I keep getting scammers texting me wanting me to do landscaping jobs on random houses. They always want it done before they get home from the hospital. They’re always being treated for lung cancer. They always have a ridiculous budget ($5000 for a landscape on a house that may be worth $9000) The script is terrible.

This current scammer hasn’t pitched the “I’ll pay extra because I owe the previous owner $2500. So you cash the check and pay him for me and keep the extra” but I know it’s coming.

The one before this, I told him I accidentally burned his house down while doing the estimate. But I’m out of ideas for this guy. Hmmm.

You could tell him you went to pay the guy but a forensic team was digging up his back yard while they had him in handcuffs so you didn't want to get involved.

nah, just hang up and block. I still mainly use a landline phone and get very few legitimate calls - mostly scams/spam. My old Panasonic wireless phones are about 10 yrs old but still work and hold a charge but they don't have a block feature so I replaced them with the latest and greatest.

Costco advertised a 4 pack of Panasonic phones for $99 and they have over 1000 known spam #s programmed in to auto block and if a call gets by it's one button to block a #.

I was skeptical but they do work, often we get no spam calls in a days time and have yet to get over a couple.

Sometimes

Every time.

Depends on my day.

If it's slow I keep them on the phone.

All the time wasted on me stops them from scamming someone for real.

Every time. Entertains the hell out of me - I feel like I ‘win’ if I get transferred to a supervisor to ‘validate’ my information.

Last week I got called by a female robot voice saying, “Hi! This is Joan, I’m just calling to follow up on the insurance info you requested!”

I was in a hurry and responded with “F-off C-word”. The robot replied, “you don’t need to speak to me like that” and hung up.

The robot ones piss me off the most. I always think about my mom and how easily she would fall for this kind of stuff. It’s one thing to pick on the gullible, but when you are targeting the elderly and mentally disabled, that’s a whole other level of hate from me.

I used to, but got bored with it so I just ignore them now.

When I did, I always thought it was fun to respond with, "No hablo ingles", and if they switched to spanish, I would reply with, "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish." Just keep switching languages until they get frustrated and go away. Don't know that many languages? Don't worry, Google Translate has you covered.

- Bret

Mainly I don't but a few years ago I got a call from the "IRS".
Indian gentleman as expected and I was in my office. He gave me a case number and some other information. I read it back to him but screwed up the numbers purposely. He got irritated at me and hung up.
Well, I called him back. He never answered and it went to a Magic Jack voicemail system. I politely asked why the IRS uses Magic Jack instead of a real phone system.
Never got another call.

Kind of interesting how OP stated that these were text scam attempts, and almost every reply referred to voice calls.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Kind of interesting how OP stated that these were text scam attempts, and almost every reply referred to voice calls.

Yeah, these are text scams. The script is always the same.

Whenever I try to sell something using a local online marketplace I get almost nothing but scam texts. "Is your item still available?", and of course they'll send a check for more than the asking price.

It is to the level that I hate to even try selling anything. When practical I donate the item and take the tax break instead even though it is a slight dollar loss to me.

I block and ignore scammers. It is not worth my time to mess with them.

I don’t waste my time. At home I’ll pick up the phone and immediately hang it up if I don’t feel like listening to the telltale four rings then stop.

My cell, well it announces “Scam Likely” and once in a while I’ll pick it up just for a laugh.

The tik tok worm hole has some great vids of scammers getting caught and effed with

I tell them yes, I do want to sell my house. I am asking $1,700,000.

No. Their calls and texts are not answered, period.

If I'm in the mood answer an obvious bogus call with "Detective Winston, fraud section.

Perhaps you have discovered a serious biohazard/toxic waste dump on the property and had to call in the EPA? You will of course need the name of their lawyer for the authorities to contact to post the necessary bond for remediation. And, oh yeah, what are they going to do about the junkies that are squatting on the property?

This was a big phone scam for a while. Here is the script: "Department of the Social Security Administration. The reason of this call is to inform you that your Social Security number has been suspended for suspicion of illegal activity. If you do not contact us immediately, your account will be deactivated." Then they say dial an extension for more information. If you do, they tell you your SSN has been used for illegal activity and you may be subject to arrest. They then ask for money to process the correction and resolve it or you will be arrested.

I got these calls a few times and i always hung up, except once. I guess it was just my mood at the time. I dialed the number and listened to the guys rant. I told him that I wanted to turn myself in and they could come arrest me. I said I was feeling very guilty because some phone scammer had tried to rip me off. I agreed to meet with the scammer to give him the money, and I shot him, killing him.

No, I do not bother to waste my time ... whether it be text, phone call or email I do not respond or hang up and then I block.