|
|
Post by ozark on Apr 16, 2009 20:02:53 GMT -5
I am laying on the couch when the phone ring. I heard my wife say: He is hard of hearing but I know he would like to talk with you. She handed me the phone and said: "It is someone you served with in 1952 and 53.
You won't rememember me but I was in the Mortar platoon when you moved from the Machine Gun platoon to the First sergeants position. Was how he introduced himself. He named off several NCOs and Officers that I remember and told me he had a picture of me that he wanted to mail to me. Black and white he said. Let me see that would have been around 57 years ago. I am anxious to see what he writes and the pictures he sends. Would this cause any of you to perk up your ears? Ozark. He doesn't have a computer so we cant use anything but snail mail.. HMMMMMM
|
|
|
|
Post by 161 on Apr 16, 2009 20:41:23 GMT -5
If you haven't already given your address I think you can have it sent to the post office. Then the post master can call your to pick it up. I deal with a new scams every week. I'd be careful.
|
|
|
|
Post by jims on Apr 16, 2009 22:06:03 GMT -5
I am guessing it is legit.
|
|
|
|
Post by 161 on Apr 17, 2009 6:38:35 GMT -5
It probably is legit, but you can't be to careful. I had an elderly couple come into my office the other day. They said they had received a call from their grandson. He was in Canada and had hit a utility pole and needed $4300.00 he said they wouldn't take his credit card. He gave then a song an dance about the Canadian government would charge him and throw him in jail till the end of time unless they sent him money. They sent the $4300.00 through a Walmart money order. Then the guy called again an said there was a guardrail involved an needed anther $3000.00. And they sent it.
I guess the meat of the story is if I get a name and address I can find out anything I want about you on the net. This scam they knew the grandparents the parents brothers sisters everything.
I first thought it was the grandson scamming his own grandparents but I have gotten 2 or three others since. If you want to scare yourself just Goggle your own name and see what you get for free. Then the info available for sale.
|
|
|
|
Post by whyohe on Apr 17, 2009 7:58:50 GMT -5
i hope it is legit! but i too am skeptical. there are too many out there willing to take advantage of people's good nature. ive seen too many of our seniors get scammed this way on the news.
|
|
|
|
Post by chuck41 on Apr 17, 2009 9:43:09 GMT -5
161 had a good idea about using general delivery. Have him send it to the P.O. in Leslie and you can pick it up there. You will be able to tell from what he sends if it is legit. If he knows other guys you served with he is likely legit, but these days who knows?
|
|
|
|
Post by ozark on Apr 17, 2009 10:59:42 GMT -5
It is obvious to me this guy served with me. He knew to many people that was in the unit and I am not leery of it being some kind of scam.
|
|
|
|
Post by 161 on Apr 18, 2009 6:11:35 GMT -5
I don't want to whip a dead horse here and I don't want to make people think I'm paranoid. But just an example, ozark I know you served 1952-53 as a first Sergeant. I know where you live what you look like and your hobbies. The wealth of information on this site alone is scary. I'm not a crook trying to scam anybody this is just info offered to me. Every newspaper article your name has appeared in. Every traffic citation court action (if any) it's all on the web. Some of it with dates of birth. I did a search last night on my daughters name. We found my brother's obituary. From that (If I were a Predator) I found my daughter has a brother ,a twin sister, their ages ,her parent's name ,where she lives, her grandparents name, where they live, cousins, aunts, uncles. I think just from this everyone can see how easy it is to get a background on someone. You need to realize also I am one of the good guys. Unlike the garbage in our society I have a job a family hobbies a house an lawn to maintain. Thieves do nothing except look for something to steal and figure out how to steal it. That's their job. Imagine if you dedicated 8 hours a day to research a name date of birth and their address. Just thoughts I wanted to pass on.
161
|
|
|
|
Post by whyohe on Apr 18, 2009 6:37:30 GMT -5
ozark, im glad too hear it. i view you as a intelligent guy and if you had a long discussion with him and he knows too much of what happened with your unit then id trust your judgement that its legit. it will be nice to catch up with some one like that.
|
|
|
|
Post by ozark on Apr 18, 2009 10:26:12 GMT -5
No fear here about him being legit. I look forward to exchanging memories with him. Ben
|
|
|
|
Post by ozark on Apr 20, 2009 19:51:18 GMT -5
A letter along with some pictures arrived. No scam here. Most of the pictures were taken while in the field training. I have answered his letter and mailed him a book which will bring him up to date on what happened after we went different ways. Military units back then were much like a family. We had our company mess halls and there the whole company was in one barrack. Great memories.
|
|
|
|
Post by Buckrub on Apr 21, 2009 8:48:16 GMT -5
Outstanding. Sometimes you just have to have faith in folks. Mostly it'll turn out to be justified. Hopefully, we will always be surprised when human nature fails us.
Really glad this worked out. I've smiled every since I started reading about you hooking up with lost Army buddies. Made me get out my Basic Training "Yearbook" and look at pictures....
|
|
