Has anyone answered the calls and played along with the scammers just to waste their time. I'm thinking about doing this next time.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
The most common (almost daily) offender for me, is the ones that spoof your area code & prefix, easy to weed out.

Yup...these get the ol' "Block Caller" function immediately. Unfortunately I'll have to press that function 9,999 more times, accounting for all the numbers without my last four digits...

quote:

Originally posted by chino101:
Has anyone answered the calls and played along with the scammers just to waste their time. I'm thinking about doing this next time.

Depends on how I feel, most of the time I let them go to voicemail, but sometimes I answer.

I listened to the "IRS" guy tell me that I would go to jail if I didn't wire my back taxes of $2534 immediately. I told him I didn't owe any taxes. When he started arguing about it I told him to come and take me to jail, I was tired of sleeping on a park bench and I was looking forward to 3 meals a day. He told me to "f" off and hung up, I laughed.

Got a call from the auto warranty dept. She said the warranty on my vehicle was about to expire and I could renew it with my credit card. (Vehicle was less than a year old) I asked her what she was wearing, she said excuse me, I said that I was not wearing anything and I was hoping she was naked too. She called me a pervert and hung up. For some reason my wife got mad at me for that one.

quote:

Originally posted by JPD217:

quote:

Originally posted by chino101:
Has anyone answered the calls and played along with the scammers just to waste their time. I'm thinking about doing this next time.

Depends on how I feel, most of the time I let them go to voicemail, but sometimes I answer.

I listened to the "IRS" guy tell me that I would go to jail if I didn't wire my back taxes of $2534 immediately. I told him I didn't owe any taxes. When he started arguing about it I told him to come and take me to jail, I was tired of sleeping on a park bench and I was looking forward to 3 meals a day. He told me to "f" off and hung up, I laughed.

Got a call from the auto warranty dept. She said the warranty on my vehicle was about to expire and I could renew it with my credit card. (Vehicle was less than a year old) I asked her what she was wearing, she said excuse me, I said that I was not wearing anything and I was hoping she was naked too. She called me a pervert and hung up. For some reason my wife got mad at me for that one.

Love them both but the last one the most! LOL

Scammer: You need to pay these taxes immediately or I will send the police to your door and you will go to jail.

Me: Send them. They'll never take me alive.

Click.

Among the reasons for the stupid calling:

1) According to the WSJ, phone companies pay a small fee per call to the database providing the Caller ID info being displayed. Sadly, those fees are larger than the costs of robo-generating fake calls to drive up demand for that data. Thus there is a profit-motive for spammers to link with those companies for a share of the Caller-ID data access fees paid by the phone companies.

2) Sometimes they are recording you to get voice data for hacking. There is software that can use recorded voice information, such as you saying "Yes" when someone asks "Is this So-and-So" or saying "No, this is XXX-YYY-ZZZ" when they ask "Is this 866-555-1212". Of course, in some states recording calls clandestinely is illegal, but so is rejiggering voice data to fool voice security systems.

I don't answer the phone if I don't know the caller. I have good voice mail, and I don't need to talk to anyone who doesn't know how to leave a message, or won't.

quote:

Has anyone answered the calls and played along with the scammers just to waste their time. I'm thinking about doing this next time.

One of the guys who works for me got a call the other day from a "company" that could lower your credit card interest rates. All they needed was your credit card number, expiration date, etc.

He had them on the phone as we drove for 20 minutes. First he told them that he was driving and the card was in his trunk. They said they would hold the line, so he turned up the radio to give them some waiting music.

5 minutes later he started making up a series of numbers. Once they entered them into whatever they put them into they realized it wasn't an actual card number.

This started a bunch of name calling in a heavy accent. He went toe to toe with them for another 5 minutes or so. They insulted his mom, he accused them of relations with animals that live in the desert. Back and forth.

Then he said "but hey, I really am interested in a lower interest rate", and the most amazing thing happened. Mr. Scammer went right back to reading off the script. They even negotiated a negative interest rate where the credit card issuer would pay you simply for using the card. All he needed was the number.

quote:

Originally posted by 2BobTanner:
Unless your phone number shows up in my already known contact list, you can talk to my answering machine.

Exactly!

I've received two calls and two texts all from different people from AZ to STL to OH. All had received a "call" from my number. Annoying.

I explained that it appeared I had been spoofed and would they like to buy a timeshare. (Timeshare part is untrue)

I got two calls from Ladue, MO (St. Louis suburb) today. They left voice mails. Apparently, the IRS is really pissed off at me, and want to arrest me.

guys, its simple. Just wait until you get a real person and then fuck with them.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
H
"Number Blocked" .... My wife does that, legitimately, on her phone.... She is a mental health professional and does not want her clients to have her personal number.

Talk about no sense of adventure.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
"Number Blocked" .... My wife does that, legitimately, on her phone.... She is a mental health professional and does not want her clients to have her personal number.

Talk about no sense of adventure.

You want adventure? I'll give you adventure! Give me your phone number and I'll make sure to pass it on to the right group of people. You'll have adventure day and night. More adventure than you ever imagined. I'm sure that you will enjoy it.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
My cellphone called my cellphone once about 6 months ago. But I didn't answer me.

Ha! Now THAT is an epic post!
I have a call-blocking app on my BlackBerry and, somehow, the same number that is blocked, can make my phone ring. It's truly an abuse of the telephone system, and, in 2018, there HAS TO BE the technology to scrub and discover those abusing the telephone system in this way.

Yes... if my phone calls me, I don't know that I'll answer!

String

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
My cellphone called my cellphone once about 6 months ago. But I didn't answer me.

I have to admit that I really thought you were full of monkey poo.

However, just a few minutes ago, my Google Voice number called my Google Voice number. I followed your example, and did not answer.

We have had a few calls showing up as our own phone number, and a couple showing up with my name but incorrect number.

We have been in the no answer let it go to voicemail mode for a least a year.

Our greeting - leave a message - if you don't leave a message, we will not call you, even if we think we recognize the number.

quote:

Originally posted by 2BobTanner:
Unless your phone number shows up in my already known contact list, you can talk to my answering machine.

Ha! You said “answering machine”!!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
My cellphone called my cellphone once about 6 months ago. But I didn't answer me.

I have to admit that I really thought you were full of monkey poo.

However, just a few minutes ago, my Google Voice number called my Google Voice number. I followed your example, and did not answer.

Now humanity is doomed because you didn't answer your call from future you to stop the zombie apocalypse.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
My cellphone called my cellphone once about 6 months ago. But I didn't answer me.

I have to admit that I really thought you were full of monkey poo.

However, just a few minutes ago, my Google Voice number called my Google Voice number. I followed your example, and did not answer.

Now humanity is doomed because you didn't answer your call from future you to stop the zombie apocalypse.

Or maybe I was calling me to tell me what lottery numbers to pick.