Scammer?

[poker]

When I got into office today, I noticed 3 missed call on my office phone. All 3 missed calls were made from the same number. I thought to myself, why didn't that person call me from my mobile if it was that urgent.

I called the said number and someone answered after a few rings. I said, I got a missed call from this number, who is this and how can I help? (The reason why I bothered to call back is because I work in a multi national company and it is pretty common for my other colleagues from other offices to call me.)

Anyway, the person who answered and was pretty hesitant. Then he said, my name is XXXX from Nigeria and I sent a proposal to your company. It is regarding a project in cooperation with the United States and World Bank.

I suspected something amiss and asked him, which company did not you send it to? What is the name of my company? He was unable to answer. So I said, thank you and bye bye.

I think I caught them off guard by calling back and they were not prepared with the script. Anyone have a similar experience to share?

[Knappo 1307]

It's a common scam....

[MonBK]

Nigeria, who would have thought.

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Nigeria, who would have thought.

lots of princes there.

[yannis]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Nigeria, who would have thought.

I am gobsmacked too

[Alexwwjd]

And you let this opportunity just go? :(

[Passionata]

Originally Posted by Alexwwjd

And you let this opportunity just go? :(

OP just missed the deal ,
to lose a big pile of cash.

[Relyt]

You could have gotten in early on a multi billion $, profitable business......


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[Kingair]

Nigeria . . . 😂

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[armen34]

Did they offer you 10 million in your bank account?

[AK797]

Why would they even mention the word Nigeria? Might as well say Hi, this is Scams R Us.

[GB-man]

You've missed a huge opportunity!

[michaelodonnell123]

With all the scams coming out of Nigeria, how does a legit business from Nigeria get anything done? Must be very frustrating for them.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

With all the scams coming out of Nigeria, how does a legit business from Nigeria get anything done? Must be very frustrating for them.

There aren't legit businesses in Nigeria.

Kind of tongue in cheek, but the institutional corruption there makes it extremely difficult to do honest business. My last company abandoned the market rather than engage the corrupt system (they would have been damaged in their USG business sector if they played the game).

A friend who is a rice specialist works for the UN in Nigeria and travels extensively in the hinterlands. His body guards carry AK-47's. They need them. It's a bad place and life is cheap.

[Bluside]

Just post your full name, address, social security #, and phone # here...We'll help you out.

[Al1969]

Originally Posted by Bluside

Just post your full name, address, social security #, and phone # here...We'll help you out.

Don't forget bank account with routing number.

[ELITEVIDEOGAMES]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

There aren't legit businesses in Nigeria.

Kind of tongue in cheek, but the institutional corruption there makes it extremely difficult to do honest business. My last company abandoned the market rather than engage the corrupt system (they would have been damaged in their USG business sector if they played the game).

A friend who is a rice specialist works for the UN in Nigeria and travels extensively in the hinterlands. His body guards carry AK-47's. They need them. It's a bad place and life is cheap.

I have done real business in Nigeria. However I was skeptical at first.
Key is they wire for the goods in advance and then you ship them

[lapince]

Nigeria? Had hundreds from over there

[Lordofrolex]

lol

[topgear]

I have encountered something similar before...and like most of you here, why do they even bother to mention Nigeria. That is a big red flag...well, apparently, it was done on purpose. It was meant to filter out the false positive so that the scammers do not waste time and effort on you. And they can concentrate on the real gullible victims to be.

[BrazenC5]

I received a couple calls where the person explained to me that I have malware on my computer and they are Microsoft "tech support" reaching out to me because my OS alerted them.

My first response was, "that's weird because I don't own a computer." The guy cursed at me and hung up.

The second time I kept him on the phone introducing myself as Ben Dover...and responding in a nonsensical manner, while recording the call so I can play back for entertainment.

They're usually Indian, and it's well known they have call centers in India randomly scamming people.

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[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by BrazenC5

I received a couple calls where the person explained to me that I have malware on my computer and they are Microsoft "tech support" reaching out to me because my OS alerted them.

My first response was, "that's weird because I don't own a computer." The guy cursed at me and hung up.

The second time I kept him on the phone introducing myself as Ben Dover...and responding in a nonsensical manner, while recording the call so I can play back for entertainment.

They're usually Indian, and it's well known they have call centers in India randomly scamming people.

Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk

I have never heard about India scams. I know a lot of call centers were outsourced there, but hadn't heard about scammers from there.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I have never heard about India scams. I know a lot of call centers were outsourced there, but hadn't heard about scammers from there.

I had that same thing happen last year.

A women from "Microsoft" called with the same story and I said, please hold.

Every 3-4 minutes I'd pick up the phone and say, I'll be right with you.

After about 35-40 minutes she hanged up and hasn't called back.

Don't know if she called from India but she had an Indian accent.

[BrazenC5]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I have never heard about India scams. I know a lot of call centers were outsourced there, but hadn't heard about scammers from there.

Oh Yes...and they have IT skills. The next step is they ask you to join a remote session, where the unsuspecting mark is asked to relinquish control of their computer and then they'll show you random program files and say they are malicious, then ask you for your credit card details and for $400 they will "wipe" them out for you. When in reality they dont need to do anything.

There are youtube videos posted by people who allow the scam to move forward to a point so they can record their operation and post on youtube. This one (techy) guy let the scammer take hold of a wiped computer he was using, and when the scammer knew he was being screwed with, he cracked into the guys home router and started screwing up his router setting out of spite. LOL.

This one can be particularly dangerous, because they can also leave behind who knows what on your computer.

In addition to the "MS Support" scam...authorities also arrested a bunch of people in India posing as IRS agents cold calling, although I haven't received those calls yet, but made bigger news.

Youtube videos on this one too, one in particular was a CPA taking and recording the call...LOL.

[LuminousMaximus]

Everything is a scam until proven different...!

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by AK797

Why would they even mention the word Nigeria? Might as well say Hi, this is Scams R Us.

Curious. How did Nigeria manage to achieve such a dubious distinction?

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I have never heard about India scams. I know a lot of call centers were outsourced there, but hadn't heard about scammers from there.

Don't kid yourself. They're in full swing.

Originally Posted by BrazenC5

In addition to the "MS Support" scam...authorities also arrested a bunch of people in India posing as IRS agents cold calling, although I haven't received those calls yet, but made bigger news.

To date, the Department of Justice has charged 61 defendants based in the United States for this practice, mostly stemming from operating off-site call centers in India. source: Associated Press

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

Don't kid yourself. They're in full swing.

I wasn't kidding myself. I was asking a question. Working in the middle east the last six years I hadn't heard that India call centers were scamming in the US.

If you've ever been to India you would know that institutional corruption is rampant there. Scammers could buy 'immunity' from prosecution fairly easily.

[topgear]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

I wasn't kidding myself. I was asking a question. Working in the middle east the last six years I hadn't heard that India call centers were scamming in the US.

If you've ever been to India you would know that institutional corruption is rampant there. Scammers could buy 'immunity' from prosecution fairly easily.

So it is true when they say that corruption index is quite high in India

[991]

You know some opportunities come once in a lifetime. You blew it.

[milov]

Unfortunately you might have been charged an extra fee to your phone account by calling this person back. I'm not saying that this is certain. But it is a common scam. I never call back missed calls to phone numbers from countries where I know nobody.