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In reply to the discussion: How a Stranger Used One Text Message to Steal My Entire Digital Life -- Time [View all]LtTx
(109 posts)39. This is exactly what happened to us in Oct 2025.
Luckily about 3 or 4 hours later I started having doubts.. Called and cancelled 31k worth of charges. Pay Pal was also involved. We notified them also 3 hours later. They dismissed our claim outright but the credit cards did not, so PayPal is left holding the bag. Mine involved a Fidelity account and they spoofed Fidelity's number. We reported it to the FBI line and our local sheriff office. Everything looked so legit.
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How a Stranger Used One Text Message to Steal My Entire Digital Life -- Time [View all]
erronis
Saturday
OP
This scam isn't dependent on the operating system. Windows, Mac, iOS, Linux, whatever.
erronis
Saturday
#29
So if you are traveling and spend a decent amount of $ at a city far from where you are 99% of the time
AZJonnie
Saturday
#6
And how do you know they did not call the 5, be 10, ?? other phones that were in the area
Ms. Toad
Saturday
#42
How did they fake the credit card terminal coming back and saying "declined"?
AZJonnie
Yesterday
#44
No, because only if you respond to a text in the scenario I described with a 'no' I didn't make the charge
AZJonnie
15 hrs ago
#46
"To catch a thief" - Hitchcock. We don't live in that world any more. There are thousands of thieves
erronis
Saturday
#32
I had an episode not this serious but enough for me three years ago. I dealt with it and even
hlthe2b
Saturday
#24
I recommend running a VPN on your phone for all WiFi connections - even on a protected network.
erronis
Saturday
#33
Yes... I have preached that for the past 18 months... Not all listen, however...
hlthe2b
Saturday
#38
That mystified me also, but you worded it well. It does seem something is missing.
erronis
Saturday
#37
I think what they're referring to (and like you, I struggled getting through the article)
Abolishinist
Saturday
#43