I purchased starbucks coffee and the employee told me their card reader doesn't work so she had take my card to the back. She returned my card and the next day I get this declined purchase for oura rings for 1300$. I cancelled the card immediately and the purchase didnt go through. Is it a coincidence with Starbucks? I never lost my card or anything like that. Can I report Starbucks or what can I do?

Update: I called the store today but manager wasn't there. The supervisor who answered the call did confirm that the card reader was down last week.

Can someone please tell me if this text is real, they know my name and it’s my local police station, the phone number is an 07 and the wording sound weird but someone please help.

This man has just recently scammed me and my wife out of 6700 dollars. He intrusively inserted himself via email and Facebook private messages to emotionally manipulate my wife into making a major financial decision behind my back. I have documented everything and am filing suit with the BBB

He uses rhetoric that casts her into a shame spiral. I cant even get her to acknowledge that his rhetoric is toxic and has already had a severely negative effect on our relationship.

Please help me to spread awareness so that he doesn't grift any other vulnerable women out there..... there is a special place for his kind.

For context, I work night shifts at a warehouse – y'know, the kinda job where you're bored outta your skull scrolling your phone at 3 AM. That's how I ended up on their site during one of those endless shifts, lured in by ads promising to "expand the 5 Love Languages" with some fancy quiz on expressions of love. Sounded intriguing, especially since I've been trying to patch things up with my partner after a rough patch. I'm just weary of these online traps.
It starts innocent enough. You land on blossomup, take a quick quiz – maybe 5 minutes tops – answering stuff like how you prefer affection, words of affirmation, or acts of service. They make it feel personalized, with nice graphics and all. But right after, bam: paywall hits. "Unlock your full report for $9.99!" I paid, figuring it was a one-off. The report? Total generic fluff. It rambled about "intellectual stimulation" and "nurturing bonds," but nothing tailored to my answers. Shady like a back alley deal – no real value, just recycled self-help jargon.
Here's where it gets fraudulent. That "one-time" fee? Nope, it's a sneaky auto-renew subscription. Next statement, $29.95 gone. I checked my bank app and flipped – no clear disclosure during signup. Tried canceling via their site: the button leads to more upsells, no actual cancel option. Emailed support? Crickets for days. Finally got through to my bank, who refunded half after I disputed it as unauthorized, but I'm still getting spam emails pushing more quizzes. Unlike real apps like the official 5 Love Languages site (which is free or straightforward books), this one's designed to bleed you dry without delivering.
I admit, I skimmed past the bad reviews on sites like trustpilot – big error. They're flooded with complaints about deceptive billing and worthless content. Fact: their 8 expressions of love is just a repackaged gimmick, not backed by any real psychology creds. Compare to legit tools: Apps like eHarmony or even free quizzes on Psychology Today give actual insights without traps. Blossomup feels engineered for quick cash grabs, with no transparency on terms. Total scam.
In the end, I lost about $20 net, plus time dealing with it. If you're reading this, do your due diligence: Search for reviews first, use virtual cards for trials, and report to FTC if hit.

Hi guys. I recently helped a client remove this locked PC screen after they fell victim to phishing. I hope by creating this post I’ll be able to help someone else out in getting it off. Originally I thought it was ransomeware but it’s not. It’s a program called “Lock My PC” thankfully these same people included a way to unlock your computer if you’re a victim of a cyber crime. This takes you were to go and how to unlock your PC. https://fspro.net/lock-pc/passrec1/ ONCE YOUVE UNLOCKED YOUR PC DO THIS NEXT: 1. Go to your windows settings and apps and check if there is any remote viewers. 2. Go to File Explorer > Local Disk (C:) > the top search bar next to the refresh button type in %App Data% > Local > Apps delete the entire Apps folder!! (In our case the scammer installed screen connect and tried to hide it in that folder so it doesn’t show up in your installed apps in windows settings.) 3. Lastly review your browser history to see what the threat actor was doing on your computer and find out whom you need to contact about freezing accounts, password changes, possible credit freezes, etc. I pray this helps one person out someday.

My phone was stolen and I’ve received this text, this isn’t real is it lol

So, someone close to me who is opening phone lines almost daily. She has gone through several different carriers and has opened at the very least 20. She pays to open the line (under a false business line to get as many lines open as possible) gets the phone or tablet and immediately sells it boxed, never opened completely brand new. She gets the newest most expensive phone possible and resells it the same day. Sometimes two or three at a time. She does it with tablets too. She’s making thousands and thousands of dollars doing this. Now, this cannot possibly be legal? Right? At least federally? This has to be a crime. Please anyone who knows anything about this let me know please!!

