1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Scamming telephone calls

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Just the facts ma am, Aug 11, 2018.

  1. ChrisLong

    ChrisLong Well-Known Member

    I have a land line through the cable system, Cox in this case. When the calls started, I talked with them and asked if I was in some sort of directory. Yes. OK, please take me out of the directory. It costs $1 a month to not be in the directory.
     
  2. MTM

    MTM Well-Known Member

    We're in the same situation, but fortunately, the phone doesn't ring much while we're home, maybe once a week. We plugged a phone into the wall when we moved in 18 months ago, and it didn't even work. Then, about a year in, it rang with a call from a scammer.

    The only time I've used the line was when I couldn't find my cell phone so I called it and listened for the ringtone.
     
  3. PaperDoll

    PaperDoll Well-Known Member

    I can't remember the last time the ringer on my landline was on. My personal cell ringer isn't usually on either. The work cell rings most often, and that's when the scammers get me because I never know if that random number on the other side of the country might be relevant.

    But when the same Iowa number called four times in two days, I reported it to donotcall.gov ... not that it matters.

    I wonder who believes a recording saying you don't have health insurance, or that there's a warrant for your arrest, or that your account is going to collections. I usually say "I am on the national do-not-call list. Don't ever call this number again" like the recording was listening.
     
  4. Huggy

    Huggy Well-Known Member

    The scam calls claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency claiming there is as warrant for your arrest if you don't have your lawyer call back immediately are pretty prevalent up here these days. I hang up on everyone but the guys claiming to be from the Microsoft office and my computer is sending error messages. I play along until I have had enough and scream in the guy's ear that I have a Mac.
     
  5. MTM

    MTM Well-Known Member

    My mother's live-in caregiver fell for the computer scam and it was a nightmare. They received hundreds of phone calls until they changed their number and she basically had to get a new computer and change all her accounts.

    The heavily-Indian accented caller threatened to have her arrested and thrown in jail if she didn't pay whatever it was they were after and now, a few years later, we still tease her about being imprisoned in New Dehli and whenever we're deciding where to eat, someone will bring up Indian food.
     
  6. Spartan Squad

    Spartan Squad Well-Known Member

    My number is one off from a vet in the same county and I routinely get calls from people who dial the number wrong. I got used to ignoring calls from certain prefixes so when the scammers started, I treated them just the same. Honestly everyone who needs to get ahold of me are either in my contacts already or they leave a message. There are a few exceptions when a local prefix pops up because it's less likely they're calling by mistake. It depends on my mood
     
  7. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I keep getting a call to "extend my car's warranty," I have played along a couple times and they think I drive a Chevy Malibu. I have never owned a Chevy. So I tell them that and they ask me what I drive, offering insurance on that instead. I tell them something like a 1932 Duesenberg or other classic that won't show up in their database, then they get mad and hang up.
     
  8. Batman

    Batman Well-Known Member

    I've gotten a couple of those, and the cards in the mail warning me that my car's warranty -- complete with the make and model of my vehicle -- is about to expire and I should get their shady extended warranty.
    I just laugh, because the car they're saying I desperately need to get extra protection on is a 2018 that I bought in May.
     
  9. Just the facts ma am

    Just the facts ma am Well-Known Member

    Meh, it would seem that there would be a simple technological solution to this problem. Rather than excluding ever expanding lists of scammer phone numbers, create a small list of phone numbers that would immediately ring through to your telephones, i. e. relatives, friends, HOA, police etc. The other numbers would not ring on your phone but you could pull up a ongoing email alerts of the messages you recieve from the non-authorized calls.

    Allow temporary call through rings using a simple menu system of people you would temporarily want to call through to you, e.g. contractors, exchange students, real estate agents etc.
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2018
  10. TigerVols

    TigerVols Well-Known Member

    You are a fool if you answer an unrecognized call...you are just telling the flies you are real, and inviting them and 100s of their friends to come buzz you.

    Half of all mobile calls are expected to be scams in the near future.

    Here’s why you’re getting so many spam phone calls
     
  11. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    One of my cells is my work cell.
    Answering it comes with the job.
     
  12. Twirling Time

    Twirling Time Well-Known Member

    I will paraphrase what I posted before: Do Not Disturb is your friend.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page