PSA: There's a phone scam going around that tries to convince you that someone has a family member of yours held hostage and want money from you. I got hit with this today and I let a bit of info slip and they ran with it. It was emotionally manipulative and scary. Please be on the alert and do not give out any information, no matter how minuscule you think it is over the phone until you know who's calling.
@nightpool I beleive it was random, I tripped up and leaked information they cpuld use.
@Erin jesus christ that's terrifying
@Erin hugs more,
adding to this PSA what we told Erin when she came home.
Just understanding this and how the social engineering and phishing works isn't enough to not be scared shitless by this.
That's why it works so effectively. You should try to make them reveal what they know [usually nothing] and, as much as it sucks, if its safe for you to do so, you should contact the police if you're at ALL worried its a credible threat.
Stay safe out there.
@Erin this happened to my aunt, who is older and very trusting. They looked her up on Facebook and had people and places to use against her! She was a wreck until she managed to call her son.
@Erin holy shit
@Erin holy shit, that sounds insane. how much did they know? was this targeted or did it appear random? (did they know the name of the family member they supposedly had hostage?)