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iPhone scams

jayducharme

jayducharme

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 22, 2006
4,704
6,688
The thick of it
Here are a couple of scams aimed at the iPhone, reported by Scambusters:

Just before the iPhone hit stores on June 29, we predicted a
huge number of iPhone scams, and published our predictions on
what the Top 7 iPhone scams would be. Our predictions turned
out to be very accurate. And since then, we've updated our
site to include additional scams, since we're discovering new
ones all the time.

http://www.scambusters.org/iphonescams.html
 
Iphone Scam - Dexcom Ltd

Dear All concerned,

I would just like to inform you that the company Dexcom Electronics Ltd is fraudulent company. They claim to sell Apple products but in reality they are very cunning criminals.

The spokesperson is a David Campbell, but i am unsure if that is his real name. They claim to say that you can make a payment via Western Union, but putting the receiver's name as a fake name, unknown to them (to be changed later when you receive the goods), therefore claiming they cannot touch the funds without the name being their name or knowing the name at all. They claim they want the Western Union MTCN number as proof of payment but in reality they are somehow able to access the funds (maybe an insider in Western Union or a hacking program) and they steal your money claiming the funds are only on hold, when in reality they have cashed them out and you will never see them again.

I would just like to let everyone know to the benefit of all the honest hard working people, whom people/companies like these are trying to cheat.

Regards,
Rachel
 
Thank you for letting us know about that Rachel. You may have saved many other people from getting scammed.
 
iphone ripoff

Here is another scam that is located in London, England.
They operate under the name Mobile Phones International Ltd.
They offer iphones at $300 USD. They tell you to Western Union the money to your own name to London and give them the MTCN number of the wire.
They say that once you receive the phone, you are to go back to WU and change the name of the recipient to Mike Wolff, their so called accountant.
What ever you do, don't give them this number!
They make you think that you have control of the funds but you don't. In the UK, WU is not allowed by law to ask test questions to verify that the right person can pickup the money. The crooks know this. I think Western Union does not have enough security in these types of transactions and may be contributing to this fraud scheme.
Here is the phone number of this scam outfit: 447024083747 .
When I called after the fact, it sounded like this guys home number due to the background noise etc. He was aware of the transaction. It sounded like a guy of African descent judging by his broken English.

Does anyone know how to locate an adress to this phone number?

BEWARE FOLKS!!

I have since contacted the London Police Fraud Desk. Let you know what happens when they contact me.
 
That point about mailing yourself funds via Western Union, then showing the 'scammer' proof (the receipt) that you have funds, is the core of many different scams, from property rental to vehicle sales. Sometimes they claim the 'seller' is temporarily out of the country, and this is to show good faith.

These have been going on for some years now, many based in Nigeria but not limited to that country.

Buyer beware all the time

Sometimes their prices are unrealistically low to be real, but these scammers are learning all the time.

Use other means of secure payment, e.g credit cards, where transactions are guaranteed (check what's best in your country)
 
iphone ripoff

Thanks for the link Consultant, I see there is a complaint center to file one for internet fraud etc.


Badfoot: You are located in London I see, is this phone number from the London area? 447024083747. I dialed it from Canada using the assigned long distance prefix and got through to the scammer.
The scammer continues to email replies saying the package is at Manchester airport but, was mispacked and has four phones in it and wants more
money to ship all of them. Yeah, sure! And the sun rises is the west.

Going to the UK next year to visit family. Would be a shock to him if I arrived on his doorstep to collect my money!
 
trux said:
Thanks for the link Consultant, I see there is a complaint center to file one for internet fraud etc.


Badfoot: You are located in London I see, is this phone number from the London area? 447024083747. I dialed it from Canada using the assigned long distance prefix and got through to the scammer.......!
Click to expand...

It's a UK mobile phone number, not area specific, probably untraceable. Anyone can just get a SIM card from any of the operators without having to give ID or anything.

Hope you did not lose too much money
 
scam

147 pounds sterling
the cost of one iphone.:apple:
not the end of the world but a
costly lesson.
 
The key is to just use common sense.

If you have to inconvenience yourself while selling or buying an iPhone...you may be falling into a scam.

Watch out for fake websites or links as well. The western union logo doesn't guarantee a legit transaction.
 
western union shaky

neilp4453 said:
The key is to just use common sense.

If you have to inconvenience yourself while selling or buying an iPhone...you may be falling into a scam.

Watch out for fake websites or links as well. The western union logo doesn't guarantee a legit transaction.
Click to expand...

You're right, Western Union has made their money for service charges and exchange rates. Once they have what they want, why would they care about anything else. I will be filing a police report with my local police and ask them to find out where the scammers withdrew the funds.
I am surprised that they don't check for a signature and compare it to the invoice from the originating branch. Such an easy step in security.
Why don't they implement it?

An update from the London Police fraud desk: Police say that they will pursue the matter once it is confirmed that the schem is in fact operating in London. They suggest contacting your local police who will be in contact with WU and obtain branch info on the receiving end and get copies of fake ID and signature etc. WU will not disclose that info to customers only the police.
 
Western Union itself tries to advise people NEVER to send payment for something using their service (Speedpay to pay utility bills with legitimate companies notwithstanding.), but many times people either don't get the message or assume that because something is being sent via WU, it'll be legitimate. I worked for WU briefly about 5 years ago and we heard of these scams DAILY, usually multiple new ones per day. There was an electronic ticker board at the front of each room in the call center with updates & procedures related to that day's scams. It was truly ridiculous, and I felt so sorry for the poor people who'd been taken advantage of (a lot of them elderly, which pissed me off even more.)

That aspect of the job made me hate it, but I did come away with some good stories (like the one of the gentleman who called me from a casino in Vegas and was angry that he couldn't retrieve his money transfer (bad password) because he needed the cash to properly celebrate Thanksgiving, apparently, with hookers and blow.)
 
WU warning...not this time

Blueline29 said:
Western Union itself tries to advise people NEVER to send payment for something using their service (Speedpay to pay utility bills with legitimate companies notwithstanding.), but many times people either don't get the message or assume that because something is being sent via WU, it'll be legitimate.

I was at a Western Union agent office. Not a word was said about what you mention.
Click to expand...
 
Wu

I asked the manager to check for releases when I was at the desk. She said she could not find anything.
Leads me to believe WU doesn't have a high standard for their agents or doesn't give much in the way of training or support to agents.

I read their fraud notice but doesn't do a person much good while at the counter with no PC.
 
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