Scam alerts!

[Drummond]

Possibly some scammers are more sophisticated than I'd give them credit for (... depends on who they are ?). But, I suggest a VERY easy, simple, litmus test that can be applied to any suspected scammer trying to contact you.

Simply ... ask THEM to give information about YOU ... assess for yourself, if you can, what information about you they SHOULD already have, if they are really who they claim to be. The last scamming attempt I was subject to was stopped in its tracks by my asking the caller the simple question: 'If you are who you say you are, you'll have a database containing basic information. Tell me .. WHO AM I ?'

The caller abruptly rang off, and didn't call back.

Maybe in the US, scammers do more to attempt research on their hoped-for victims. But in many instances, they'll have scant info to start out with ... remember, their approach is to get information from YOU, not the other way around. Counter it by probing to see what, of a basic nature, they can tell you they already have (and should have !) on file about you. My guess ... almost always, they'll fail that test.

[Gunny]

I just don't answer the phone if I don't know the number. If I'm bored I might look it up later. If I have a problem then I guess it was a legit call. Haven't had one of those yet.

[Abbey Marie]

I just don't answer the phone if I don't know the number. If I'm bored I might look it up later. If I have a problem then I guess it was a legit call. Haven't had one of those yet.

Yup. In my experience, anyone legit will leave a message if you don't answer. As will some scammers, but very rarely. They just want to get you to pick up, and if you don't, they disconnect and quickly move on to the next victim.

If they do happen to leave a message, I will listen to it and not call back, lol.

[Taco Junkie]

Yup. In my experience, anyone legit will leave a message if you don't answer. As will some scammers, but very rarely. They just want to get you to pick up, and if you don't, they disconnect and quickly move on to the next victim.

If they do happen to leave a message, I will listen to it and not call back, lol.

I always do this except when it's someone I know (the name or number comes up both the phone and the tv screen). But when it's a scammer that calls repeatedly and does or doesn't leave a message my phone allows me to block the #. I know they can switch to another number but works on about half. For those that persist, just do the same drill and block them again.

The wife always feels compelled to answer. Makes me crazy.

[darin]

Found another scam.

Turns out "The Government" takes a large portion of YOUR money, puts it in some unsealed coffer and promises to earn money on your behalf and then repay you the money you paid in - but the kicker is - the Govt SPENDS that money willy-nilly.


Be warned.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Found another scam.

Turns out "The Government" takes a large portion of YOUR money, puts it in some unsealed coffer and promises to earn money on your behalf and then repay you the money you paid in - but the kicker is - the Govt SPENDS that money willy-nilly.


Be warned.

They don't pay you any interest on it either.

[Hot Dogger]

I just heard today of a scam involving commercial trucking, the trucking company gets a letter from the scammer saying their DOT credentials are out of date and they'll remedy the matter for a price, but the whole thing is a scam.

Another one I personally get over the phone often involves some sort of energy rebate, they mention an electric company that I'm not using, so it's a scam.

[mundame]

Possibly some scammers are more sophisticated than I'd give them credit for (... depends on who they are ?). But, I suggest a VERY easy, simple, litmus test that can be applied to any suspected scammer trying to contact you.

Simply ... ask THEM to give information about YOU ... assess for yourself, if you can, what information about you they SHOULD already have, if they are really who they claim to be. The last scamming attempt I was subject to was stopped in its tracks by my asking the caller the simple question: 'If you are who you say you are, you'll have a database containing basic information. Tell me .. WHO AM I ?'

The caller abruptly rang off, and didn't call back.

Maybe in the US, scammers do more to attempt research on their hoped-for victims. But in many instances, they'll have scant info to start out with ... remember, their approach is to get information from YOU, not the other way around. Counter it by probing to see what, of a basic nature, they can tell you they already have (and should have !) on file about you. My guess ... almost always, they'll fail that test.

Excellent, thanx for the suggestion.

Ask callers who they suppose they are calling. I got some bad calls from our medical service carriers that seemed to me very close to scams and I ended up protesting to the company vehemently. (I think they had lost all our records, is actually what happened, because they sent us cards in the end with out-of-date info, and they had been badly hacked: MedStar, it was in the news. I think they had one of those encryption hacks.) These callers did know who I was, but they were still very shifty. If they don't know who I am, they are certainly scammers, but they could be anyway if hackers got the info. We've all been hacked six ways to Sunday by now: I know we have, by several companies that had our data that was hacked by Eastern Europeans or whatever with total data abstraction. I don't think they can do as much with all that as people feared, because it takes humans to sort it and use it. Mostly it's still email scams, and that I'm pretty good against. Though they are getting better and better and getting through the spam filters more and more lately.

[Elessar]

Excellent, thanx for the suggestion.

Ask callers who they suppose they are calling. I got some bad calls from our medical service carriers that seemed to me very close to scams and I ended up protesting to the company vehemently. (I think they had lost all our records, is actually what happened, because they sent us cards in the end with out-of-date info, and they had been badly hacked: MedStar, it was in the news. I think they had one of those encryption hacks.) These callers did know who I was, but they were still very shifty. If they don't know who I am, they are certainly scammers, but they could be anyway if hackers got the info. We've all been hacked six ways to Sunday by now: I know we have, by several companies that had our data that was hacked by Eastern Europeans or whatever with total data abstraction. I don't think they can do as much with all that as people feared, because it takes humans to sort it and use it. Mostly it's still email scams, and that I'm pretty good against. Though they are getting better and better and getting through the spam filters more and more lately.

I got one recently that I picked up and answered. (I was waiting for call backs from my late mothers accounts)

This one got my hackles up saying he represented a Credit Card security company.
He wanted my personal information.

I said..."Buster, if your represent my accounts, tell me which you are referring to".
This clown mentioned cards an accounts I do no hold.....nor could he identify the accounts
I do hold.

Told him to ***off and try a stupid person...and was going to turn him and his phone number
to the FBI and FCC.]