New Scam?

[RobbieB]

Today I got a call that I picked up because it was a real person after the beep. It was a man with an Indian accent informing me that someone from Russia was trying to hack into my network.

Since I don't have a network I hung up on him. Yes, the "boiler room" backround noises were there too.

These guys certainly don't waste any time exploiting the news eh?

 

[aja8888]

Auto dealership scam in big letters:

Free Alignment Check

 

[Chuckanut]

According to one caller, my furnace filter needs replacing and the entire furnace has not been inspected as required by law. I am in for a BIG fine. I don't have a furnace.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Sigh! May I pass peacefully, but not too soon, before I get doddery enough to fall for these things!

 

[JoeWras]

Today I got a call that I picked up because it was a real person after the beep. It was a man with an Indian accent informing me that someone from Russia was trying to hack into my network.

Since I don't have a network I hung up on him. Yes, the "boiler room" backround noises were there too.

These guys certainly don't waste any time exploiting the news eh?

Just recently I finally got a call from "Microsoft Support." I've heard about this scam for years, but never got a live call.

Since I was prepared and knew about it, I actually started laughing out loud. His accent was so thick. I simply hung up and resisted a strong desire to insult him.

But I can see how if just 1 in 200 calls works, this scam lives on.

 

[athena53]

Just recently I finally got a call from "Microsoft Support." I've heard about this scam for years, but never got a live call.

Since I was prepared and knew about it, I actually started laughing out loud. His accent was so thick. I simply hung up and resisted a strong desire to insult him.

But I can see how if just 1 in 200 calls works, this scam lives on.

I used the reply someone else posted here once: in a bewildered voice, I said, "But I don't HAVE a computer". They hung up.

 

[scrabbler1]

Often those accents are so thick I can't understand what they are trying to scam me about LOL! I just yell to them, "You're a SCAMMER!" and hang up.

 

[Car-Guy]

I get calls like this from time to time and just hang up. They are easy enough to detect.

Two or three times a year I get a call from Direct TV telling me that since I've been a loyal subscriber for over 20 years that they are turning on some additional channels for free. Although they do tell you it's free for the next 3 months, the "scam" is if you don't call them back to turn off the channels "before" the free 3 month period is over, they will start charging you additional fees without any additional notification. I always tell them I'll take the free 3 months but to turn them off at the end of the free period and I'll call them back if I want to keep the channels. (They wont do that) I know some of you may not agree but IMO, that is a scam too. XM radio is "almost" as bad Direct TV with their billing policies.

 

[donheff]

I think all of my land line calls are scams. I get several delayed pickups a day and rarely hang on long enough to hear a pitch.

 

[Car-Guy]

I get several delayed pickups a day and rarely hang on long enough to hear a pitch.

Those are bad enough, but I got one recently that a prerecorded voice came on and said "all agents are currently busy", we will be with you shortly. WTF! They called me and want me to hold on because "they" are to busy. That's just rude.

 

[Midpack]

These days it seems if it's an unknown caller, it's most likely a scam or an irritating cold call. I've reached the point I don't answer my mobile phone unless an ID appears on the screen. If it's important, whoever will leave a message. There's rarely a message left.

However, a few times lately I've "accepted" the unknown caller but I didn't say anything, just listened. Both times no one spoke on the other end? I assume they may just be confirming legit phone numbers?

 

[JoeWras]

These days it seems if it's an unknown caller, it's most likely a scam or an irritating cold call. I've reached the point I don't answer my mobile phone unless an ID appears on the screen. If it's important, whoever will leave a message. There's rarely a message left.

However, a few times lately I've "accepted" the unknown caller but I didn't say anything, just listened. Both times no one spoke on the other end? I assume they may just be confirming legit phone numbers?

Maybe. But there is also a voice recognition feature. Basically, the boiler rooms have a computer dial out. The computer waits for a live person, and then connects you to one of their slave workers. The computer can pretty much detect answering machines very consistently, so it knows that too, and will put you on deferral for later. And if you just answer without saying anything, it won't connect you to one of their slaves. Can't waste the slaves' time, you know.

You are probably put on a deferral and try again later list.

Answering puts you on a hot list, and most likely gets you sold to other boiler rooms too. Answering and saying "yes" to anything puts you on the hot list.