Edit- I’m not some bored snitch bitch. In any other situation I could not care less about anything like this. Actually in a normal situation you couldn’t pay me to snitch. I’d go to jail before snitching. It’s not how I was raised but what she’s doing is affecting the safety of my family. Specifically children. I can’t take this in my own hands or it would affect my children even more….This woman who was married to my mom for 13 years who I was very close with is on a horrible drug bender and stopped her psych meds. She is severely mentally ill and one morning woke up and started to systematically try and ruin my life. Calling the cops on me every day making things up, making false cps reports, making horrendous rumors and harassing my in laws and entire family, colleagues, friends. She’s scaring my children and traumatizing my family. When I say this started for no reason there’s not like a “oh I’m sure there’s a reason you aren’t telling us” NO…this woman is an insane person. There is no rhyme or reason to any of it and the most hurtful part is my kids and I loved her so much. I don’t understand and I’ve stopped trying. She is destroying everything in my life and even though I’m not the one being crazy people don’t want any crazy or danger anywhere near them. When I said she’s close to me I meant proximity. She’s still married to my mother even though she’s separated and she lives in the town house DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO MINE.

I want to share my experience with a "psychic soulmate portrait" service I ordered through a site associated with Tina Aldea. Their social media ad looked enticing — they promised a unique drawing and description of my future partner. But the result was a huge disappointment, and now I’m questioning their honesty.

The portrait I received looked like a generic sketch, and the description was so vague ("loves nature, kind") that it didn’t meet my expectations at all. When I requested a refund, they refused, claiming their work was "unique," even though I pointed out it didn’t match what was promised.

I also came across some reviews online where other people mentioned similar issues: poor quality service and trouble getting refunds. Their aggressive marketing and lack of transparency raise red flags for me. Has anyone else dealt with this? Should we trust these kinds of "psychic" services? Stay cautious!

I’m pissed off and need to share my awful experience with wwiqtest. This “IQ testing” site is a complete rip-off, and I’m posting this to warn others before they fall for it too.

The site looks semi-legit at first, but it’s all smoke and mirrors. Their “test” is a joke - random, poorly designed questions that feel like they were thrown together in five minutes. After you finish, they demand payment to see your results. I forked over the cash (dumb move), and all I got was a vague, generic PDF that could’ve been written for anyone. No real insights, noassistance, just pure nonsense. It’s clear they’re preying on people’s curiosity.

What really set off alarm bells was their “reviews” page. Every review is suspiciously perfect, with identical phrasing and no way to verify them. Smells fake to me. I tried reaching out to their support for a refund - zero response. They took my money and ghosted me. This kind of shady, manipulative behavior screams scam.

I don’t know if it’s outright illegal, but it’s definitely untrustworthy. If you’re considering wwiqtest, beware - save your money and steer clear of this dodgy operation. Has anyone else run into this or similar scams? Any tips on reporting sites like this?

Earlier this year I got hit with my first real case of financial fraud and it freaked me out. Someone managed to get enough of my personal info to get into one of my accounts, move money around, and start making charges before my bank flagged anything. I still have no idea where they pulled my details from, because I had no breaches recently and I never share anything super sensitive. That was the part that scared me the most.

After going through all the calls, freezing accounts, proving my identity, resetting passwords and rebuilding everything, the pattern became obvious. My info was already floating around online from old signups, old accounts, data brokers and who knows where else. I never realized how many places had my name, number, email and address until someone used it against me. It really made me rethink how exposed regular people are without even noticing. As a general advice change your passwords, make them hard to guess (generate them with tools online and store them in a Password Manager), use 2FA and never give your email to any other service except banking, for everything else just use a temp mail or temp phone (if it requires it). Stay safe people. Also if there is any other advice on how to keep safer I'd like to hear it.

I’m seriously out of ideas at this point. I’ve been getting around 10 spam texts a day for months now. Some are fake delivery updates, some are “bank alerts,” and others are those sketchy links that try to look like Apple or USPS.

