"Do you want some free new equipment?" What is this scam??

[ShenandoahJoe]

Doesn't it count against your score every time you credit is checked?
also I am skeptical about putting my SS number on the net even it says it is a secure web site.
has anyone received theirs online?

It's legit. I've done it. You get your credit report, but not your FICO score. FICO scores, you have to pay for. The idea is, you'll be so disappointed at not learning your magic number that you'll give them a couple of bucks to complete the experience.

 

[LD1]

It will be a deal where you pay for the equipment and some crook in Nigeria will send you worthless checks to re-imburse you. It sounds like they have it figured out where the first few checks will actually clear, and then they clean out your bank account.

Interesting. IF the first few checks actually clear, have your bank freeze the account and transfer funds into another account:laughing: And THEN let them rot in jail:thumbsup:

It's legit. I've done it. You get your credit report, but not your FICO score. FICO scores, you have to pay for. The idea is, you'll be so disappointed at not learning your magic number that you'll give them a couple of bucks to complete the experience.

Those commercials drive me nuts too. Because MOST of them even make refrence to your credit "score". Like the commercial with the 3 guys in the blue suits:confused2: Its exactally as you say, because they bait you in making you think you will get to know your FICO #.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Doesn't it count against your score every time you credit is checked?
also I am skeptical about putting my SS number on the net even it says it is a secure web site.
has anyone received theirs online?

I know it doesn't count against you to check your own. At least not through the annual credit report website. Beyond that I think it only affects your score if you have more than about 3 credit checks within a certain time frame.

It's a good idea to check your credit report regularly just to catch any old accounts that may have started accumulating fees or to check for any new unauthorized accounts. The first time I checked mine there were a half dozen open accounts from my college days when I'd apply for every store charge account just to get the $10 off.

 

[Western]

Doesn't it count against your score every time you credit is checked?
also I am skeptical about putting my SS number on the net even it says it is a secure web site.
has anyone received theirs online?

It doesn't effect your credit when you check your own score or one of your creditors do a maintenance check called a soft pull.

Hard pulls effect your credit as when you apply or get a new credit line.

MYFICO. com is the best place to get your report WITH a score.

 

[Johnbro]

well, to get back to the OP, the next time someone offers to give you some free equipment, send him to my house. I'm not so picky!

I can think of lots of perfectly legit reasons someone might give stuff away. I do it all the time (ever heard of freecycle or St. Vincent de Paul?).

 

[beppington]

well, to get back to the OP, the next time someone offers to give you some free equipment, send him to my house. I'm not so picky!

I can think of lots of perfectly legit reasons someone might give stuff away. I do it all the time (ever heard of freecycle or St. Vincent de Paul?).

Will do. Just post up your name, address, phone #, & I'm sure he'll want your SSN, too :thumbsup:

 

[phiferpharm]

I actually had a fun experience at work today when an individual came up to myself and a friend and tried to give us a "free" car stereo and asked us to look at equipment in his trunk. We went and looked at the assortment of powertools and other stuff he had. It was pretty impressive.

Unfortunately the friend I was with is a plainclothes cop who was dropping off papers for his wife who works with me. When I went back upstairs to work, the individual was not enjoying his afternoon very much...

 

[beppington]

Now that's the kind of story I like to hear about :thumbsup:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

well, to get back to the OP, the next time someone offers to give you some free equipment, send him to my house. I'm not so picky!

I can think of lots of perfectly legit reasons someone might give stuff away. I do it all the time (ever heard of freecycle or St. Vincent de Paul?).

I'll cautiously agree with you that there may be legit reasons to give something away. I'll also admonish you to be very cautious if someone does offer you something like this. These guys really are good. A lot of otherwise intelligent people have been scammed big time by some pretty sophisticated schemes.

I'd rather regret giving up something free or cheap than regret losing my entire bank account because I fell prey to some crook.

 

[beppington]

I'll cautiously agree with you that there may be legit reasons to give something away. I'll also admonish you to be very cautious if someone does offer you something like this. These guys really are good. A lot of otherwise intelligent people have been scammed big time by some pretty sophisticated schemes.

Universal Health Care?



Sorry ... I couldn't resist :laughing:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Universal Health Care?



