I know we have lots of savvy people on the board, but I just wanted to pass this along. This scam has been around for a long time but now I'm getting 2-3 calls a day from scammers pretending to be from the Microsoft IT dept. Nobody on this board will fall for it, :evillaugh but make sure your relatives are aware and don't fall for it. Here is a good explanation of how they work. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-04/11/malwarebytes
I get the same calls, they say they're from the "dept of windows" and detected unauthorized activity on my computer, it was really pathetic, strong indian accents, etc. I played along for awhile and then said I dont think i believe anything your telling me, and she hung up.
I got a call AT WORK (yesterday) - This guy told me : "Hi, we're updating our files here at Chase - are you ----my name,address,---- and you have an account and safe deposit box with us ?" "No....I don't have a safe deposit box with you." He asks me the same question again. ( who I am, address). Then, asks - "Are you an American Citizen ?" Then asks - "Where do you work ?" Then asks - "Do you make a salary of under 50k or over 50k ?" > "Bye - bye" !!!:Þ
I'm now in the habit of letting my home phone go to voice mail if I don't recognize the caller. I'm on the master Do Not Call list but I still get 2-3 spam/scam calls each evening.
I've had my same phone number for many years and I was getting at least four telemarketing calls a day. I singed up for the Do Not Call thing and then the calls increased. My daughter suggested I subscribe to Ooma and get rid of my phone company of forty years and bingo. I can now screen my calls, add the bad numbers to my blocked list, kept my same home phone number and several other features. My monthly bill went from $30 + per month to $3.73 per month. My unwanted calls went from about 4 per day to about 1 per day and they seem to be getting less and less the more numbers I block.
Yes, I've taken this call. I believe my response was asking them to hold for a second. I came back and on told them I had just looked in the mirror and didn't see the word "stupid" on my forehead so I was hanging up now.
We just got a landline again, we got, no word of a lie, 65 missed calls yesterday from random numbers around the country, looking for Jody regarding a loan application. No Jody at my house. Finally, we started answering the phone Boston FBI office, this line is recorded. Would you believe some of them had the nerve to ask if I was interested in a loan. No thanks.
We have a land line for the first time in a while simply because the bundle was less expensive. It's not plugged in.
After finally having a new option for our security system that doesn't involve a landline, we got rid of ours a couple months ago. Not that we ever answered it - let everything go to voicemail....
Them calling "Hello I am so and so from company X" Me "Hi, what are you wearing" Them "What" Me "Are you gay, I can go both ways" Them "CLICK"
We got one of these calls the other day and my husband was not in the mood and started ranting at the guy. Guy said "I'm going to call the police". Yeah, I'd like to see that happen!
I inadvertently worked for a phone scamming operation once during the summer before I went to college. It was some sort of long distance service scam and I read about it being busted later on. I always thought the business model sounded fishy but I was like 17 years old. I was good at it too. During the first day after they heard me read the script to someone over the phone they applauded me and made everyone else stop and stand around my desk to listen to how I did it. All I did was read, but that seemed to be too hard for the caliber of people they hired. I made pretty decent money that summer.
Though we still have a land line, cause it's tied to our internet capability, I went unlisted ($5 extra per month) and filled out every Do Not Call Registry thing I could find on-line. These days I bet we don't get 2 calls a month from someone other than who we've given our number to... it's nice. Most of the unwanted calls are political survey stuff. We too let almost every call go to voicemail and return them on our time. It's always amazed me how people will STOP everything just cause a phone rings. I'm really struggling with my Mom though... she's 77 and my Dad passed away a year ago. He was pretty savvy and she's just, well... really, really nice... to everyone! Fortunately, she checks with me before she "commits" to anything, but she's taken over my Dad's IPad, IPhone and computer and you know how much spam shit you get... she thinks each communication was written specifically and personally to her... Ughhhhh. Same thing with the phone... some malware "protection" company called her and told her she needed their software or all this bad stuff was gonna happen to her computer. My brother keeps her anti-virus up to date and some other stuff, but she says, "this guy says I need this subscription". They all do Mom!
Ditto. I only wish I could find a way to block phishing email from my iPad. I can do it on my desktop but so far have not found a way to do it on my iPad.
We do not get many calls, but i have to have a home phone for our security system and i just tell them that i am not interested and do not call here again. I started answering them because otherwise they will just keep calling. You have to tell them specifically do not call here again and take me off your list, then legally they are not allowed too call and that is the only way you can really get them to stop. The DNC list is a joke.
I heard about that more than a year ago, but still good to post as not every one may have heard of it. Also, it is a pretty cleaver angle and am sure many people are still falling for it.