Scammer fun

[2LaneCruzer]

Best reply is to answer the phone------ "Sheriff's dep't, how may we be of assistance?"

Another is---------"City morgue"

"Hung Chow Chinee buffet"!

 

[prichard]

I either silence it so it takes longer to go to voice mail or answer and hit mute. I figure the longer they're on the line with my phone the less people the can bother.

 

[cqaigy2]

Pray tell.

 

[the old grind]

I used to have an answering machine and got several hangups every day. When I heard a decade or ago that scammers would sell lists of legitimate numbers I tossed it into the bin. Within a few months my scam calls had dwindled to only 15 or 20/wk. As a senior I'm getting 2-4/day again, 'just like old times'.

When I gave in to family/peer urging to get a cel phone I kept the land line number/phone with caller ID and limit who I give the cel number to, assigning names to numbers of those (too many) I know and care to hear from. I also regularly leave the iPhone 5s on the table next to the 'wired' one, and rarely carry it.

It costs me ~$100/mo to have both lines, and IMO it's worth it. I don't need to hear from scammers OR acquaintances who are bored (nothing good on TV) when I'm not (my 'reality life'). I Google every number that doesn't clearly identify its source (kind of a hobby by now :laughing Some of these clowns spoof numbers that caller ID says are 'not in service' and my favorite using the same number I'm answering.

Years ago when I might answer an unwelcomed call I'd just lay the phone down and come back later when the default noise alerted me to a 'not active' phone off the hook. I did talk to a few scammers back then, often answering with "scam call hotline. Are you calling to report or to confess?" Sometimes I'd answer "make me laugh" though 'Rachel' never did. I'm registered at Spokeo, and some numbers are so off-base that typing in a 10 digit number produces only addresses instead.

 

[bennyperkins]

The last one i played around with on Craig's list, I had them get me all kinds of details. I wanted a picture with the hours showing, I asked if specific implements would work with it. After about 40 emails back an forth they finally sent me the fake Ebay Motors email. I waited a day and they asked me if there was a problem. I said no I was sending the Ebay gift cards they requested soon. I went to the store and took a picture of $2500 in ebay gift cards. I then sent the the picture of the gift cards along with a complete critique of their efforts as a scammer. I gave them a D minus and told them they probably should look for other work. I of course reported them to ebay, craig's list the Utah national guard, the FTC, and google for using a gmail account. I know I did not stop them but I felt better for having wasted so much of their time.

 

[4570Man]

I only get a few spam phone calls a month and they’re always robots. I usually go out of my way to mess with online scammers. And I reported 8 on the forum last night.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Nah, I was just pullin' yer chain Mate.

That got me flushed

 

[Wagtail]

That got me flushed

Speaking of being 'flushed'... where is Brokewood supposed to be?

That Fern Sutherland is quite the dish!

 

[Jim Shooz]

From what I can make out the town shown in shots is of Warkworth and the "police station" is the old Post Office or BNZ building next town north Wellsford. The rest of the filming is in the rural area around there. After me you'll be first. :licking:

 

[QRTRHRS]

One of my now departed friends was the best. He would methodically work his way into either his wife or someone else having just passed and actually had some callers crying along with him. Some of these poor "sleps" are just trying to eck out a living. Other's deserve a public thrashing.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
Telemarketers generally are trying to make a living. Scammers are just trying to screw somebody who's making a living so that they don't have to.

 

[Howling]

Don't forget about the debt collectors. After we moved starting getting debt collectors calls for someone that had the number previously. They ask for first name (same as wife's). Refuse to listen about wrong number, just want money from someone. One gives up, sells the debt and another round of calls start. First 5-6 years were the bad. Still get occasional calls at 9 years w/ this number.

Got rid of Verizon phone service when we moved (kept business numbers). The Verizon 'custom retention' folk outright told me they won't honor stop calling request and just kept calling. Took FTC compliant and lawyer letter to get the calls to stop after 3 years.

Yes, it is a job for people to make money. It is an industry with many shady businesses, jerks and outright assholes. Many are practicing borderline harassment. Need to honor the do not call or stop calling request. They are interrupting my work, costing me time and money.

 

[prichard]

Seems everyone I get is robocall so no way to mess with them or stop them. Mostly they spoof phone numbers, same area code and prefix as my cell number, so no point blocking either. Also, blocking just sends them straight to VM were they stay on the line long enough for me to get silent VM. I wish blocking would just hang up without VM or leave phone ringing forever on their end.

 

[JohnBuffaloMN]

Seems everyone I get is robocall so no way to mess with them or stop them. Mostly they spoof phone numbers, same area code and prefix as my cell number, so no point blocking either. Also, blocking just sends them straight to VM were they stay on the line long enough for me to get silent VM. I wish blocking would just hang up without VM or leave phone ringing forever on their end.

I think Verizon must have a better filter for hang ups not going to VM. Sprint (pretty sure) reseller I'm using certainly doesn't have the filter! Every call ends up with a voicemail.

 

[prichard]

I think Verizon must have a better filter for hang ups not going to VM. Sprint (pretty sure) reseller I'm using certainly doesn't have the filter! Every call ends up with a voicemail.

I have Tmobile, and seems to be more like sprint than Verison.