Want to be on every list, right at the top? Answer, say "yes", and be over age 80 (yes, they know your age). You're golden. You'll have all the friends you ever wanted.

 

[ERD50]

... XM radio is "almost" as bad Direct TV with their billing policies.

I've got the trial period of XM radio on my new car. After reading about how difficult they make it to drop it, I responded to one of their email 'offers' to sign on, and asked if I could drop the service from my online account w/o having to call someone. They confirmed the only way to cancel service was through a phone call, talking to a live person. They claim they do this for 'security' purposes! Yep, I guess their own 'job security'! I can't imagine someone hacking me and canceling my XM radio account - oh the horror!

These days it seems if it's an unknown caller, it's most likely a scam or an irritating cold call. I've reached the point I don't answer my mobile phone unless an ID appears on the screen. If it's important, whoever will leave a message. There's rarely a message left. ...

I've been doing that for years on both the landline/VOIP and cell phones. Rarely is a message left. I've told the people I know that if it was important enough to call me, it was important enough to leave a message.

However, a few times lately I've "accepted" the unknown caller but I didn't say anything, just listened. Both times no one spoke on the other end? I assume they may just be confirming legit phone numbers?

I don't think so. I think what happens is they have one staffer running maybe dozens of auto-dialers. When the machine detects a live voice, it tries to connect to the staffer. If they happen to be on another call, they don't get to you.

I guess the pick up rate is so low, they don't bother to stop dialing when "all our representatives are busy helping other customers right now".

edit - cross posted with JoeWras!

-ERD50

 

[FiveDriver]

I got a call yesterday with a new twist. When I said hello, the call clicked into a young lady with a pleasant voice. "Oh, I had a little problem with my headset...there that's better." and she launched into a smoothly-scripted spiel about something.

But the whole thing was recorded !! When I tried to politely say "I'm not interested" she kept babbling on. I had to laugh about that one.

The calls that really irritate me are the ones where you can hear the caller scramble to pick up the line when they get a live voice on the receiving end. I just tell them, "You've got to do better than that." and hang up.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

These days it seems if it's an unknown caller, it's most likely a scam or an irritating cold call. I've reached the point I don't answer my mobile phone unless an ID appears on the screen. If it's important, whoever will leave a message. There's rarely a message left.

However, a few times lately I've "accepted" the unknown caller but I didn't say anything, just listened. Both times no one spoke on the other end? I assume they may just be confirming legit phone numbers?

The scammers have gotten very good (or the technology has gotten very good and is cheap to acquire) and now will display fake numbers, often from the very same area code that you reside. When you search the number, it will be reported as spam, but more and more, I am seeing numbers that have been added only that very day or a day prior. I think once "the word is out", they change the number. At any rate, I have gone to using a blocker that blocks everything that isn't in my contacts list. Yes, there are sometimes that someone calls I would want to talk to, but after they leave a message, I just call them back.

I mentioned earlier some of the issues I have been having w/ my Dad with his "executive decision" making. Long story short (or rehashed if you read my post on the subject), he's been spending money on snake oil remedies (and now PCH contests..oye!) and I am having to take drastic actions to stop it. When he put it on a CC, it wasn't as big a deal, but now he's agreed to some ACHs from his checking account. And what is worse, he will answer the phone every single time it rings and is ripe for some scammy shyster...

 

[Midpack]

I mentioned earlier some of the issues I have been having w/ my Dad with his "executive decision" making. Long story short (or rehashed if you read my post on the subject), he's been spending money on snake oil remedies (and now PCH contests..oye!) and I am having to take drastic actions to stop it. When he put it on a CC, it wasn't as big a deal, but now he's agreed to some ACHs from his checking account. And what is worse, he will answer the phone every single time it rings and is ripe for some scammy shyster...

We're lucky. My Dad won't answer the phone without an ID first. He once refused to answer me at the airport because I was on my work mobile phone, and he only had my personal phone in his contacts. I called three times and my Mom finally overruled Dad.

And even if he did answer, his hearing is so bad, the person on the other end would get frustrated and give up before he sold my Dad anything.

 

[jim584672]

In the last few days I had three calls from "Windows technical support".
I should play along and waste their time next time.

