It’s no secret that we live in the age of scammers, hustlers, and con men. One day, they try to lure you into playing a game of three-card monte you would never win, the next, they organize fake charities, pretend to be someone they’re not, or try to swindle your very last money. But thanks to witty people who’re not buying it, some of these scam artists do get a taste of their own medicine.

This is precisely what happened to one scammer who tried to impersonate a neighbor in need of help, aka $50 to fix a flat tire: “Hello it is your neighbor with some car trouble can you assist me.” The target quickly replied saying “What type of neighbor would I be if I didn’t help you” and sooner than the scammer knew it, he was drawn into a full-on neighbor drama full of gossip, revenge, and weekend plans.

The blogger named Amber Says shared the screenshots of the hilarious incident on her Facebook page, and this is the sort of emotional roller coaster that would put anyone off, even the desperate con man.

This exchange between a scammer and his “victim” has gone viral recently

Bored Panda reached out to Amber Jacobs, the woman behind the viral response to the scammer, who agreed to share her experience with scams and how she deals with them. “I’m no stranger to scammers. I recognized the tone immediately. I think we’ve all had that text or phone call that has left us feeling angry or taken advantage of,” Amber said.

The woman who introduced herself as “a small-town massage therapist” said that she finds it offensive when someone comes along under false pretenses and with the intention to take what isn’t theirs. She also said that it’s not the first time someone has tried to fool her. “These days, our information is so accessible that these types of situations don’t surprise me anymore. I just hate that there are some people that aren’t able to recognize when they’re being scammed and taken advantage of.”

And that makes it easier for Amber to waste these guys’ time if she has an opportunity. She added that the hilarious neighbor drama was an easy thing to come up with “when you live in a very small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. This conversation in itself is a reflection of things you’d hear on aisle 5 at the local grocery store.” The characters are not themselves real, but the story was definitely inspired by real-life incidents.

Amber said she has always been a storyteller and aspiring writer so she just uses her imagination when she needs it. “These types of conversations allow me to be as ridiculous as I want. I’m just glad people get enjoyment out of it. I’ve come to love my town with all of its quirks and Lindas with the bad potato salad,” she concluded.

Image credits: amberjsays

What you need to know about text scams

With the rise of internet technologies, social media, and basically all the world going online in times of the pandemic, scammers are getting more and more sophisticated in their attempts to trick us. However, sometimes it doesn’t take a whole lot for con men to trick people, and all it takes is a phone number and an unsuspecting target.

Also known as smishing, SMS phishing or text scam is the fraudulent solicitation of your personal information through the use of text messaging. While every scam is different, there are common hallmarks to watch out for.

First, text scams tend to have unusually long numbers. Simple Texting suggests that “If you were to receive a text message from an unidentified 11-digit number, the odds are high that it’s a scam.” Even if the person who texts you identifies themselves as a legit person, it’s always a good idea to check the number they are writing from.

Random family emergency texts are also something to look out for. The texts are very frightening and this is basically why they work on so many victims. However, it would be smart to reach out to a trusted family member or friend to verify the scammer’s story (even if they say to keep it a secret).

Other common text scams include reactivation and refund scams, as well as the iconic “you won a prize!” scam. If you ever receive any of these, never, ever click on the links in the text message if you have the slightest suspicion it may be a scam.

Also, don’t feel pressured to reply quickly and act immediately because this is precisely what scammers are trying to achieve. It’s always better to slow down, take a step back, and think the situation through. For the future record, it’s best to take a screenshot of the text, but don’t forget to delete the original message and report it to your mobile carrier and/or authorities.

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