@ninalanyon With such a comparatively small and scattered population (outside the cities) I'm not surprised.

@ArishMell We are going to lose our last bricks an mortar bank in the next year and nearby towns have already lost theirs. However, there is supposed to be a new 'banking hub' opened before the last one goes. When I was dealing with my late mother's account after her death, I was grateful to have real people to talk to in the local branch. It closed even in the middle of me doing business with them, so I went to the next town 5 miles away and now that's closed. Fortunately, similar.circumstances arise rarely for me.

@ArishMell That is a valid concern too. I THINK though that scammers probably concentrate more on hacking phones than computers because people typically use their phones more these days.

Although, scammers will ultimately do ANYthing to try to steal.

@HoeBag You are probably right. I don't have a "smart"-'phone so don't know what happens on them. However most fraud and phishing attempts I receive come as e-posts anyway. I block and report them.

Some are obviously false because they refer to companies or services I do not use!

Others because their sending names are so totally and clearly false, such as a very long string of random letters before a real or bogus domain. I don't know what that is supposed to do - perhaps it gets round certain types of spam filter.

@ArishMell It is not much different on smart phones - one often receives texts from scammers about how the shipping label on their Amazon package was damaged and they need us to verify our info.

I get those a lot. Well that is funny because I almost never order anything from Amazon.

Or maybe texts saying we owe the IRS and they will send us to jail if we do not pay.
Funny cause the IRS does not send out texts.

@Ducky apparently @Lilymoon

@Ducky A lot of people. Some are afraid of getting hacked.

@MsSwan When crooks are using every possible tool to steal people's money or assets, doing anything online is a mine field. Not just naive people who willingly hand over their bank details to romance scammers, but also people who don't even engage in online socialization.

And it is doubtful that things like these "identity protection" companies can do much to stop that.

@MsSwan oh good you changed your photo 😅

@YoMomma Was it annoying?

@MsSwan no but this one is more fun 😅

@ArishMell
Such organizations manage electronic payments here in Norway with no difficulty at all but I think such things are easier here.

We have a system called Vipps that lets you use a smartphone to pay directly to someone knowing only their mobile number.

Of course charities, etc., also accept cash. In fact if you are operating a permanent shop in Norway you are required by law to accept cash. Only temporary sales locations and mail order are allowed to be electronic only.

@ninalanyon The complexity here in the UK is due to the money trade's practices!

However, we do have a vast range and number of events, club meetings etc in which electronic payment would not be necessary, practicable, easy or really, desirable.

@ArishMell The only club that I am a member of in the UK is Nottingham Chameleons <https://www.nottinghamchameleons.co.uk/> and I paid my meeting fee using Google Wallet by tapping my mobile phone against the organizer's mobile phone. It was as easy as using a debit or credit card in a shop. She would accept cash but electronic payments were definitely preferred.

@mindstruggle what? 😒

@ShepherdBard
I get the house.

@mindstruggle 🙄

@Tumbleweed great minds think alike they say

@Tumbleweed 👀

@Nitedoc 👀

@HoeBag Basically.

So what happened to us is, I sent money to our beloved tenants, Dave and Cathy, about whom I've complained elsewhere, from the corporate account. A few days later, I received a text message asking me to confirm my purchase of a $200 pair of skinny jeans. As I was sitting there wondering if it was a scam or not, I received a follow-up text thanking me for confirming. We immediately checked our bank account and found that someone had completely drained it after cloning my phone number. We had to make a new account, and I had to change my phone number.

I've got a very short list of suspects, but of course I can't prove anything.

@LordShadowfire Dave and Cathy kind of "sound" like it would be a nice couple. Middle class, clean cut, polite, etc. I am guessing I am WAY off mark with that couple.

I know the situation is not funny but that line made me bust out laughing. I am just imaging you there all giddy about a new pair of skinny jeans. 😄

But yeah, I do not know how people do that, but it seems cloning someone's number is a common scam tactic. It is for that reason that I do not conduct business on my phone. Companies know it is a problem but for some reason, they cannot do sh*t about it.

I wonder if someone had two sims on their phone, if they could use one for everyday bull like calls and text and the other strictly for trusted financial stuff?

But yeah when possible, I do the "under the mattress" banking like someone on here said. H3ll it is sad because CASH has now become the safest money.

BTW, aprt of why I have that impression about CashApp - I keep getting spam texts that someone sent me umpteen hundred bucks through it. Bull effing sh*t.

@HoeBag Yes, the absurdity of it.
I don't know how it works, either, but I've only ever had it happen while using that app.