General Discussion

Cha

(321,820 posts)

7. Oh wow, that poor Pilot guy!

Sat Jul 11, 2026, 01:47 PM

16 hrs ago

I always used Google to check if those official-looking texts from ATT and a lot of the other companies were real, and they always said No.

Now I just Report and Delete them So many scam artists out there.

I can see why he thought it was real, though. TY for this Pilot's harrowing cautionary tale, erronis. It's even more harrowing at the link

Sigh.. All that technology was making me dizzy. I kept hoping somehow the Police or FBI could catch the thief!

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Felicita calimary erronis

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Highlight:

How a Stranger Used One Text Message to Steal My Entire Digital Life -- Time [View all] erronis 18 hrs ago OP

Wow, that is scary hauckeye 18 hrs ago #1

I find people are more vulnerable when they are scammed on mobile devices. LeftInTX 18 hrs ago #2

well, that was horrifying UpInArms 18 hrs ago #3

"Windows 7"??? PatSeg 16 hrs ago #10

windows 7-11. LOL reACTIONary 16 hrs ago #16

I still have a Windows 7 computer also FoxNewsSucks 15 hrs ago #22

Whoa, I didn't know you could still get updates PatSeg 11 hrs ago #41

This scam isn't dependent on the operating system. Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, whatever. erronis 14 hrs ago #29

This is the key: Never take an inbound call from a financial company. Ms. Toad 17 hrs ago #4

So if you are traveling and spend a decent amount of $ at a city far from where you are 99% of the time AZJonnie 17 hrs ago #6

My Credit Union asks me to call them directly whenever I get a fraud alert. paleotn 16 hrs ago #11

Good advice Randomthought 16 hrs ago #14

Right. And don't click on any links in the text message (or emails!) erronis 14 hrs ago #31

Yes, I would (and have repeatedly refused). Ms. Toad 16 hrs ago #17

I'm not quite sure I follow the logic on this piece AZJonnie 15 hrs ago #25

And how do you know they did not call the 5, be 10, ?? other phones that were in the area Ms. Toad 11 hrs ago #42

How did they fake the credit card terminal coming back and saying "declined"? AZJonnie 2 hrs ago #44

Did you read the article? BWdem4life 15 hrs ago #20

They've got the con down pat. Progressive dog 17 hrs ago #5

Oh wow, that poor Pilot guy! Cha 16 hrs ago #7

"To catch a thief" - Hitchcock. We don't live in that world any more. There are thousands of thieves erronis 14 hrs ago #32

I have an Apple ID Bev54 16 hrs ago #8

My daughter and I were talking about our smartphones PatSeg 16 hrs ago #9

I never reply to text of that ilk. BeneteauBum 16 hrs ago #12

Good Info, thanks for posting BunnyMcGee 16 hrs ago #13

Kick dalton99a 16 hrs ago #15

This is why I love my old flip-phone JoseBalow 16 hrs ago #18

Thanks for the head's up xuplate 15 hrs ago #19

This exploit was from 4 years ago. Sector 001 15 hrs ago #21

As if in a nuclear event access to Apple products is essential. marble falls 14 hrs ago #30

I, too, have been getting suspicous calls and texts. Dem_in_Nebr. 15 hrs ago #23

I had an episode not this serious but enough for me three years ago. I dealt with it and even hlthe2b 15 hrs ago #24

I recommend running a VPN on your phone for all WiFi connections - even on a protected network. erronis 14 hrs ago #33

Yes... I have preached that for the past 18 months... Not all listen, however... hlthe2b 12 hrs ago #38

Great info in this thread, thanks erronis and replies.. Permanut 14 hrs ago #26

Just had a discussion with my kids about this NeoTrajan 14 hrs ago #27

Excellent ideas. Thank you. erronis 14 hrs ago #34

That's basically what I told my husband Tree Lady 12 hrs ago #40

Trust no one whose throat you cannot get your hands around. marble falls 14 hrs ago #28

Things I never do in this age of thievery. GoodRaisin 13 hrs ago #35

I wish I knew what was meant by this part of the article AZJonnie 13 hrs ago #36

That mystified me also, but you worded it well. It does seem something is missing. erronis 12 hrs ago #37

I think what they're referring to (and like you, I struggled getting through the article) Abolishinist 11 hrs ago #43

This is exactly what happened to us in Oct 2025. LtTx 12 hrs ago #39