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Nolgthorn posted:In Europe it's just generally a good idea to call a cab, never take one that's sitting on the side of the street. The problem is that a lot of cab drivers charge off the books and it can be just about anything. If you call a cab they can't do that. It's really annoying when a cab is just sitting there but maybe the service should tell that cab to pick you up. Anyway it's really frustrating. Over here in Bulgaria this is very good advice as well, there's a bunch of fake taxi companies around that copy the look/style of one of the big companies but use a slightly different phone number and a slightly different name in Cyrillic. As they're not 1:1 copies and have actual taxi licenses and meters this is actually somewhat legal. Prices are listed on the rear windows, so those get rolled down to be out of sight until you discover too late that they're quite a bit higher than the other companies or drivers will try to convince you to agree on a fixed price rather than use the meter (Again, a lot higher than what it should be). They also tend to hang out in the airport arrivals halls and try and get rides there. Somewhat outdated information but still mostly relevant: http://www.sofia-guide.com/how-to-avoid-taxi-scam-in-sofia/ https://www.inyourpocket.com/sofia/how-to-spot-a-legitimate-taxi-in-sofia_74324f Several of the big taxi companies also have their own apps nowadays.
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Sep 3, 2022 15:32
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In Sweden taxis have to prominently display a comparison price, which is what a 10km,15 minute ride would cost. For the legitimate companies this is currently about 325 sek (~€33). A decade or so ago scam taxis tried to obscure this by putting the current year as their price, misleading tourists into thinking it was some sort of current license. The rule was changed so there are now additional requirement if your comparison price is 500 sek or higher, which means if you see a taxi with a 499 sek comparison price you know it's someone who is just skirting those requirements and will absolutely take the long way around if you ride with them.
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Sep 3, 2022 16:19
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I foolishly walked into the "get a home insurance quote online now" scam where all they really do is collect your personal information. You enter in all your poo poo hoping to get an estimate and then when you finish and hit "get quote" it just takes you to a list of 5 other companies, not a dollar amount. Then your phone and email blows up. I should have known and I feel kind of stupid now.
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Sep 3, 2022 17:03
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...you don't use an alternate email and burner phone number/someone's number who you don't like for signing up for poo poo?
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Sep 3, 2022 17:06
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Eric the Mauve posted:...you don't use an alternate email and burner phone number/someone's number who you don't like for signing up for poo poo? Typically yes. Like I said I honestly don't know why I was so loving stupid this time.
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Sep 3, 2022 17:10
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It happens, I’ve done some stuff too without thinking. So angry that each time it makes us/me more cynical and unable to trust others. gently caress scammers and con people, may they die cold and alone
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Sep 3, 2022 18:08
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BiggerBoat posted:Typically yes. Like I said I honestly don't know why I was so loving stupid this time. Everyone has an off day.
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Sep 3, 2022 18:23
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BiggerBoat posted:I foolishly walked into the "get a home insurance quote online now" scam where all they really do is collect your personal information. To this day I still get spam from LendingTree from putting in my details about 15 years ago because Why Not.
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Sep 4, 2022 05:01
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I feel like London gets around taxi scams by having the black cabs operate like a hyper regulated medieval guild. The downside is that they're ruinously expensive unless you're an oligarch, you're expensing it, or you're on holiday budget. I don't know a single ordinary person who takes them remotely regularly.
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Sep 4, 2022 10:23
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Strategic Tea posted:I feel like London gets around taxi scams by having the black cabs operate like a hyper regulated medieval guild. The downside is that they're ruinously expensive unless you're an oligarch, you're expensing it, or you're on holiday budget. I don't know a single ordinary person who takes them remotely regularly. We have those rickshaws instead for scamming people in London. I've heard some horror stories. And haven't ever met another local who's used one, so very much a tourist scam.
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Sep 4, 2022 10:37
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At least in London the buses are frequent and decently modern and take you anywhere you need to go. The Tube is probably better for most people but I have weird acrophobia issues with the escalators and I get buses for free because of my eyes being lovely, so I ride London buses all the time. It's pretty great.
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Sep 4, 2022 11:51
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Masonity posted:We have those rickshaws instead for scamming people in London. I've heard some horror stories. And haven't ever met another local who's used one, so very much a tourist scam. The fun thing with the rickshaw drivers being equally despised by both Police and Taxi Drivers. Oh, and anyone who lives in London. Inevitable altercations between taxis/rickshaws always end up with the rickshaw driver being hauled away, according to two different cab drivers spending the entire journey I was on bitching about them.
