Well... THAT was odd, scam or ???

[Mr_Sheesh]

At about 2AM today, some random guy called to tell me that Publishers' Clearing House would be showing up at 10AM to deliver a gift to my "Wife". Only, my "Wife", the name they gave, is my mother... That's not weird at all, is it?

Makes me wonder if it's a scam of some sort or ???

[Stephen Cohen]

Yes just imagine the look on their face when you show them your gift. I hate scammers they are low lives. Regards Stephen

[Butzbach]

I've started something new with an "Amazon false charge we'd like to help you clean up" scam out of India or Pakistan. I start off by asking how they can sleep at night running a scam like this. 1 out of 3 says they sleep very well. Then I ask them if their family knows that they do this. That stopped 2 out of 3. To the woman who answered "yes they know" I replied "then your whole family are thieves." They were calling up to three times a day. They don't call anymore. Not certain if this would work for scams originating in the Middle East. My experience with those is for them to get immediately nasty when I call them out typically with comments about my saintly departed mother LOL.

[hoodat]

I got a call from them the other day. The guy said I had just won 1.6 million dollars. I says, "great, mail me a check." He says he needs a little more information. I told him I was real busy right now, and could he call me back later. He never did. jd

[1hole]

What amazes me about the scams in all their variations is, "It works!" There wouldn't be so many of them calling us if it wasn't quite lucrative.

As ol' P.T. Barnham once observed about the public, "There's a sucker born every minute." A steady stream of new suckers being born every minute explains how, "A fool and his money are soon parted."

I suppose the only way for our politicians to stop it is to make new laws forbidding public stupidity. (Would that instantly destroy the party of the political left?)

[MUSTANG]

A couple of weeks ago I "Got the Call" from Publisher clearing house. Caller with enthusiasm in his voice stated:


"I am from Publisher Clearing House - You have won a new car and some money.

Hung up but nobody ever called back or dropped the car off. DANG - I should have arranged for delivery of the carry by giving them my address (They must not have it off the Magazine Mailing list for the magazines I receive; or I should have given them my bank account number so they could "Deposit Some Money" .

[Scrounge]

What amazes me about the scams in all their variations is, "It works!" There wouldn't be so many of them calling us if it wasn't quite lucrative.

As ol' P.T. Barnham once observed about the public, "There's a sucker born every minute." A steady stream of new suckers being born every minute explains how, "A fool and his money are soon parted."

I suppose the only way for our politicians to stop it is to make new laws forbidding public stupidity. (Would that instantly destroy the party of the political left?)

I'm gonna say it would destroy at least both parties, these days. Maybe more than that. Though Apparently the US Gov has hammered one of the many, though it was a domestic business. Did septic tank additives. 45 million robocalls. Mostly to folks who don't have septic tanks. Steve Lehto, Youtube channel Lehto's Law from yesterday. $1.6million fine.

Bill

[Handloader109]

Best thing is if you have a cell phone, just don't answer ANY number you don't recognize. Now those of you that have Dr's offices call often, that might be hard.
I've a cell phone with MS area code, but live in AR. If I get any phone call from MS, it is a scam. From other area codes, maybe or maybe not. From AR, probably good call.
It does help...... But they still think I need an extended warranty on my car and student loans, and consolidation loans for student loans. NOT.

[MT Gianni]

It is nice to live in a small enough town to tell scammers "no fixed address, just mail it General Delivery to the PO".

[1hole]

My lovely wife of 62 years is a full-bloodied southern lady. It's taken a long time for her to just hang-up without bothering to be respectfully polite to scammers but, landline or cell call, she can finally do it without remorse; I'm happy about that! :)

[1hole]

I'm gonna say it would destroy at least both parties, these days. Maybe more than that.
Bill

Your point is valid but doesn't change that about 90% of political blues are bad for the country while a bit less than half of the reds are determined swamp dwellers; that's not great but it's a huge improvement from only five years ago!

We have to work in the world we live in, and do it one step at a time. IF we, the real American people, continue to reject the personal power political clowns working for the sake of their party's power establishment those awful percentages will continue to improve. But, now is the time and this is the place for real change in the monied political power structure of this country. If we the people won't hold our nose, grit our teeth when we have to and vote and keep doing our part to gut, fillet and smoke the radical blue party's moneyed power structure today, nothing will really change.

The dug-in political parties are indeed the real problem, not the individuals. I've always been quite flexible in my own voting; for 60 years I've watched what's been happening in my beloved country and have cheerfully voted for almost anyone who is not a Democrat.

(Everyone here should be aware by now that firearms only have two mortal enemies; rust and Democrats. Rust is much easier and cheaper to control.)

[nvbirdman]

The scam of winning a gift is they add a delivery charge and they can't accept cash. It has to be credit or debit card.

[MaryB]

Publishers NEVER asks for money for a prize, so if they do that is a scam! I had a guy who wanted a $600 cashiers check because I won $100k and they needed it to process paperwork. Sure come pick your check up at 10AM. Called the deputy who lives in town, he was just out of sight in the porch when the scammer showed up... Arrested, went to jail for 5 years. And the mule picking up the money ratted out the main guy who lived in FL, they set up a sting on him and he went to jail for a very long time. Postal mail fraud, conspiracy, RICO charges... they threw the book at him. Plus when he gets out he is deported that day!

[Mk42gunner]

I've been getting a new to me variation.

People call and ask for my mom by name. They say they need to discuss a "personal business matter" with her.

When I tell them I handle all of her business, they get very defensive about her privacy. (What a laugh).

As long as the calls come to my phone, she isn't going to be bothered by them.

