# Phone Scammers (weak) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 10, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059 "2016-06-10T22:34:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/41 "2016-06-21T01:41:07Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > “This is the IRS calling to notify you that your file has been referred to the legal department for action against you. Please call 318-403-… immediately to resolve the issue.” > > Caller id says: Wireless number. > > Yeah. I’ll get right on that. Yeh, I get one of those occasionally. Also calls from some resonantly reassuring guy telling me that my order for (some help for the elderly type product) is all ready to ship and please press 1 to confirm blah blah blah… Sure, buddy. sure I’m going to press 1 and get sucked into whatever ripoff scam your recorded voice is pushing onto a vulnerable population. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/42 "2016-06-21T02:19:12Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > If you want them to hang up real fast, just ask them what OS version you are running. Not a robot, and happy to admit I have no answer to some questions. Buys me some credibility, but saying I’m from a respectable company, calling on the behalf of a respectable payer, with links to demonstrate the relationship, is usually enough. Scammers are beneath my contempt. I do business-to-business, calling warm-ish leads, with a real solution to their real problems. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/43 "2016-06-21T03:23:43Z")
> [@](#): > > You know how when you get a telemarketer call, and you say “Hello?” and there is a pause as you get connected to a marketer, who then says “Hello?” like you’re the one who called them, so you have to say “Hello?” again? If they reply to my “Hello” with a “Hello,” I then say, “What can I do for you?” Then they’ll ask whom they’re speaking to, which I refuse to answer. I always ask them whom they’re trying to reach. They never have an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/44 "2016-06-21T19:15:50Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > If they reply to my “Hello” with a “Hello,” I then say, “What can I do for you?” Then they’ll ask whom they’re speaking to, which I refuse to answer. I always ask them whom they’re trying to reach. They never have an answer. I’ve always wanted to try replying to their Hello with something like, “I’d like a large pepperoni pizza, with extra cheese”. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/45 "2016-06-21T20:11:38Z")
“You’ve got the wrong number. I spell my name ‘Danger.’” click. (Sigh… I’m on someone’s programmed list. They call me every damn morning at 9:00.) ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/48 "2019-08-12T16:42:46Z")
For some reason, I get calls asking, “Is Shamika there?” on my cell. This is usually at least three times a week. When I tell them that there is nobody by that name at this number, they say, “Well, maybe you can help me.” I’ve had my number for nearly 10 years, and I sort of doubt that “Shamika” ever had this number. If I tell them that I’m “Shamika,” when I’m clearly male, the call doesn’t really get anywhere. They never really get around to what they want. Is this common? Am I the only one getting her calls? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/50 "2019-08-12T17:59:49Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > “This is the IRS calling to notify you that your file has been referred to the legal department for action against you. Please call 318-403-… immediately to resolve the issue.” > > Caller id says: Wireless number. > > Yeah. I’ll get right on that. My caller ID says “Outside of Area” followed by a phone number that is in my area code and prefix. Yes, I do think that number is spoofed, and no, I won’t be answering. Just like my email displays (what I presume is) the actual sender’s address, behind the one they want me to think they are. Really, anyone I don’t know who is trying to sell me something goes to the Spam folder anyway. But that feature makes it easier to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/51 "2019-08-13T00:55:12Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > For some reason, I get calls asking, “Is Shamika there?” on my cell. This is usually at least three times a week. When I tell them that there is nobody by that name at this number, they say, “Well, maybe you can help me.” > > I’ve had my number for nearly 10 years, and I sort of doubt that “Shamika” ever had this number. > > If I tell them that I’m “Shamika,” when I’m clearly male, the call doesn’t really get anywhere. They never really get around to what they want. > > Is this common? Am I the only one getting her calls? I get that, but the calls are for Todd, not Shamika. It’s the same “well, maybe you can help me” line after that though. In my case it is a scam claiming to collect money for a police charity organization. It is a male voice with a folksy accent, but it is also clearly just a bot, because the spoken parts are identical each call. I haven’t gotten it in a few months, but if I get it again I’ll just say, “this is Todd,” and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/52 "2019-08-13T01:04:09Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > It is a male voice with a folksy accent, but it is also clearly just a bot, because the spoken parts are identical each call. If you haven’t done it you’d be amazed at how robotic you will sound reading the same script 8 hours a day for three months. