Another scam call

[athena53]

I would think no matter how sharp you are, if you hear your grandchild crying or in pain, all reason goes out the window.

Yeah, that's what got Dad sucked in. When he believed that my niece (his granddaughter) had been arrested for being in a car with friends who had drugs in their possession, he panicked because she's a hospice nurse and he thought she'd lose her job. He wired $7,500 and it was never seen again.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Yeah, that's what got Dad sucked in. When he believed that my niece (his granddaughter) had been arrested for being in a car with friends who had drugs in their possession, he panicked because she's a hospice nurse and he thought she'd lose her job. He wired $7,500 and it was never seen again.

Yeah, these guys are ruthless. I knew of some one who came via a livery cab, to get the money from a grandmother.

 

[easysurfer]

Yeah, that's what got Dad sucked in. When he believed that my niece (his granddaughter) had been arrested for being in a car with friends who had drugs in their possession, he panicked because she's a hospice nurse and he thought she'd lose her job. He wired $7,500 and it was never seen again.

If the scammers say, give us the money in scratch off money cards, that's a clue of scam .

Still on scams but scams of a different way, I'm on a dating site where I'd get messages about one a week. Definitely, scam looking. I fixed that on my profile saying something like "Note to scammers, I'm pretty good at spotting you so if you are one expect to be ignored". Works well, haven't got a scam note in months. As mentioned, they probably just moved on to easier prey.

 

[sengsational]

Almost makes one think about having a secret verification word among family members .

You wouldn't need to have anything prearranged, just the have the thought to verify something... anything. What's the name of Joan's dog? Who was caught eating with the serving fork at Thanksgiving? Who shared a video of herself falling in the pool while gabbing on the phone? Most of us have "family stories" that we've all heard, just use one of those. I could even validate distant cousins with stories from the last reunion. What color was your tent? Who lit the fireworks? Or even more basic, when and where were "you" and I in the same place? The mystic might get "the family reunion" but it might just as logically be "you came to my house" or "when I came to your house", lots of possibilities there. Even if they got the location, they'd have trouble with the "when" (summer, winter, christmas, birthday, wedding -- last year, a couple years ago, etc). Too many possibilities unless the person unwittingly gives up the information and reacts to getting "the right" information back.

 

[CardsFan]

You wouldn't need to have anything prearranged, just the have the thought to verify something... anything. What's the name of Joan's dog? Who was caught eating with the serving fork at Thanksgiving? Who shared a video of herself falling in the pool while gabbing on the phone? Most of us have "family stories" that we've all heard, just use one of those. I could even validate distant cousins with stories from the last reunion. What color was your tent? Who lit the fireworks? Or even more basic, when and where were "you" and I in the same place? The mystic might get "the family reunion" but it might just as logically be "you came to my house" or "when I came to your house", lots of possibilities there. Even if they got the location, they'd have trouble with the "when" (summer, winter, christmas, birthday, wedding -- last year, a couple years ago, etc). Too many possibilities unless the person unwittingly gives up the information and reacts to getting "the right" information back.

Or, you could say, give me your number and I will call you back? That is what MIL and SIL said regarding the original post.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

You wouldn't need to have anything prearranged, just the have the thought to verify something... anything. What's the name of Joan's dog? Who was caught eating with the serving fork at Thanksgiving? Who shared a video of herself falling in the pool while gabbing on the phone? Most of us have "family stories" that we've all heard, just use one of those. I could even validate distant cousins with stories from the last reunion. What color was your tent? Who lit the fireworks? Or even more basic, when and where were "you" and I in the same place? The mystic might get "the family reunion" but it might just as logically be "you came to my house" or "when I came to your house", lots of possibilities there. Even if they got the location, they'd have trouble with the "when" (summer, winter, christmas, birthday, wedding -- last year, a couple years ago, etc). Too many possibilities unless the person unwittingly gives up the information and reacts to getting "the right" information back.

