Scam calls

[Dawn Palka]

Yesterday my husband (Mark) got a call from "Social Security" alerting him to the 'criminal activity that's been detected on his Social Security card'.
If Mark did not call a Houston area number (thanks Google Pages!) legal action will be taken against him. I'm scared! You know this will show up in a background check--I could loose my job! If anyone is looking for me, tell them you don't know me.
Seriously, I've heard too many stories of people who have been taken in by these scammers. I hope there is a special circle in Hell reserved just for them.
My supervisor posted on FB that she got the same kind of call. We have to leave the country! I need to research which countries have no extradition treaty with the US.
Remember...you don't know me!

[Steve Leavitt]

But if you took the time to clear up your ills with Social Security, you would then be eligible to collect millions from that Nigerian prince.

[Keith Maidlow]

My least favorite/favorite is/was the one that says it's my credit card company (lists three) and there is no problem with my credit and this is my last chance if I'd like to get a better rate press 0, if I'd like to be taken off the list press 1. I get these almost every day sometimes twice in a day and I've pressed 1 quite often. I also pressed 0 and have asked nicely to be taken off the list which gets a quick hang up. But once I pressed 0, asked nicely to be taken off the list only to get a non-fluent English rant calling me every vial name imaginable. It caught me by such surprise that I listened a few moments the started yelling back for him to "shut up" (no return vial names since it's generally not in my vocabulary). I guess he had a bad day. I press neither 1 or 0 anymore and since I don't have caller ID on my land line (yes, I still have a land line) I just hang up.

[Dawn Palka]

But if you took the time to clear up your ills with Social Security, you would then be eligible to collect millions from that Nigerian prince.

You're right!! I better call my husband and tell him to resolve this!

[Steve Leavitt]

Keith, for your land line, you can connect Nomorobo to stop robocalls and their service is free for land lines. I've got it on my land line and pay the $1.99 per line, per month, to have it on my cell phones as well.

[Stormy Peak]

I mentioned this in the Random Crap Thread last year....but here's the most fun I had confronting a phone scammer:

I would guess that some here have had call from that 'Windows Tech Department' scam or sometimes they call themselves 'Microsoft Tech' - I had them call me a few times, but one day out of curiosity I asked this guy, who had a very very heavy Indian accent and who said his name was 'Jim' (lol) a few questions.

His call to me was to tell me that if I didn't renew my Windows 10 licence immediately, that they would block my computer from accessing the internet.

ME: "I want to ask you something. How does it feel to live your life as a scammer? Trying to con people out of their money? Does this make you proud of yourself? Do you actually sleep peacefully at night knowing you might have scammed some poor elderly person out of their monthly grocery money? I really am curious to know. You must not have any self pride, or honor to do that...to basically rob those who don't understand some of this computer stuff."

He tried to continue his spiel about my computer needing to renew it's licence. I interrupted him and told him he was talking to someone who knew he was a liar, a con artist, and again...asked him "how he could live with his dishonest self... it must stink"

He hung up... I hung up...

30 seconds later.. the phone rings again and it's him...
He says, "I want to talk to the b**ch.

I said "You're talking to her." and laughed
Him: "You're a b**ch.

Me: "Yes, we already established that" and I laughed
Him, with is voice almost shaking in anger, "You're a f**king b**ch".

I replied "Yep, I can be like that too. But, you know what? I still have more pride in myself than to ever be a low life scamming con artist."

He hung up. !!!!

I guess he didn't like some female questioning his 'honor' and back talking to him...so he just had to call me back and put me in my place....

Since then I haven't received any calls from "Windows Tech" or "Microsoft Tech" maybe they put me on their banned list for being a ........ honest person who can't be scammed. : )

-----------
Stormy

[Dylan Christensen]

Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry if you haven't already. If any sort of spam callers call you they can be prosecuted so they tend not to.

[Kenneth Prater]

Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry if you haven't already. If any sort of spam callers call you they can be prosecuted so they tend not to.

The Do Not Call Registry is one of the most useless things ever.

[Dylan Christensen]

Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry if you haven't already. If any sort of spam callers call you they can be prosecuted so they tend not to.

The Do Not Call Registry is one of the most useless things ever.

Maybe I’m just lucky then haha, it works for me

[Nick Gilmore]

I think that registry wipes it’s records every 3 years or so, so you have to update it periodically for it to work.

These are so annoying, aggravating, and makes me murderous. I’ve gotten so used to not even answering my phone any more, it’s crazy. Talk to the machine, if I know you, I’ll pick up. Otherwise, not happening. This has been going on for some years now and I’m sorry for anybody who gets taken. There must be a special place in h e l l for these people.

[Dawn Palka]

YouTube is full of people driving scammers up a wall. The funniest I've heard is two morning DJs having fun with someone trying to sell them a cable TV deal (or something like that). While they have the scammer on the phone, you hear people in the background saying things like: "Has forensics gotten pictures of the body yet?" Then one of the DJs tells the scammer that he's with Some City's police department and they are investigating a murder; how were you related to the victim?

Stormy--Your conversation reminds me of a call that my husband got a few years ago. I forget the details, but the guy was trying to sell him something (I think) and when Mark kept asking questions, the man said I'm not BSing you! Of course no true professional would use profanity to a potential client. I looked up the number and found out the call was from Jamaica. Nice going dude--give your countryman a bad name. An insult to all the decent Jamaicans out there!

[Laura Smith]

An acquaintance of mine actually fell for one of these the other week. I've gotten the same call before...
"Hello. This is the CRA (Canadian equivalent of the IRS). You are behind on your income tax and there is a warrant out for your arrest. The police are on their way to your house." ...etc.
Super legit, right? Well... not everyone out there is aware that that's not how taxes, revenue agencies or police forces work, apparently. Now she's five grand in the hole.

[Cleo Patra]

I pretend to be a funeral manager and invite them to the funeral and ask that they bring a plate of food to the wake

[Darcy McBride]

I just don't answer any phone call where I do not recognize the number.

[T.D. Palm]

I just don't answer any phone call where I do not recognize the number.

me too