Yup, we get loan forgiveness calls (no one in my nuclear family has any loans). I mark them all as spam. Also get extended warranty and appliance warranty calls—H’s car is 1998 so no one will warranty it at this point. Mine already as an extended 10 year warranty. The appliances are well past any warranty and working fine.
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Way back when, I reported my story of identity theft. Someone had a copy of my drivers license, but with their picture. Latest update, I got a letter from the IRS with a summary of my 2020 taxes, as requested on March 16. I didn’t request anything! I gave a copy to my accountant, so from now on, will need to file with a PIN.
Many nasty people out there.
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I got one of those “Dear Customer, Thank you for paying your March bill. Here’s a reward for you - link” texts this morning around 7am. It came as a group text with several other phone numbers in the group - none that I recognized right away.
I deleted it rather than trying to google the phone numbers. In hindsight, googling the phone numbers could have been interesting.
And I just got another one… Googled the numbers this time and absolutely no one I know plus about 1/5th were unassigned numbers so the idiots out there are just phishing. I know they’re different numbers than last time because last time I recognized some area codes belonging to relatives. This time there weren’t any.
Apparently I’m the lucky one who made some sort of list with their phone number. I wish there were a way to block them or turn them in and get cash like I did with one phone “Do Not Call” ignorer some time ago.
You will get more and more of these, if your experience is like mine. I don’t e en glance at them anymore but just click on Block.
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Is blocking even worthwhile when they don’t come from the same number?
Don’t open the texts and just swipe to delete from the preview screen. Fewer steps than blocking, and just as effective. 
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Probably not but it makes me feel good, ha.
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When I first started getting the calls years ago on my cell phone (my home line I had then was unlisted), I did not know about phishing. I called a number back once thinking it might have been a repair person calling. The lady on the other end was quite old. She was very upset people keep calling her and asking her why did she call them? and she wanted to know why I was harassing her. Never did that again!
I had someone call me once wanting to know why I called them. It took a few minutes for me to explain that I didn’t. Even then I’m not positive they believed me.
I’m glad that only happened once.
It’s also why I don’t block numbers. On the really off chance that one of the real owners wanted to get in contact with me, I want them to be able to do so. It could happen when it’s a local number - probably not so much when it’s from a state miles away, but one never knows. The scammers spoof the numbers most of the time I think.
@Creekland I’m getting deluged with the same message. Started several days ago, and now I’m receiving about 6 every day at different times.
Interestingly, the area code shown on the text message is different from that shown as the sender, but all USA.
I started blocking, when there were only a few, but gave up and now delete. Deleting on my phone is a quick swipe. Blocking takes multiple steps.
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It will soon stop. These come in bursts and then they disappear for a few weeks. That is my experience with these “bill paid” scam texts.
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The last one I got I actually responded with “SCAM - DELETE” and it went out to the whole group. So far, I’ve yet to receive another… 
It did get blocked by one number according to a text I received back, but that’s ok. No skin off my nose. Assuming it also went back to whoever sent it (an assumption - not sure if it did), they could have realized my number wasn’t one they wanted to be using. If it didn’t go back to them, then it’s pure coincidence that the texts stopped afterward.
Either way, I’m content (as of this typing) - and if my warning helped stop someone else from clicking on the link, I’m happy.
Have gotten several emails claiming to be paypal this week - none legit
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Received a text about payment for lab work that looked odd, especially since I thought it had been covered by insurance. Googled the number and got numerous hits saying it was a scam. Turns out that it’s not.
The had lab turned over much of their billing to a third party that’s sending text messages with very little info and a link to a website to pay the bill. When people clicked or called, they were asked for a lot of identifying info before any questions would be answered. The second text from the billing processor threatened to send me to collections over what I eventually learned was a balance of about $4 from earlier this year, confirmed with my insurance. I was able to reach the lab’s billing department and pay them directly.
There are so many scam calls and texts, phishing emails and other frauds going on that companies need to learn to communicate more effectively. In this case, I wonder of the billing service also does collections work and generates more revenue from that than if a customer/patient pays after the first contact.
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got a paypal invoice today. legitimately from paypal. Invoice is in my paypal account.
but the invoice is for something i did not order; although i use the product (norton antivirus software). I was so confused. there’s a number on the invoice - i called it and someone immediately answered. that’s when i realized it was false. Ha! no company answers their phone right away.
paypal says these are ALL OVER. do not pay invoices that are not real. call paypal first if you question it. Paypal rep said their departments are being slammed right now on this all. so - heads up, all.
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I got a couple of fake PayPal emails the other day. Forwarded one to PayPal per their website:
When you aren’t sure if a message that appears to be from PayPal is really from us, don’t click on any links, call any listed phone numbers, or download attachments. Forward the entire email to spoof@paypal.com and delete it from your inbox.
marilyn - absolutely forward those on!
but in my case, it was a real paypal email. scammers are getting so clever - starting an account, making real invoices through paypal to probably thousands who they have emails for, and paypal auto sends them out. they are real invoices. but for products that are fake!! it’s crazy. Paypal said that its not really the money they want, but rather for you to download something from them after paying for their fake virus protection. so villainously clever.
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The Norton scams are an epidemic. And somehow the emails slide into my gmail primary tab, when no other spam does this.
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A scam of sorts has been circulating for a while:
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