Faking Scam Emails/Texts

Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 07:44
Last edited 26/05/2025 - 10:25 by 1 other user

Hello! I'm hoping someone can help me out, I'm trying to look for a service, or even how myself I can setup a scam email/text.

Hold up! I'm not trying to scam others here, I actually want to use it as education for my older parents.

I've gone over with them at least 15 times about the importance of not clicking links, if you don't know the caller, stop, call back the official company number.

But every few weeks I get "Hi Son, I got this text, I clicked the link but I can't remember my password, what's my password". And honestly when I hear this I get Soooooo frustrated, because I constantly try to teach/educate them about it. The only thing saving them right now is the fact they can't remember their own passwords.

As harsh and this sounds, I actually want to give them a bit of a scare, hence want to set up my own and route it to myself so they actually realise, even if it just works in my local network it will be fine.

Does anyone know a service that does this?

Internet

Comments

  • elgrande on 26/05/2025 - 08:11
    +11

    First start by selling their details on the dark web.

    Explain that you just want a 'test' scam.

    They may charge an additional testing fee, but well worth it imo.

    I am currently undergoing a test, its hyper realistic. They have taken it a bit far, i.e. transfered the money and not returning calls, but expecting it to end soon as agreed. Right?

    /s

  • Gunnar on 26/05/2025 - 08:14
    +2

    Just set up an email, in your email to them make sure to use a pic of someone in their best wedding-guest attire, and in the body of the email make sure to tell them you’re too efficient in your job.

    They’ll fall for a successful, well dressed man

  • MS Paint on 26/05/2025 - 08:19
    +4

    Just send them an email from your account asking them to buy a $200 apple voucher for your sick neighbour.

    At least you'll get a $200 gift card for your time while you attempt to teach them a valuable lesson about how you've been hacked.

  • timthetoolman on 26/05/2025 - 08:25
    +7

    Fast tracking their will. I love the efficiency

  • RogerLoger on 26/05/2025 - 08:25
    +7

    You'll cause them stress for no gain. They're not going to remember the lesson.

    You need to harden their computer: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-to-harden-a-compuer-aga…

  • ode1online on 26/05/2025 - 08:58
    +3

    Thats not how to treat your family, that is not how you educate them.
    Spend more time researching how to improve the security on the phones and computers.
    See if you can activate better spam detection or block malicious websites and add a better Antivirus to both to help prevent them clicking on malicious links.
    Also look at the settings of the antivirus, might be time to set it to a much stronger protection that tends to be over precautious

    Do you have an Av on their PC and Phones ?

    • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 09:29
      -4

      Thats a bit rough. This has been a ongoing reminder/education.

      Weve done quizes on "what you should do", there was one run by a website that had a whole bunch of examples.

      All their PC's phones etc all have anti-virus and anti phishing software; unfortunately companies cant keep up with all this that is coming out. Its blocked them a few times but there has been cases where they've clicked a link and it has NOT been blocked, by the time later in the day when they "show" me, its then been blocked and the link no longer works but theres still a gap

    • MS Paint on 26/05/2025 - 09:39
      +6

      Thats not how to treat your family, that is not how you educate them.

      This is a mintee post. There will be nothing normal here.

      • Protractor on 26/05/2025 - 13:21
        +2

        It's moments like these…

    • lainey13 on 26/05/2025 - 21:41

      Not how you treat your family, but how you treat employees? I get sent phishing emails as a security exercise all the time!

      • lew380 on 27/05/2025 - 08:02
        +1

        And I always click them, keeps the IT guys occupied. Might even get a free training day and lunch out of it!

  • Cheaplikethebird on 26/05/2025 - 09:16
    +1

    Can't you just tell them to never log into a website from a link in their e-mail? I can't think of any time where they would legitimately need to do that. Just tell them to treat it like a spam call and never give out details for an incoming request, always hang up and call back using the official number or in this case navigate directly to the company's website.

    • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 16:47

      Ive told them many many many times…. They click the links anyway. Especially the Startrack/Auspost links

      • Protractor on 26/05/2025 - 22:24

        That's a tricky one, when the actual entities aren't much more trustworthy reliable than the scammers

  • barge-in hunter on 26/05/2025 - 09:24
    +3

    Just punch their details into https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and show them how many times their details have been leaked already.

    It’s sounds like you need to regularly change their passwords after they’ve been phished - so maybe it’s time to give them a password manager that has good integration with their browser. The simple answer will be “if the username and password don’t automatically come up on the login page - then you’re probably on a scam website”

    • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 09:32

      Can you recommend me a decent password manager that works across iOS, Android and PC?

      • Aleigh123 on 26/05/2025 - 10:05
        +4

        Bitwarden

  • Protractor on 26/05/2025 - 09:43
    +3

    Get someone else (outside family) to teach them properly. There are community orgs who educate older and less tech savvy ppl.TAFE would be the 1st place to ring. There's probably heaps of free courses around. Ask at local govt,libraryetc.
    The problem is likely the messenger, not the message.

  • Baysew on 26/05/2025 - 10:26
    +3

    Nice try, clueless would-be scammer.

  • SYLTB on 26/05/2025 - 11:03
    +3

    Hold up! I'm not trying to scam others here

    Hold on!

  • AustriaBargain on 26/05/2025 - 11:22

    Worried about your inheritance?

    • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 16:44
      +3

      More so their retirement….

