topic Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This! in Community Chat

Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

handygal2 — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 20:51:18 GMT

If you've ever gotten a scam call, from the "IRS" and the like, you'll want to read this article. It explains the psychology behind the call centers in India, and how two teenagers blew the whistle on a huge operation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/world/asia/india-call-centers-fraud-americans.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

croemer — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:08:16 GMT

To think he contacted the IRS and they laughed at him. He had to call multiple times to get them to listen and take action? Grrrrrrrrrr

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

SydneyH — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:18:54 GMT

I'm supposed to be on the Do Not Call list but lately I been receiving a lot of unsolicited calls with Indian sounding people. Great.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

chrystaltree — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:45:58 GMT

I don't know if the caller was from India, he didn't have an accent. But in recent weeks, I have received two calls on my cell phone from someone claiming to be an IRS police officer, the caller said that he was warning me that the IRS has taken out a warrant for my arrest and it is crucial that I phone a particular number. Yes, I laughed. Out loud. The whole message was preposterous. I assume that if I was dense enough to actually call that number, the IRS police would have told me where to send the money or probably the gift cards. Honestly, I don't know who anyone falls for that baloney.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

CareBears — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 21:58:50 GMT

@SydneyH I am on the "Do Not Call List" also, keep reporting the numbers, I have no idea if it does any good, but you would HOPE that if the same numbers keep popping up they will eventually do something.

I have found in my case that if I answered the phone and told them to stop calling me and that they were being reported, it seemed to encourage them to keep calling as they were getting a reaction from me, if a number pops up on Caller ID and I don't recognize it, I do not answer it, eventually the calls have fallen off over time.

Hope this helps!

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

NicksmomESQ — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 22:52:25 GMT

Oh yes I get calls about twice a week between my cellphone & home phone.I've been called by the" IRS " several times threatening to put me in jail.I've also gotten calls from "Microsoft" telling me that I had a serious virus on my computer!! They asked me to grant them remote access to fix it!! Etc. Etc.These calls never stop!! I just hang up !! They all have Indian accents!!

I feel sorry for lonely gullible people like the elderly & handicapped!!!

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Azcowgirl — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 23:43:58 GMT

I have gotten so many calls ( that I never answer) and even though the number will have an American area code, my phone will say " call originated from India" Grrrrrrr ):

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

bootsanne — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 00:12:05 GMT

During the height of the election season, the calls never stopped. I also was getting a very agressive call stating that I had bounced a check and they were going to send the sheriff, the army, etc., out to get me. This call came several times a day. I have never bounced a check in my life and I'm also smart enough to know that banks don't notify people this way. I also have the land line and cell phone on DNC registry. I called the state police to notify them of this scam and they told me to call our phone company. Even though we live in Podunk, the phone company put a $2.50 a month block on the land line. We have not recieved a single nuisance call since. Worth every penny.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Kachina624 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 00:34:20 GMT

@CareBears wrote:
@SydneyH I am on the "Do Not Call List" also, keep reporting the numbers, I have no idea if it does any good, but you would HOPE that if the same numbers keep popping up they will eventually do something.

I have found in my case that if I answered the phone and told them to stop calling me and that they were being reported, it seemed to encourage them to keep calling as they were getting a reaction from me, if a number pops up on Caller ID and I don't recognize it, I do not answer it, eventually the calls have fallen off over time.

Hope this helps!

@Care bears @SydneyH The DNC List is the most useless thing the US Government ever foisted on us. Total waste of time; don't bother with it. The best way to combat these scam calls is to check your caller ID and not answer the phone if you see a strange area code or number you don't recognize. Answering lets the scammers know someone is home so they'll keep calling. If you don't have an answering machine, get one so you can screen your calls. Any legit caller will leave a message. Others hang up on the 3rd ring so they don't have to listen to your machine.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

clangle — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 02:13:35 GMT

My personal favorite is the guy with the Indian accent who leaves a long message about how the sheriff is on his way to my house to arrest us and I better hurry up and call him with a payment on my taxes! OK, I'll get right on that!

Funny thing though, still waiting for the cops to pull into my driveway with sirens screeching....they must have gotten lost on the way.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Kachina624 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 03:17:47 GMT

Ive heard the latest hub of scam the USA activity will be the Philippines

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

sweetee2 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 03:44:20 GMT

I also got a call from India telling ,etc I had a virus on my computer and I needed to login immediately. I told him I wasn't home. He got angry with me and wanted to know how long it would take me to get home, because it was very serious. I kept telling him I wasn't home. He kept telling him I wasn't home .He kept telling me I needed to turn on my computer. I finally hung up. They kept calling me. I just didn't answer.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Nuttmeg — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 04:18:03 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
Oh yes I get calls about twice a week between my cellphone & home phone.I've been called by the" IRS " several times threatening to put me in jail.I've also gotten calls from "Microsoft" telling me that I had a serious virus on my computer!! They asked me to grant them remote access to fix it!! Etc. Etc.These calls never stop!! I just hang up !! They all have Indian accents!!
I feel sorry for lonely gullible people like the elderly & handicapped!!!

The very sick can not go out and transfer money. These folks know who they are calling.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Nuttmeg — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 04:22:04 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
Ive heard the latest hub of scam the USA activity will be the Philippines

I get calls all the time to save money on my energy bill from Philipines.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

truffle — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 04:38:34 GMT

Right before Christmas I received a few calls from a call center in India claiming to be the IRS and it was just laughable, their entire script was nothing but laughable. I couldn't even get mad, it was just so comical. I kept putting their number on block and did receive a couple voice mails and one was over the top hysterical telling me that they wish me good luck for ignoring them.

I know how I got on their call list as I had this silly impulse one night to enter a Hearst Publication contest. Never entered anyone else's. Good ol girl Patty Hearst must have informted her employees to sell those phone numbers. I wll never enter or purchase anything related to her again. She is scum.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Kachina624 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 05:40:18 GMT

I don't understand why people even listen to these scammers as it just encourages them. I accidently answered a call that said " I'm calling from the windows office". That's as far as he got before I hung up.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

debcakes — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 06:36:10 GMT

I had been getting those IRS messages and messed with them a bit. I called the number and thanked them for alerting me to the problem. I told them I was so concerned that I called the I R S and gave them the number to call so they could straighten it out for me. The guy couldn't hang up on me fast enough and must have taken me off the list. No calls since.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

qvcaddition — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:50:47 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
Oh yes I get calls about twice a week between my cellphone & home phone.I've been called by the" IRS " several times threatening to put me in jail.I've also gotten calls from "Microsoft" telling me that I had a serious virus on my computer!! They asked me to grant them remote access to fix it!! Etc. Etc.These calls never stop!! I just hang up !! They all have Indian accents!!
I feel sorry for lonely gullible people like the elderly & handicapped!!!

Not all elderly people fall for it. We grew up in a world of trust and respect, but since all that has changed in this new world we need to be more vigilant. UNfortunately, some have not advance in their thinking, but the majority I know have. I live alone, but am not lonely, and working on BA. Beats the Senior center, which is helpful to many, just not my route.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

Cats3000 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:28:53 GMT

We're on the list for both land lines and our cell phones. We still get calls. The list is another "feel-good" from the federal government that is really worthless.

Re: Ever Get a Scam Call From India? Read This!

qualitygal — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:51:47 GMT

Just from messages on here, I don't think the no call list works anymore. I think we should just screen our calls. That's always worked for us. The caller now shows up on our phone.