A new phone scam?

R

robordon

New Member
Got a voice mail that my doctor needed to make an appointment for me, I ignored it. Another phone call today from same local area code number.

"Hello, your doctor would like you to schedule an appointment."

"Which doctor?"

"Before I can tell you that I need some information from you."

I then hung up. Normally I don't take calls I don't recognize but I wanted to see if it was from a doctor's office. I call doctors for appointments, doctors don't call me for appointments. When they do call, they identify what office they're calling from, which shows on the caller ID. The caller also had an accent, make what you will of that.

Anyhow, this is a new one on me. I have also gotten calls from a hospital on a balance due from a recent visit. I did have a recent visit, but between my Medicare and BCBS, I am 99.9999% covered. Same thing, I need some information so we can settle the past due, I then say send me an itemized statement in the mail and I'll look into it. Bye.
 
I just ignore all of those calls and they go to voicemail. The other day, one message said I was being sent to a collection agency for a medical bill. They gave no specifics about the bill - just a phone number to call them back. When I do a reverse lookup on the number, nothing comes up. I have no outstanding charges. Besides, if I owed anything to the doctor, they would send a bill first, then probably several past due notices before ever sending it to a collection agency.
 
I don't answer any #s I don't know or have saved in my Contacts. It's not hard for me to do because I don't want to be bothered. Like @MACKTEXAS said, it then goes to voicemail if they choose to leave a msg. I then search the #.

I check the first 3 pages of search results. If I don't see anything associated with the # that is important to me, I block the # and without ever listening to it, I delete the voicemail. There are so many challenges with security today that I don't know if something harmful can't be downloaded from a voicemail.

This screening technique has been working very well for me. Most of the #s come up in search results as scams, spams and phishing reported by others. Only once over the years has a search revealed that the unknown # was from a company I was expecting to hear from. It was from an extension that I did not have saved. That's why I started searching the unknown #s before deleting them.
 
That "doctor" scam is probably really effective, because we get so many calls reminding us of appointments the next day, etc. I even get those reminder calls from my hairdresser! (Do I really have to be reminded that I'm going in for a haircut?)

I think it would be very easy for a scam artist like the one described in the OP to just slip in a phony "we need some information" call, by catching us off guard. I've become very careful about answering any calls any more. I do the same things as Daily does. Not on my Contacts list? I don't even pick up.
 
Sunny said:
That "doctor" scam is probably really effective, because we get so many calls reminding us of appointments the next day, etc. I even get those reminder calls from my hairdresser! (Do I really have to be reminded that I'm going in for a haircut?)

I think it would be very easy for a scam artist like the one described in the OP to just slip in a phony "we need some information" call, by catching us off guard. I've become very careful about answering any calls any more. I do the same things as Daily does. Not on my Contacts list? I don't even pick up.
Click to expand...
Same, same. Bonus for me: my cell carrier screens unknown calls. The phone rings, I click "screen" and can hear the computer say it's screening my call, please state your name and the reason you're calling. I can hear (and see text) from the screening and the caller's reply in real time.

If I want to take the call at that moment, I just click accept and start talking. Otherwise their responses go to voice mail for me to review later.
 
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