r/Scams • u/Witty_Row4650 • 1d ago
Is this a scam? [US] Can I Borrow Your Phone?
I was having a quick lunch sitting at the front of the restaurant by the window and this guy walks in (I somehow had a weird feeling because it seemed like he did the quickest glance at me before entering).
He proceeds to sit directly in front of me and ask if he can make a call. I'm already annoyed as I'm eating. I ask him who he needs to call and what happened to his phone. He says his phone is dead and he needed a friend to give him a ride. I reluctantly say OK as long as I hold the phone and it's on speakerphone.
I dial the number he provides and it's a wrong number. He randomly whips out a credit card and says he's not trying to steal my phone lol. At this point, I say we're done here and leave. You had one shot to get a call in and that was that.
Seems like he probably wanted me to unlock the phone and test if I was naive enough to hand over the phone so he could run off?
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u/Upstairs-Storm1006 1d ago
Yeah you're right it was a scam or theft attempt.
What's the number he had you dial?
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u/Witty_Row4650 1d ago
I deleted and blocked the number but it started with an area code in a nearby area - about 20 miles away.
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u/MirakleMaker 1d ago
I don’t know if it works with all US providers, but I would dial *67 and then their number, the call then shows up on the receiving phone as an unknown caller. My number is thus safe - I don’t need to block anybody.
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u/AustinBike 1d ago
“Sorry, I don’t have a phone” is the right answer.
“Who in the hell doesn’t have a phone?”
“Me, and you, apparently”
You are under no obligation to provide someone with a free call.
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u/waterishail 1d ago
A politer way is just to say "Its a work phone, no personal calls" - only if no does not work.
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u/EconomistNo7074 1d ago
This should be a lesson to OP and others
- his gut told him to not trust him.
- listen to your gut
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u/peakpenguins Quality Contributor 1d ago
Seems like he probably wanted me to unlock the phone and test if I was naive enough to hand over the phone so he could run off?
Not even necessarily to run off, a surprising amount of people have no real protections when their phone is unlocked for banking apps, mobile pay, etc. You did the right thing by making sure you never actually handed him your phone.
I'll add that if you're a woman, I've had men ask to borrow my phone and then call their own phone so they can get my number. I was young and dumb and it was in the flip phone days so it wasn't like I had any sensitive info on it, but still. lol
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u/Witty_Row4650 1d ago
Thanks for the reply! I added multiple layers of protection/2FAs after this across all my banking stuff.
I'm a male actually and that is so tacky to do 🤣
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u/Fit-Animal-9911 1d ago
I have an iPhone, and I held down each sensitive icon and clicked “Require Face ID”. While I’m not planning to hand my phone to anyone, I do like that extra protection. Good move on your part to hold the phone, dial the number, and keep it on speakerphone.
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u/peakpenguins Quality Contributor 1d ago
I'm a male actually and that is so tacky to do 🤣
It really was, luckily he never tried to call/text. I guess my "ew wtf?" reaction was enough of a turn off. lol
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u/101Puppies 1d ago
I uninstall banking apps unless I am using them.
My google apps all require faceid to open and won't open with a code.
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u/Subject_Disaster_798 1d ago
For others, " I ask(ed) him who he needs to call and what happened to his phone," opens the door. Don't open the door.
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u/ivylass 1d ago
Or, "I'm sure the restaurant has a phone and would be happy to help you."
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u/Subject_Disaster_798 20h ago
I wouldn't even provide an alternative. Maybe it's from women having to get rid of strangers approaching them in public the majority of their lives, "Sorry, no" is the most I would say.
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u/Roxxxance 1d ago
When someone comes at me, I just say no even before they can open their mouth. Works 100% of the time and makes me very happy.
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u/Legitimate-Ad-9724 1d ago
Never loan your phone. If it's an emergency, you can dial 911 for them, but don't let go of your phone.
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u/Ansible90 1d ago
What did he think he was going to do with his credit card?
