Latest Phone Scam

It's hard to convince me anymore that anyone that approaches you is doing it in good faith. I've lost trust ... all the gimmicks and ways to get you just keep on multiplying. :tapfoot:
 

Beware the MICROSOFT scam has just resurfaced ,again ...I had two calls from them in the last week....
 
Since I'm nearing the time where I apply for Medicare, my snail mailbox is full of spam from health insurance companies wanting to sell me advantage plans. My phone has been ringing off the hook too, and I haven't been picking up at all.

Well today, the caller ID said Walmart. I thought that was weird since I shop there a lot, maybe they had recall info of something I bought, problem with my check or something, so I answered. Some joker on the other end said our phone interview would be recorded for quality and started with a Medicare spiel....I hung up the phone immediately, these scammer/spammers are very annoying, they start at 9AM until PM sometimes. :rolleyes:
 
When someone calls my number they get this message (my phone doesn't ring at this point). "This party does not accept solicitors calls, if you are a solicitor hang up now. If you are not a solicitor press one to be put through". I used to get 4-5 calls a day, never less than two. Now, No junk calls!
 
What I find annoying is if I answer and instead of immediately identifying themselves the person asks "How are you today?" Really....what difference does that make? If I have a list of problems are they going to care? Um, no.

I realize these people have to earn a living, but :mad:
 
I was getting calls from scammers who had the same area code and first three digits as my phone number. I refuse to answer unidentified calls, so I don't know what kind of scam they were trying to pull. I checked and found out there's a group of thieves using phone numbers close to yours so you'll answer, thinking it might be someone you know.

I said 'I was getting calls' because they seem to have stopped. I haven't heard from them in at least three weeks.

My outgoing message says, 'If I don't know who you are, I won't talk to you.'
 
I got that computer support call about four months ago. The caller said she was HP Support, and they'd received numerous error alerts from my computer. She had me going for a while because I had just contacted HP Support a few days before. She gave me contact names and their 800-numbers and everything, and I jotted them all down. When she transferred me to a "support technician" and he requested I allow remote access to my computer, I knew it was a scam. I told him to thank "Debbie" with the east Indian accent for the names and phone numbers so that I could forward them to the cyber crime unit of my local FBI office. He said, "I don't give a shit what you do" and hung up.

They were relentless! I got dozens...DOZENS more calls from them, and the first 7 were from the same number, which, of course, I reported. Every call, I just kept telling them they'd called me before, and thanks for the new "name" and number to add to the report. The calls gradually petered-out and finally stopped about a month ago.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Since I'm nearing the time where I apply for Medicare, my snail mailbox is full of spam from health insurance companies wanting to sell me advantage plans. My phone has been ringing off the hook too, and I haven't been picking up at all.

Well today, the caller ID said Walmart. I thought that was weird since I shop there a lot, maybe they had recall info of something I bought, problem with my check or something, so I answered. Some joker on the other end said our phone interview would be recorded for quality and started with a Medicare spiel....I hung up the phone immediately, these scammer/spammers are very annoying, they start at 9AM until PM sometimes. :rolleyes:
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They don't stop !! I still get them at age 73!! AARP and Medigap Insurance..More now that open enrollment nears..
As others have said, I don't answer unknown numbers..
 
Kadee46 said:
We have had heaps from the ones claiming to be from Microsoft .. This one is new to us ..and the y sound like the same people each time they phone ( Indian accent ) hubby gives them a mouth full prior to hanging up but it never appears to deter them
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You should not converse with them. Just hang up. Just from talking to you they can get information. For instance one male and one female answer the phone. They know that there are two people living there. Dog barking in the background?
 
Smiling Jane said:
I was getting calls from scammers who had the same area code and first three digits as my phone number. I refuse to answer unidentified calls, so I don't know what kind of scam they were trying to pull. I checked and found out there's a group of thieves using phone numbers close to yours so you'll answer, thinking it might be someone you know.

I said 'I was getting calls' because they seem to have stopped. I haven't heard from them in at least three weeks.

My outgoing message says, 'If I don't know who you are, I won't talk to you.'
Click to expand...

I was getting those too. They called every day and each day would be a different number so it didn't help to block the numbers because they didn't use it twice. The last one I got had a name with it but I didn't know the person so I didn't answer. It could have been a "wrong number" but since the other calls had stopped I couldn't help but be suspicious. Either way I still didn't answer and I'm not going to if they try it again.
 
