This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.
Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.
Rules:
1: All Lemmy rules apply
2: Do not post low effort posts
3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff
4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.
5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)
6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist
7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed
With these types of scams becoming increasingly common, I recommend everyone set up a code word with your family and don't tell anyone what it is. Practice it often. If you get one of these scam calls, ask for the code word to verify that it really is your family member.
My wife and I will do a call back if we need to talk about anything sensitive over the phone. I can call her, say that I'll need an account number or whatever the situation calls for, then we hang up and she calls me back so we can both be sure we are talking to each other. If I don't know what she's talking about during the return call then it's a scammer.
This is rare, but it gives protection against this type of scam.
"Hey, George? Can you send me a hundred bucks?"
"Password ass-sword? Gay geek goat god goon gout, Galaga Gaelic Gorky?"
"Hemp hops hoop harangue horny hope hobags, hyper Hungarian hippies."
"Infinite Ixian idiots incinerate imbeciles in interesting inquisitorial igloos."
"Just joking! Jerboas jaunt jerkily, just juxtaposing jinn, janky jobs, and jalopies."
"What's the password?"
"Always Swordfish."
"Okay fine, come on in."
Green goose babba juice ice skates CHOCOLATE SHAKE!
Me thinks that one call from an old lady may have been just this, and when I chuckled a bit as I couldn't identify her voice she called me demented and hung up. Feel like the call was probing for the vulnerable.