New phone scam

last 2 days I have been getting calls from the 281 area code... a total of 5 now.

They seem new to what they are doing and not a native English speaker.

Illegals looking to scam people maybe?

They claim to be with the Social Security administration?

And they say my benefits have been stopped due to some kind of error and press 1 and then thank you?

Not sure because the message keeps changing over the last 5 calls... they are trying to learn then?

Should I say thank you to some of our politicians for this new scam?

Watch yourselves new scam being perfected here?

They do not seem to realize or they hope the called person is unaware that snail mail (official letter) is how such things are done...

 

I don’t answer the phone anymore unless the number comes up with a name from my contact list. They seldom leave a message.

 

I had one "claiming" to be a Sheriff Lt. and that there was a minor court issue that I needed to address, that he wanted me to call "His Office" to resolve it immediately! I called That county SHeriff's office and asked if they had a Lt. So and So, and they said NO, and then asked me why! I then reported this call as impersonating a LEO and gave them the number and name!

1) they don't have a Lt. call any one, they have low level peeons call people.
2) The "Court" doesn't ever call, they send the Sheriff or local LEO to your door and knock loudly and then issue a summons or take you in on a bench warrant.
3) They should/would mention a specific court docket number as well as which court to address any issue.

 

There is something you can do about these ROBO Calls and other types.

Simple, National Do Not Call Registry and follow their directions.

Go on line and report each call you receive, with in a day or less they will lessen and stop.
I was getting 5 or more a day until I reported each one and the decline started.

Evidently it is easy to track their calls if you fill in the blanks by listing DATE, TIME, Your Number and other information you can provide.

I'd say if X callers did this it is simple to pull the plug without putting a Trap on individual Lines.

IF you get a Nasty caller just say :I'm calling the FTC as soon as I hang up" You won't even hear the click as they will disconnect in the middle of your sentence so it must be affecting them.

 

They hang up quick to move onto the next call. Folks in Pakistan/India don't give a flip about the FTC or any other federal agency because they are completely insulated from any US action.

I've found unless the company is US based, the do-not-call list is completely useless.....and even US companies don't seem much affected. Another toothless federal law.

 

hmmm... well I just reported them so... get so many kinda hard to keep up...

often get 3 to 10 a day... from all kinda numbers from all over... many different area codes as well...

but guess it's time to start...

 

As a child listening to my parents, listening to friends over the years and dealing with S.S. when my mother passed I learned not to panic about S.S. They will get their money from you. They will continue to operate as a good and faithful program of our .GOV and continue to harass the citizens who have worked their whole lives and paid into S.S. S.S. was supposed to be a .GOV retirement savings system for hard-working Americans to draw from during the "golden years". Not once in my lifetime have I heard anyone say anything about the money flow stopping for Welfare, Food Stamps, Unemployment or Low Income Housing. SURELY, these systems will lose their flow of money before your paid in advance S.S. money returns to you!

 

I've been known to answer a call with "FBI Fraud and Abuse Hot Line. This is Agent 314159, how can I help you?"

 

Easier if you keep a LOG by the phone and report them at the end of each day, makes for a silent morning the next day.

 

Ditto

 

use burner phones and only keep them for 60 minutes of outgoing. never answer. problem solved.

 

Lol

I just ask them to speak English, pretend to be deaf be deaf or tell them they need to talk with IT dept.

 

Yup these callers are scammers and mine phone numbers from the web.

 

One day I was REALLY bored. I got a call like this. I answered "Iowa bureau of criminal investigation, cyber crimes division , detective sergeant Joe Friday speaking, how can I help you. ?" He stated SCREAMING at me. And using words new to me. If they want to waste my time, I figure if I waste theirs then they aren't making any money.

 

Yeah....that's fun IF you get a live person initially. Lot of ours are simply robocalls. "Hi ! This is Jason with MediAlert....." You have to answer something like "Yes" to a set of questions to get transferred to yet ANOTHER computer program that if you don't listen to and answer that spiel will hang up on you at some point. I don't think a live person ever comes on the line.....

As for phone numbers....waste of time again. Many of them simply spoof numbers, local and out of area code. Try calling them back and you'll get a "this number not in service" recording.....so even adding them to the call blocking list doesn't work because they simply roll to another number. Heck, I've been called from MY OWN NUMBER...ahahhaaaaaa.

No Yard Dart is right....you just have to quit answering if it doesn't show up as a number ID'd as someone you know. My answering machine now says "Hi....you've reached our machine as we no longer answer calls live due to the high volume of telemarketing and scam calls. Go ahead and leave a message, I may be sitting right here and will pick up if needed, but I've quit dealing with the robocalls and obnoxious folks from India trying to convince me my computer has a virus."

Yeah....I got to playing with one of them at one point....we were getting 3-4 calls a week "congratulating us on our excellent credit history and now qualify for lower rates on our balance" (of which there never has been one). First part is a robocall you have to answer a few questions correctly to get transferred to the Pakistani guy live who will try his best to get your card #. So I give them a fake one ...you have to start with certain numbers than actually ARE Visa or MC....but you can make up the last 12 digits and expire date. THEN comes the fun part. They want the 800 number off the back of the card, because they actually call it while you're on hold, to make certain they have a real card number. I give them (have this all on sticky note next to the phone) the 800 number to a phone sex line....where Madam X want's THEIR card number to continue.....ahahahaaaaa.....they come back in a minute cussing you like a dog while I'm laughing the whole time. These guys are the only ones I've ever been able to stick it back to in any real way.

 

My phone tells me that it's a scam likely when a number comes up that's not in my phone book. Can't get scammed if you don't answer.

 

My phone is for MY convenience not theirs. If I don't recognize the number they best leave voice mail or message if they want any hope at all of making contact with my grumpy old fart azz. Even then it depends if I'm in the mood to check my messages. Before anyone says"what if someones died?" ..........Oh well I can't help them anyway now......................I oughta drink more coffee before posting...........................naw, I feel that way all the time.

 

Something about reaching this age that switches on the 'grumpy old fart azz' mode, huh ?

 

Hellcho this are Mikey, you want be me friend? It just goes down hill for the caller from there.