Sorry ... I couldn't resist :laughing:

In an attempt to stay in the good graces of TBN I've sent you my response via PM.

 

[jonyyuma]

On UHC,,,,I second that motion, it takes effect in 2014, but they are already in my wallet?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

On UHC,,,,I second that motion, it takes effect in 2014, but they are already in my wallet?

You went and gave them your SSN didn't you.

Anyone who gets your SSN will scam you.

 

[clemsonfor]

Doesn't it count against your score every time you credit is checked?
also I am skeptical about putting my SS number on the net even it says it is a secure web site.
has anyone received theirs online?

Everytime you initiate a credit check , by inquiring about a loan or something it hits a little, but not if someone else does it. Heck you get credit inquiries multiple times a day that you dont know. Your annual free credit report is free and does not ding your credit. They will not tell you your score just open and closed loans and C cards. It will also tell you all the recent inqeries on your credit, i had almost daily ones. thats where all those "your approved" for this new card junk mail things from the cc companies come from, they check you and if you match they offer you some "great introductory rate".

 

[Markcuda]

I can think of lots of perfectly legit reasons someone might give stuff away.

Tell me you don't really believe what you just said?

 

[tallyho8]

You can go on Craigslist every day and find people giving away lots of free stuff.

But most new stuff advertised as free usually winds up being something like "buy 10 and get one free" which is not really free but just a 10% reduction in price.

 

[NorTracNY]

I built an entire chicken coup from truely free stuff from Craig's list. I think the average person on TBN is very different than many people in this country. People have gotten to the point where they consider EVERYTHING as disposable (including wifes). If they want a new TV/Refrigerator/couch they buy it and consider their old perfectly good one junk. I see from Craig's list that there are some thing you never should really need to buy, unless you feel you have to have a certain model. Pianos, entertainment centers, non flat screen TVs, hot tubs, bricks, etc. are almost always available for free.

 

[ustmd]

Here at work last week, & then again Saturday, a guy in a minivan asked us "if we wanted some free new equipment" & that "his boss told him to just give it away".

What the heck? Anybody else heard of this?

Obviously it's baloney - Just wondered what the scam is?

My co-worker answered the door at work last week, & shoe'd him off, just saying, "No we don't need any".

Saturday I was actually on my tractor, & the guy stops me on the side of the road to make his pitch (I thought he was gonna ask for directions, is the only reason I stopped). He made his pitch, & I said, "No, I don't need any new equipment" & he didn't try to convince me or anything, just said OK & drove off.

It's about 15 miles between the two locations, so apparently they're scouring our area.

It is just a variant of the stereo/home theater installation scam, or hotel artwork scam or trade show demo scams.

Generally, the story is that they were doing a demo at a trade show or installing high end audio/visual equipment and the "idiots" back at the warehouse/company headquarters put too much stuff on the truck ( or the customer canceled the order once they got to the site). The story then is either "no one will know this is missing" or "we will get in a lot of trouble if we go back to the shop with extra" or "it is going to cost me a fortune to ship this back" and we can cut you a good deal for cash.

The stuff they have is alway counterfeit or completely fake.

 

[Markcuda]

You can go on Craigslist every day and find people giving away lots of free stuff.

Very true but they ain't driving around the country side trying to get rid of it:laughing::laughing:

 

[Johnbro]

Tell me you don't really believe what you just said?

Let's see:

Got a brand new bread machine from someone who didn't want it. Wife has made dozens of yummie loaves of bread on it.

Gave away a gorgeous canopy bed my daughter outgrew. Tried to sell on CL, no takers. Put it on freecycle, and a lady with a little girl who couldn't afford a nice bed was super happy to come get it. Let me tell you, we made her day. Made me feel a lot better than getting some $$ for it, that's for sure.

right now I've got a ton of stuff from when we moved out of the office that I would love for someone to come get. I tried to give away a treadmill that would no longer power up, as far as I know it was repairable but no one wanted it. So instead I had to load it in the truck and pay to dump it.

Maybe it was a scam. Maybe it was a business downsizing and didn't want the hassle of having to try to CL a bunch of stuff. The point is, no one knows.

I choose not to live my life swimming in paranoia and fear. I choose to live my life based on the initial assumption that my fellow man, usually, is a decent Joe. You get to choose your way.