topic Re: Goverment Grant Scam in Community Chat

Goverment Grant Scam

MyBoyRusty — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 15:08:51 GMT

There's another scam going around it's people with thick accents calling about US Government Grants I received a call from them Friday and another one yesterday. I knew right off that it was a scam I hung up on them both times I'm not going to give them the pleasure of listening to their garbage and playing along with them with some fake answers to questions that they ask I don't believe in pulling their chains the best thing to is to hang up.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Financialgrl — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 15:32:06 GMT

Caller ID is my friend. I never answer the phone unless its friends or family.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Pook — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:26:57 GMT

If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

jackthebear — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:41:35 GMT

Don't answer the phone unless you know who is calling.

I think answering these calls even to toy with the callers ensures that you number is good and will continue to be passed around.

Get an answering machine and use it.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Krimpette — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:59:34 GMT

I agree about caller ID. I never answer calls unless I recognize the caller ID.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Suziepeach — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 17:33:35 GMT

I wrote the do not call list and told them it was a joke! Now there's a scam..

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

sgraham30 — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 17:42:01 GMT

I also have caller ID & don't answer the call unless I recognize the number. If it's a valid call, whoever it is will leave a message.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Snowpuppy — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 18:54:12 GMT

I don't answer my phone either unless I recognize the caller.

As others have said if it's a legit call, they'll leave a message. Once you start answering, they'll keep calling.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

lovescats — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 18:55:53 GMT

I agree about not answering the call if you don't know who it is. And for the do not call list I think a lot of companies follow it but at the same time so many of these calls come from overseas even if the area code is in the USA how can anyone control that? They spoof the numbers that show on caller id and they're not going to pay any fines. For me the number of calls started going down when I stopped answering the phone

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

ROMARY — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:47:38 GMT

If I had more patience and time, I'd 'toy around' with them. One thing I know for sure.......I'd love to know a second language. What fun would that be!

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Say Nay — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:49:12 GMT

I have caller ID but I occasionally answer the phone to an unknown number. If it's a solicitor I just say hold on, put the phone on the table and walk off.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

dooBdoo — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:51:55 GMT

On 1/11/2015 Pook said:
If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

The fact is just the opposite. These calls are computerized, scrolling through random phone numbers in numeric order.

Answering the phone gets you on a list of "live" phone numbers which are then re-used, shared and sometimes sold.

And according to the security officers at our hospitals, making the caller angry is likely to guarantee you'll get even more unwanted attention from unsavory callers.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

dooBdoo — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:54:11 GMT

On 1/11/2015 Snowpuppy said:
I don't answer my phone either unless I recognize the caller.

As others have said if it's a legit call, they'll leave a message. Once you start answering, they'll keep calling.

Exactly, Snowpuppy. The smartest thing to do, unless you actually want more calls, is to avoid answering at all.

I'll add my usual comment about Nomorobo -- it's a free, safe, effective service to protect your phone number(s) from annoying, unwanted calls. Not available everywhere, with every provider, but it's growing:

link goes to: https://www.nomorobo.com/

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Say Nay — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:56:09 GMT

On 1/11/2015 dooBdoo said:
On 1/11/2015 Pook said:
If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

The fact is just the opposite. These calls are computerized, scrolling through random phone numbers in numeric order.

Answering the phone gets you on a list of "live" phone numbers which are then re-used, shared and sometimes sold.

And according to the security officers at our hospitals, making the caller angry is likely to guarantee you'll get even more unwanted attention from unsavory callers.

Hasn't been my experience.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

dooBdoo — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:01:05 GMT

On 1/11/2015 Smaug said:
On 1/11/2015 dooBdoo said:
On 1/11/2015 Pook said:
If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

The fact is just the opposite. These calls are computerized, scrolling through random phone numbers in numeric order.

Answering the phone gets you on a list of "live" phone numbers which are then re-used, shared and sometimes sold.

And according to the security officers at our hospitals, making the caller angry is likely to guarantee you'll get even more unwanted attention from unsavory callers.

Hasn't been my experience.

I'm glad to hear it, Gato! But if so, you're the exception. We have a national team of experts who not only help secure our hospitals but also teach employees, and they're actively involved in the latest technology and keeping up with the criminals' tactics. I've found them to be an excellent resource and very accurate in their advice.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

PAX — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:07:36 GMT

I use the Ooma phone system. I block calls after googling the number and finding out that they are scams. I love Ooma.

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Say Nay — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:12:34 GMT

On 1/11/2015 dooBdoo said:
On 1/11/2015 Smaug said:
On 1/11/2015 dooBdoo said:
On 1/11/2015 Pook said:
If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

The fact is just the opposite. These calls are computerized, scrolling through random phone numbers in numeric order.

Answering the phone gets you on a list of "live" phone numbers which are then re-used, shared and sometimes sold.

And according to the security officers at our hospitals, making the caller angry is likely to guarantee you'll get even more unwanted attention from unsavory callers.

Hasn't been my experience.

I'm glad to hear it, Gato! But if so, you're the exception. We have a national team of experts who not only help secure our hospitals but also teach employees, and they're actively involved in the latest technology and keeping up with the criminals' tactics. I've found them to be an excellent resource and very accurate in their advice.

Did they mean businesses or private individuals?

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Say Nay — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 03:14:35 GMT

On 1/11/2015 Georgie the 5th said:
I use the Ooma phone system. I block calls after googling the number and finding out that they are scams. I love Ooma.

My friend mentioned this and I intended to investigate it but completely forgot. Thanks for bringing their name up and jarring my memory!

Re: Goverment Grant Scam

Pook — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 12:15:42 GMT

On 1/11/2015 dooBdoo said:
On 1/11/2015 Pook said:
If the calls are frequent then I toy with them and use big words and even make up some that they won't understand. Doing this insures they won't call again. If they are trying to scam me then they deserve a little torture with a language they don't understand very well.

The fact is just the opposite. These calls are computerized, scrolling through random phone numbers in numeric order.

Answering the phone gets you on a list of "live" phone numbers which are then re-used, shared and sometimes sold.

And according to the security officers at our hospitals, making the caller angry is likely to guarantee you'll get even more unwanted attention from unsavory callers.

All I know is it works for me as my SO often just answers instead of looking at caller id and that just guarantees more frequent calls. When I do that they stop and now I haven't received any of these for nearly a year.