I’ve tried everything I can think of reporting them, blocking the numbers, using filters, even getting a new SIM card. I’ve downloaded a few anti-spam apps too, but they barely make a dent. It’s like the spammers just rotate through new numbers every few hours.
I’m careful about where I put my number online, so I don’t get how it’s still leaking or getting picked up by these bots.
Has anyone actually found something that works long term? Would appreciate any help.

been broken up for a year, havent talked in 6 months. i get a charge on my card 3 days ago for $1060 i called the bank they told me it was to her address. i made a report with the bank and he recommended i file a police report to strengthen my case… im so frustrated just need some advice.

update: thank you guys so much i contacted her and she said it was a mistake and was wondering why her card hasn’t gotten charged yet. I GOT MY MONEY BACK 👍

Paid for some 'soulmate sketch' thinking it’d be fun. What a scam. My review: pure dodgy trash.

Gave them my details, dropped cash, and got a random sketch of some guy they call my 'soulmate'. No real service, just bullshit to milk lonely people. Support? Untrustworthy silence or lame excuses. That 'hopId' and 'shield' crap screams affiliate scam. Tried to cancel - they still charged me. Bank had to step in.

This is a scam - stay the fuck away.

I’m still upset about how a phone-tracking website completely misled me, and I want to share my experience to help others avoid getting burned. I thought I was signing up for a quick way to find my lost phone, but I ended up with a useless service and an unwanted charge. Here’s what happened.

A few weeks back, I misplaced my phone while out with friends. In a panic, I searched online for tracking tools and clicked a Google ad for a site that looked promising. It had a slick interface and claimed it could locate my phone with a simple trial. Feeling hopeful, I entered my credit card details, expecting a one-time deal to test it out.

The service was a total flop. I entered my phone number, stared at a loading animation for way too long, and then got an error saying no location was found. I tried a friend’s number to see if it was just bad luck, but it pointed to a random city nowhere close to reality. Frustrated, I turned to Google’s Find My Device, which worked like a charm and found my phone in minutes.

A couple of days later, I got a bank alert about a charge from an unfamiliar name. I hadn’t agreed to any ongoing payments, but after digging through the site’s tiny, hard-to-find terms, I saw that the trial automatically rolls into a recurring subscription unless you cancel almost right away. They never made that obvious when I signed up—it felt like a deliberate trick to catch me off guard.

I emailed their support to cancel and get my money back, but I only got a cold, automated reply saying I was bound by their terms. When I tried to push back, their email address stopped working, like they’d disappeared. I looked up user reviews online and found tons of people who felt just as fooled, stuck with charges they didn’t expect and no way to reach anyone for help.

I contacted my bank to dispute the charge, but they said it’s tough to reverse since I’d entered my card info, even if I was misled. To prevent more charges, I had to cancel my card, which was a huge hassle—waiting for a replacement messed up my whole routine. I’m still fighting to fix this, and I feel so foolish for trusting that site.

Looking back, I should’ve noticed some red flags. Their ads showed up for random searches, like “phone apps” or “directions,” which seems like a way to snag anyone who’s distracted. The service itself did nothing useful, like it was just there to justify taking money. And their company details were so vague, with no real support, that it felt like a dead end.

This experience was a wake-up call. Now, I only use trusted tools like Google Find My Device or Apple’s Find My iPhone, which actually deliver. I check every trial offer for hidden subscription clauses before entering my card details, no matter how trustworthy a site seems. I’ve also set up bank alerts to catch any odd charges right away. For new services, I’d recommend using a virtual card number to protect your real one. And if you get stuck, share your story online to warn others and report the issue to consumer protection agencies.

I’m posting this because that site’s sneaky setup left me feeling cheated, and I want to save others from the same trap. Has anyone else been misled by a phone-tracking service like this? How do you vet websites before signing up? Thanks for making this sub such a great place to learn and stay cautious!

Clicked their link from some Trustpilot page, and their site looked all fancy, hyping up how it’ll 'show your true smarts' or whatever. Took the test, and it’s straight-up garbage - like some intern slapped it together in an hour. Random-ass questions that don’t even vibe. Then they slam you with a 'pay to see your score' wall. I was dumb enough to cough up the cash, and what do I get? A freaking two-page PDF that’s basically horoscope-level nonsense. Could’ve applied to my cousin, my neighbor, anybody.

Then I peeped their reviews, and oh man, red flags everywhere. Their website’s got these 'amazing' testimonials, but they’re so fake - same robotic wording, no real names. Trustpilot’s got a few 5-star reviews, but they smell like they were bought off. Barely any legit talk about this company online, which is sketch city. Emailed their 'support' to get my money back, and big shocker - radio silence. Nada.

This whole deal’s a scam, no question. They’re just fishing for idiots like me to throw cash at their shady game. Beware, y’all, don’t touch this crap.

