - coming from the right email address, right fonts and format, perfect English, etc.

I would certainly have never thought to call the title company directly on a verified number to confirm the transfer details - but you bet your *** I will the next time.

At all the closings I have been at all the finance people have been adamant about checking everything every step of every way and doing everything in protected transactions. We have completed our transactions by going to the brick and mortar bank and going through the process using their local systems dedicated connections.

This absolutely happens.

[LynahFan]

A grad school friend and her husband, both PhDs, just shared on Facebook that they lost their life savings to a scam. They finally saved up enough to buy a house in the DC area. The scammer inserted itself in between them and the title company, and basically provided fake account info for them to send the down payment to. They are working with the FBI, but the money is likely just gone. Absolutely horrible. They said all the documentation from the scammer looked perfect - coming from the right email address, right fonts and format, perfect English, etc.

I would certainly have never thought to call the title company directly on a verified number to confirm the transfer details - but you bet your *** I will the next time.

[Slap Shot]

Wow phishing scammers are getting more and more sophisticated. I can pretty much smell b.s. with this from a mile away (have never fallen for an email scam and know never click any link I've not personally requested) etc. but...

...got a call a few minutes ago claiming to be from my local bank here in PH. The first red flag was that the number while not blocked did not show the name of my bank. Your bank should never call you, but I know if they did caller ID would show it.

She said they were calling to inform me a new card for my current account with added security features meant to prevent unauthorized scanning of the chip would be sent to my branch and I could pick it up with proof of ID. To verify this they said they were sending me a OTP to my phone number (red flag #2) and within seconds I got the SMS.

Where the sophistication comes in is that the SMS (unlike the phone #) appeared in my previous chat history tied to the verified customer service phone #, from which I will get SMS to verify I've made a payment to my credit card for instance. Not sure if that makes sense but the SMS came in under an already existing SMS history that I know to be legit.

However, I know for a fact my bank would never ask me to repeat a OTP back to them so I said no thanks and hung up. I called my bank and found out someone submitted an online application for a credit card in my name and associated with my EXISTING account. They closed the application but I have to recreate a new online login.

It's getting to the point where if I call my bank I'm going to have to wonder if these scammers can't hack the call and route it to themselves.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Elephant tramples woman to death, tramples her body again at funeral

https://***********/phil_lewis_/stat...m7ZF9k64P23avA

[French Rage]

https://www.boston.com/news/cars/202...er-sex-in-car/

That's the tractor story?!

[SonofSouthie]

Geico could be required to pay a Missouri woman $5.2 million because she said she contracted a sexually transmitted disease while having sex in the car of a man who is insured by the company.
A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a Jackson County Court’s decision affirming an arbitrator’s finding that the woman was entitled to the award.
However, Maryland-based Geico has filed a federal lawsuit arguing the woman’s claim is not covered by the man’s insurance policy. The company said in an email Thursday that lawsuit will determine whether “there is coverage in this matter.”

https://www.boston.com/news/cars/202...er-sex-in-car/