Phishing

[Winchester]

The last couple of days we've been getting phone calls from guys who keep telling me there's a problem with my computer. We've been getting a lot of these phone calls the last couple of days.  I decided to deal with them the only way I know how. This was on Saturday. (We don't normally answer our house phone anymore because it's always a telemarketer or a scammer. People who call us either call our cell phones or leave a message and we'll call them back. But we've been having some trouble with our house phone the last few days and I've been working with a sweetheart from Verizon; we're trying to figure out what's going on and so I've been answering the house phone. I should mention that we no longer have a land line; our house phone is included in our cell phone plan.)

Phone rings....

Me: Hello?"

Phisher: Hello, this is so-and-so from Windows, calling about your computer.

Me: What's wrong with my computer?

Phisher: It's been infected with viruses.

Me: Really? That's terrible. But there's a problem.

Phisher: What's the problem?

Me: I don't have a computer!

Phisher: Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number.

Me: Dja think????

Hang up

Phone rings....

Me: Hello?

Phisher: Hello, this is so-and-so from Windows, calling about your computer.

Me: What's wrong with my computer?

Phisher: It's been infected with viruses and Windows called me to tell me to repair your computer. Are you aware that your computer is infected?

Me: Are you aware that I work for Microsoft?

Phisher: Oh! Well, then you have fixed your problem. Thank you.

Hang up.

The third time they called yesterday:

Phone rings....

Me: Good afternoon, this is Rahib from the Best Buy Geek Squad, specializing in the repair of virus-infected computers. And how may I help you this fine day?

CLICK!

Three phone calls from the same guy in one day. A little much, don't you think?

 

[jcat]

:lol3::lol3::lol3::lol3: Great responses!

 

[AbbysMom]

Nice answers! :lol3:

I rarely answer the phone when I see it is something odd from CallerID. Occasionally it is the same ones over and over and I will pick up, tell them I'm not interested and to stop calling.

 

[Draco]

I hate these spammer calls.. main reason why my land line is unplugged. Once I move, i won't have it at all.

Sometimes I like to play jokes on them. sometimes I'd act like a toddler and say "mommy says I can no talk to strangers. bai bai" and hang up.

I am so mean. I hate these calls.. especially on a sunday evening.

 

[pinkdagger]

Wow, persistent!

I never get these calls anymore. I've been waiting for a chance to use the "ah yes, I've been having some trouble with my Commodore 64 lately. Can you help?"

 

[natalie_ca]

 

[fhicat]

Haha way to go, Pam. I'm not popular enough to get phishing calls yet 

 but I was getting tired of getting telemarketing calls from Comcast (I am a customer though) -- despite being on the Do Not Call list and asking them to take my name off their tele list -- that I filed a complaint with the FCC.

 

[betsygee]

Those are GREAT responses!  We still have a land line, but only get telemarketer calls on it these days, everybody else uses our cell phones or texts.  We're thinking about getting rid of it. 

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

My daughter either reads them a recipe or reads scripture from the Bible to them. They hang up quick.

 

[peaches08]

Yikes. Persistent is right. I got rid of my landline when a message system from the Emerald Princess (local casino ship) would call me at least twice a day. The message would begin with the ship's horn blaring then, "This is your captain speaking..." It was pretty obnoxious. I wasn't really using my landline anymore anyway so it was no loss.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

  Good responses Pam!!  

I don't answer our house line either.  Most calls are bill collectors for whoever had this number before us.  A friend of mine supported herself working in collections for a while (ya gotta do what ya gotta do sometimes...) and she filled me in on some of the common tactics.  Like how unresolved collections are sold off to different agencies periodically; but they come with notes so they can clearly see that when they call this number someone tells them it no longer belongs to the person they are looking for.  But  because people lie; they try it anyway.  

  This also explains why we get little breaks and then the calls start up again!

I have had the windows call before. 

 

[fhicat]

The best part is, Windows is not even a company. 

 

[Winchester]

We've also been getting phone calls from somebody who says that they rented out our time share for $3,700. What time share? Oh, and then somebody called to tell us that they can help us with our credit cards. They asked me if I'd like the help. And I said, "Oh! Yes please!" When they asked me how much I needed I said, "Oh, $50,000!" He hung up, after he called me an expletive. I figure that as long as I can mess with them, they're not messing with somebody else.

