Scamming

[Handloader109]

My 91 year old mother came close to being scammed today. Call from whom she thought was her grandson in OK. Said he was in jail, had a wreck and needed money. Had a "lawyer" get on the phone and try and get her to go to home depot..... she doesn't drive, no one with her today. Her help comes in about every other day. They called twice trying to get her to find someone to take her and even offered to get taxi for her (no taxi service in small town thankfully).

She finally called my brother and asked about his son. Who then called her from work.... scam.

Friend of hers had same type of call last week, none of her grandchildren drive... knew it was scam.

Be careful. Home depot supposedly will do cash advances to another store with NO ID needed on other end. I dont know this for sure but my wife said that they do.

Let anyone you know that is aged know to call their grandkids to confirm issue before falling for this.


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[Down South]

It seems older folks are easy prey for scammers. I hate that so many thieves abound. I wish there was someway to catch the scammers and lock em up.
I usually get at least one to three calls a day. Student loan forgiveness, car warranty, Medicare supplements, computer virus, IRS, I even had one who claimed to be the FBI saying that I was under investigation until I told him that I was also FBI and asked him what division he worked in.

I'm glad you guys figured out the scam before it was too late.

The scammers spoof their number many times, had one of those today, same area code and prefix so that I might think it's someone that I know.
The spoofed numbers usually belong to someone who has no idea that a scammer is using their Ph number.
The other numbers, if you call back go to a dead end.

Since I just retired a few weeks ago, I accept any call that might be legit because I'm dealing with real insurance supplements and other things. Soon I'll go back to leaving my cell phone on do not disturb so that anyone not on my contact list, the phone won't ring but it does leave the option to leave a message.
I also have an App called Hiya that weeds out a lot of BS calls.

[lancem]

My mom just got one, but she's a sharp ol'cookie, after listening to the accident need money scam, she asked him how his wife janie was, he said she's ok... trouble is grandson isn't married, she laid into him pretty good knowing her

[bob208]

I get about 3 scam calls a day. trying to get my Medicare info. I have come the conclusion the do not call list is not worth a D. sad to say the older we get the more some creep tries to take advantage of us. never thought I would be in the senior category.

[Down South]

I get about 3 scam calls a day. trying to get my Medicare info. I have come the conclusion the do not call list is not worth a D. sad to say the older we get the more some creep tries to take advantage of us. never thought I would be in the senior category.

The "Do Not Call List" is a joke with scammers. Only legit businesses pay attention to it, sometimes.
Scammers are crooks so they don't abide by the law. I'm on the federal and state do not call list and was a waste of my time.

[iomskp]

We get the scammer calls here, the numbers look right until you look closer 1 or 2 extra digits, somebody told me they are not generated from the phone system but computer generated that taps into the phone systems, one way or the other they are annoying.

[Wayne Smith]

I typically don't answer my phone as I am in session (Psychologist) and don't interrupt for my business. Just out of curiosity I called back one of my missed calls. Lady answered and said that she had never called me. I told her that her phone # had likely been hijacked.

[lightman]

Everyone should take the time to try and educate their older relatives about these scams. Makes a fellow mad hearing stuff like this.

[Handloader109]

Mom won't give out info, none should. I fussed at her last night about answering calls she did not know. She has cable that shows phone number on screen and tv is on most of the time. Use it....

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[DocSavage]

I've had 2 arrest warrants issued by the "IRS" still waiting for the sheriff to show up .

[JoeJames]

I typically don't answer my phone as I am in session (Psychologist) and don't interrupt for my business. Just out of curiosity I called back one of my missed calls. Lady answered and said that she had never called me. I told her that her phone # had likely been hijacked.

Spoofing - I got a call from the accountant's office next door. Except it wasn't, when I answered. How these idjits expect to appear honest when they are using a false number is beyond me.

[2wheelDuke]

It's amazing just how rampant this sort of thing is. As a law enforcement officer, it frustrates me even more that we can't seem to do much about it. Most of these scams seem to be coming form overseas, far outside of my jurisdictional reach.

My city has gone as far as having warnings posted about buying Green Dot, iTunes, or other cards as a form of online or phone payment.

My mother has come close to being duped on a tech support scam before. My brother's business line gets these calls daily, and they've made a hobby of stringing them along pranking them with skits, impressions, getting them to say silly things, etc.

The government seems pretty powerless on the issue. I wish the telco companies could do something about it. They probably could, but it's obviously not in their best interest.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Any small business that has a PBX can do this spoofing, and I'd think any newer phone system could do the same.

We voters will need to get good and ticked off and make this an issue, and/or just not answer any phone number we don't recognize, to get this to end.

One suggestion that might do it is to make the receiver of a phone call, able to charge for your day being interrupted; If it cost $2 per call for scammers to call us, (a) the telco's would make SURE they knew who the callers were, they pay attention to money; and, (b) the scammers would stop almost instantly. It'd also end the wrong numbers I keep getting where some idiot calls, I answer, and they then hang up instead of apologizing for their mistake... (I am thinking you could set it so friends / family could call free, just OTHER callers like the tree cutters who keep trying to get me to order tree cutting for my apartment complex's trees or air duct cleaning for my non existent air ducts etc. would pay me; It could pay for my land line most months! Design it so if a friend calls from someone else's phone you can tap a key and the telco knows not to charge them, or they can call as themselves so are not charged, this isn't THAT hard a thing for the telcos to solve, if they had to!)

[wv109323]

I enjoy those calls. I play along with them to take up their time so they are not scamming some one else. If they want a SS number I give them one.
An IRS guy called me wanting money. I told him I had already sent the money in and their computer system needed to be updated. It was not not my fault their system was outdated. Of course I posed as a system expert and tried to sell him a new computer.They have yet to call back.

[sparky45]

Puzzle me this: seems NSA, and other alphabet agencies can catch all calls and record all conversations; why can't they catch the scammers and open up another GITMO!!

[bob208]

they almost got me the other day. was at the daughter in-laws weed eating got the call was going along then they asked for my birthdate and last four of c-card. then it hit me and I hung up before any damage was done. if you are busy mind on other things it is real easy to slip up.

[Down South]

I enjoy those calls. I play along with them to take up their time so they are not scamming some one else.

LOL, I do the same thing sometimes. Now that I'm retired I'll have more time to occupy the scammers. I do it for the same reason, to keep them from scamming someone else while I'm burning their time.
I can come up with some wonderful BS to keep them distracted. I've had a few to say a few words to me that I can't repeat here before they hung up on me. I can say that I was happy that I got under their skin.

[Reverend Al]

I still think that this was one of the best responses to a call from a phone scammer / solicitor. They called a comedian (and boy, was THAT a mistake) and he strung them along making them think that the person they had called had been murdered and he was a police officer at the murder scene. Absolutely hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=y50SN-Elwl8

[sureYnot]

I wish the telco companies could do something about it. They probably could, but it's obviously not in their best interest.

We cannot. But it would definitely be in our best interest.

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[cabezaverde]

We are visiting with my son. He got one of these the other day, says "just a minute". Told his 3 year old daughter it was for her and hands her the phone as she starts jabbering at the caller. They hung up quickly.