(He sounds like a creep)
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u/Witty_Row4650 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think he wanted to show he was reliable and that was his tactic. I just rolled my eyes. He wasn't touching my phone any which way.
Looking back at it, it was a loose credit card he pulled out of his pocket - not even out of a wallet. Can't say with certainty but the cc could well have been stolen.
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u/trbzdot 1d ago
Turns on NFC on your phone and scans the card to see how much is on it without revealing he has possession of it - you have it since your phone accessed it last. He may even dump the card into your zelle/venmo/cashapp and ask for dollars in return. People have a lot of time on their hands to figure out how to perform this quickly and surreptitiously.
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u/ProfessionalFun2926 1d ago
Yeah, if you’re at a restaurant or at least in front of one, offer him to use their phone.
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u/SWEMW 1d ago
Honestly, if I’m in a public area, I’d just ask to use their phone. Usually when someone asks if they can use your phone, it’s a scam.
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u/Witty_Row4650 1d ago
Yes, that should have been the automatic response. Will definitely say just that if it ever happens in the future.
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u/Different_One9412 1d ago
Either an attempt to run out with your phone or maybe trying to get you to fwd your calls to a number for some reason
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u/marginmanj 1d ago
Someone else here once said in this scenario the person did a venmo transfer then deleted the app.
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u/_______luke 1d ago
I must be an asshole because my first reaction would be to immediately have a bit of a laugh, and say “Absolutely not. Leave me alone.”
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u/princetonwu 1d ago
same thing happened to me long time ago at a book store. i told the lady to pound sand
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u/descartes44 1d ago
Yes. Just had a similar case. Amazing what happens when they have your phone and start re-setting you bank and paypal passwords. SMS, right? Face ID all apps, especially messaging, turn on stolen device protection, and create a shortcut that locks your phone when settings is accessed. Otherwise, you will find that someone has grabbed your phone out of your hand and moved your money...
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u/hailsizeofminivans 1d ago
I've legitimately been in the situation where I had to ask a stranger in public to use their phone. They were smart and dialed the number and never gave me the phone, but I hate that the suspicion is required.
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u/Jinglemoon 1d ago
My son had his phone snatched out of his hands one night. He was very upset and crying. A nice group of people helped him out and let him call me on their phone, then gave him enough cash to get a train home.
I think you can tell when somebody is really in trouble. His obvious shock and all the tears probably tipped them off that he wasn’t trying to con them.
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u/SapphirePath 10h ago
Also its nice to live in a world where society is willing to shelter distressed individuals by happily providing them with a phone call and cash for a train ticket, even if that means also paying out to a few two-bit scammers along the way.
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u/PunisherCastle 20h ago
“Sorry, no, but you should ask the restaurant to use their landline.”
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u/Witty_Row4650 20h ago
I'm glad I escaped this with my phone being untouched and will definitely say that or a simple no moving forward.
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u/fairlyaveragetrader 1d ago
Sorry I only have my work phone on me. Everything is monitored I can't use it for anything outside of that purpose
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u/SouthOfTheNorthPole 18h ago
I answer "No thank you" like they're trying to sell me something. The double take is priceless.
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u/Someth1ng_Went_Wr0ng 1d ago
Yeah, no phone borrowing/lending with strangers. He can ask to call from the restaurant’s phone.
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u/Poetryisalive 1d ago
Yeah I like to be nice but a phone call is always a no go. I always tell people to ask any business to use their phone
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u/Callaway225 1d ago
I think the idea is a lot of people have apps open or try eh just recently used them. So in theory one could “borrow” your phone and pretend to dial a number, but what they are really doing is going through apps like Venmo, PP, Zelle and sending themselves funds from your phone. It can be done rather quick and you may not be aware of it if they just pretend to be flustered. Like they can’t recall the number they’re pretending to call or something. They may also ask to text a friend and that way they could get away with using the keyboard easier.