We haven't had phone calls from casinos (yet), but we were inundated with phone calls that began, "Congratulations on behalf of Royal Caribbean!" I just hang up...haven't had that one in quite a while. And then there's the Sheriff's Association demanding money. Something like that. And then "Rachel" kept calling here about credit cards and the Obama re-financing program and the stimulus package. I forget exactly what that was. We haven't heard from "Rachel" but now "Bridget" has been calling.

I really like the Commodore 64 idea! Will have to try that one!

One time some guy called. At the time, our answering machine said, "The RugCats are sleeping and the humans can't come to the phone. Please leave a message after the tone." When we checked our messages that night, that guy was talking to somebody about "What are RugCats? Who's sleeping? What the...." and that was it. (FWIW, the RugCats are our cats. They've all been called RugCats since Whisper came in the house about 22 years ago now.)

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
The last couple of days we've been getting phone calls from guys who keep telling me there's a problem with my computer. We've been getting a lot of these phone calls the last couple of days.  I decided to deal with them the only way I know how. This was on Saturday. (We don't normally answer our house phone anymore because it's always a telemarketer or a scammer. People who call us either call our cell phones or leave a message and we'll call them back. But we've been having some trouble with our house phone the last few days and I've been working with a sweetheart from Verizon; we're trying to figure out what's going on and so I've been answering the house phone. I should mention that we no longer have a land line; our house phone is included in our cell phone plan.)

Phone rings....

Me: Hello?"

Phisher: Hello, this is so-and-so from Windows, calling about your computer.

Me: What's wrong with my computer?

Phisher: It's been infected with viruses.

Me: Really? That's terrible. But there's a problem.

Phisher: What's the problem?

Me: I don't have a computer!

Phisher: Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number.

Me: Dja think????

Hang up

Phone rings....

Me: Hello?

Phisher: Hello, this is so-and-so from Windows, calling about your computer.

Me: What's wrong with my computer?

Phisher: It's been infected with viruses and Windows called me to tell me to repair your computer. Are you aware that your computer is infected?

Me: Are you aware that I work for Microsoft?

Phisher: Oh! Well, then you have fixed your problem. Thank you.

Hang up.

The third time they called yesterday:

Phone rings....

Me: Good afternoon, this is Rahib from the Best Buy Geek Squad, specializing in the repair of virus-infected computers. And how may I help you this fine day?

CLICK!

Three phone calls from the same guy in one day. A little much, don't you think?

is that a 515 area code number? there's a scammer calling a lot of people with that "line". after i started receiving calls from that number i looked it up on the internet and found that the phone number is from somewhere in iowa and many people are getting these calls, and it's that same "line". i never answer the calls from that number and they never leave a message on my answering machine.

 

[Winchester]

No, Snick, this was a 960 area code, with 111-1111. We were also getting from 999-999-9999. They have a way of getting around everything.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

 
No, Snick, this was a 960 area code, with 111-1111. We were also getting from 999-999-9999. They have a way of getting around everything.

yes, they certainly find ways to get around everything.

 

[yosemite]

Unfortunately a friend of my BIL allowed them access to his computer and when he saw them looking at his files, he asked what they were doing and shut the computer down.  The guy started swearing at him and now even an IT guy cannot unlock his computer apparently.  They passworded it.  They have called me and they know my name and address.  I tell them I'm an old lady and very confused because I don't own a computer.  They still insist I do.
 

 

[peaches08]

That 999-999-9999 came up on my phone when a group called me to say that I had won some federal grant and that I could use the money for whatever I wanted.  I was unpleasant toward that person, and I don't feel bad about it.  Not one bit.

 

[catinmyhat]

I get a lot of those calls on my home phone, I remember a couple of times they called and on the caller id it showed a smiley : ) with some random numbers.  

 

[yosemite]

LOL.  I just got yet another call from "On-Line Pharmacy" follow-up call.  I pretended I was really, really mad and said I did not order on-line medications and asked if my husband ordered Viagra.  He didn't know what to say so I ranted on saying I was going to kill him when he gets home.  He was mute!  I said, "he's going to die" and I hung up.  LOL