Everything you said is true. But having spoken to many people that got taken in by this type of scam, this is what happens usually. They are elderly, fear/panic sets in, rational thought is out the window. The thought of a scam never enters their mind. I can imagine if someone tried to pull this on my mother maybe 10 years ago, she would have started to say the Rosary, and would have given them her engagement ring if she thought her "baby" was in trouble.

 

[Scuba]

We just don't answer the phone unless we recognize the incoming call #. This helps us avoid scammers as well as telemarketers.

 

[CaptTom]

My secret girlfriend, Heather, calls me all the time. I think DW is getting suspicious. At first Heather worked for "Account Services," although she never did tell me the name of the company. Later she got transferred to the student loan department, and most recently she's working with the auto warranty extension group.

Anyway, she's clearly a go-getter, climbing the ladder of success. I hope I can keep her interested long enough so she'll support me in my old age.

On a serious note, I wish there were a way to educate people about scams. I really do feel bad for anyone who falls for one. I suspect there's something innate in us humans which makes us want to believe fabricated BS and dismiss obvious facts. Phone scammers are just one of many groups who take advantage of this trait, from psychics to dietary supplement salesmen to cult leaders to (dare I say it) politicians. We're surrounded by stories that are way too good to be true, but for some reason we choose to believe them instead of the more mundane facts.

 

[misanman]

DW's mother lived with us for a while before she died. Sometime later DW received a scam call from our "nephew" for "grandma". He said he'd been with a friend who was in an accident and the police were holding them both. He needed us to send money right away so he could be released.

Of course, "grandma" had died several months earlier but "nephew" didn't know that. That was a huge clue that it was a scam.

 

[Nemo2]

Back when my late wife and I were full time RVing I'd often rhetorically ask her, after seeing the antics that some drivers pulled, "Were they born stupid, or did they just wake up that way one morning?"

The first possibility was the more comforting one, (because of course I would never do such a thing).......nowadays, when I look at older people who would also have never fallen for such BS in their younger days, I'm wondering if it's almost exclusively option two .

And that is scary.

 

[marko]

In the past week Mom (88) got 4 different letters in the mail. They look very official and almost make you feel like you're breaking the law by not replying.

In short, it is a questionnaire about SS: "Please fill it out and send it back to us with your $15 donation or more so that we can keep the pressure on Congress to keep SS in place...yada yada".

They seem to target older people and it was clearly a scam.

 

[marko]

My secret girlfriend, Heather, calls me all the time. I think DW is getting suspicious. At first Heather worked for "Account Services," although she never did tell me the name of the company. Later she got transferred to the student loan department, and most recently she's working with the auto warranty extension group.

Anyway, she's clearly a go-getter, climbing the ladder of success. I hope I can keep her interested long enough so she'll support me in my old age.

Hey! WAIT JUST A MINUTE HERE, BUDDY!!! "Heather from account services" is MY secret girlfriend!!
(Is she two-timing me?)

 

[scrabbler1]

Around here, Heather has a cute sounding sister, Elizabeth from Resorts Rewards, who keeps telling me I stayed at one of their hotels recently and has something good in store for me. I don't know exactly that is because I have hung up the phone by then.


And Elizabeth seems to live nearby because every time she calls, she is calling me from a local number, and she is staying at someone's house within my phone exchange. Maybe she can come over to my place and give me the reward in person?

 

[kcowan]

In short, it is a questionnaire about SS: "Please fill it out and send it back to us with your $15 donation or more so that we can keep the pressure on Congress to keep SS in place...yada yada". ..

I watched a special segment on 60 Minutes about the telemarketing work done by members of congress. They claim an average of 30 hours a week devoted to fundraising. Has anyone been contacted? (They quoted $250k for personal promotion and $500k for the party.)

 

[braumeister]

Hey! WAIT JUST A MINUTE HERE, BUDDY!!! "Heather from account services" is MY secret girlfriend!!
(Is she two-timing me?)

Want to go on a double date with me and Rachel from Cardholder Services?

