A new to me scam . . . .

[lowell holmes]

I just received a phone call from a guy claiming to be my grandson and that he is in trouble and needs money.
Well, I knew it was not my grandson because he always calls me grandpa and I know his voice.
I called my son, his father because I knew they are working together.

If you get a call like this, blow a police whistle into the phone and hang up.

[Jim Koepke]

This is an old one.

My response was to have a bit of fun. It ended with me laughing and the guy on the other end swearing profusely at me. :cool:

jtk

[John K Jordan]

This is an old one.

My response was to have a bit of fun. It ended with me laughing and the guy on the other end swearing profusely at me. :cool:

jtk

I have been known to say "excuse me, can you hold on for a second" and then go do something else for a half hour or so. Every time when I return we have somehow lost the connection... Might waste a lot of the spammer's time so he can't get as many calls in that day.

Years ago I had my phone number in my dog's name (cheaper than an unlisted number). This way I always knew when a caller addressed me by or asked for Mr. Maxwell it was a call I didn't need. But one day a poor soul called, said he'd been calling every Maxwell in every town he could, looking for his estranged son. I finally had to tell him the name in the book was fabricated, I knew no Maxwells, and the only help I could give him was wish him luck.

JKJ

[Ron Citerone]

My Aunt got taken by this scam several years ago. To her credit, she went to the local newspaper and they did an article about it. She risked ridicule I suppose because some may have thought she was a sucker. I admire her going public so that others would not be scammed. To often, older folks who get scammed are too embarrassed to tell anyone which can lead to more scamming.

[Kev Williams]

My BIL is ALWAYS getting stupid calls, the IRS is going to arrest him, his Social Security account is being locked, and one of my favorites, the 'holes that search the auto databases and relentlessly call owners who's warranty's are about to expire, WARNING them they MUST buy an extended warranty RIGHT NOW or face certain financial ruin when the engine blows up or the transmission falls out... He was answering one of the warranty calls one day, I didn't know who he was talking to but I was a bit concerned at first...

His phone rings: " hello--"
about 5 seconds later: "oh, no..."
about 8 seconds later: "oh, NO..."
another 8 seconds later: "Oh, NO!"
and then a final "OH, NOOO!!!"

and then he smiles and says- "they hung up!"

that cracked me up! It was then he told me it was a warranty call. He's done the oh no! thing ever since, and it's never failed! ;)

(since google don't know my cellphone number, I don't get scam calls, or I'd try it myself :D )

[Jim Koepke]

one of my favorites, the 'holes that search the auto databases and relentlessly call owners who's warranty's are about to expire, WARNING them they MUST buy an extended warranty RIGHT NOW or face certain financial ruin when the engine blows up or the transmission falls out...

To what database are you referring?

Our car was purchased at least second hand. It is a 2001 model and has over 200K miles.

We still get calls from people saying it is about to go out of warrantee. My response is usually, "you mean that last repair should have been paid by warrantee?"

That is usually followed by a "click," as in someone hanging up the phone on the calling end. We haven't gotten one of them in a while.

Now it is someone claiming to be from Marriot and we have been chosen…

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Well over 10 years ago my Mom got this call. She didn't have the money but my brother did. $500 was wired to a Walmart in Canada where a guy claiming to be my youngest son was supposedly in jail.

[Jim Becker]

To what database are you referring?

Vehicle registrations are generally "out there" if one knows where to look. But the majority of the vehicle "extended warranty" calls are randomly generated by robo-callers...they have no idea what you own. Now the mailings...those are often derived from the databases that are somewhat in the public domain as I noted already.

[Bill Bukovec]

I had someone call me from"Microsoft" one day. I killed about ten minutes with the guy, pretending to follow his instructions. When he said "hit any key" I said I didn't have an " any" key. ( I think I learned this from Homer Simpson). Then I said, my computer is an Apple. He hung up.

