!!! Telephone SCAM warning !!!

[Goatrope]

My phone rang, and when I looked at the caller ID it said 'restricted' which I thought was odd. I answered the call and heard a pre-recorded message stating the call was from Social Security and they were calling about suspicious activity with my social security number and that in order for me to take necessary action I should push the number 1 after the end of the message.

I did NOT push the number 1 on my dial pad, and immediately hung up the call. I'm pretty sure this was some kind of scam that was trying to gain access to my phone or personal information such as financial accounts or social security account.

Be WARNED, the scammers are getting very clever about trying to fool people with sounding official so they can rip us off. Unfortunately, there have been many who fall victim to financial or identity theft. Please warn your friends and family, especially the elderly who may not be able to see through these scamming attempts.

 

[Dave himself]

Thank you for the heads up.

 

[Alex Jr]

I don’t answer any calls I don’t recognize the number and if I do, I never believe anyone or anything I’m being told.

-“Oh it’s from the bank (or other)?”

-“Thank you, I’ll hang up and call the appropriate number back.”

 

[Whisky]

I don’t answer unknown numbers. If they want to talk to me they’ll leave a message.

 

[Lightcs1776]

There are lots of new scams being tried every week. Just yesterday I got my invoice for my order I never had. Nope, didn't open the invoice, just deleted the email.

 

[AndyPanda]

If you had gone along with the scam, they would have told you that your Social Security number was now cancelled because of the fraud and would have tried to get you to go to the store to buy gift cards that would somehow secure your new Social Security number. Sometimes the scammers will say an abandoned rental vehicle was found at the border full of illegal drugs and that the car was rented under your SS number. Anything to get you so worried that will let them "help" you immediately.

There are lots of fun YouTube videos where "scambaiters" have dummy computers with dummy bank accounts setup on them so they can waste hours/days of the scammer's time while pretending to fall for the scam. They will pretend to buy gift cards and then deliberately scratch too hard and scrape the numbers right off the gift card and send the scammers pictures of the damaged cards. haha And more recently the scammers are using bitcoin ATMs and try to get the victims to deposit money into bitcoin machines. So the scambaiters will make it seem like they transposed one of the numbers/letters in the scammer's bitcoin wallet address and sent the money to oblivion. Meanwhile reporting the scammer's real wallet ID to authorities.

One guy has a fake app on his computer that redeems the gift card into his own account while the scammer helplessly watches the gift card going back into his victims account before the scammer can steal it. It can be pretty funny hearing the scammers get angry while the "elderly victim" wastes the scammers time.

 

[The Blackadder]

Best decision I’ve ever made is to automatically silence and reject unknown callers using the iPhone option

 

[brucered]

I enjoy talking to the scam callers if I have nothing else on the go or am bored. I usually string them along for a while to waste their time until they realize it and hang up on me.

This is only for direct calls to me, not if it's automated and "press 1 for". Those I just hang up on. My phone is set to auto block spam calls, but they are getting more sophisticate with their calling techniques/number blockings etc, the odd one still gets through.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I enjoy talking to the scam callers if I have nothing else on the go or am bored. I usually string them along for a while to waste their time until they realize it and hang up on me.

This is only for direct calls to me, not if it's automated and "press 1 for". Those I just hang up on. My phone is set to auto block spam calls, but they are getting more sophisticate with their calling techniques/number blockings etc, the odd one still gets through.

Same here...a good time also to curse at someone ...getting weekly calls in regards to the "latest" Medicare changes....but, they all speak with a bad accent, mainly Indian. It is funny, sometimes, but I am really getting fed up with all the spamming. Tried several spam filters, they work for some time, but then no longer. Unknown I never pick up, they can leave a message. Never ever press any number.....Often I just pick up and just say nothing, after a few seconds they hang up. Unfortunately, the calls I pick up are mainly local area code, so there could be quite a few who may call me, but I never know this ahead.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Phil:

We'll get them 'scammers' (and they are getting better as we speak),...we get calls like;

"Hello"? (we might be tempted to say “Yes” [[we like 'toying' with them

]).

The scammers will reply, “Can you hear me"?

