topic Re: Just Be Aware in Community Chat

Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:14:58 GMT

Received a phone call from a sweet sounding female saying she represented a High School Reunion Business. She said they were hired to call the graduates of certain years and wanted information on my husband. She had his graduation name incorrect which would have been know to any and all who knew him. IT WAS A PHONE SCAM. Please don't give out information about yourself or share information about others to these crooks. As innocent as it sounded, it was a complete set-up for identity theft and otherwise.

Re: Just Be Aware

spindlegirl — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:16:08 GMT

A new scam!?! Thanks for the warning.

Re: Just Be Aware

Love my grandkids — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:32:01 GMT

I NEVER give out any personal info over the phone. I neither confirm nor deny -- I just hang up.

Re: Just Be Aware

BellaPaprika — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:37:55 GMT

We don't usually answer our phone. If caller id identifies the call as coming from someone we wish to speak with then we call that person back. Only time I answer the phone is if I'm expecting a call and, again, having caller id lets me know that it's the call I'm waiting for.

Re: Just Be Aware

Marp2 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:49:22 GMT

This reminded me of an episode of some show on Investigation channel. A private detective trying to get information called, spoke to a man's wife telling her they were updating their alumni information which she gave without hesitation. They used that information to track down the man. The ultimate irony? He was discovered to be a bigamist leading two completely separate lives.

Re: Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 00:57:04 GMT

On 8/8/2014 Marp2 said:
This reminded me of an episode of some show on Investigation channel. A private detective trying to get information called, spoke to a man's wife telling her they were updating their alumni information which she gave without hesitation. They used that information to track down the man. The ultimate irony? He was discovered to be a bigamist leading two completely separate lives.

Good Grief, when will it all end.

We had someone call around 8 weeks ago claiming there were two warrants our for my husband in a county we have never visited. They wanted more info and for us to send money to a P.O. address to 'clear' up the problems. No go, no way, just hung up on the clowns.

Re: Just Be Aware

sunshine45 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 03:08:15 GMT

i dont answer the phone if i dont know who is calling......period! that is the beauty of caller ID AND an answering machine/voice mail.

Re: Just Be Aware

scotttie — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 03:11:39 GMT

Ugh. If these people would put this energy and imagination into legit prospects they could be millionaires.

Re: Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 03:17:01 GMT

On 8/8/2014 scotttie said:
Ugh. If these people would put this energy and imagination into legit prospects they could be millionaires.

I agree. Just imagine how many cures for ills could be tackled if they applied themselves to finding the answers.

Re: Just Be Aware

hckynut — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 04:30:33 GMT

I love phone scams myself. I get them off script and have them either backing up/mumbling or hanging up. Like Clint says: "Go Ahead, Make My Day".

Re: Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 07:21:27 GMT

On 8/8/2014 hckynut said:
I love phone scams myself. I get them off script and have them either backing up/mumbling or hanging up. Like Clint says: "Go Ahead, Make My Day".

If I could only send the scammers of my phone line over to yours. You'd have a great time!

Re: Just Be Aware

Moonchilde — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 08:07:21 GMT

On 8/8/2014 BlueCollarBabe said:
We don't usually answer our phone. If caller id identifies the call as coming from someone we wish to speak with then we call that person back. Only time I answer the phone is if I'm expecting a call and, again, having caller id lets me know that it's the call I'm waiting for.

Same here. I look at the caller ID when the phone rings, and if it's not family I wait for someone to leave a message - at which time I will pick up if I want the call. These days, 99% of the calls I get just hang up - they must not get brownie points if they don't speak to a human.

Re: Just Be Aware

kdgn — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 15:28:07 GMT

There's another telephone scam that was recently outlined in our local paper. Someone calls identifying themselves as a representative from Publisher's Clearing House. The caller tells you that you've won both money and a car, all you have to do is send a check to cover taxes. The caller asks for no personal information, he/she just tells you the address of where to send the check. Your check and car will be delivered the next day.

The older woman who reported the call (in her early 80's) said she knew it was a scam even though she enters the PCH contests yearly. She strung the caller along, said she'd send a check. She was called the next morning by the rep, asked if the check had been sent. She said the mailman had just picked it up.

Of course no check or car was delivered to her that day. She had already called the local sheriff. The paper said the man didn't have to elicit any personal information from the woman because IF she had sent in a check, it would have all been there: name, address, bank, account number.

Publisher's Clearing House has issued statements on this. They never call, they do NOT collect taxes. They do NOT send emails.

The woman said she knew it was a scam, had read about phone scams and the elderly. Then she had a good point: Who owes only $254 in taxes on both a large amount of money and a car??

Re: Just Be Aware

terrier3 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 15:38:50 GMT

On 8/9/2014 kdgn said:
There's another telephone scam that was recently outlined in our local paper. Someone calls identifying themselves as a representative from Publisher's Clearing House. The caller tells you that you've won both money and a car, all you have to do is send a check to cover taxes. The caller asks for no personal information, he/she just tells you the address of where to send the check. Your check and car will be delivered the next day.

The older woman who reported the call (in her early 80's) said she knew it was a scam even though she enters the PCH contests yearly. She strung the caller along, said she'd send a check. She was called the next morning by the rep, asked if the check had been sent. She said the mailman had just picked it up.

Of course no check or car was delivered to her that day. She had already called the local sheriff. The paper said the man didn't have to elicit any personal information from the woman because IF she had sent in a check, it would have all been there: name, address, bank, account number.

Publisher's Clearing House has issued statements on this. They never call, they do NOT collect taxes. They do NOT send emails.

The woman said she knew it was a scam, had read about phone scams and the elderly. Then she had a good point: Who owes only $254 in taxes on both a large amount of money and a car??

They made a pretty good movie about something like this..."Nebraska" with Bruce Dern.

Re: Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 16:50:09 GMT

Terrier - So now this crime is in a movie? I didn't see Nebraska but will when it's released on satellite.

I have caller ID and an answering machine and got the message/s left anyway for the SCAMS. The one that was about the warrants - my husband informed the FBI that now the scammers were using false law enforcement tactics to get the info.

Re: Just Be Aware

nafecar — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 17:05:54 GMT

We had a call yesterday from someone in Washington DC I was concerned so I picked up, this very foreign sounding person said we were being investigated for failing to pay income taxes and before they sent out the formal papers for our immediate arrest we would need to call a certain number to verify our information. Duh do they think just because we are up in years we are stupid? Normally I wouldn't even pick up the phone but the caller ID concerned me, its too bad there wasn't a live person on the other end or he would have gotten an ear full of no so nice comments. I may be older but I am not that easily fooled.

Re: Just Be Aware

Clover29 — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 19:58:24 GMT

We moved in May and got a new phone number, which isn't listed anywhere. For the time being, the only calls we get are legit. I'm curious as to how long it will take before we do start getting the junk, spam and scam calls. It's going to happen eventually, but we're enjoying the junk-free time we still have.

Re: Just Be Aware

Puzzle Piece — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:30:14 GMT

Clover29 - I don't know how long things will take but you can count on being on someone's list sometime soon.