Elderly parents scammed

HelenNoreen

If this relative has form for trying to get money out of your parents; could there be the possibility that they are behind this email in the first place??

SuzeQStan

Thanks @HelenNoreen - you have voiced what I was loathe to previously. Time to fess up - the relative has had multiple reported ‘bank scams’ supposedly wiping out their ‘life savings’ on 2 x occasions. I had to advise strongly as parents were ready to cash in investments to help out. Asked to see correspondence between relative and bank and miraculously they refunded her all the money within about 24 hours. My parents said to me this morning ‘relative is just too generous’ when talking about the amount of this gift card. 🤦🏼‍♀️

sammyjammy

SuzeQStan said:

Thanks @HelenNoreen - you have voiced what I was loathe to previously. Time to fess up - the relative has had multiple reported ‘bank scams’ supposedly wiping out their ‘life savings’ on 2 x occasions. I had to advise strongly as parents were ready to cash in investments to help out. Asked to see correspondence between relative and bank and miraculously they refunded her all the money within about 24 hours. My parents said to me this morning ‘relative is just too generous’ when talking about the amount of this gift card. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Oh no!  Sounds like said skanky relative is onto a winner with your parents, hope you can talk some sense into them, its really sad and must be so frustrating for you.

SuzeQStan

sammyjammy said

Oh no!  Sounds like said skanky relative is onto a winner with your parents, hope you can talk some sense into them, its really sad and must be so frustrating for you.

Thanks @sammyjammy - that is my belief as well. Parents won’t hear a word against relative & I know that this will cause a serious rift in our relationship, but I believe the correct thing to do is for me to directly confront relative demanding proof of the gift card and let them know I am onto their blackmail of 2 of the most generous people I’ve ever known (I know I’m biased! 😉). M&D support several families monthly (Inc relative) and regular charitable donations etc. They are not wealthy - their viewpoint is that if there is a greater need then they are happy to do without.
Side note - they always go on about my inheritance - I would rather they blow the lot on themselves. I take pride in financial independence and glad to say I don’t need an inheritance in any form. (Other than the values m&d have taught me)
I feel better having gotten this off my chest - time to get my big girl pants on and confront/take no prisoners w relative. 

Thanks for the supportive messages on here all - it’s really helped.
will update 😊

sheramber

report a scam email

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email

thegreenone

OP, I'm not very tech savvy, but hopefully others on here are.   

Is there any way to find out Relatives IP Address and block it if any emails contain the words "money", "gift cards"  ie key words.  So normal emails can come through but not the Scam ones.

Is this possible, anyone?  Sorry, thinking out loud.  Relative sounds despicable to resort to this sort of extortion.

I really hope you can nip this quickly.

Savvy_Sue

SuzeQStan said:

@Bradden - they do have a firewall etc but dad says he clicked on something thinking it was from a legitimate source.  I’m not entirely sure what exactly happened as they can be a bit closed mouthed when they think their independence is under scrutiny. 😔  I do worry about them getting taken advantage of.

That's a great shame, isn't it? My very un-techy late mother had me set up an email address for her, and was happy for me to know the password. It was a great help occasionally when she phoned to say "my google broke", and I would have to establish whether it was that she'd closed the browser window on the laptop, or that t'internet had become disconnected. 

Would they allow YOU to have remote access to their computer on such occasions? You would have to stress that it is absolutely ONLY you they should allow to do this, not anyone who phones them randomly allegedly from Microsoft or an ISP. You could then check they have decent AV software installed and show them how to run a scan. 

SuzeQStan

Savvy_Sue said:. 

Would they allow YOU to have remote access to their computer on such occasions? You would have to stress that it is absolutely ONLY you they should allow to do this, not anyone who phones them randomly allegedly from Microsoft or an ISP. You could then check they have decent AV software installed and show them how to run a scan. 

@Savvy_Sue  - I like this idea thank you.  They think the world of my OH so I might chicken out and get him to broach it with them. They can only say no but I do see them struggling now day to day and saying how they feel the world is passing them by tech wise. 

SuzeQStan

@thegreenone said:
Relative sounds despicable to resort to this sort of extortion.
I really hope you can nip this quickly.

Update - I rang relative yesterday evening & no answer. So I left a VM asking them to ring me ASAP. Followed up with an email asking for the receipt for the gift card to be sent across to me. (Relative lives even further away from me than m&d)

I know that my attempts to contact have landed as DF then rang to ask me to stop ‘harassing’ relative…🙄. I am in reality unrepentant but grovelled to DF explaining I was trying to protect him & DM & the relative. In the hopes that they might understand having all evidence would surely benefit all in the long run.

Sadly conversation ended with a curt mind your own…

SuzeQStan

sheramber said:

report a scam email

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email

Thanks @sheramber - we have reported to their ISP and amazingly heard from a REAL LIVE PERSON. Who advised that steps have been taken to protect their account from future problems - 🤞🏻.