Scams we met
Community · 2 threads
Members' own run-ins: the calls, listings and messages, caught in time or not.
Every story in this section was posted so the next reader would see the script coming. Some members caught it with seconds to spare, some found out the next morning, and both kinds of story are equally welcome here, told without shame in either direction.
- The scam call came from my bank's real number. How do they even spoof caller ID? 5 replies · 430 views · last by tomd52, Jun 2, 2026
- The "your antivirus renewed" call, and how close I came 4 replies · 520 views · last by quilterjean, Nov 16, 2025
If you take one thing from these stories
Strip the details away and the same skeleton is under almost every story posted here: an unexpected contact, a reason to act right now, and a reason you can't hang up, log off, or ask someone you trust first. The product being sold changes weekly. The skeleton doesn't, and once you can see it, a call about antivirus and a message about a trailer deposit start to look like the same event.
The site keeps a plain-language field guide in how to spot a scam, and if you've ever wondered why the call came to you at all, how scammers find and target you explains the unglamorous answer, which is lists, not fate.
House rule, worth repeating at the bottom of every thread: nobody here gets blamed for a near miss or a loss. These operations are run by professionals who rehearse all day against people hearing the script for the first time. Smart is not a defence, and the stories below are proof from smart people.