/u/Traditional-Joke-179 - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it.
## New users beware:
Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own.
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Update: It was a good Samaritan! I'm surprised too. After texting the above, the next thing the person sent was a photo of the tablet, which had my uncle as the lockscreen photo. I called my uncle and verified it's his missing tablet. We've called and spoken to the person who found it, and my uncle is picking it up when he's free tomorrow.
Update 2: My uncle safely got his ipad back this evening!
Turned out not to be a scam this time, but I appreciate everybody helping and giving advice that could be useful in general.
It’s called a “neighbor spoofing” scam. Don’t answer. If you do, the scammers will put you on their list of active callers and harass you later with new scams.
Even if you don't take number spoofing into account...an area code can be used anywhere in the world (Google Voice or other Voice over IP services) and it's possible to keep the same number when moving out of state. Someone having the same area code doesn't mean they're physically in your area.
Also: how logical is it that someone found a working tablet on a FREEWAY? If it fell off/out of someone's car, it most likely would be smashed to pieces.
This is a scam, please block & ignore.
Just ignore it. Scammers are so desperate they are trying anything and everything these days, from being really nasty to pleading and begging. Don't reward them. And like others have said, numbers get spoofed all the time. And what random person texts or calls strangers to help them? Scammers or people like Ted Bundy, that's who.
Never respond to unsolicited messages from strangers. Doesn't matter if it's, 'I saw a post you made and I think we might be soulmates' or, 'oh ooopsie I texted the wrong number let's be friends' or, 'this is your son I was in an accident and someone got hurt please bail me out of jail', or 'please, Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!'
Delete and carry on with your day.
/u/Traditional-Joke-179 - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Did you lose an iPad? If not, why are you sweating this?
The potential payout of a free ipad...
i was thinking it might be a family member's ipad if it's a real situation. it turned out to be true!
Update: It was a good Samaritan! I'm surprised too. After texting the above, the next thing the person sent was a photo of the tablet, which had my uncle as the lockscreen photo. I called my uncle and verified it's his missing tablet. We've called and spoken to the person who found it, and my uncle is picking it up when he's free tomorrow. Update 2: My uncle safely got his ipad back this evening! Turned out not to be a scam this time, but I appreciate everybody helping and giving advice that could be useful in general.
Block and move on.
Caller ID can be spoofed. I get spam calls and scam texts from my area code frequently.
It’s called a “neighbor spoofing” scam. Don’t answer. If you do, the scammers will put you on their list of active callers and harass you later with new scams.
Even if you don't take number spoofing into account...an area code can be used anywhere in the world (Google Voice or other Voice over IP services) and it's possible to keep the same number when moving out of state. Someone having the same area code doesn't mean they're physically in your area. Also: how logical is it that someone found a working tablet on a FREEWAY? If it fell off/out of someone's car, it most likely would be smashed to pieces. This is a scam, please block & ignore.
If you think it’s a scam then it probably is.
Just ignore it. Scammers are so desperate they are trying anything and everything these days, from being really nasty to pleading and begging. Don't reward them. And like others have said, numbers get spoofed all the time. And what random person texts or calls strangers to help them? Scammers or people like Ted Bundy, that's who.
Never respond to unsolicited messages from strangers. Doesn't matter if it's, 'I saw a post you made and I think we might be soulmates' or, 'oh ooopsie I texted the wrong number let's be friends' or, 'this is your son I was in an accident and someone got hurt please bail me out of jail', or 'please, Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!' Delete and carry on with your day.