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/53 "2019-08-15T04:53:06Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > For some reason, I get calls asking, “Is Shamika there?” on my cell. This is usually at least three times a week. When I tell them that there is nobody by that name at this number, they say, “Well, maybe you can help me.” > > I’ve had my number for nearly 10 years, and I sort of doubt that “Shamika” ever had this number. > > If I tell them that I’m “Shamika,” when I’m clearly male, the call doesn’t really get anywhere. They never really get around to what they want. > > Is this common? Am I the only one getting her calls? Mine are for Thomas, and yeah, I’ve gotten the “maybe you can help me”. Though they seem to generally be political in nature. Always on my cell phone - sometimes texts vs phone calls. One of these days I’ll say “excuse me”, yell “Quit sniveling, you WORM!!!” near the phone, then return to the phone and say sweetly “Sure, hang on. gotta get rid of that ball gag then he’ll be right wit you”. 😃 Going down the path of " :::😭::: he just died last Tuesday ::::waaaaaah::::: " might be fun, but probably less so, as an entertaining reaction would seem to require the caller to have a conscience. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/54 "2019-08-15T07:04:56Z")
So here’s what I’ve heard about how the scam business works. It’s actually pretty surprising if you think about it: Scammers make mistakes **on purpose** for their first introduction. (whether it be a scam call or a scam email). Why do they do this? Because spam emails and calls cost them almost nothing, but if a person is fooled and continues the call, an actual human operator or human to write an email costs money. Scammers are trying to find victims who are mentally unable to see the scam, that’s the only way they get paid. The darker side of things is that falling for scams is a symptom of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Mentally disabled people won’t have access to money, while elderly people who’s brains are failing will. Anyways, scammers want people who are almost certainly not going to pay to hang up or ignore the email immediately. So they leave obvious giveaways in their communications on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/55 "2019-08-15T11:43:40Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > One of these days I’ll say “excuse me”, yell “Quit sniveling, you WORM!!!” near the phone, then return to the phone and say sweetly “Sure, hang on. gotta get rid of that ball gag then he’ll be right wit you”. 😃 Before you get too pleased with yourself for that clever response, just remember that you are not talking to a human, but a computer program. The program is capable of crude parsing and simple decision making; it has a short list of canned responses; and anything that makes no sense to it is discarded and the call is dropped. You aren’t causing anyone grief because no one hears you. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/56 "2019-08-15T14:31:42Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Before you get too pleased with yourself for that clever response, just remember that you are not talking to a human, but a computer program. The program is capable of crude parsing and simple decision making; it has a short list of canned responses; and anything that makes no sense to it is discarded and the call is dropped. You aren’t causing anyone grief because no one hears you. Oh, I know. Sometimes the “oh, then maybe YOU can help me” seems to be a meatware sort versus a canned script. SamuelA, I hear ya on the elderly. My mother in law got so far as to attempt to download some software (Desk-something - it’s a legit remote-access tool) when “Microsoft” called to offer her a refund on some software. No, they couldn’t send a check, they HAD to wire it to her bank account They are elderly, and have no money (living just on social security) and could really use the 250 dollars, so her hope outweighed her good sense. When they repeatedly refused to mail a check, she finally hung up… then, thankfully, called me. MIL: I was wondering about this. I got a call from Micros– me (cutting her off): It was a scam MIL: They said they owed me a refund for some soft- Me: It was a scam MIL: But they needed to be able to wire it to my bank ac- Me: It was a scam. MIL: I asked if they couldn’t send a check but he insisted it had to be wir- Me: It was a scam. (literally that’s how the conversation went - she’d say something and my only response was to interrupt and say it was a scam). Me: Let me guess: his name was something like George, but he had a strong Indian accent? MIL: Well yes, but they _do_ outsource their tech support to India Me: Yes but this was a scam. MIL: And really they’re a big company, surely they have the ability to mail a check if they need to Me: It. Was. A. Scam. MIL: (describes attempt to help the scammer by downloading the remote access software) Me: It. Was. A. Scam. If you had succeeded, they would have used this to hack into your bank account. MIL: (laughs) Well they