  • randomusername2017 on 26/05/2025 - 12:02
    +5

    🍎🌳

    • Gunnar on 26/05/2025 - 16:15

      Brilliant

  • Protractor on 26/05/2025 - 13:33

    Go ahead, get your name on their list.>

  • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 16:43

    You guys have given me alot of crap for this post and i truely font get it. Its very common in the workforce that this is done, the workplace set this up a few months back and anyone who fell for it had to do online training 🤔

    • Protractor on 26/05/2025 - 16:43
      +1

      So ask your work IT dude.

      • Mintee on 26/05/2025 - 16:43
        +1

        That is a good point actually

    • smartazz104 on 28/05/2025 - 07:22
      -1

      So if your parents fall for your test you'll fire them?

  • randomusername2017 on 26/05/2025 - 17:04
    +1

    Just send them this link. No doubt they'll unplug the internet shortly after….

  • Chewy2221 on 27/05/2025 - 08:48
    +1

    Clearly they are not handling the smart phone/internet environment. Have you thought of providing them with a "dumb phone" - calls & text only? This way you could still stay in touch & alleviate the other internet related issues. A computer course for seniors might also be worthwhile, if they are interested. Wrangling old people is a frustrating, time consuming & often thankless task.
    Good luck.

  • tulip99 on 27/05/2025 - 10:07
    +1

    Can you check their daily limit on their bank accounts is set to the minimum, eg $1k? So if they do get scammed the scammers can't get away with too much?

    • Mintee on 27/05/2025 - 18:23

      Theyre good in that sense. Its more so the phishing im worried about.

      Someone can still get your details

  • 108gtechnerd on 27/05/2025 - 10:38
    +5

    Hi

    As a retired librarian i do 4 hours a week at my local library as a volunteer helping seniors with their technology and focused on keeping them safe and how to avoid getting scammed. The repeated message i hear from them is when grandchildren etc. try to teach them something they forget to slow it down, "they rush me an i get confused" or something similar. This has been an oft repeated comment or something similar over the last 20 years of running seniors' technology programs.

    No disrespect intended to the OP and congratulations for wanting to keep them safe. Assuming they will understand is worth being aware of as they may not

    one suggestion if they do internet shopping have a SEPARATE debit card with minimal balance enough to keep it open shop online then transfer amount to debit card and purchase using it. If for some reason that card is compromised loss is negligible.

    just my 2c worth

    • Mintee on 27/05/2025 - 18:29

      Thanks for the feedback. I have been told by them that I've been to quick…..

      So I have slowed down many times and been conscious of this…

      Meanwhile, the times Ive gone slow, I ask them to write things down so they dont forget…. Meanwhile they get grumpy because say say theyll remember… 2 days later its like….. How do I turn the PC off again…

      In terms of Online shopping, theyre generally quite good. If theres something they want on a NEW website (I.E not your just jeans, myer ebay etc), they'll get to the point to add what they want to the cart, then call me

      Which i have no issue processing payment for them they generally ask to make sure it's not a dodgy website

      Its more so the phishing scams i worry about

  • Protractor on 27/05/2025 - 10:46

    There's a thin line between supporting & interfering, when it comes to elder care.A lot of this advice is very presumptuous and some is even patronising, as though we have an oversight of the 'parents' in this scenario.

  • LFO on 27/05/2025 - 17:26
    +1

    LOL

    If they don't listen to your words what makes you think they will listen to your proof?

    Maybe they are seeking attention.
    Don't lough, it happens to a cousin and his elderly parents: stuffing up things so he will/must get involved.

    • rezdo on 28/05/2025 - 06:57
      +2

      My late mother used to do this for sure. One time I got the ever so familiar tech call from her. I started troubleshooting Mum's problem on the phone, asking what the computer was doing, what does she sees in front of her etc, is it doing "this" or "that" and it got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore after 30 minutes of holding in my frustration. So I screamed out "what's on the little TV screen in front of you right now!", Mum replies, "Oh you want me to turn it on? I was trying to remember what I saw when the problem occurred, it was hard to describe it you over the phone. You should have just said so". lol

      Anyway, after another 15minutes of excruciating nonsense the line went very quiet and I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but could hear water running in the background, I started to get quite worried about mum. Another 10 minutes passed, and my mother came back to the phone to her now furious son screaming at her for making me worry so much. "Are you okay?" I said. Mum, "oh, I thought I would leave you to problem solve the computer while I go water the plants". Mum had no internet!!!!!

      Moral of the story, do not give your elderly parents a computer, and do call them more regularly!

  • jinkerjinx on 28/05/2025 - 07:46

    You could consider https://www.seraphsecure.com
    It was developed by kitboga to specifically stop scammers.
    Unsure if the feature works in aus, but it can send a text alert if it detects something suss.

    A Google Voice number may solve your problems.. they now have realtime AI that can listen and detect phishing/scam calls.. and take immediate action. (the feature is off by default to appease the paranoids out there)

    but.. you can't register an aussie ph number on google voice. (could be a workaround with Google Fi app?? Idk..)

    hopefully local telcos may be able to license the google feature.. or build their own at some point.
    it's really the best method imo.

    i understand your fear.. my parents received a bank letter.. looks (probably is) 100% legit.. including the 1300 number, and some unique personal data. but the number to call 'if you are within australia' just happened to be fake..

  • cashless on 28/05/2025 - 07:51

    I actually want to give them a bit of a scare

    Nice way to treat your parents.

    Nobody on OzB takes anything you say seriously either

  • MeesusEff on 28/05/2025 - 17:23

    Make them watch this movie

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beekeeper_(2024_film)

  • blitz on 29/05/2025 - 15:29

    Make them watch this movie
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beekeeper_(2024_film)

    Haven't they suffered enough?

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