"Is this the lady of the house"?

Now if we would have proceed further (oh btw...the above interaction was all AI generated

),...we would be taken (excuse the pun...couldn't help it), to some 'third world call center posing' as a Representative of our finest Louisiana State Police...trying to get us to support some fictitious cause (we tell them we already gave to the Policeman's Ball...that always
'gets' them).

After we 'play' with them 'for a spell'...we hang up and 'call it in' to our Staties.

"Who is going to believe a [scammer]? Everyone, if [they'll] good". Andy Griffith

 

[Mojo88]

Last year before my wife retired she received a text from the bank she worked for. The text said there was suspicious activity on our account and she needed to respond by clicking on the link. I happened to be home working and she showed me the text. I called the number on the back of our debit card and it was confirmed, it was a scam. The link looked legitimate and had she responded who knows what would have happened. Don’t trust any email or text. Always call the number on your card.

 

[snowman]

If I don't recognize the number I don't answer, but these scammers are getting more and more sophisticated all the time. For example, the other day I was running some errands and I got a call from my wifes phone number. Of course I answered. Instead of getting the usual list of things to pick up for her while I was out, the voice on the other end simply said "I love you and hope you have a great day today". I knew it had to be a scam so I immediately hung up, then blocked the number from my phone. Sheesh they are tricky. I wonder what that scammer was after?

 

[brucered]

If I don't recognize the number I don't answer, but these scammers are getting more and more sophisticated all the time. For example, the other day I was running some errands and I got a call from my wifes phone number. Of course I answered. Instead of getting the usual list of things to pick up for her while I was out, the voice on the other end simply said "I love you and hope you have a great day today". I knew it had to be a scam so I immediately hung up, then blocked the number from my phone. Sheesh they are tricky. I wonder what that scammer was after?

I've had call on my cell from my own cell number.

A couple years ago someone local called me, didn't recognize the number but I answered. They said "I know it wasn't you, but I wanted you to know I just got a call from Airmiles but it was from your number. I just wanted you to know someone is spamming with your phone number".

With the evolution of AI, calls, text and emails are becoming much more dangerous to fall for. I don't give any info to anyone unless I have initiated the conversion.

Your scenario reminds of the movie Punch Drunk Love. A round about Sextortion ploy. Good thing you didn't fall for it.

 

[Rhody]

The trick is to stay vigilant and not fall prey in a moment of weakness. The irs and ssa will never call for anything. I detest these scammers and enjoyed watching the movie the beekeeper. If you seen the flick you know what I mean!

 

[Toothpick]

Why anyone in this day answers unrecognized numbers is beyond my comprehension. You’re just asking for trouble.

 

[ctr]

Rule of thumb, if the call was not initiated by yours truly, no information, no responses, nada. Same rule for email messages.

 

[EdHeart]

About 8pm on Friday night of all things I once got a call from some major bank asking for me and then asking questions regarding a credit card application. I told the agent I wouldn't answer any questions and hung up the phone. I then went online to find the phone number of the bank and called back.

It turned out to be legit. Someone had obtained my personal information, applied for a card in some other state and the application, gratefully was denied.

That said, like all of you...I ain't answerin' questions until I know for certain with whom I'm speaking.

 

[DesertIguana]

Well I have friend who is World Class Computer GuRu, Programer, and can explain all this technology in simple terms so I get it. They buy App on DARK WEB to disquiet them on your caller ID. Slo if you get a call from FBI, IRS, Local P, Sheriff's Office, or Government agency, 50 50 chance it is a SCAMMER.

BEWARE, THINK, and LAST Don't give personal info.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Well I have friend who is World Class Computer GuRu, Programer, and can explain all this technology in simple terms so I get it. They buy App on DARK WEB to disquiet them on your caller ID. Slo if you get a call from FBI, IRS, Local P, Sheriff's Office, or Government agency, 50 50 chance it is a SCAMMER.

BEWARE, THINK, and LAST Don't give personal info.

I would say more than 50%.

 

[emwolf]

My brother received a grandson in jail call. He played along for about half an hour knowing that at 8 years old, even his oldest grandson was unlikely to be calling from jail.