Ridiculous scam phone call

[debodun]

I got a spam call last evening saying an IPhone was ordered and my Amazon account would be billed for $740 million. To stop the order I had to speak with a representative. Come on....what IPhone is worth that much? Added to the fact I don't have an account with Amazon. If someone is trying to scam people, at least be reasonable.

 

[Judycat]

I got those calls for a while. They'd call a couple of times a week. The amount I owed was always different and said it would be drawn from my bank account. I guess they gave up because I don't get that kind of call anymore.

 

[gennie]

Come on, Deb. Didn't the amount alone give you a clue that someone was pranking you?

 

[Sunny]

Yes, it sounds more like a joke because of the ridiculous amount.

OTOH, I just saw a news item about a man who fortunately recovered from Covid-19, but his hospital bill was over $1 million. It said Medicare would pay most of it.

 

[JaniceM]

From my POV, the most important thing is "Do not engage!"

The approach I take:
If it's an unfamiliar area code, I don't answer it at all.
Knowing scammers somehow use a person's own area code, I do answer those- but as soon as I find out it's not a legitimate call, I hang up.

 

[debodun]

Come on, Deb. Didn't the amount alone give you a clue that someone was pranking you?

Yes, that's why I mentioned that if they want to scam people, let it not be some ridiculous amount (see OP). That would take a big chunk out of my savings account.

 

[CarolfromTX]

I hate to break it to you, but they really can be that expensive. iPhones remain a hot commodity, and the new ones with all the bells and whistles can be jaw droppingly expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPhone...bGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==#

 

[debodun]

Yes, but not close to a billion dollars!

 

[Sunny]

Janice, I usually don pick up if I don't recognize the caller, even if it's my own area code. Usually, a real caller will leave a message.

 

[Mr. Ed]

Sometimes a telemarketer will call and you have to listen to the entire message before removing your number from call list. Most everybody including myself hangs up before end of message and calls continue

 

[debodun]

I belong to NOMOROBO and I report any spam/scam calls that aren't blocked.

 

[MarciKS]

I don't know if this will help anyone but, I don't have a landline anymore. Just my cellphone. I create trash contacts like I will name one FILE13 and utilize the 3 or 4 ph number entries to add bogus ph numbers from scammers to. After a mo or two if I don't see any calls I will replace those with new numbers. If you don't answer EVER for a while they eventually stop.

 

[Marie5656]

I got one the other day. Caller ID said Wegmans (grocery store). So I answered and was greeted with "Hello, this is Tim from Allstate". I stopped him right there and asked "If you are calling from Allstate, why does my caller ID say Wegmans?" Response was "umm, umm <click>"

Gee, and I was gonna ask him what he was wearing, and if he knew Jake from State Farm

 

[MarciKS]

I got one the other day. Caller ID said Wegmans (grocery store). So I answered and was greeted with "Hello, this is Tim from Allstate". I stopped him right there and asked "If you are calling from Allstate, why does my caller ID say Wegmans?" Response was "umm, umm <click>"

Gee, and I was gonna ask him what he was wearing, and if he knew Jake from State Farm

my mom cracks up laughing at them & hangs up on them.

 

[Geezerette]

I heard the “Social security” call starting in my land line voice mail this am & ignored it. That number is on the do not call list & unlisted. Nobody has it but son, daughter & best friend.
My Tmobile phone now has started a new scam call alert.

 

[debodun]

Thay say Social Security will not contact you by phone (banks either).

 

[macgeek]

you can join the do not call registry and this should reduce the number of telemarketing calls you get.

https://www.donotcall.gov/

to reduce junk mail sent to your home, check out:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0262-stopping-unsolicited-mail-phone-calls-and-email

 

[debodun]

That's not very effective. I do have NOMOROBO, though. Some calls still get through, but you can report any that aren't blocked.

 

[JustBonee]

I got one the other day. Caller ID said Wegmans (grocery store). So I answered and was greeted with "Hello, this is Tim from Allstate". I stopped him right there and asked "If you are calling from Allstate, why does my caller ID say Wegmans?" Response was "umm, umm <click>"
Gee, and I was gonna ask him what he was wearing, and if he knew Jake from State Farm

Might as well have some fun with these nuisance calls.

 

[Judycat]

I love the ones who say this is your credit card company calling about your balance. Ya my credit card is called Credit Card.

 

[debodun]

These scammers must think most people are:

 

[Keesha]

I just don’t answer my phone unless I’m absolutely certain who it is so never have to deal with any of those calls because the more calls you answer, the more calls you’ll get.

 

[Keesha]

Come on, Deb. Didn't the amount alone give you a clue that someone was pranking you?

Well duh!

 

[Sunny]

I don't know if this will help anyone but, I don't have a landline anymore. Just my cellphone. I create trash contacts like I will name one FILE13 and utilize the 3 or 4 ph number entries to add bogus ph numbers from scammers to. After a mo or two if I don't see any calls I will replace those with new numbers. If you don't answer EVER for a while they eventually stop.

I got rid of my landline also, Marci, about a year ago. I don't miss it at all. I occasionally still get a spam call on the cell phone (which I usually don't pick up), but a lot less often than I did with the landline.

I just got tired of paying a monthly bill for other people to keep annoying me. One day, I got 22 calls with the same recorded message. Obviously, there was something wrong with their system, but why should that be my problem? I finally turned off the ringer. That was largely the reason I made the switch. Never regretted it.

 

[Ruthanne]

I got a call yesterday saying something about an iPhone and something about something serious about my account and I hung the phone up and then I blocked the number because I can do that with my phone.