[Bruce Wrenn]

As of today, not only has my SS account been compromised, but the DEA is also after me. Of course caller hung up when I answered "Special agent Wrenn, fraud division, how may I," CLICK! Apparently I wasn't the Wrenn they were looking for. In the background you could hear many voices also making same call.

[William Chain]

Sir, you posted one year ago about this same scam...


I just received a phone call from a guy claiming to be my grandson and that he is in trouble and needs money.
Well, I knew it was not my grandson because he always calls me grandpa and I know his voice.
I called my son, his father because I knew they are working together.

If you get a call like this, blow a police whistle into the phone and hang up.

[Bill Dufour]

I would think the best thing to waste their time is to say oh no several times then ask what walmart or money gram office to send the money to. tell them you have to hang up and go send the money right now. Let them hang around the money office waiting to be paid and waste their time without you having to waste yours.
Bill D.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Last one I had they said "Hello, Can we speak to Mrs Sheldrake"

I replied "Sure I'll call her as she is at the other end of the house....pause...while we are waiting though, I don't suppose you have any ideas about getting rid of a body only the wood chipper made a hell of a mess last time and it took weeks to get the floor clean"

Never called me back.....

[Jason Roehl]

My favorite greeting for scam calls is, "Go ahead, caller! You're on the air!" Usually ends the call pretty quickly.

[Jerome Stanek]

Wish my Grandson would call but he is only 11 months old so I don't think he knows how.

[Kev Williams]

To what database are you referring?

Our car was purchased at least second hand. It is a 2001 model and has over 200K miles.

We still get calls from people saying it is about to go out of warrantee. My response is usually, "you mean that last repair should have been paid by warrantee?"

That is usually followed by a "click," as in someone hanging up the phone on the calling end. We haven't gotten one of them in a while.

Now it is someone claiming to be from Marriot and we have been chosen…

jtk
I don't know what database, but those who called us weren't just random calling people, they knew everything about our car, including the original buy date, OUR buy date, and the date the warranty was about to run out. What neither me nor the wife could get thru their heads was we purchased a 7 year bumper to bumper warranty when we bought the thing, they acted like we were lying it.

[Jim Becker]

Kev, when vehicles are sold there is a public record because of the nature of the property given it gets titled. There are various ways that companies (and even individuals) can peruse that kind of data. That record doesn't normally have information about extended service contracts bought at the time of sale including manufacturer contracts. (which are the only ones worth considering if one wants the insurance of an extended service contract)

[Jim Koepke]

Kev, when vehicles are sold there is a public record because of the nature of the property given it gets titled.

This is likely to be different from state to state.

At one time it was possible to get information with just a license plate number. California shut that off years ago because of too many untoward intentions by less than honest people.

Come to think of it, why would these telemarketers even need to know if a person has a car. They are likely calling randomly or have a list of numbers of likely marks.

jtk

[John K Jordan]

.
Come to think of it, why would these telemarketers even need to know if a person has a car. They are likely calling randomly or have a list of numbers of likely marks.


I don't get those calls because I don't answer the phone but I periodically get urgent notices through USPS about my immediate need to purchase a warranty on a car I bought a few years ago. These name the car, model and year and some even had the purchase date. They obviously have my name and address. Where did they get all that info?

JKJ

[Bill Dufour]

On craig's list I see tractor scams cost either $3999 or $4000. Horse trailer scams are $700 or $800. The clue there is the picture has the contact information in the picture. Normally in the lower right corner.
Since that info is in a picture, not the text, a google search does not show that contact as a scam until others have figured it out.. And you can not block them from the search results.
Bill D.

[Jim Becker]

I don't get those calls because I don't answer the phone but I periodically get urgent notices through USPS about my immediate need to purchase a warranty on a car I bought a few years ago. These name the car, model and year and some even had the purchase date. They obviously have my name and address. Where did they get all that info?

JKJ
Public records as I mentioned.