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Sep 4, 2022 12:05
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Yeah same in Stockholm, there's very little reason to take a taxi in the first place unless you're trying to get home from bumfuck nowhere at 3am. Public transport here is top notch, regardless of what spoiled Stockholmers tell you when they're angry because the commuter train was 3 minutes late.
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Sep 4, 2022 13:06
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Goldskull posted:The fun thing with the rickshaw drivers being equally despised by both Police and Taxi Drivers. Oh, and anyone who lives in London. Add cyclists too, they take up the whole cycle lane going at walking speed and playing loud music 
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Sep 4, 2022 14:48
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On tourist/travel scams: You know how if you use your card to pay at the pump while getting gas, it will put a hold of $100 on it (maybe more now that gas prices are so high, idk)? This is somewhat reasonable, as the pump/system has no idea how much gas you need. Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in New Orleans does the same. They charge an entry fee of like $20, and you have to use a card, no cash. Then they run it for $300. Which we found out the following day while trying to get money from an ATM. We went back to the club to ask "wtf, why did you charge this" and the answer was "well, most people spend that much on drinks and table dances, so we automatically set up a tab". How that is legal, I have no idea. The dancers were top notch, but spending half a precious vacation day getting that charge reversed was not worth it.
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Sep 4, 2022 16:24
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duodenum posted:I just went to Kern's website and ordered two decks of bridge sized cards and they are magnificent. I've never had anything but bicycles, and didn't know any better. Thanks for the recommendation! Not the thread for it (I guess cards don't have a thread) but you're welcome anyway! Kem is the best there is. The Bicycle Prestige cards (I think you can get them at Walmart) are actually pretty drat good, the cards are incredibly durable, except that the paint starts chipping off real quick, can't use them in a serious game because they're really easy to mark. Kems are the opposite: the cards themselves will wear out after a while but the paint is bulletproof. I'm kind of obsessed with cards but it's off topic so I'll stop now. But that first time you use good plastic cards after a lifetime of only ever using paper is a life altering event.
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Sep 4, 2022 16:34
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I lost my grad ring and wedding band, so my wife contacted the local radio station and they put it on their Facebook page. Almost immediately I heard from someone saying he found them, but it set off alarms, so I asked for pics. No response.
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Sep 4, 2022 17:46
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This seems reasonable? The auth will eventually fall off after a period of time if the merchant never moves to finalize the sale. It's a pain if your credit card is actually an ATM card, but I don't see the scam.
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Sep 4, 2022 18:00
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CC holds like that sound insane to me but maybe that's a North American thing. Here if you're charged, it's because you paid for it. Businesses can charge fees for booking services that they then deduct from the final bill, but that's about it.
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Sep 4, 2022 20:21
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holds aren't charges, they're just telling the credit card company 'make sure they're good for at least $ThisMuch'
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Sep 4, 2022 20:32
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Fruits of the sea posted:CC holds like that sound insane to me but maybe that's a North American thing. Here if you're charged, it's because you paid for it. Here in the UK it happens too - it’s an artefact of the way the credit card system works. Transactions can take a day or two to post and clear, so on the meantime a ‘hold’ is put on the card which is subtracted from your available limit. If you have a £300 hold on a £2k limit - especially as you might have hotel charges there too if you are on holiday - it can stop you making transactions.
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Sep 4, 2022 21:45
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Common at gas stations here too. Card is pre-authorized for $100 or so, but only the actual amount pumped is actually charged at the end when you're done pumping.
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Sep 4, 2022 23:15
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Fruits of the sea posted:My experience of it was in Prague on a college school trip. The tour guide parked us at a restaurant and was pretty explicit about not touching the stuff because we were a flock of 19-year-old dumbasses. Sure enough, the menu had a couple appetizers priced equally to the entrees. Since you mentioned Prague, the Honest Guide channel on Youtube is a pair of Czechs who present a mix of neat travel videos and tourist scam exposés. Worth a watch, even if you don't plan to visit Czechia (you horrible person, you). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcig6lxjm00
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Sep 5, 2022 01:17
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I received another text message from the number that said they found my missing ring… this time they told me they had found my dog. I played along this time and asked how I could get the dog back and they replied:quote:I don't know if u are real. Give me ur cell number will send u a 6 digit code tell me the code then you are real Is this some kind of two factor scam?
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Sep 5, 2022 08:59
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Almost certainly yes. They might just be using your cell number to get through sign up pages that check for individuals by assuming each person has one number only.
