RECENT SCAMS TARGETING THE SUB-- PLEASE READ

https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/p35tef/recent_scams_targeting_the_sub_please_read/

created by thesongofstorms on 12/08/2021 at 18:30 UTC*

505 upvotes, 27 top-level comments (showing 25)

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately, we have recently become aware of some scams targeting people in this sub who post and comment here. This is a reminder to please be vigilant, and if someone makes you an offer that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

1. Someone will message you saying they will give you $500 (or any large some) to pay bills. They'll say they will send you a check for $500 plus another large sum for a donation/other service. They ask you to deposit the check then zelle/transfer the rest to another party. What will happen is you will deposit the check (which will take up to 10 business days to clear), you transfer the money to the "third party" which is the same entity, then the check ultimately bounces and you've sent a large sum of your own money back to the scammer. Please ignore these folks and report them to the mod team and we will elevate them to the admins.

2. Scammers will target people who post in the sub via PM/chat (so moderators can't track) telling them about their great new get rich scheme that involves crypto currency, affiliate marketing, MLMs, or another scammy business practice. Please ignore these folks and report them to the mod team and we will elevate them to the admins.

Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Please let us know of any other scams you experience and we will post them here as well. If you're uncertain, make a post about it or message the mods and we'll assess accordingly. Thank you!

Comments

Comment by BrexitBlaze at 12/08/2021 at 18:31 UTC

93 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I do my best to report them any time I see them. Please don’t listen to unsolicited DMs.

Comment by thatandthis1 at 12/08/2021 at 20:09 UTC

45 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Oh yeah a dude contacted me after I commented on a post here saying to pay my bills, I said im good. Damn I thought it was genuine 😕

Comment by Tos-ka at 24/08/2021 at 13:24 UTC

46 upvotes, 3 direct replies

Imagine scamming people in a sub like this. That's a new low

Comment by reese81944 at 12/08/2021 at 19:17 UTC

29 upvotes, 1 direct replies

r/scams has some good info. Search there if you’re unsure of something/someone

Comment by Last-Alternative-594 at 23/08/2021 at 19:42 UTC

24 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Another thing worth mentioning is that a lot of these scams involve an “investment job” where you are supposed to buy and sell Bitcoin for investors. Not only do you have to be wary of checks, but also people needing your online banking login for the deposits. NO ONE NEEDS this information! Always review the sources of any deposits and never be embarrassed to ask your bank questions. I actually work in a fraud department of a financial institution and people are often too embarrassed to ask or explain the whole story. We hear it all so please don’t be embarrassed about what happened.

Comment by ImmaFancyBoy at 02/09/2021 at 21:22 UTC

16 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Scamming the subreddit dedicated to the working poor is pretty shitty, but it also seems like a bad business model.

You hack into their bank account and then what? Pay their overdraft fees? Apply for a credit card and forward the rejection letter to your house?

Comment by Fifi343434 at 12/08/2021 at 19:50 UTC

14 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I have also gotten two PMs asking for $5.

Comment by Lyn1987 at 23/08/2021 at 18:19 UTC

8 upvotes, 2 direct replies

A couple months ago we had someone hawking physical silver. A few months before that someone was linking to an insurance website that technically wasnt a scam, it was going to sell your info to 50 agencies who would harrass you for months.

When i see posts like these i call them out in the comments and downvote.

Comment by AntaresValex at 08/09/2021 at 14:26 UTC

4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I just posted and almost immediately got an unsolicited DM asking about my saving/investing situation.

Don’t send unsolicited DMs. Just comment on the post.

Comment by fools_set_the_rules at 29/09/2021 at 10:37 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Just got the message about crypto, funny how the guy claims he is not a scammer at all.

Comment by [deleted] at 06/11/2021 at 01:02 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I would not doubt I will get scammed, I really need to watch out but I just really do not wanna go back to my old job. Thanks for the advice

Comment by monitorcable at 21/11/2021 at 22:33 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

What law enforcement agency has a hard-on for internet-related scams? I am a member of many large dog groups on facebook. Scammers are targetting all the old sweet ladies and people who just joined the internet with their first smartphone. These large dog groups have over 10,000 members, some over 20,000 members so they are not easy to moderate and scammers get through with their links showing that their dog just had a litter of puppies and they are taking deposits. They have websites set up that look legit but those dogs do not exist and all the photos are lifted from instagram. I've noticed over the past 2 years that those websites eventually get too much heat on them so they take them down and put the exact same website under a different name. Rinse and repeat. The breed of the dog is just a variable, the formula is the same for corgis, huskies, Boston terriers, etc. Scammers are having a field day and ripping off a gold mine of money because most deposits are $500+ and many people fall for more than that when the scammer tells them that they need to pay additional insurance or health certificates or shipping charges. Facebook is useless, I've been reporting these profiles and posts for years, many times the posts are not removed by facebook and the fake profiles continue to exist after reporting them. I have recently seen that the scammers started creating their own private groups and inviting everyone from the large legit groups.

Comment by Ready_4_Opportunity at 23/11/2021 at 22:44 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

In fact that type of scam has affected my business, because my partners and I pay that amount of money only when we get references and as long and until the deal is closed is when we pay for the reference. People must be upfront in the begin as to what is behind the "so good to be true " offer.

Comment by Parking_Day_474 at 23/11/2021 at 23:48 UTC

2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Scumbags are targeting people they believe to be poor and desperate. Therefore more susceptible to manipulation.

Comment by hinataday at 12/08/2021 at 19:18 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

My post in this sub was not scam.🥲 Sorry if mine came off that way.

Comment by [deleted] at 13/08/2021 at 01:25 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I hope no one thinks I'm a scammer. I never initiate contact, but I do try to give people solid leads to get a few extra bucks for gas money from online work that I get from other subreddits (and that I have personal experience with). Mostly in comments but also in chat if someone reaches out to me.

Comment by amretardmonke at 12/08/2021 at 20:42 UTC

-4 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Just FYI all cryptocurrencies are not a scam. There are legit ones and there are scammy ones. Bitcoin is not a scam.

And there are ofcourse scammers that use cryptocurrencies.

Its important to do your own research.

Comment by [deleted] at 13/08/2021 at 13:07 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

[removed]

Comment by TangoDeltaFoxtrot at 16/08/2021 at 04:39 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

People still fall for this? It's such an old.ajd common scam, it's almost more like a bad meme at this point.

Comment by [deleted] at 17/09/2021 at 13:28 UTC