Hello Mom, Hello Dad Scam

[wilnj]

Just an example of how much damage one person can do and there’s thousands like them. Now scale this up to organized crime syndicates and probably even some state operated programs.

This is in Portugal.

MAN ARRESTED IN BRAGA SUSPECTED OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE “HELLO MUM, HELLO DAD” SCHEME AND MONEY LAUNDERING

TOTAL OF 15,111 SIM CARDS SEIZED!

The GNR (National Republican Guard) seized from the suspect 15,111 SIM cards from a national operator, 20 bank cards, 19 pen drives, 10 computers, five mobile phones and five hard drives.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday in Braga, suspected of being part of a "Hello Mom, Hello Dad" scam and money laundering scheme. This information was revealed on Saturday by the GNR (National Republican Guard) in a statement sent to newsrooms.

The arrest took place as part of the dismantling, by the Albufeira Territorial Sub-detachment of the GNR (National Republican Guard), of "a criminal network dedicated to the practice of aggravated fraud and money laundering, having executed an arrest warrant, which resulted in the arrest in flagrante delicto of a 26-year-old man, in the city of Braga," describes the Guard.

The operation included two house searches in the municipalities of Gondomar and Braga, which allowed for the seizure of two devices with 128 'slots' intended for mass communications, used in the scam known as "Hello Mom, Hello Dad," as well as in other crimes committed through the Telegram platform. The devices were fully operational at the time of the police intervention," the statement also reads.

According to the GNR (National Republican Guard), 15,111 SIM cards from a national operator, 20 bank cards, 19 pen drives, 10 computers, five mobile phones and five hard drives were also seized.

The military also identified "around ten cryptocurrency wallets, used for the movement of capital originating from criminal activity," the statement continued.

The detainee, who appeared before the Portimão Judicial Court, was subjected to the coercive measure of weekly periodic appearances at the police station in his area of residence.

COMMENT
This is one of the most prolific scams operating in recent years, and the fact that over 15,000 SIM cards were seized gives some idea of the scale of the operation. Excellent work by the GNR – WELL DONE

[pwd72s]

"hello mom hello dad" scam? This like the ones I get with a young voice, male or female, asking me, their "grandpa" to bail them out of some kind of jam?

Those I have fun with...letting them tell the whole tale, then telling them the truth...I have no grandchildren.

[wilnj]

Yes, that’s the one. This has been prevalent in Portugal for decades.

Due to the poor economic conditions there, a lot of youth emigrate. I used to hear about these 40 years ago but it was analog at the time. A knock on a door late at night.

The criminal would tell the victim that they have urgent news from their son/daughter. Just playing the odds.

When the victim opens the door, they ask for a glass of water. When the victim goes to get it, the criminals grab anything of value they can find and leave.

[javadog]

Never heard of this...

[GH85Carrera]

One of my friends got one of those calls. He kept them on the line a long time and when they got to the point of desperation about how they would not get out of the jail in Mexico, me friend replied I told you to never go to Mexico, and there is nothing down there that is something you should be involved with. You can just rot in jail, and I am writing you out of my will!

My friend had no grandsons, so he knew 100% it was a scam.

[dad911]

Old scam, my father-in-law almost fell for it, but asked a simple question only family would know.

We think my mother may have fallen for it, but not alot of money.

[wilnj]

The thing that struck me is the set up that allows one person to make 1000s of calls quickly. It's really just a numbers game after that.

[Baz]

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by dad911

We think my mother may have fallen for it, but not a lot of money.

A friend was hit up on a similar scam. Made arraignments to meet a women he met on line, but was asked to send 'her' $50 first so she could fix a flat on her car. He foolishly did so, then shortly thereafter received a photo of a woman in a hospital bed along with a plea for help to pay medical expenses after wrecking the newly-repaired car.

The scammer started with a small sum at first to sink the hook, then quickly upped the ante for more money. My friend finally got wise and cut it off before going any further.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by rcooled

A friend was hit up on a similar scam. Made arraignments to meet a women he met on line, but was asked to send 'her' $50 first so she could fix a flat on her car. He foolishly did so, then shortly thereafter received a photo of a woman in a hospital bed along with a plea for help to pay medical expenses after wrecking the newly-repaired car.

The scammer started with a small sum at first to sink the hook, then quickly upped the ante for more money. My friend finally got wise and cut it off before going any further.

I served with a kid that would spend their own paycheck on those types of girls and would ask for a payday loan (aer) ... Tried to beat it through his skull the girls don’t love him and it was more than likely a guy. Didn’t work.

Anyways, there’s a lot of money in those services that aren’t scams. Not uncommon for the only fan girls to be millionaires… In fact, i believe that’s how the tate brothers earned their fortune through a cam girl service.

[masraum]