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Post by bee on Apr 4, 2019 16:32:25 GMT
My phone rang as I was cutting up carrots to bake. Since I was expecting a call from the eye doc, I answered without checking the caller.
A guy says this is Andy from Publishers Clearing house. Is this ______________ (he knew my name)?
Him: Do you have the money?
Me: I don't know what your scam is, but I am not interested.
Him: You told me to call back, you had to get the money.
Me: I've never talked to you before, and I am surely not interested in anything from Publisher's Clearing House.
Him: Do you treat all folks like this, or just PCH?
Me: Everybody who makes the mistake of calling me that I don't know with a new scam.
And I hung up.
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Post by DotRen on Apr 4, 2019 18:17:37 GMT
Wow! They get more and more ballsy.
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Post by pamthomas46 on Apr 4, 2019 18:30:17 GMT
This made me smile this morning.
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Post by borntexan on Apr 4, 2019 22:43:42 GMT
Wow.The nerve of some people.I'm glad you hung up on him bee. |
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Post by zazzles on Apr 5, 2019 2:13:39 GMT
I’ve only had one call get through my defenses and that was because the caller ID they spoofed was actually a number that belonged to a friend and it is registered as an allowed number.
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Post by bee on Apr 5, 2019 13:43:23 GMT
Mike, the calling number they used was a local number.
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Post by borntexan on Apr 5, 2019 14:22:49 GMT
Mike, the calling number they used was a local number. That happens so often to my DH as it has our same area code.I keep telling him not to answer it unless he recognizes the number but he is always concerned it may be someone he has forgotten the number. |
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Post by itsrad on Apr 5, 2019 14:26:21 GMT
We get a lot of spoofed calls from the local schools. I don't have any in school so I have no problem letting it ring, but if I still had kids at the school I would have to pick up every time!
I don't answer any calls if I don't recognize the number. If I occasionally miss a call, they can leave a message.
Many of us are old enough to remember when we didn't have voice mail, answering machines, caller id, cell phones. People called and if you weren't there, they tried again later. We've developed a weird "you MUST talk me now, you MUST answer every call or text, you MUST be available to me 24 -7" attitude. I'm not sure it is healthy.
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Post by zazzles on Apr 5, 2019 14:47:08 GMT
Mike, the calling number they used was a local number. I got fed up with AT&T years ago because they didn’t offer advanced features or those they did offer were sold as add-on services at ridiculous prices. I got a Vonage line, which comes over the Internet, and the service was flawless, so I eventually got rid of AT&T and ported my number to Vonage. But Vonage, too, was lacking in features when all of these scam and robotic calls started. So I went searching and found a New York company, ITP4YOU, that has very advanced features. The way I configured my line is this: - The phone line is in Do Not Disturb mode at all times UNLESS I’m expecting a callback from a doctor who blocks caller ID
- DND works with either a blocking list or a white list. I choose to use the white list option.
- Every person I know who calls me, even on occasion, has their number(s) entered in the white list.
- When someone on the white list calls, their call rings through.
- Numbers not on the white list, at my option, can be ignored or routed to voicemail. I choose to have them routed to voicemail.
- When a voicemail is recorded, I get an alert by email with an audio recording of the voicemail attached. I can quickly determine whether the call was legitimate or spam. The email contains two links: save and erase, so I don’t have to go to the web site or use my home phone to access or delete messages.
This system has worked flawlessly for me for at least 3 years. And the service keeps a log of every incoming and outgoing call. I am amazed how many unwanted calls just don’t get through (and most robots time out and do NOT get to voicemail); it is between 2 and 8 calls every single day!
