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and the scams continue....

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by queuetee, Jul 6, 2018.

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  1. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    I always answer my phone, yea it's a little irritating to get up for nothing(scams, etc), but it really isn't the end of the world.
     
  2. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    Some of the calls might be multi-level marketing calls. Some say it's a legit business. Some say it's a scam. I dunno. Still not interested.

    But I don't answer strange phone number calls. If it is real important they will leave a msg. And I always monitor voicemail just in case.
     
  3. BlueBellThunder

    BlueBellThunder VIP Whale

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    If I have the time I mess with them, play dumb to keep them on the line. The best one was the computer scam. I get a call that my firewall has been compromised. I first tell them you have the wrong number, my firewall is fine. Then they insist it’s been compromised. I ask them if they’re so sure what computer do I have. He says windows 10 which of course is correct since almost all PCs run windows 10. I told him no I have a Mac. He says ok I’ll switch you to Mac support. A few seconds of silence and the same guy says hi welcome to Mac support. Them I tell them I’m not home, call me when I get home. I tell them I won’t be home until midnight. They actually called. I told them that they were right my firewall was compromised and my computer won’t work. They kept telling me to unplug it and restart it. This went on for about 30 minutes. Then I told them I’m going to sleep and will buy a new computer tomorrow. They said we sell Macs. I should’ve played with them longer and given them a credit card with random numbers. But I was tired. They called me back a week later and asked if I bought a new computer and told them not yet. But I don’t need there help since the “new” computer will solve the firewall problem. They insisted it won’t. So I said fine I’ll buy a new router. They continued to insist they could only help me. I said call back when I get a computer. They called again in a couple of weeks. That’s when I told them I still don’t have a computer and want to buy one from them. Somehow they figured out I was playing with them and said stop wasting our time. That when I told them the truth and he proceeds to use extreme profanity, so I return it of course. Them he says I violated the law and the police were ginkgo to arrest me. The. I told him I tracked his office through their number and agents from the attorney generals office we’re on there way. Them he hung up, haven’t heard from them since. I wasted about 2 hours of their time, maybe I stopped them from scamming someone else.

    Sorry for the long rant.
     
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  4. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    Scammers or bunco artists as they used to be called,make money off peoples greed. Human nature,never changes.
     
  5. queuetee

    queuetee VIP Whale

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    Greed is part of it, no doubt, but they also prey on the other end of the spectrum----concern for family members. There was just now a story on the Boston news about a elderly man who bought $27,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in response to a phone call that family in another country were in trouble. His daughter happened to come in when he was packaging them up and called the police who explained to him the scam. They also accompanied him to Walmart where he was allowed to return them.

    I was surprised that Walmart wasn't more sensitive to the scam and didn't question him when he bought them. Of course they don't have to but I did see a story last week where an elderly woman bought a lot of cards and the clerk at Walgreens called the police who saved her from that scam.
     
  6. Nittany1

    Nittany1 VIP Whale

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    Recently got an App on my I phone..... RoboKiller that is designed to block robotically dialed calls.
    It has cut down on the spam calls on my cell but not eliminated them.
     
  7. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    I recorded the bogus windows support call once. I had him on the line for a long time before he realized I was messing with him. When he did, he got really vulgar. Asked me if I $&@? my dogs. He then told me he’d forgive me if I “serviced” him....he spoke in a more vulgar manner of course.

    I tore a strip off him. They called several times a day for weeks after. I didn’t answer. Our friends got a good laugh from the recording.
     
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  8. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    Just got a computer generated call from Officer Ryan Smith from the IRS. I’m under investigation for unethical practices. Funny they never mentioned my name. I have been doing the simple non itemized tax form because I haven’t had enough deductions. Think I will call back from work and say I will have to spell my name first name Ura and 2nd name Dick or whatever else comes to mind.

    I had a friend who got a call from Publushers clearing House saying the owner of her phone had won the big one. Of course he could not tell her who the owner was.
     
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  9. ardee

    ardee It's only money.

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    A guy called the other day to say my Windows "license" was being cancelled.
    I pretended to be upset and then said oh go ahead, cancel it. I can't drive on the web anyway.
    Blocked.
     
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  10. Calder

    Calder VIP Whale

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    I hope these are all voice mails.

    Why anyone would answer their phone is beyond me.
     
  11. ardee

    ardee It's only money.

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    It's beyond you but not beyond me.
     
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  12. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    Last week I started getting scam calls at work (so, I sort of have to answer the phone here). First call - asked for "Michael Hall". I said "that's a building" he goes on, blaming a mistake in his paperwork...I finally say "we're not interested" and hang up. Two more calls since then. I just say "wrong number" and hang up. Numbers have all been different so I can't really block. Ah well. At least it was easy to figure out it was a scam ;-)
     
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  13. ardee

    ardee It's only money.

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    Understood, @HoyaHeel.
    I've got a program to do block calls but they work around it at times.
    Not a big deal in the long run.

    We have a house phone because hubs is a teacher and needs an open line of communication with
    parents/students/school without giving up his mobile phone privacy.
     
  14. bubbakitty

    bubbakitty Doing retirement again and happily so....

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    I sell amway and would like you to make a living doing something for others instead of random calls. Are you interested? Click.
    No my firewall is fine but do you think you be interested in being a secret shopper? That’s where the money is, not in calling people at home. Come on. Give it a try.
     
  15. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    I always let it go to voicemail. At work I have to answer all calls. Don’t get very many scam calls. One call from a woman said they knew from that number I had stayed at a resort in the Bahamas before and they were offering me a “free” vacation. She would not let me get a word in. Finally she paused and I chewed her out telling her I could assure her that this was a Hospital cell phone and I got calls from doctors, nurses etc and it was a professional business phone and told her to take it off their list.

    I used to answer calls from phones that appeared to be from my town- not any more.
     
  16. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    Basically, I answer the phone BECAUSE OF caller id. That's it. If I don't recognize the name & number...voice mail is plan "B".
    Before the in laws moved here to the land of the free, I set up their telephone / i'net / cable account with Spectrum. I reckon, during the process,
    the name on the account was inadvertently set to "Jean" vice "Dean". The significance? Jean is my mother's name. 'Course she's been dead since '79,
    so it's always (to me anyway) humorous to see her name show up on the television or phones when the in laws call. Aaarrggh! It's haunted! Don't answer,
    don't answer! As much as it pains me to admit it, I text more than call. Never thought I'd go down that slippery slope, but I have.
     
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  17. carrie_dave_and_cody

    carrie_dave_and_cody Low-Roller

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    Depending on your cell provider (AT&T for me) there is a app that allows you to block phone calls from telemarketers. Or block any number you want to block. The app I have is called Call Protect, I don’t know if you can get it with other providers. Also on my old phone I had downloaded a antivirus that would let me know if it was a mass dialed phone call and allow me to block it.
     
  18. mkl37

    mkl37 Low-Roller

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    On the iphone there is a "Do Not Disturb" setting. I set it to ring only for people on my contact list. All others go to voice mail. Very peaceful now.
     
  19. Calder

    Calder VIP Whale

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    Turn in your Old Fart card, millenial!
     
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  20. BlueBellThunder

    BlueBellThunder VIP Whale

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    I may have mentioned this earlier, if you have to time you should mess with them. The longer the better. I find I amusing, and maybe you’ll prevent some elderly person from being scammed. If you don’t want to talk to them or have them talk to you, simply say the person you are calling for will be with you in a minute, and just let the phone sit. I’ve done that and when they start asking where is the person I say give them a few more minutes. I think my record before they hung up is 30 minutes. They probably stop calling you afterwards.
     
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