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Sep 5, 2022 09:03
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Professor Shark posted:I received another text message from the number that said they found my missing ring… this time they told me they had found my dog. I played along this time and asked how I could get the dog back and they replied: Or they might even be attempting to steal your actual phone number in some kind of sim swapping deal
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Sep 5, 2022 09:04
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Professor Shark posted:I received another text message from the number that said they found my missing ring… this time they told me they had found my dog. I played along this time and asked how I could get the dog back and they replied: They'll send you a code when they're already texting you? Ask them how a code is relevant to your dog
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Sep 5, 2022 11:07
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JacquelineDempsey posted:Pre-auths I've been in multiple bars where the bartender rattled off a "hold" script when I gave them a card to run my tab. "We pre-authorize/place a hold for $XX for any credit card charge, but the hold will drop off in a day or two." As a side note, it's yet another reason why you should never use your debit card as a credit card at a vendor. Always pay with a credit card anywhere, then immediately repay it from your checking account if you want to treat it as an instant-pay transaction like you would with debit. You just lose too many consumer protections with debit cards.
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Sep 5, 2022 14:08
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Professor Shark posted:I received another text message from the number that said they found my missing ring… this time they told me they had found my dog. I played along this time and asked how I could get the dog back and they replied: Yeah, they're definitely asking for a code to verify your number on some account.
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Sep 5, 2022 19:02
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SIHappiness posted:" As a side note, it's yet another reason why you should never use your debit card as a credit card at a vendor. Always pay with a credit card anywhere, then immediately repay it from your checking account if you want to treat it as an instant-pay transaction like you would with debit. You just lose too many consumer protections with debit cards. But yeah, there's very few good reasons to pay with a debit card instead of a credit card if you're in the US. Fewer protections, it's your own money at stake if someone steals the number(the bank is still supposed to get you your money back, but a lot of people can't afford to wait for that to happen), all the stuff just discussed with holds, etc. About the only place I'd use my debit card around here is a regional grocery chain that straight-up doesn't take credit cards to keep their prices down. The system that expects you to have and use a credit card if you want better protections is arguably a scam in itself, but  .
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Sep 5, 2022 20:33
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Haifisch posted:If you don't carry a credit card balance, you can just pay it when the statement posts too. (you don't pay interest if you pay the statement balance in full on time every time) Yeah, I should've been clearer: I've met many people who prefer debit cards because they fear the concept of running up a balance too large to pay in a month and incurring interest charges. For them, the act of charging $50 and then immediately paying $50 feels more comfortable than the equivalent act of charging $500 over 10 charges and then paying it the following month, and ultimately they're safer doing this than 10 debit charges. That was sort of what I was going after with that comment - you're absolutely correct that moving past that, there's an even bigger benefit to be had from the 30-55 day delay in payment. Even the local liquor store chain that gives a discount for using debit doesn't get my debit info - their DB was compromised several years ago and it's just too damned inconvenient to deal with that vs. using credit.
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Sep 5, 2022 23:29
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Professor Shark posted:I received another text message from the number that said they found my missing ring… this time they told me they had found my dog. I played along this time and asked how I could get the dog back and they replied: You'll get a text from your bank or mobile provider or whatever with a 2FA code and "NEVER GIVE THIS NUMBER TO ANYONE ON THE PHONE WE WILL NEVER ASK FOR IT" so naturally you give it to the scammer and huh that's weird all my money is gone
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Sep 5, 2022 23:53
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I tend to say OK and proceed to give them fake numbers. It's fun if work is slow.
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Sep 6, 2022 04:46
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SIHappiness posted:Yeah, I should've been clearer: I've met many people who prefer debit cards because they fear the concept of running up a balance too large to pay in a month and incurring interest charges. For them, the act of charging $50 and then immediately paying $50 feels more comfortable than the equivalent act of charging $500 over 10 charges and then paying it the following month, and ultimately they're safer doing this than 10 debit charges. That was sort of what I was going after with that comment - you're absolutely correct that moving past that, there's an even bigger benefit to be had from the 30-55 day delay in payment. Yeah, a debit card is sometimes used as a scorched earth solution for folks who have spending issues, gambling addiction or similiar. It isn't perfect (and one can also get a CC card with built-in spending limits) but it works. Also good as a kid's first card.
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Sep 6, 2022 07:12
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Fruits of the sea posted:Yeah, a debit card is sometimes used as a scorched earth solution for folks who have spending issues, gambling addiction or similiar. It isn't perfect (and one can also get a CC card with built-in spending limits) but it works. Also good as a kid's first card. My parents got me a credit card when I first started driving and explained that it was just for gas and, like, poo poo I got explicit permission for, with the understanding that they'd be fine toothed combing that poo poo. But mostly it was for building a credit history so I'd have one before I needed it, and so they could sit down and teach me how to check my bills for fuckery, budget out spending when using plastic, demystify the process, etc. Even as a dumb teenager in what I will for brevity's sake call a libertarian phase, I was like "oh, this is one of those traps that keep poor people poor because they didn't have anyone to explain this poo poo."
