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Text messages with acct verification codes

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bobhustead

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Over the last few days, I have gotten 5 texts purporting to be from United Health Care, Samsung, Affrim.com and one anonymous containing account verification codes of the sort you get in 2 step verification. I have an account with United, but the messages are not in fact from them and the phone number actually linked to the account is not mine, but my wife's. I have no relationship with Samsung or Affirm. I have not attempted any sign ins that would prompt verification codes from anyone. Is anyone else seeing this or aware of this apparent scam and what it is about?
Bob
 
Bob - I've been getting them, as well as about a dozen guys I work with at the air museum.

It's just another "phishing" ploy. As there's often no charge to send a text, or to send an email, or to make a phone call, there's no reason for senders to stop sending the garbage. One person falls for it, and the results are pure profit for the originator.

You can't block the caller, as the sender's number is a fake.

As with other tech "improvements", more and more people are just deleting all the phone calls, messages, texts, and emails they get.

Sad but true.
 
Did you see the article that the 2fe was hacked?
 
2fe = two factor encrypting.

(If humans can invent a new security system, humans can also invent a way to break through.)
 
Post 6 raises my biggest (but computer illiterate) AI concern. AI can try new things forever without getting tired, frustrated or convinced it's just not worth continuing.
Bob
 
The local version of the scam is the "post office" or "DHL" or some other shipping company claiming we need to pay tax to release an imported item from customs . Since tax on imports is a real thing, if you have several items on order from outside of the country it can be very hard figuring out if the tax is real or a scam.
Fortunately the CC companies are very good at identifying scam charges but it is still a huge pain.
 
I had an email from DHL telling me i had import duty to and as i had just purchesed a camera lense from Germany through Ebay
I was a little concerned as ebay are supposed to charge duty and VAT on any overseas purchases,
Luckily and literaly within 5 minutes i had a textmessage from DHL stating the item had been delivered.

I think its cookies, as i had been going on DHL's web site tracking the thing, maybe that is the way these scams know who to hit.
 
Mezy - I'd never thought about that. Doing just about anything through a browser can leave "tracking cookies" in your browser history. And you never know who (or what) has access to all those cookies.

Or even if only a company's employees have access to your cookies (for "marketing purposes"), what can the employees do with them "at home".

eek
 
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I think they should get rid of all cookies and start using crackers, that would solve the cookie problem! (y) :devilgrin:
 
Its the same with facebook, Go on ebay and search for stuff, go on facebook and its full of stuff you have been searching for,
and all websites you go to now have to warn you about cookies, some sites if you decline to accept it boots you off.
 
As most websites are reachable from just about anywhere in the world, they're "covering their tails" by alerting you they use cookies, and get you to approve that.

What a frighteningly deep hole we're digging for ourselves, by using the 'net.
 
https://www.privacypolicies.com/blog/browser-cookies-guide/ Some very interesting information on this web site regarding cookies,

this for instance. " However, cookies are used as a part of many large browser tracking schemes which create extremely detailed user profiles. Many websites use third-party ad networks - networks which span multiple sites. This allows central data aggregators to track user activity across many different domains. Cookies are not thing used to handle this tracking, but they do play a central role"

and this "
Finally, there are Flash cookies. Flash cookies are generated and stored differently than "regular" (or "HTTP") cookies - they are created and stored in the Adobe Flash browser app.


The problem with Flash cookies is that they are not deleted when you clear your browser cookies. Some websites exploit this fact and use Flash cookies as a sort of "backup" for regular cookies (even sites that don't use Flash for any obvious interactive purposes).


Flash cookies have to be dealt with from within the Flash player settings panel. "

apparently you can block the flash cookies from within flash player by globally denying flash cookies space to be stored.
 
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