were barking up the wrong tree then - we don’t have any money! Me: But they could have taken your next Social Security check, and caused you to bounce payments, and overall caused a LOT of problems for you. MIL: But we don’t have any money to steal Me: But they could still have caused problems :smack::smack::smack: MIL was pleased she’d stopped playing along when she did. She won’t acknowledge how dangerous it was to go as far as she did. A couple years back, she engaged with another caller who was offering a free Mercedes, but she’d have had to pony up 250 dollars or so for “processing”. Dementia isn’t an issue there, but the judgment is definitely not what it used to be. In a way it’s good they have no money, it does limit the damage that could be done. They’re in an area heavily populated by aging seniors so I’m sure the whole area code is a prime target for the scammers. My father in law is actually quicker to question things. He once got a phishing email “from” a very large credit union. As it happens, we opened up a joint checking account with another CU, with a somewhat similar name, so we could get money to them in a hurry if need be (our main account is with that same CU so we could do an instant transfer). He wasn’t sure - so he ASKED ME FIRST before responding to the email. I clarified, confirmed it was indeed a scam, and thanked him profusely for checking before acting. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/57 "2019-08-15T14:40:53Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Oh, I know. Sometimes the “oh, then maybe YOU can help me” seems to be a meatware sort versus a canned script. Which is exactly why they use that phrase or something like it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/58 "2019-08-15T15:18:06Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Before you get too pleased with yourself for that clever response, just remember that you are not talking to a human, but a computer program. The program is capable of crude parsing and simple decision making; it has a short list of canned responses; and anything that makes no sense to it is discarded and the call is dropped. You aren’t causing anyone grief because no one hears you. OTOH, I, a human, would just adore that response and address her as **Mistress Zappa**. What pisses me off as a professional dinner interrupter is how often callers, human or otherwise, for products legit or scammish, will ignore my request to be placed on their do not call list and continue with their pitch or simply hang up. I know the law and I had a separate script in which I apologized, said that I would do so immediately, but warned it could take up to 30 days to be processed, for which I also apologized. The truth was that the law gives us longer but the number would be flagged immediately so they should never, starting as soon as I hung up, get calls on behalf of any of our clients. But my company is legit and I only called people who already had a working relationship with the client, so pissing them off any more than I already had was in nobody’s interest. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/59 "2019-08-15T15:29:59Z")
I got a call from one “Geoffrey Brown” recently. He said he was calling from the Department of Social Security Services to alert me to some suspicious activity related to my SSN#. They put my account on hold to avoid further risk and needed some information to put the account back in active status. I asked him why it sounded like he was calling me from a farmer’s market in Mumbai. He declined to answer. So I asked him how he got my phone number. He declined to answer. Finally, I asked him for the last four digits of my SSN#. He declined to answer. Feeling like we weren’t going to make useful progress, I hung up. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/60 "2019-08-15T15:38:29Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > What pisses me off as a professional dinner interrupter is how often callers, human or otherwise, for products legit or scammish, will ignore my request to be placed on their do not call list and continue with their pitch or simply hang up. 99% of telemarketers give the rest a bad name. The scammers don’t shive a git about the Do Not Call list. I have been on it for years, and refresh periodically, and I still get ten or twenty calls a week. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/61 "2019-08-15T15:48:38Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > 99% of telemarketers give the rest a bad name. Alas, it is so. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/62 "2019-08-15T15:50:48Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > 99% of telemarketers give the rest a bad name. Like the long unheard-from but unlamented [**Claudia VonL**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=51270)? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059/63 "2019-08-15T16:24:58Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The scammers don’t shive a git about the Do Not Call list. I have been on it for years, and refresh periodically, and I still get ten or twenty calls a week. > > Regards, > Shodan Oh come on. Next you’re going to tell me the No Trespassing signs I put up won’t stop burglars. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-scammers-weak/757059.md?page=4)