I was snookered!

[Shady oak]

I have an ad on here looking for a snowblower for a F2660 Kubota. Got a response saying this guy had one in great condition. Asked for pics and he sent me a couple of two snowblowers mounted to the fron of a couple 25 hp Kubotas. I felt sort of bad, all he wanted was $220 for one!

 

[Shady oak]

I too got several of the "Publisher Clearing House" calls. I asked the first guy if Ed McMahon still delivered the check? He wasn’t sure, but he assured me that Ed still worked there and that he knew Ed, and that he was a great guy. He did get confused though when I asked him if Ed still hit the sauce pretty hard?

 

[Dftodd]

I know this was well-intentioned, but it's simply not possible if you own and run any business that relies on answering that phone. Whether you're a doctor or a tow truck driver, many of us HAVE to answer every call, our business relies on it.

I answer every call that comes into my work cell phone. But if they are robocalls or scammers, the number gets reported and marked as such using the pop-up options that show when the number isn't stored in my contacts.

 

[Nimrodtoo]

The scamming is getting a bit out of hand these days. But if you just use some common sense, and there are some great suggestions to follow in this thread, and remember no one out there is trying to get ahold of you to give you money, you'll probably be ok. Again the best defense is to let unknown calls go to voice mail (or not) and do not provide *any* personal info to anyone unless you are initiating an exchange after you've confirmed the other party is legitimate.

Nim

 

[ponytug]

The trouble with blocking numbers, or reporting the number is that many scammers use randomly generated local numbers, at least around here, though I recently got one from (808) area code (Hawaii)...

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

The trouble with blocking numbers, or reporting the number is that many scammers use randomly generated local numbers, at least around here, though I recently got one from (808) area code (Hawaii)...

Absolutely. Spoofing. I have gotten calls from an Indian telemarketer with my mother's number on caller ID, as well as our home landline and neighbors number.

 

[Oaktree]

Is Publishers Clearing House still in business. I haven't seen their commercials in years?

Apparently so. https://www.pch.com/

 

[dfrelinger]

It's been a while since I've advertised online so had forgotten what it's like. I had the old Curtis cab from my father's 4400 Ford advertised and had completely forgotten about it until I got a text yesterday asking if we still had it. I said yes, and we went back and forth a few times. Then he asked where it was, and I gave him the town it's in, telling him we are cleaning out the barn and aren't normally there but that my brother could meet him next week. THEN it came...
"I am out of town but if you will give me your address or account number I will send you the money, and my agent will pick it up."

I read that and thought to myself "You stupid , you fell for it.

I sent him one last text which read simply "Yeah, RIGHT".

 

[dfrelinger]

It's been a while since I've advertised online so had forgotten what it's like. I had the old Curtis cab from my father's 4400 Ford advertised and had completely forgotten about it until I got a text yesterday asking if we still had it. I said yes, and we went back and forth a few times. Then he asked where it was, and I gave him the town it's in, telling him we are cleaning out the barn and aren't normally there but that my brother could meet him next week. THEN it came...
"I am out of town but if you will give me your address or account number I will send you the money, and my agent will pick it up."

I read that and thought to myself "You stupid , you fell for it.

I sent him one last text which read simply "Yeah, RIGHT".

I have a 1970 Ford 4400 and might be interested in what you have for sale.

 

[Oaktree]

Not to sound rude but reading though these comments, most of you sound like older-ish fellas. A lot of you are doing exactly what I tell my grandparents to stop doing....just stop answering the phone. I never answer the phone if the caller's # isn't already in my contacts list. My voicemail gives specific instructions "...I will not answer if I do not recognize your number but if you leave a voicemail, I will call you back..." Then, if they leave a pre-recorded message (indicating that they are a solicitor or scammer) I just block the number. Done! Doing this has significantly decreased the quantity of scam/sales calls I receive.

From what I have determined, if you answer----even if you answer just to hang up but especially if you answer and say ANYTHING---your number (and possibly name) gets added to a database which is bought and sold by scammers and solicitors. Rarely do they expect you will buy anything from them. They don't really care because the real value is in knowing that your number is active and that you personally answer. Blocking the caller's number decreases the value of your phone number and could get you off the call lists.

Trouble is with call-blocking, as others noted is that the scammers use spoofed phone #s. I don't know why the telcos are dragging their feet on creating a more secure method of caller ID. If websites can track users by their IP address, one would think that a secure caller ID system would be a piece of cake.

As far as discouraging them by not answering, how does that differ from letting it go to voicemail/answering machine? In either case the call was acknowledged.

My wife says I am wasting time, but if I get ANY marketer call, I try to spam them back. One time a credit card company called for my wife and I played like an murder investigation was ongoing with her as the victim. Told the caller to stay on the line while we traced the call, asked him how long he knew the deceased and the nature of their relationship. Questioned him as to how he had her personal number and if they had ever been romantically involved. I reminded him that it was in his interest to stay on the line as it was an active police investigation and that officers would soon be at location to ask in-person questions...I kept it up for about 5 minutes before they freaked and hung up.
Yup...petty. and I enjoyed every second of it!!

You must have way more free time than I do. I suppose it could be fun...once, but to me at least the game would get old quick.