Just the other day, True George was engaged in a battle of wits. It was against the latest scammer that attempted to outwit me and failed.

A Face Book friend’s account was hacked, they asked a thought-provoking question, a relatively easy one. You answer it, they say you’ve won some sort of incentive with a cash app. Something like a one-time purchase and you’ll get a cash app credit.

They claim they are with US Bank.Company

The scammer made contact, and this is what took place:

Scammer: Hello

Scammer: You comment on my post

True George: Yeah

Scammer: You got cash app

True George: No

Scammer: Wot or PayPal or zelle

True George: Yeah

Scammer: Zelle

True George: Yeah

Scammer: Drop you zelle info

True George: truegeorge@gmail.com

Scammer:  Cool

Scammer: Lemme paste you the company protocol

Scammer:  If you send $150 you get $1800 If you send $200 you get $2400 If you send 250 you   

                    get $3000 If you send $300 you get $3600 If you send $350 you get $4200 If you

                    send $400 you get $4800 If you send $500 you get $6000 If you send $600 you get

                    $7200 If you send $800 you get $9600 If you send 900 you get $10800 If you send

                    $1000 you get $12000

Scammer This is real and legitimate

Scammer: A lot of people have also do this today and they benefit from it

Scammer sends 3 videos 2 women and a man testifying that everything is legit and how she was a skeptic but she followed instructions and you’ll get the money with 5 to 10 minutes

Scammer:  5/15 minute after your purchase of the offer is been verified your money gonna hit your cash app

   True George did not answer, by now I’ve figured this is a set up

Scammer:  Don’t be scared or skeptical you got nothing to lose here and your money hit you up immediately after your payment is been verified

True George was ignoring the message but the scammer persist

Scammer:  If you send $150 you get $1800 If you send $200 you get $2400… How much you gotta do

True George: thanks for the offer but right now I’m at work and not able to take time…

Scammer: I swear on my life This is real and legitimate

Scammer: Let me know how much you wanna do

Scammer: Are you ready to make your payment

True George continues to ignore messages

FB Messenger: Audio call (accompanied by ring tone)

True George declined to take the call

Scammer: Talk to me

True George: Not right now

Scammer: What time

Scammer: ???

True George: Don’t know if I’m gonna do it without more info

Scammer: Trust me you got nothing loose here

Scammer: A lot of people have also do this today and they benefit from it                      

True George: I got the money will be sent to lose what program is this?

Scammer: This an official stuff…it gotta be kept official,your getting this huge giveaway so why the familiarity?? I don’t do this from my pocket I work for US BANK company

Scammer: I swear with my life I thought this was a scam already but I came across the real agent and I got my money and later approved has an part time agent it very real and legit if you purchase through me cos there are a lot of fake agent online and I swear on my life you gonna thank me after receiving your payment cos I did this and got the proof

Scammer: Choose from the available offer and lemme know how much you gotta do

Scammer: If you send $150 you get $1800 If you send $200 you get $2400…

   True George ignoring messages again. But the scammer is relentless

Scammer: ??

Scammer: Talk to me

True George tried to give a lame excuse to get rid of the scammer

True George: Talk later I’m on the road now not looking for a ticket for texting and driving

Scammer: Where are you going to

True George: Home I told you earlier that I was at work, now I’m heading back home

Scammer: Okay

Scammer: What time will you get home

True George ignores message, but 3 hours later the scammer saw that I was back live on Facebook

Scammer: Have you got home already

True George: Yeah

Scammer: Choose from the available offer and lemme know how much you gotta do

Scammer: If you send $150 you get $1800 If you send $200 you get $2400…

True George ignoring scammer’s messages again…

Scammer: ???

True George finally declines

True George: Right now I’m going to have to decline

Scammer: Why

True George: Cause I have thousands of dollars in credit and I didn’t have to spend to get it

Scammer: I understand what you mean

Scammer: Do this and thank me later

Scammer: 5/10 minute after your payment of the offer is been verified your money gonna hit your zelle

True George: sorry not interested unless I know about the program. what bank, what company, what website, etc

Scammer didn’t answer, True George is that  glad the scammer finally got the message that I know it is a scam; but after 15 minutes he answers…This was at 2:30 am

Scammer: Us bank company

But at 11:00 am the scammer sent another message

Scammer: Are you ready to make your payment

True George ignores message

Scammer: ???

True George continues to ignore message; but five hours later the scammer sends another message.

Scammer: Are you with there with me

True George: No and I would appreciate it if you would stop messaging me.

Hopefully the scammer finally got the message…

There were many red flags; first of all the scammer claimed he worked for US Bank Company. True George did a google search to see if such a company exists. Sure enough there was a legitimate financial company called US Bank.

Yes, there is a US  bank that offers consumers savings and checking accounts, credit cards, loans (personal, auto, home), CD’s and every service that other banks offer.  

Red flag #1: No bank will every tell anyone to send in money for a line of credit; unless they are offering a secured credit card. Even then, the money sent in to get a secured credit card is placed in an escrow account and refunded back to you once the secured credit card account is closed with a zero balance. Most banks, have a program to return the secured deposit after you demonstrate on time payments for a period of time.

Red flag#2: Was the videos saying that everything is legitimate. The fact that the videos were not professionally made, and the people who made the video doesn’t sound too excited that they were able to get a cash app credit. Plus the emphasis on the word legitimate, torpedoes the legitimacy claim.

Also, the fact that no legitimate financial institution would ever make such a video to convince people they are a legitimate institution. They don’t need too.  

Red flag #3: That the words and sentence structure used tells me the scammer doesn’t have a command over the English language. I suspect the scammer is from India, or Nigeria.

Be careful out there, people want to put their hands in your pocket.