Even more brain rot

There was I thinking – when I wrote my previous blog post – that I could circumvent the brain rot I was tolerating. Nope.

Voicemail from the beginning of this year:

“Hello. I'm calling you today as a courtesy. Your number was given as a point of contact to reach [some name] Please inform [some name] that they have been named as a person of interest in an important matter that requires their immediate attention. Federal law prohibits me from disclosing any further information. If you know this person, please press 1 now or contact us directly at 833 883 2793. Again, that phone number is 833 883 2793. Thank you for your help today.”

Right, no freaking way. A quick google search and the number has been identified as a debt collection scam.

Another one? Sure. It’s an offer for a loan! Right, really trustworthy that: a phone call from some company I’ve never heard of offering a loan.

“I hope you’re ready for some good news. We have you prequalified for an up to $45,000 loan, with very affordable monthly payments of less than $455 a month. This is our way to help out select clients for a special rate this new year. This offer is only available for preferred clients and it’s non-transferable. So please give me a call back at 855 501 0994.”

Of course I then had to do some interest rate calculations, given my past long ago with swaps trading, banking, etc. If this were a 10-year loan, the interest rate would be 4%, with total repayments of $54,600. A 12-year loan: 6.6%, total $65,520. A 15-year loan: 9%, total $81,900. So, given today’s financial markets, a 10-year loan looks OK, but other than that, nope. I’m certainly not going to phone back and find out.

Time for a text! From a phone number in the Philippines no less!

“Pay your FastTrak Lane tolls by January 19, 2025. To avoid a fine and keep your license, you can pay at
https://ezdrivemaqe[.]top/track
(Please reply Y, then exit the text message and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link into your Safari browser and open it)”

Of course this was sent on January 19. I did like the explicit way to “activate” the link: in replying to the text, iOS will assume that the phone number it was sent from is legit and then the next time you open the text you can click the link directly. Needless to say, I deleted the text and reported it as junk (not that I am confident that actually does something, jaundiced, me?).

Admittedly, that wasn’t the only brain rot text I’ve had this year:

“Laguna Fabrics
##USAA_FRAUD_PREVENTIONS: $350 charged at LAGUNA FABRICS on 01/09 at 4:15PM. Not you? Cancel at https://centre[.]is/USAA_/”

The UPPERCASE stuff must make it totally legit. Oh and I got this text at 5:21pm on the same day. Really rapid detection of fraud…

Talking of rapid detection of fraud, I just received two emails from the same address within two minutes of each other, with exactly the same text apart from the amounts. The first promised me a “Batch Settlement” of $41,814.00, and the second the same “Batch Settlement” but of $41,122.00. Right! Totally legit, but it’s a shame the settlement is going down! I should’ve opened the first attached PDF quickly…

Playing: Shakatakadoodub by Kruder & Dorfmeister, especially as the spellcheck gives up.

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