Scammers

[Johnny P]

Got a new twist on being scammed this afternoon. If I'm not doing anything I sometimes waste a few minutes of their time. This one was for a Bank of America credit card.

The instructions were: "If you did not apply for a Bank of America credit card, press 1 now......Repeat, if you did not apply for a Bank of America credit card, press 1 now."

Pressing 1 must have hooked you up with something you probably didn't want.

[Allen]

I've been getting a lot of emails lately stating "your package needs confirmation before delivery can be made" with an official looking USPS, DHL, Home Depot and other letterheads. Of course, what they are wanting is personal info, I don't know to what extent because I never open up the messages to find out.

With caller ID I never answer the phone unless I recognize the number. They're all scammers, salesmen, or poll takers.

A lot of old people use to get scammed. Now, we are the old people and we aren't as gullible even though the scammers methods are wiser.

[Major Tom]

I have gotten via mail and internet stuff saying I had applied for such and such and need more info. One solicitor had all my personal info! I've no idea how they got all that!

[Mark in Ottawa]

I get a lot of phone calls from people with heavy Indian accents. They frequently try on the old line that they are calling from the Microsoft Technical Office and have been receiving error messages from my computer. Depending on my mood, I either swear at them or try to play them along for a while. My latest real response is that I don't have my hearing aids on and can't make out what they're saying and could they repeat what they said, at least a couple of times. The sad thing is that when I get a call from someone with an Indian accent, I automatically assume that they're scammers. I have worked with a number of people of Indian extraction and they are pretty much the same as anybody else that I've worked with. The scammers are really giving them a bad name

[Allen]

I had a co-worker once that liked to play with the phone callers trying to make sales.

He would talk to them as long as possible, maybe 30 minutes or so, then end the conversation with "you know, I think I've changed my mind", sometimes he would say "let me go get my credit card" then never return.

I don't waste time with them.

[barretcreek]

Can't remember the movie; Videodrome? Nasty burst of energy could be delivered over the phone. Would like to do that.

[Allen]

Can't remember the movie; Videodrome? Nasty burst of energy could be delivered over the phone. Would like to do that.

Air horn?

[JimF]

My grandson, speaking fluent Japanese, strings these callers along until THEY hang up!

[jmm03]

I have responded using a gibberish slavic accent with made up words to spam calls but I can never keep from laughing. I tried feigning shock and then asking them for their bank account info so I could transfer the funds but that did not go over well either, who knew... one good thing is spammers usually don't leave a message and if they do it is easily ignored. Jim

[tmark]

I'm forever "winning" things from WalMart, Lowes, and Home Depot!