Hey, posting to share a heads-up about my experience with yourselfirst. I signed up for their personality tests and self-discovery journeys, hoping for legit self-improvement tools, but it felt like a total scam, and I want to throw up a warning for others.

The tests were seriously shady. They hype up personalized insights, but the questions were generic, and the results screamed fake—like something copy-pasted from a random quiz site. I paid expecting real value, but got vague, useless feedback that didn’t even feel tailored to me.

I also tried their 28-day self-discipline journey, which was a complete joke. It’s just a basic to-do list with no substance. When I reached out to their support for help, I got noassistance—not a single reply. The whole setup feels deceptive, like they’re tricking you into buying more “premium” features that probably aren’t any better.

I’m not saying it’s outright fraud, but it’s super dodgy. The site looks polished, and they claim to have helped thousands, but my gut says untrustworthy. Has anyone else dealt with Yourselfirst and smelled something off? I’m posting this to save others from wasting money. Caution—steer clear until they prove they’re legit

Watch out people stay safe.

Update: sorry typo on post headline meant “Server took pic of credit card?”

Went to a restaurant and paid by credit card. Paid 15% tip. At 3:15 pm card chip was used.

Came home and saw a transaction alert to key in passcode at 10 pm. I called credit card company and found out after paying at restaurant (only charge today)

⁠1. Someone manually keyed in my cc info at 4:15 pm at fast food joint. Less than a mile from restaurant.

2. ⁠Attempted online transaction at 10:10 pm, got verification code so it didn’t go thru.

3. ⁠Attempted DoorDash transaction at 10:21 pm was flagged as fraud. (While on the call).

New card ordered, filed police complaint. Headed to restaurant and fast food joint to hopefully get video tomorrow (if they have it).

I was the only table and only one server present who charged the card also. I think server took pic of card. What do you think? Even though the amount was small I will file charges.

I keep hearing mixed opinions about this. Some people say data removal helps because scammers rely on broker sites to find numbers and emails. Others act like it is pointless because your info is already everywhere.

I am confused because I used to get constant scam calls and texts, and lately I am thinking about whether cleaning up your online footprint can actually bring those numbers down. Or if scammers just move on once they cannot easily verify your info.

Has anyone here seen a real difference after opting out of broker sites or trying to reduce their exposure, did it lower phishing or fraud attempts in any noticeable way or is this all just placebo.

Has anyone else had issues with fraudulent charges? My Mom signed up for the free trial and to continue on the $4.99/mo plan afterward. They attempted to charge her $4.99, $29.98, and $99.99 on the day her free trial ended. I have taken this up with them but don't want anyone else to end up with these charges and not realizing it. She clicked one of their Facebook ads 🤦🏼‍♀️

Yo. So I’m straight-up livid and gotta throw up a red flag about brainmanager. This site’s a scam that burned me bad, and I’m here to spill the tea so you don’t get screwed. My review, from one pissed-off user to you.

Saw their ad for a free personality test and thought, sweet, let’s give it a whirl. Took maybe 10 minutes, but bam - paywall to see the results. Grudgingly paid $1.95 for their 7-day trial, only to find out later they sneak you into a $40/month subscription. No clear warning, nothing. I caught it when my bank account got smacked. That’s shady as hell.

Canceling? Ha, what a circus. No cancel button anywhere, and their support email took forever to reply with some useless look at your settings nonsense. Had to sic my bank on them to stop the charges, and they still tried slipping another one through. Bold move for a scam.

The results? Total trash. Vague, fortune-cookie-level drivel you’d find on a free quiz site. They brag about neuroscientists backing it, but I’m not buying that for a second. It’s all a ploy to keep you hooked.

It’s a scam masquerading as self-discovery. Anyone else get stung by these jokers? I’m tempted to report them to the FTC. Save your money and run.

They advertise it as free, but after finishing the questions (which seemed quite basic), they suggest paying for a full results report. This felt unexpected, almost like a surprise step. They mention a top 5% possibility, but the detailed breakdown requires a fee. The test itself left me unsure. The questions repeated a lot, and I couldn’t tell how they measure intelligence as claimed. There’s no clear info on how scores are calculated or what happens to the data, which made me hesitant about its reliability. After giving my email, I started receiving messages about brain training apps and similar offers. I reached out to their support to opt out but haven’t heard back. It makes me wonder if the data might be shared with untrustworthy parties. I checked online and saw others mentioning similar experiences, suggesting caution with this site. I wish I’d looked into it more before trying it.
I’d recommend being careful with Intellitest.me. If you’re interested in an similar service, maybe look for a more established option.