Off-Topic OT - Scam reminder/warning

[SpiritYogi]

I keep a whistle next to my phone. Whenever I get a scam call or telemarketer, I blow my whistle as hard as I can into the phone. My *unwanted* calls have decreased significantly.

[Vintage VFer]

So sorry, Gwynn! How upsetting!

I don't understand one part about this scam. How is does the scammer want the scammee to pay? Do they ask for a credit card number or something?

[mtnmom]

I think your best bet to stop calls like that is to tell the caller, "Oh, hold on just a minute." Then put the phone down and walk away. After about 20 minutes, they'll hang up. But in the meantime, you wasted their time and tolls!

I'm so sorry this happened to your FIL. I think taking advantage of the elderly is the worst.

[CharM]

Ugh, people can be horrible. Sorry about your FIL, Gwynn.

Originally Posted by bzar

the punk couldn't handle it, so HE hung up.

Ha

Originally Posted by Dena

I keep a whistle next to my phone. Whenever I get a scam call or telemarketer, I blow my whistle as hard as I can into the phone. My *unwanted* calls have decreased significantly.

good one!

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

I don't understand one part about this scam. How is does the scammer want the scammee to pay? Do they ask for a credit card number or something?

Western Union. Or they send you to a drugstore to buy a money card, then they ask for the card info and drain it.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en-U...ney+card+scams

Originally Posted by mtnmom

I think your best bet to stop calls like that is to tell the caller, "Oh, hold on just a minute." Then put the phone down and walk away. After about 20 minutes, they'll hang up. But in the meantime, you wasted their time and tolls!

I like this idea, too.

[gmfreund]

CharM is right - they sent him to get a Moneygram. It was not a spur of the moment thing. Plus the phone call involved two people and a whole scenario built up behind it. They're classic con men - they figure out your weakness and exploit it.

[pcdoctor01]

There was an ABC special about these scammers in Central or South America.

[beyond.omega]

I use my caller ID. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. If it is someone who needs to talk to me (or even "legitimate" telemarketers) they will leave a message.

gmfreund: I'm so sorry this happened to you son's FIL.

[Sissy B]

Originally Posted by beyond.omega

I use my caller ID. If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. If it is someone who needs to talk to me (or even "legitimate" telemarketers) they will leave a message.

I'm the same way.

[Debbie S.]

I'm so sorry to hear that FIL was prey to this scam. It's been a problem for awhile now.

We've got the dreaded Microsoft calls. The last time they called I told him that we had a Mac, and the jerk hung up on me!!!!! Boy did that pi$$ me off.

The latest phone scam going on now is the "IRS" phone scam.

[beyond.omega]

Originally Posted by raeven

Ok I have to share this. My hubby has an awesome sense of humor. One day he gets one of these calls from some so called computer blah blah place. Well my husband is a programmer on a security team, so he knows a thing or two, and he knows immediately this is a scam call. So he decides to mess with them. They tell him to go to such and such website, and download something and on and on right. The entire time he is pretending to know absolutely nothing about computers, having them hold his hand step by step, how to type everything in, having them repeat stuff a million times. Of course he wasn't actually going to download or do anything..but he drug it out like 20 mins. I forget how it ended, if he called them out or what, but it was so hilarious...I was dying as he told me the story.

Never ever give anybody info and certainly never download anything unless you are sure where it is coming from is legit! So sad how many people get caught in these scams!

I once got to do something like this with the person wanting my SSN. I just kept giving them the run around, then go "irrate" and demanded to speak to a manager, and then gave him the run around until he hung up. It was fun while it lasted.