And for all of those features, my total monthly cost is $15.77. |
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Post by zazzles on Apr 5, 2019 14:52:10 GMT
Many of us are old enough to remember when we didn't have voice mail, answering machines, caller id, cell phones. People called and if you weren't there, they tried again later. We've developed a weird "you MUST talk me now, you MUST answer every call or text, you MUST be available to me 24 -7" attitude. I'm not sure it is healthy. I sooooo agree. I just do not understand the need for people to constantly have their cell phones up to their ears wherever they are and no matter what they are doing…like trying to navigate a grocery cart with one hand while having a nothing-special conversation on the cell phone. (And, worse, are those people who think that it is OKAY to carry on their cell phone conversations in public using the phone’s speakerphone. To me my cell phone is for emergencies and I get very annoyed by people who think the way to reach me is to call my cell phone because they feel the need for instant communication; their calls quickly get ignored and forced into voicemail for me to deal with at MY convenience. |
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Post by limefan on Apr 5, 2019 21:13:39 GMT
My cellphone number was spoofed. The other day a lady called me and apologized that she did not answer when I called. I nicely told her that I did not call because I was working. She told me she gets calls for her dad who is not well and was afraid that was who was calling. We chatted a bit. I was glad I did not answer in my "mean, quit calling me" voice.
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Post by itsrad on Apr 5, 2019 21:40:42 GMT
My cellphone number was spoofed. The other day a lady called me and apologized that she did not answer when I called. I nicely told her that I did not call because I was working. She told me she gets calls for her dad who is not well and was afraid that was who was calling. We chatted a bit. I was glad I did not answer in my "mean, quit calling me" voice. We got a message on our voicemail last week. All the guy said "DON'T CALL ME AGAIN" in an angry voice. I figure our number must have been spoofed. |
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Post by fullmahina on Apr 5, 2019 22:09:25 GMT
Am I the only one who occasionally picks up the phone, detects immediately that it is a scam call, and plays along just for the helluvit? Bear in mind I am retired and often have time to waste. I think it's kinda fun to put on my decrepit-old-lady voice and lead them on. They get more and more frustrated as I feign a hearing deficit, miscomprehension, and low-grade dementia. I get to the point where they ask for money and I tell them I gave it all to them LAST week, in Walmart gift cards as directed. I have a friend who speaks fluent Lithuanian and loves to spew it when spammers call. Most times I just hang up but sometimes....  |
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Post by finreporter on Apr 5, 2019 22:10:08 GMT
Many of us are old enough to remember when we didn't have voice mail, answering machines, caller id, cell phones. People called and if you weren't there, they tried again later. We've developed a weird "you MUST talk me now, you MUST answer every call or text, you MUST be available to me 24 -7" attitude. I'm not sure it is healthy. I sooooo agree. I just do not understand the need for people to constantly have their cell phones up to their ears wherever they are and no matter what they are doing…like trying to navigate a grocery cart with one hand while having a nothing-special conversation on the cell phone. (And, worse, are those people who think that it is OKAY to carry on their cell phone conversations in public using the phone’s speakerphone. To me my cell phone is for emergencies and I get very annoyed by people who think the way to reach me is to call my cell phone because they feel the need for instant communication; their calls quickly get ignored and forced into voicemail for me to deal with at MY convenience. The best way to call me happens to be my cell phone because I have no other phone. Not at home and not even at work. I give my cell number to a select few at work and only answer when I know they were going to call. Work pays me back for my monthly cell phone bill so I don't mind. I haven't had a home phone in about 15 years. |
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Post by itsrad on Apr 5, 2019 22:20:48 GMT
Am I the only one who occasionally picks up the phone, detects immediately that it is a scam call, and plays along just for the helluvit? Bear in mind I am retired and often have time to waste. I think it's kinda fun to put on my decrepit-old-lady voice and lead them on. They get more and more frustrated as I feign a hearing deficit, miscomprehension, and low-grade dementia. I get to the point where they ask for money and I tell them I gave it all to them LAST week, in Walmart gift cards as directed. I have a friend who speaks fluent Lithuanian and loves to spew it when spammers call. Most times I just hang up but sometimes.... I don't because I've read the more you pick up, the more it registers as a being a number worth calling. Not sure if that is true. There was an article this week in the Washington Post about how bad the problem has gotten, and most of the major phone companies now have apps to help manage it. |
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