Robert

[gbrown]

I have listed things for sale on other sites. The number of Nigerian scam type stuff is unbelievable. It's almost funny. Always an excuse why they can't pick it up, they will send me a cashier's check and have someone pick it up. RIGHT! Send you a cashier's check that is routed thru multiple banks. When it gets to the final bank, no funds available. Takes 1-2 months for all that. At that time, your bank comes to you for payment of insufficient funds. Whoopee! I've seen a lot of people fall for it. I just laugh and send them (the scammers) some type of rude reply.

[jim147]

I have an 870 area code. If I get a call from anyone not in my phone list with 870, I dint answer. Had someone call last week about my satellite dish. My satellite dish has a hawking antenna in it and moves wifi like 150 yards.

[Mr_Sheesh]

This guy was pretty cagy, thinking he expected a dumb old fart, I at least don't match the dumb part and am not that old YET, it wasn't clear what he wanted

[Land Owner]

Publisher's Clearing House at 2 AM? No Way! I bet it was 10AM in Bangladesh and the fool had no idea regarding the time zone difference. I'm asleep and not answering a call from anyone at that hour of night. If their problem is REAL important, they will leave a message, from which I will have the choice to return the call or delete it. Either way, at 2 AM, when everyone in my world should be asleep, there cannot be anything good to discuss, which will wait for daylight and rational thought.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I was awake (back and neck pain cause bad insomnia) but I definitely was not impressed. Caller had next to zero accent, so I think they are in CONUS. I might have just fired all their "if I try to strong arm this guy, I won't live to regret it!" alarms, which I am OK with, better to not have to mess with that sort. It was definitely weird / odd.

[MT Gianni]

With the crowds moving to MT I see area codes from all over. My neighbors have an Illinois area code (1 year residents) a No Cal area code (5 year} and a Louisiana area code (15 year resident).

[1hole]

I have an 870 area code. If I get a call from anyone not in my phone list with 870, I dint answer. Had someone call last week about my satellite dish. My satellite dish has a hawking antenna in it and moves wifi like 150 yards.

We get about six of those calls everyday, sometimes more. I've read that current robot-phone call systems make it possible for creeps to make hundreds of thousands of contacts every day for almost no cost to them.

[jim147]

I got one today while having lunch. It was from Jamaica. I don't answer when eating ever. I may have missed out on a million dollars.

[725]

I rattled a scammer from I assume India one day. He started his song & dance & I interrupted by asking what he was going to tell his God when he met him? He stuttered briefly and tried to resume and I assured him he was a thief and I wondered how he intended to met his God being a thief. He got screaming mad, called me an unmentionable, and I continued. He kept calling me that unmentionable and slammed his phone down. Minutes later he called back all aflutter. It was priceless.

Had a legit annoying call from PETA and before the caller could get into a full swing sales pitch, I interrupted her by asking if this was another sales pitch for a wild game cookbook and if it was I had enough already. She hung up on me. Go figure.

[Texas by God]

On the rare occasion that I answer one of those calls, when they ask for me- I say " He's going to die"- and hang up. That's fun.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[358429]

I rattled a scammer from I assume India one day. He started his song & dance & I interrupted by asking what he was going to tell his God when he met him? He stuttered briefly and tried to resume and I assured him he was a thief and I wondered how he intended to met his God being a thief. He got screaming mad, called me an unmentionable, and I continued. He kept calling me that unmentionable and slammed his phone down. Minutes later he called back all aflutter. It was priceless.

Had a legit annoying call from PETA and before the caller could get into a full swing sales pitch, I interrupted her by asking if this was another sales pitch for a wild game cookbook and if it was I had enough already. She hung up on me. Go figure.I do that too, I tell them that they are a thief repeatedly, when they call and they start that BS about car warranty.

First, I try to get them to tell me which car they are talking about.

Well, they're trying to ask me to tell them the car, and so then I asked them over and over you called me, which car are you trying to insure the warranty???

The best one we went in circles for almost 12 minutes.

That's what you get for screwing with me when I'm eating lunch.

So far one hundred percent they get really really mad, and hang up on me.

I like that cookbook idea that's hilarious!

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[Epidote]

A few things I have done, you can judge the shame I feel.

Downloaded a Klingon phrasebook from the Internet. Answered the phone using it and tried to keep the conversation going for a while.

Did the same thing in Russian. Spanish doesn't work as well because too many of the scammers understand it.

Got still yet another "we will install solar for free" telemarketing call from somebody that had the wrong address. I set up an appointment. Did the same for the same wrong address for the "we want to buy your house" scam.

For the car warranty scam, I have a rotating list of cars: A 1963 Studebaker Lark, a 1976 AMC Gremlin, a 1987 Yugo, and a 2017 Fiat 500.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Family used to know the gal who owns Model T ford S/N 2 indirectly, friend of her mechanic's family. Wonder what the warranty would go on that? LOL

[wjbaker1]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210730/9353070562b1691b233c3d6843250a85.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr_Sheesh]

That picture is missing the mechanic and owner wailing over the loss of the vehicle :p

(Part of the deal is that, in return for running it weekly and keeping it running, he gets to ride in it in the car processions etc., always nice to be rewarded for working with your hands :) )

[Handloader109]

I've been getting a new to me variation.

People call and ask for my mom by name. They say they need to discuss a "personal business matter" with her.

When I tell them I handle all of her business, they get very defensive about her privacy. (What a laugh).

As long as the calls come to my phone, she isn't going to be bothered by them.

RobertBE VERY CAREFUL OF THIS ONE. especially if the guy speaks good english. Sounds very much like the one where they get elderly person on phone and ask about kids or especially grandkids, and then put someone else on saying they are grandkid and they need money for bond and are in jail. will push VERY hard to insist on keeping this a secret and not telling any other relatives about it. My mom almost fell for it a couple of years ago. and they will find someone local to meet......

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Mr_Sheesh]

Too darn many scams out there!