Scam phone calls?

[DHogan]

I'm still waiting for the one from Microsoft to show up at my house and kick my ass. Like he said he was going to.

[bnorth]

Harassing these scammers is the only thing I miss about not having a land line anymore.

[steve B]

It only works with the fake Microsoft people, the card services people must really be in a sweatshop since they hang up pretty fast.

I used to get some really good ones in the early 90's
One person called selling siding, except I lived in brick apartment building. She was so pushy I finally went along and asked questions and went to set up the appointment for my free estimate. After giving the address she wanted some extra info to help identify the house. When I told her they couldn't miss it since it was a 3 story brick apartment building she got really upset and wanted to know why I'd strung her along like I did. I told her I'd tried a few times to tell her at the beginning and that I eventually figured since she wouldn't listen I'd just wait till the end. They never called back, and I never did get that free estimate.

The frozen meat sales people who kept asking for my wife - I was single, and even now a steak salesperson would have better luck with me - finally got the "teary almost crying" "No, she cant come to the phone, she died a month ago" Another one that never called back.

Steve B

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by steve B

It only works with the fake Microsoft people, the card services people must really be in a sweatshop since they hang up pretty fast.

I used to get some really good ones in the early 90's
One person called selling siding, except I lived in brick apartment building. She was so pushy I finally went along and asked questions and went to set up the appointment for my free estimate. After giving the address she wanted some extra info to help identify the house. When I told her they couldn't miss it since it was a 3 story brick apartment building she got really upset and wanted to know why I'd strung her along like I did. I told her I'd tried a few times to tell her at the beginning and that I eventually figured since she wouldn't listen I'd just wait till the end. They never called back, and I never did get that free estimate.

The frozen meat sales people who kept asking for my wife - I was single, and even now a steak salesperson would have better luck with me - finally got the "teary almost crying" "No, she cant come to the phone, she died a month ago" Another one that never called back.

Steve B

I used an accent last time a card services guy called me. I kept asking him to repeat what he was saying and he did. Eventually he told me to give him the 800 number on the back of my credit card and my card #. I told him to go f--- himself then and hung up as I heard him howl something at me.

I also get the calls from the "Policeman's Association" and I tell them to give me their URL as I would donate online only. That is when they hang up.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Harassing these scammers is the only thing I miss about not having a land line anymore.

Screwing with these people is really fun. I usually go along with it for a little while and then blow an air horn into the phone. I don't have a land line anymore either, but they call us on our cell phone.

One of my favorite are the ones that want to give me grant money to go back to school. I usually string them along for a bit and then tell them I have a doctorates (I don't).

And then there are the ones that call and offer grant money for no specific purpose. I either tell them that I already have too much money and the government can keep their money because they need it more than I do, or tell them to donate my grant money to a charity.

Edited to add: I only use the air horn on the scammers. I don't do it to legitimate telemarketers. As annoying as they are, they're still just doing their job.

[bnorth]

We just got rid of our land line a couple months ago and got the scammer/sales calls all the time on it.

I must be crazy lucky because I have had a cell phone since the early 90's and have never got a single scammer/sales call on it.

[jfkheat]

I got one on my cell phone yesterday. It was a recorded message that wanted me to press 1 if I had any prayer request. I pressed 1 and requested that they pray that telemarketers and scammers stop calling me.
James

[brookdodger55]

I get 3-4 calls a day from the irs, it used to be a live person, know it's a recording. The weird thing is that the call comes from the state and city that all of New Yorkers sent their tax form if they are do a refund

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by brookdodger55

I get 3-4 calls a day from the irs, it used to be a live person, know it's a recording. The weird thing is that the call comes from the state and city that all of New Yorkers sent their tax form if they are do a refund

The number you see in your caller ID is a fake. These scum know how to make a fake phone number appear in your caller ID. I have tried calling back the number and always get a phone co. message saying the number is not good.