AprilSun said:
I was getting those too. They called every day and each day would be a different number so it didn't help to block the numbers because they didn't use it twice. The last one I got had a name with it but I didn't know the person so I didn't answer. It could have been a "wrong number" but since the other calls had stopped I couldn't help but be suspicious. Either way I still didn't answer and I'm not going to if they try it again.
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If they don't leave a voicemail then it is not important..
 
The scammers who claim to be from the tax office DO leave messages on people’s message bank and answering machines

I know quite a few people our age who have been scared to death , by the messages left on their Telstra message bank ....telling them to call this number or the police will be there to arrest them for taxation fraud.

I don’t have message bank ...and I rarely answer the home phone beacuse all our friends Call or text us on my mobile
 
Kadee46 said:
The scammers who claim to be from the tax office DO leave messages on people’s message bank and answering machines

I know quite a few people our age who have been scared to death , by the messages left on their Telstra message bank ....telling them to call this number or the police will be there to arrest them for taxation fraud.

I don’t have message bank ...and I rarely answer the home phone beacuse all our friends Call or text us on my mobile
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Man...who ARE these people?! I mean, besides felons.

I've learned that one of the reasons US authorities can't crack down on these guys is because their government(s) won't cooperate. In some of the places they operate from, scamming isn't even a crime. It's a livelihood.
 
Kadee46 said:
The scammers who claim to be from the tax office DO leave messages on people’s message bank and answering machines

I know quite a few people our age who have been scared to death , by the messages left on their Telstra message bank ....telling them to call this number or the police will be there to arrest them for taxation fraud.

I don’t have message bank ...and I rarely answer the home phone beacuse all our friends Call or text us on my mobile
Click to expand...

I've gotten that one also. I came home one day and checked my answering machine and it was someone "claiming" to be from the IRS. They said they were going to arrest me if I didn't pay them. I said, "Go ahead. I'm scared to death". The bad thing is, they couldn't hear me.
 
I've used this system: I say "I'm a senior and have hearing loss (which is true), and you're going to have to talk slow and speak clearly. " Most of the time they hang up. If the call is legit, then they apologize and start over, going very slowly. Works every time.
 
Reading through these posts gave me an idea...I finally found a use for an air horn that I've hidden away. The thing makes an unbelievably loud noise so I can't wait for the next scamming phone call. Heh! Heh!

My cell phone gets one call per week from numbers with the first three digits in my area. Usually I've won a free vacation or they will give me a great credit card deal. One call even mimicked a friend's number with only one number that was different. It's a jungle out there. My stock response to obnoxious callers who won't give up is, "Why don't you get a REAL job?"
 
Prank them! I pretend to be interested for a minute or two, then gradually start talking more and more softly til the caller starts asking "what did you say?", then I put this air horn close to the phone, and give it a good blast, and hang up. If he calls back, repeat.
 
I recorded "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" on tape and thought I'd play it on the phone when these people call right against the speaker. But then I thought they might like it. :D
So the best thing that works for me is to pick up and then immediately hang up. If you just don't answer then they'll keep trying until someone answers.
This way they know someone is there but does not want to talk to them.. It appears to work. And, by the way, they're now
spoofing local phone numbers. In that case, any number I don't recognize, it goes to voice mail.
 
I rarely answer no and say I gotta go, unable to speak to you now etc. Even if you say you are not having trouble with microsoft for example they now know you have an ms operating system. We get the call from microsoft security alot. People in the house that never bought a computer get the same call. I think they fish marketing data from provider companies and simply assume because you have internet service they can trick people or they wouldn't do it. I know someone who paid over 400 dollars to have ransom virus removed from their computer.
 
I've started to memorize lines from Alec Baldwin's Glengarry Glen Ross Speech.

My plan is that the next time I get a call from a scammer or a telemarketer I'll start reciting them at random.

I expect they will hang up on me before I get very far. :)

"Put that coffee down! Coffee is for closers only!"

"I'm here from downtown, I'm here from Mitch and Murray. And I'm here on a mission of mercy!"

"The leads are weak? You're weak!"

"You certainly don't pal, because the good news is, you're fired!"

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