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Sep 6, 2022 12:22
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I have no issue admitting that I was an even dumber teenager and would have gotten myself into financial trouble if I had the opportunity  Although it might have helped if my parents taught me that poo poo
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Sep 6, 2022 12:34
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I'm sure people have talked about this already, but online job hunting is full of scammy poo poo. I'm currently looking for work and received an unsolicited email (red flag #1), supposedly from a recruiter. Seemed like a job with the exact experience level and skills I'm looking for (red flag #2). Rejecting jobs never sits right with me, so I decided to look into this opportunity by searching for the recruiter's name on LinkedIn. There were many people with similarish names, but no one who was a 'Senior Recruiter' at this particular company* (red flag #3). OK, so I decided to go to this recruiter's corporate site. There wasn't much to it; no details of what they do aside from vague buzzwords, and no CEOs or senior corporate officers listed anywhere (red flag #4). It did, however, have a couple of "corporate headquarters" addresses in Columbus, OH. Checking out these addresses on Google Maps, one was an office building that sold/rented out office areas (red flag #5). The other seemed to be a private residence (red flag #6). What really gets me is not so much the job opportunity bait-and-switch but how utterly dumb and/or desperate they think we are to fall for these obvious scams. No work was put into this at all, and this is not the first time I've dealt with bullshit like this. If you're doing online job hunting like I am, always do your research. *I opted not to disclose the company name just to be safe. Not sure of the doxxing rules here. F_Shit_Fitzgerald fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Sep 7, 2022 |
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Sep 7, 2022 02:58
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F_Shit_Fitzgerald posted:I'm sure people have talked about this already, but online job hunting is full of scammy poo poo. I'm currently looking for work and received an unsolicited email (red flag #1), supposedly from a recruiter. Seemed like a job with the exact experience level and skills I'm looking for (red flag #2). I think I posted a little about this too. A lot of those listings are for MLM's and I've learned to spot them. Like you mentioned, the really vague and generic websites are a big red flag. I always wonder (and sometimes ask them) what exactly in my 30 year career of illustration, graphic design and sign making or my bachelor of fine arts degree leads you to believe I'd be great being a salesperson and leading my own team for your "innovative global solutions" company?
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Sep 7, 2022 11:28
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Just got a call from a local number and when I googled it, it’s the local hospital. Quickly called back and it’s some bullshit boiler replacement poo poo. loving scummy scammy bastards. Edit: right, so what they’ve done is register their stupid scam business in what looks to be an empty residential property on a private road that protrudes into the hospital grounds. When you google the phone number it comes up as “RIPLEY HOSPITAL” on google maps and unless you zoom right in on the pin, it looks like that’s who called you. It was a trick and they tricked me. Pricks. Sanford fucked around with this message at 12:19 on Sep 7, 2022 |
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Sep 7, 2022 11:30
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Expounding further on it, the job hunting experience really loving sucks and I can empathize. Just putting your contact info and bio out there (email, # or often even your name and address) is enough to generate a rather big wave of spammy bullshit but you *SIDE NOTE* Speaking of ^^^that^^^, the Unemployment Applications you have to fill out can be equally bad and even worse. At least in FL. They make it a real loving hassle to get in on it. The website is "closed" evenings and weekends, which is ridiculous, so you can only file during the hours you are ostensibly supposed to be looking for work. It also times out a lot and won't save your progress. There's no reason whatsoever I shouldn't be able to claim benefits at 2am on a Thursday or on a Sunday afternoon. I got SO MANY bullshit offers that at one point I decided to just put pins in a map for places I wanted to work, printed out some resumes and cards and drove around to places unannounced - which can still be remarkably effective from a "right place/right time" standpoint and for building up contacts and networking. I've gotten a few jobs, interviews and freelance work doing that. I mean, you can use a separate email and a burner phone but so much of it is like a loving arms race and the con artists ruin all of it. Based on the nibbles I got, apparently I'd be really good at selling life insurance, leading sales seminars becoming a "team leader" that "innovates marketing solutions on a global scale"; whatever that last one means (I't means MLM or Network Marketing) Network Marketing is slightly different from MLM but probably deserves its own thread
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Sep 7, 2022 13:27
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