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06-04-2015, 08:44 AM
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#21
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 834
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My cabin v-mail box is filled every time I go up there with the same message from the IRS. You would think by now they would have had the black helicopters come to arrest me...
__________________
The Constitution. It's not just a good idea...it's the law.
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06-04-2015, 08:52 AM
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#22
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,495
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As universally hated as these calls are, you'd think some politician would run on a platform to eliminate this. Heck, I'd contribute to their campaign fund.
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06-04-2015, 10:13 AM
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#23
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,132
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marko
Got a call just yesterday which, thanks to his forum (I think) gave me a heads up.
"We've detected something wrong with your computer...."
I played along for a few minutes then told him that I had a Chromebook and didn't have a MS logo button...
He hung up within a half second!
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There are some hilarious youtube videos with folks stringing these so called MS repair techs along.
But I prefer to just not waste my time talking to them.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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06-04-2015, 03:23 PM
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#24
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BTravlin
Why does everyone invest time in trying to investigate an unsolicited phone call? As someone else said, if it's important they'll leave a message. I have more important things to do, like go and play on someone's lawn.
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Agreed - just ignore them and see if they leave a meaningful message.
The only reason I'll check 800notes, is to be absolutely sure before I block them (my blocking rule is first, then simul-ring to NOMOROBO). Unfortunately, some legitimate people call and do not leave messages. Even though I tell everyone, if it was important enough to ring my phone, it should be important enough to leave a message.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nunthewiser
We had a threatening call from someone identifying themselves as with the IRS. After a few seconds of terror ....
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Really? Isn't it obvious these are scams? The first contact from the IRS is a threatening phone call? No way!
Quote:
Originally Posted by H2ODude
As universally hated as these calls are, you'd think some politician would run on a platform to eliminate this. Heck, I'd contribute to their campaign fund.
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They did, the "Do Not Call" list! Three problems with that:
1) The scammers do not care about breaking the law,
2) The law is toothless - even when they track someone down (after tens of thousands of complaints), they get a small fine, and that is reduced for 'inability to pay' (the scammers have their accounts arranged such that the business has little/no assets). But the FTC makes a big deal about it, like they actually did something.
3) The politicians are exempt from this law (surprise!).
If everyone would just ignore them, they would go away (the scammers that is, not the politicians ).
-ERD50
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06-04-2015, 04:47 PM
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#25
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
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I work for the post office. When I get a call from my boss my caller ID actually does say "US GOV".
That said, be careful.
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
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06-04-2015, 04:58 PM
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#26
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,302
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
There are some hilarious youtube videos with folks stringing these so called MS repair techs along.
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Somehow it never occurred to me to search for them. I'm listening to one now that is a stitch. I posted the link to the video here.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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06-04-2015, 05:25 PM
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#27
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,132
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walt34
Somehow it never occurred to me to search for them. I'm listening to one now that is a stitch. I posted the link to the video here.
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Nice! Great runaround lol
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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06-04-2015, 05:46 PM
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#28
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 377
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That's an obvious scam. I never answer a call when I don't know the number. If it's important they will leave me a message. Or not - which is many times the case with scam and such.
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06-04-2015, 06:31 PM
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#29
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,608
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06-04-2015, 09:52 PM
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#30
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 953
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We just hang up on them. I figure that if you toy with them too much, they are probably in a position to pass your phone number along such that the volume of crank calls goes exponential.
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06-04-2015, 10:15 PM
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#31
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: near Canadian border and near Mexican border
Posts: 1,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ziggy29
I work for the post office. When I get a call from my boss my caller ID actually does say "US GOV".
That said, be careful.
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In that case, I would definitely not answer the phone. If he later corners you,
tell him you thought it was a scam caller.
__________________
Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
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06-05-2015, 06:37 AM
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#32
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 12,598
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We have always relied on the electronic butler (answering machine) and won't pick up any call where we don't recognize the caller.
The latest scam is very clever. It sounds "real," a young man with a local (mid-Atlantic) accent. The caller never identifies himself, but asks for Mr. A. by his first name. Moreover, the caller sounds anxious, as in "Aloysius? Aloysius! Please pick up. Helloo? Aloysius?"
One of these days I plan to pick-up and say, "This is Aloysius. Whattaya want?"
Amethyst
__________________
If you understood everything I say, you'd be me ~ Miles Davis
'There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.’ Christopher Morley.
Even a blind clock finds an acorn twice a day.
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06-05-2015, 07:24 AM
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#33
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Northern Ohio
Posts: 3,182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LinCella
I never answer a call when I don't know the number. If it's important they will leave me a message. Or not - which is many times the case with scam and such.
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I avoid answering unknown calls too.
When the phone rings I do think for moment trying to recall if I'm expecting a call from a doctor's office or some other business I may have left a message with. They almost never have caller ID enabled and often don't leave a message.
It took me years to unlearn hopping up to answer the phone when it rings, but now I'm good at ignoring it :-)
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06-05-2015, 10:55 AM
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#35
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,132
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
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The Sentry 2 is the real deal.
The call blocker is whitelist based, so even handles the telemarketers that routinely spoof by changing their numbers. I have mine set up with a splitter (to have the caller id pass through), but with the splitter, I do get 1 ring before calls get screened.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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06-05-2015, 11:51 AM
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#36
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: near Canadian border and near Mexican border
Posts: 1,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
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Does this device work will cell phones or only land lines?
__________________
Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
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06-05-2015, 01:05 PM
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#37
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Quote:
Originally Posted by packrat44
Does this device work will cell phones or only land lines?
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Land lines only.
__________________
Al
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06-05-2015, 07:43 PM
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#38
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 285
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tailgate
We dropped the land line 2 years ago because of scam and robo calls... now, these calls are beginning to trickle over to the cell phone...
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This is why I have always kept a minimal land line with a number I can give out instead of giving out my mobile number. As others have said, I don't answer it except for a small set of known caller ID numbers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbmrtn
One thing that helped for me , when I dropped the landline I "parked" the number with a parking service. The number now is just a voicemail, it sends me an email if a message is left. I decided to keep the old landline number because it was tied to so many accounts and everything now that requires a phone for registration get this number.
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I like this idea too, and will have to look into it.
__________________
How can you tell when a cat is retired?
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Scam Call? Caller ID said "US GOVT"
06-05-2015, 07:55 PM
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#39
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 281
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Scam Call? Caller ID said "US GOVT"
I received a call today from a friend who works at the VA Medical Center and it said US GOV.
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06-06-2015, 09:43 AM
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#40
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,683
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I don't have a caller-ID box. Would I need to buy one of those, too? And would my phone bill increase if I added caller-ID service? I see I would need to buy a splitter if I don't have one already (I'd have to check to see if I have one of them already). I am trying to get a handle on what other little surprises await me should I buy the Sentry 2 call-clocker.
Nevertheless, I am so sick of getting calls from Carmen or Bridget from Cardholder Services 2 or 3 times a week along with all the other garbage calls.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.
"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
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