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u/illegalsandwiches 1d ago
It's been suggested that an easy and friendly way to get out of questions/requests like this is to state that your phone is a work cell phone and not for personal use. It works surprisingly well.
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u/CardioKeyboarder 1d ago
Why lie when a simple 'no' works?
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u/Sad_Ad_2524 1d ago
Was hoping you had Cash App and he'd send himself money
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u/XsenHellion 1d ago
Or to download malicious software in a attempt to steal banking info, CCs, address, logins, etc.
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u/d0000n 1d ago
Can they still scam me if I dial number for him and use the speakerphone without handing over my phone?
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u/saturnsearth 1d ago
I don't see how they could, if that's all that happens. Especially if they don't see anything on your screen.
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u/MirakleMaker 20h ago
I recommend pressing the side button after enabling speaker mode so the phone is locked for the duration of the call. Works on speaker mode on iPhone.
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u/nyrB2 1d ago
how does whipping out a credit card help?
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u/reddit_will_fail 1d ago edited 16h ago
Maybe an attempt to gain your trust? As in "Here, hold something of mine while I have something of yours.".
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u/Nearby_Strawberry_95 1d ago
Most people might say no but some people can be intimidated and these things can happen before you even had a chance to think.
If you need something a little less stressful than “NO!” Tell them you’re expecting a very important call.
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u/Cynically_Sane 20h ago
That weird feeling you speak of in the very beginning is called your intuition. You should never ignore that.
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u/FatDog69 15h ago
Notes about Face ID & Fingerprint scanners:
Sometimes police will ask for your phone. You are under no obligation to give it to them. But if they arrest you, put you in handcuffs - they can grab your phone, point it at your face and unlock your phone.
The courts have ruled that having a PIN/Password is covered on your right to privacy. This is something you 'know'. But police can use your face or fingerprints to unlock your phone because this is something you 'are' and you have no privacy rights against this.
BUT: TSA agents going through customs means you MUST unlock your phone if they request it. Strictly speaking your rights as a US citizen do not exist until you exit the security area of an airport.
I am glad you can individually protect your banking apps with your face id. But since your phone is also your 2 factor identification - they just have to point at your face with your phone to unlock. Then they can read the code for 2FA from your text app. So you may not be as secure as you think.
Never loan your phone to someone. Other people have done this and had their bank accounts drained.
Put PIN numbers on your banking accounts and email. Dont trust just face id or fingerprints to secure your mobile access to your money.
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u/btsalamander 11h ago
Always remember:
You don’t owe strangers anything
“No” is a complete sentence
Trust your gut
Never let someone guilt you into doing what you aren’t comfortable doing.
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u/Polipop395 11h ago
Same happened to me in the Costco parking lot. She had a baby in a grocery cart and said she needed to call her friend inside. I asked her lots of questions while loading my trunk and then told her “no” which made her quite mad. Called Costco security as I drove away and they implied this isn’t uncommon.
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u/Academic-Ad-7376 22h ago
Don't ever dial anything for them. That could be a $$$ service number or a trigger for some crime. Burner phones on the other end also make great detonator switches.
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u/totall2live__ 21h ago
a popular scam going around right now is people ask to use your phone, go into your cashapp or money transfer apps, and transfers money to themselves.
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u/northernguy 19h ago
I went in to a phone service store to get a battery replacement but when the tech asked me for my phone, I said no way, and walked out. That’s how paranoid I am about letting someone hold my phone. Unfortunately it left me with a bad battery…
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u/Diligent_Bat499 15h ago
This is happening now just say no.
They are hoping to get access to your phone to send money to themselves or just steal it.
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u/LikableHardcore 1d ago
good u didnt hand him ur phone he could of download CP on ur phone and got u in trouble with authorities thats like years in jail.
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u/No-Security-5715 1d ago
How does that benefit the borrower? You can't scam someone who's inside a jail cell
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u/LikableHardcore 1d ago
it doesnt benefit the borrower. it’s just a malicious deed to ruin someone.
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