OK, but let’s get back to finding ways to keep the scammers on the line. Also, my question still stands – if I spin up a VM, could I safely let them get on that virtual machine using Anydesk?
That’s what some of these YouTubers (who F with scammers) do, but I don’t know what else they do, or their level of IT savvy/expertise.
A bit more info on one of the (I’m guessing) more popular YT’ers:
For obvious reasons, very little of a technical nature is included, but I’m guessing you could Google around and get a veritable* roadmap.
* Notice I didn’t say ‘virtual’ 
ETA: One version of the aforementioned roadmap:
If you are savy enough, maybe.
But, I think you’d be better off booting up an old laptop or other disused computer that has been wiped of any personal data.
I got a scam call yesterday, or at least a robocall that I assume is scammy, that I’ve gotten several times. I usually just hang up at the sound of a robot voice, but this time they called at 4:30am (perils of living in such a far-out time zone) so I was annoyed enough to answer.
VOICE: Is “Johnson” there?
ME: (in annoyed old lady voice) Johnson died 7 years ago, asshole! And you have some nerve calling in the middle of the night!
VOICE (hard to say if it was real or somehow still automated): Sorry, we will update our records.
So now I am living in fear (not really) that I’m going to be listed as “dead” and won’t be able to collect social security and things. On the other hand, guess I won’t have to pay taxes either! 
Silver lining!
Cool. I’ll check it out.
I’m on the do not call registry, and legitimate callers from credit card companies respect it. The only robo calls I get that are legit are from my trash service saying a pick up is delayed. So, pretty much all the others are scams.
I understand. Thanks. I did sign up for the Do Not Call Registry, but it feels like decades ago, so I s’pose I have to renew it. Thanks for the reminder.
I just received a call from “Best Buy” telling me “my account was going to be charged $300 for renewal of Geek Squad services” from 3 years ago. I went back and forth a bit pretending to be legit without giving out any info, but the ending went something like this:
CALLER: Now open your browser.
ME: One sec…I’m opening Chrome now…
CALLER: What do you see?
ME: I see…a bunch of pop-ups with naked tities asking me if I’m lonely and looking to meet single women in my area. And…yes…one of them appears to be your mom.
CALLER: [Unintelligible angry profanity and remarks about my mom]
Haha! Nicely done.
I just got one from a Hilton “vacation” (read: probable timeshare hard sell) offer. The caller managed to sound absurdly cheerful as I 1)dismissed out of hand the three destinations she listed, 2)said I didn’t want to go anywhere when she asked where I wanted to go instead, 3)when she asked about the last time I’d gone anywhere, said it was twenty years ago and the only thing I remembered was the place being a total dump that put me off traveling, and 4)said that wherever I went twenty years ago was bound to be in much better shape now. At that point, I got bored and hung up.
The ones I get are selling cruise packages. It usually takes 'em a good half hour to work through their multi-level script only to get a fake credit card number in the end.
a couple have called back to tell me the card was not valid so I told them my son must have blocked the card again but I have another card he doesn’t know about. And they fall for it.
This is epic.
Say the number is 1234 5678 9012 3456. With an expiration of 12/34.
They’ll know right off that’s not a real number. The first digit identifies the card type(MC, Visa, Discover, etc).
I’ll tell you about my most epic.
I had just gotten home from the gym when the phone rang. The recording said there was an unauthorized charge on my account. (no specific account identified)
The guy who picked up the call said he was from “Gek Skod” amd my services had been auto-renewed, did I want to cancel and claim my refund?
When I confirmed I would take the refund, he asked why.(Because you offered?) What I said next was not planned out.
“Because my computer is broken. The power supply shorted out and wrecked the motherboard, the fatherboard, the babyonboard and the godimbored. The monitor keeps floating up to the ceiling and the keyboard keep flipping upside down.”
(Long pause)
Him:“So you want your refund money back?”
Me: “Yes, I want my refund money back”.
Him: “Can you be in front of your computer?”
(You mean the one I just told you was broken? Sure thing, buddy)
So he goes through the routine of having me find the Windows key so I can ultimately download remote desktop software. After faffing about for a few minutes, I tell him the key has a penguin on it. At this point he passes me off to his manager.
I pull the penguin gag on the chief nerf-herder, tell him I don’t have Chrome or Firefox or Mozilla or Edge, I have Lynx. My son put on there as it uses fewer resources “whatever that means”.
So I finally manage to start downloading Teamviewer(not really) while Googling install error codes because I just know I’m going to have trouble installing this thing.
So much time is spent trying to install, downloading fixes and it finally works.
He wants the connection password (all numbers)
“First digit is a 3, T as in Trustworthiness, H as in Hermaphrodite, R as in R-i-i-t-z!” (Young Frankenstein)…
The light finally turns on.
(pissed off)“Are you playing with us!?”
Me:
“No, I’m fucking with you!”
Hangs up.
Almost an hour.
I think the endorphins played a role because I’m not normally anywhere near that good at prolonged improv.
Nicely done! You may have save five or six grandparents from getting scammed.
A search for “generate test credit card numbers” will give you some sites where you can make a list of plausible fakes that will pass the initial checks and fail when the scammer tries to extract money.
I have several of those. I have a notepad file always open with a fairly full false identity for scambaiting.
I just wish I would get more calls.
This has been the biggest benefit for me. I used to get frustrated and annoyed with all the scam calls, but now I see them as a fun challenge.
42 minutes of wasted scammer time.
Got a call from “Brad from Amezin Fraudlent Department” about a fraud pur-chase of an Apple iPhone.
I was immediately irate as I had requested a block on my account regarding all purchases of Apple products since there was a fraudulent purchase just a week ago. (Hunting over bait)
I gave my name as Aloysius Peckerwood. After letting him struggle with Aloysius, I told him “You can call me Al”. (Yes, this comes into play)
So he did the usual of claiming to need to connect my computer with the Amezin Secure Server" and directed me on how to download Teamviewer.
(I did the thing with a penguin instead of the Microsoft logo on the keyboard and saying I used the Lynx browser, just to add to the confusion)
Started downloading Teamviewer which of course took a long time due to having to restart the download several times which he attributed to hackers and offered to connect me with a Microsoft technician.(Amezin owns Microsoft, doncha know).
During all this, he’s also asking the usual personal questions about age and work and marriage, etc.
“Is you married, by the way?”(Ooh, smooth) “Yes, to a roly poly, little bat-faced girl”. “Oh, sounds wonderful.”
“Are you retired or do you work at a job?” 'Yeah, I was an auctioneer, I sold cattle in the marketplace."
After that, I just pretended to have trouble installing Teamviewer until he finally gave up.