 

[scrabbler1]

I got a call yesterday with a new twist. When I said hello, the call clicked into a young lady with a pleasant voice. "Oh, I had a little problem with my headset...there that's better." and she launched into a smoothly-scripted spiel about something.

But the whole thing was recorded !! When I tried to politely say "I'm not interested" she kept babbling on. I had to laugh about that one.

The calls that really irritate me are the ones where you can hear the caller scramble to pick up the line when they get a live voice on the receiving end. I just tell them, "You've got to do better than that." and hang up.

I have had a few of these in the last few months. I have considered saying something dirty just to see what would happen, but the one time I try that I'll have a live person on the other end. Instead, when I suspect it's one of these fake conversations, I say, "You're an idiot!" and get the continued recorded spiel.

And it just the few minutes it took me to read some of the recent posts, I had two robocalls to my cell phone, both payday loans, one from a Commonwealth Bank.

What's amazing is that I have given my cell phone number out to maybe 10 people, all local, but I have received hundreds of junk calls from all over the place in the 2 years I have had my cell phone.

 

[easysurfer]

...

And it just the few minutes it took me to read some of the recent posts, I had two robocalls to my cell phone, both payday loans, one from a Commonwealth Bank.

What's amazing is that I have given my cell phone number out to maybe 10 people, all local, but I have received hundreds of junk calls from all over the place in the 2 years I have had my cell phone.

I think a lot of the calls are from random dialers that don't even know your number ahead of time. So, without some sort of effective blocker, even if you don't give out your cell, you'll get junk calls if not soon, then eventually.

 

[Music Lover]

The scammers have gotten very good (or the technology has gotten very good and is cheap to acquire) and now will display fake numbers, often from the very same area code that you reside.

I've gotten calls where my own phone number pops up on the display...hmmm, why am I calling myself?

 

[scrabbler1]

The scammers have gotten very good (or the technology has gotten very good and is cheap to acquire) and now will display fake numbers, often from the very same area code that you reside. When you search the number, it will be reported as spam, but more and more, I am seeing numbers that have been added only that very day or a day prior. I think once "the word is out", they change the number. At any rate, I have gone to using a blocker that blocks everything that isn't in my contacts list. Yes, there are sometimes that someone calls I would want to talk to, but after they leave a message, I just call them back.

I mentioned earlier some of the issues I have been having w/ my Dad with his "executive decision" making. Long story short (or rehashed if you read my post on the subject), he's been spending money on snake oil remedies (and now PCH contests..oye!) and I am having to take drastic actions to stop it. When he put it on a CC, it wasn't as big a deal, but now he's agreed to some ACHs from his checking account. And what is worse, he will answer the phone every single time it rings and is ripe for some scammy shyster...

I post about spammers to http://800notes.com/ . While I often see others complaining about the same phone numbers going back months if not years, more and more I see numbers which first appeared only days or hours ago, suggesting that the spammers spoof the numbers. Also, I recognize the voice and sales pitch from previous callers calling from different numbers.

 

[easysurfer]

I've gotten calls where my own phone number pops up on the display...hmmm, why am I calling myself?

They spoofed your phone hoping that when you see your own number pop up that you'd pick up. Easier to spoof the caller ID than one may think. That's why what pops up on caller id isn't that reliable.

 

[ERD50]

They spoofed your phone hoping that when you see your own number pop up that you'd pick up. Easier to spoof the caller ID than one may think. That's why what pops up on caller id isn't that reliable.

And also, if they change each one to the calling CID, it probably won't trigger a block by the databases like NOMOROBO. Though I thought I read something that they can tell a little more about the source than just caller ID?

-ERD50

 

[FiveDriver]

I got that Microsoft Tech Support call once too often last year. I said to the nice Indian fellow, "I'll place you on Hold and turn on my PC." I put the phone next to my Stereo Speakers and cranked the volume to 10.

I could hear Jugdish's headset blow the top of his head off.

They never called back after that.

 

[Clone]

Given how common this is, why can't someone develop a poison pill PC program? Most folks have an old PC around that they could configure to make a Scammer's Revenge box. Sell the program for $25. When a scammer calls up, fire up the old computer and let them have it!

Maybe there is nothing we can do from this end, but I would sped a few bucks if it had a shot of infecting the scammer's computer!