I was snookered!

[Chewwy]

We had a terrible problem with calls to our home landline. Our landline provider offered little help. We converted the landline to a cellular line using the same number at less than half the cost of the landline.

Our cellular provider has a great call filter for the converted landline. It can be set to block all VOIP calls and other numbers that are known to be robocallers or scams. We can also block international calls and neirborhoods (area code)+xxx. We went from over 20 calls a day to less than three calls a week.

 

[California]

... a credit card company called for my wife and I played like an murder investigation was ongoing with her as the victim. ...

Not as elaborate, but I think I got a marketing caller to reconsider her choice of employment.

First daughter was a few weeks old, happy and healthy. Polite-sounding lady called to sell us a juvenile encyclopedia set. Obviously was working from a list of recent births. Big sales pitch about enriching the growing child.

I listened to the pitch then said

"Oh (long pause) we won't be needing that now."

That clearly ruined her whole day. She stammered "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I'll pray for her soul. I'm sooo sorry. Ohhhh". Offered more condolences until I hung up on her.

 

[California]

Spoofing. I have gotten calls from an Indian telemarketer with my mother's number on caller ID, as well as our home landline and neighbors number.

Or real numbers. A lady from a local auto glass company called, likely the owner's wife. I rudely told her take me off your list and don't call again.

Moments later I heard the phone ring in the other side of our duplex, where I had just run back from to answer the first call. I picked up this second phone and made elaborate arrangements asking her to check availability of a windshield for an obscure import, set up an appointment to bring it in, then after that was all arranged and verified, told her I never buy from a telemarketer and all she was doing was annoying people. She cussed me and hung up.

 

[bumperm]

I'm a little more "proper"maybe not bold enough, but I told my adult son, when a female scammer calls, to breath heavy and ask what color panties are you wearing? He did that and the lady said leopard print . . . it was a survey, so he went ahead and answered her questions after that.

 

[California]

only give out credit card information to REPUTABLE companies. Ask yourself, "is this a company that I believe invests heavily in internet security?" Big companies like Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, etc.

Not all the big companies are reputable! Wells Fargo Bank was creating new Mastercards for elderly customers without their approval during the 2008 financial boom/bust. And putting bogus fees on elderly customers.

Mom at 95 asked me to look into something that didn't look right. WF had added $65/month 'scam protection' fee to her Mastercard without her approval. I got several months of that fee reversed just for asking.

Wife's parents, similar. Wife was asked to help when her father started getting past-due warnings. She discovered a half dozen new Mastercards in his name accumulating bogus fees and penalties, that he had never requested. WF later pleaded guilty to a class action lawsuit over scamming millions of elderly with those unwanted Mastercards.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm a little more "proper"maybe not bold enough, but I told my adult son, when a female scammer calls, to breath heavy and ask what color panties are you wearing? He did that and the lady said leopard print . . . it was a survey, so he went ahead and answered her questions after that.

lol.. I guess he owed her, at that point. So, did he get her phone number after?

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Trouble is with call-blocking, as others noted is that the scammers use spoofed phone #s. I don't know why the telcos are dragging their feet on creating a more secure method of caller ID. If websites can track users by their IP address, one would think that a secure caller ID system would be a piece of cake.

As far as discouraging them by not answering, how does that differ from letting it go to voicemail/answering machine? In either case the call was acknowledged.

You must have way more free time than I do. I suppose it could be fun...once, but to me at least the game would get old quick.

That's very true but I got so sick of those car extended warranty ones I was in garage working on something and put it on speaker phone. I just made up (shirt), it's a 2015 Chevy Malibu 83K miles. After his spiel I said "is the carburetor covered?"...yes it is. So I strung him along with bs, made up a cc#...oh that one's expired..."Joey get grandpa his glasses". After 45 minutes I heard guy cursing to people in his office ...an hour into it finally slammed phone. They have not called me since.

 

[newbury]

As far as discouraging them by not answering, how does that differ from letting it go to voicemail/answering machine? In either case the call was acknowledged.

The call was not acknowledged if you don't answer.

 

[Oaktree]

The call was not acknowledged if you don't answer.

My point was that if the call gets answered, it tells the caller that it was a valid #. Can they tell the difference between a human answering the phone and voicemail/answering machine?

 

[ddavis317]

It's been a while since I've advertised online so had forgotten what it's like. I had the old Curtis cab from my father's 4400 Ford advertised and had completely forgotten about it until I got a text yesterday asking if we still had it. I said yes, and we went back and forth a few times. Then he asked where it was, and I gave him the town it's in, telling him we are cleaning out the barn and aren't normally there but that my brother could meet him next week. THEN it came...
"I am out of town but if you will give me your address or account number I will send you the money, and my agent will pick it up."

I read that and thought to myself "You stupid , you fell for it.

I sent him one last text which read simply "Yeah, RIGHT".

Hello, jstpssng, So do u still have this Curtis cab? Would it fit a Ford 3000?