 

[Sue J]

Our son was flying to Idaho a few years ago with a change of planes in Denver. It was the night that United had a computer glitch and his plane was delayed long enough that he missed his connection. He and plenty of other travelers were stranded in Denver. There were no other flights to Boise for 2 days. Luckily, grandma lives outside of Denver. He called her from the airport and asked if he could stay with her a couple of days. It sure sounded like a setup for a scam! But he wasn't asking for money and he really did get an ride out to her house. He had a very nice surprise vacation and his employer (Idaho Shakespeare Festival) even reimbursed him for the cost to get out to grandma's house.

 

[Choices]

Want to go on a double date with me and Rachel from Cardholder Services?

You silly boys, these girls are not what they seem. You should contact one of the on line dating sites for genuine women who never lie or send in 10 year old photos. Good luck to ya.

 

[CaptTom]

Hey! WAIT JUST A MINUTE HERE, BUDDY!!! "Heather from account services" is MY secret girlfriend!!
(Is she two-timing me?)

You keep your hands off my Heather, Bud, or you're in trouble!

Around here, Heather has a cute sounding sister, Elizabeth from Resorts Rewards, who keeps telling me I stayed at one of their hotels recently and has something good in store for me.

She called me once or twice too, but I didn't want her sister Heather to find out about "us" so I just hung up.

And Elizabeth seems to live nearby because every time she calls, she is calling me from a local number, and she is staying at someone's house within my phone exchange. Maybe she can come over to my place and give me the reward in person?

That's the strange thing, this morning Heather called me from Idaho. I just figured she was on vacation or something. Usually she calls from my home state, too.

Want to go on a double date with me and Rachel from Cardholder Services?

Don't even talk to me about Rachel! I thought we had a "thing" going, but she hasn't called me for WEEKs now!

You silly boys, these girls are not what they seem. You should contact one of the on line dating sites for genuine women who never lie or send in 10 year old photos. Good luck to ya.

Are you suggesting that Heather, Rachel or Elizabeth would LIE Them's fightin' words my friend! I stick up for my wimmin!

 

[Marita40]

When Rachel calls, I always press the right number and insist on speaking with Rachel or I won't deal. So far, no one has taken me up on the offer. I usually just get hung up on.

Doesn't the entire world now know about Rachel from Cardholdering services?? Who is dumber, the scammers or the American public? (ok, maybe I don't really want the answer to that question...)

 

[Walt34]

Lately the lovely ladies (I assume they're lovely, it helps the image) have called on my cell phone, which I have only given the number to immediate family, and left messages to offer to sell me a warranty on my car and to fix my bad credit (last I looked the score was 800+) but I guess there must be a problem or they wouldn't call. Right?

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Our son was flying to Idaho a few years ago with a change of planes in Denver. It was the night that United had a computer glitch and his plane was delayed long enough that he missed his connection. He and plenty of other travelers were stranded in Denver. There were no other flights to Boise for 2 days. Luckily, grandma lives outside of Denver. He called her from the airport and asked if he could stay with her a couple of days. It sure sounded like a setup for a scam! But he wasn't asking for money and he really did get an ride out to her house. He had a very nice surprise vacation and his employer (Idaho Shakespeare Festival) even reimbursed him for the cost to get out to grandma's house.

You just gotta love how Grandma always comes to the rescue. Glad he was able to visit with her.

 

[Nemo2]

...to get out to grandma's house.

"But, grandmother, what big eyes you have."

 

[sengsational]

"But, grandmother, what big eyes you have."

Scams have been around since at least the brothers Grimm.

...fear/panic sets in, rational thought is out the window...

You're right. Probably the best thing to do is just introduce the scam before the susceptible get the call... as a joke... "by dose is busted so it dudn't sound dike be"

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Scams have been around since at least the brothers Grimm.
You're right. Probably the best thing to do is just introduce the scam before the susceptible get the call... as a joke... "by dose is busted so it dudn't sound dike be"

 

[gindie]

I fixed that on my profile saying something like "Note to scammers, I'm pretty good at spotting you so if you are one expect to be ignored". Works well, haven't got a scam note in months. As mentioned, they probably just moved on to easier prey.

Question is... have you received any legitimate notes?