# Scammer calls. Does anyone actually fall for them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018 "2021-06-25T19:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/301 "2022-07-28T07:23:01Z")
It seems to be a myth. In order to enforce this contract that scammers tricked you into by recording a single word out of context, they would have to be prepared to stand up in court. Scammers generally seem sort of resistant to that kind of thing. Also, if it was that easy, surely they could just as easily present the word ‘No’ (or anything else they wanted) as affirmation by altering the question. “Are you rejecting my deal?”. “No”. “Thank you very much sir” I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t say anything affirmative to a scammer **in an email** because they might copy and paste it into a contract. That’s right, copy and paste the three letters Y, E and S out of my email, into a contract, and that will somehow obligate me to do something. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/302 "2022-07-28T07:27:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The scam is the follow up process of telling people they have to pay for something they ordered, and then threatening to sue if they don’t. They could only profit from someone foolish enough to give them money. The scammer will never sue, it’s quite difficult to get a court to accept a tape recording as evidence. And no matter what the tape was rigged up to play the single word ‘yes’ spoken by a defendant is not evidence of a contract. Yeah, that’s the only version of this that makes sense. The false threat of enforcement of a supposed contract, not anything that would actually carry any weight. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/303 "2022-07-28T08:36:29Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > The next part was really strange. Do you know how hard it is to find someone at Amazon to tell about scams? They don’t seem to be interested. That seems par for the course. Someone sent Mrs. Cad a scam check. We didn’t fall for it but I contacted 1. The police where the scam originated 2. The FBI since it was across state lines 3. USPS since it used the US mail system Exactly zero of them cared. Probably should have notified the bank the check was drawn on but I have a feeling that would have just made it 0 out of 4. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/304 "2022-07-29T10:11:33Z")
I had a couple of satisfactory exchanges with two scammers who were both using the same script. Phone rings and I answer. Scammer “This is Microsoft Support - we have detected a problem with your computer.” glee “Microsoft Support - how can I help you?” 😉 Scammer “No, this is Microsoft Support.” glee “Microsoft Support - how can I help you?” 🤓 At this point, one scammer swore at me and rang off. The other scammer said “You are so lucky to have a good job!” … and rang off. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/305 "2022-07-29T10:50:44Z")
I’m just starting with this one. > I am very happy to read from you today, thank you very much for your > mail. How are you doing over there in your country, I hope you are > fine. As my heart directed me to contact you, I believe I have found a > good friend in you. About myself, my name is Rebecca. Halstead, I’m > 24 years old, never married. I’m from Sudan in Africa but now > living in St Louis Catholic Orphanage home here in Dakar Senegal due > to the civil war in my country. My late father Mr. Steven Halstead > was in politics and also a contractor, he supported the ruling > government before the rebels attacked my family one morning, killing > my father and my mother with my two younger brothers. It is only me > who is alive now because I was in school doing my first year in social > science at the University of Sudan when this happened. l managed to run to > this country Senegal where l am staying now. In this female hostel > where I live, we are only allowed to go out on a few days of the > week. It is like staying in prison. I don’t have anyone to go to, my > relatives ran away during the war. The only person that I go to here > is Rev. Fred Martins who is a reverend father here and he allows me to > check my mail with the computer in his office. He is like a father to > me because he has been very good to me here. The Reverend’s Phone > number is ( +221774185740) if you call and tell him you want to speak > with me Rebecca, he will send for me from the hostel to answer you. > > I want to come out of here and to come over to your country and to > finish my study. Please listen to this, my late father when he was > alive deposited ($4.6m) four million six hundred thousand US dollars in > a bank in Europe with my name as the next of kin. I have his > certificate of Deposit and death certificate here with me. I want you > to help me transfer this money to your account in your country so that > you can also send me some money from there for me to get my traveling > documents and air ticket to come over there to meet with you because I > have nothing with me here to do anything. I don’t want to go back > because I’m afraid of the enemies and the Government that murdered my > family, that was also why I am here now. I keep this secret from others > here, I don’t want them to know who I am or what I have. Please I > will also like you to keep it to yourself and don’t tell anyone. > I am afraid of losing my life and the money if people know about it. > I’m telling you all this about myself with trust, hoping you can help > me. Please I want you to understand my situation here. > > I really need your help, please if you can help me. I like honest, > understanding, and God-fearing people. My hobbies are music, reading, > writing, etc. I have attached my picture for you, hoping to see > yours. My favorite language is English. Please, I will like it if you > can call me for us to speak. Think about me and my situation here, > please not just for fun. Have a nice day, hoping to hear from you soon > Best wishes > > Rebecca. Halstead > . “She” attached “her” picture. Looks like she’s in a real hellhole. (Google Lens matched to a bunch of catalog pages) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/yAc2LRV.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/yAc2LRV) ---
**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:** [July 29, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/306 "2022-07-29T15:32:06Z")
Regarding the “Yes” recording claim (which I’m pretty sure is false), this is just another case of _My Law To Explain Everything_: 1. Someone makes up some shit, 2. Others believe the made-up shit, and repeat it, 3. Go to Step 1. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/307 "2022-07-29T15:36:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > ([https://images.wondershare.com/recoverit/article/12/stellar-photo-repair-6.jpg](https://images.wondershare.com/recoverit/article/12/stellar-photo-repair-6.jpg)) > > ([https://spacecoastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CORRUPTED-FILE.jpg](https://spacecoastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CORRUPTED-FILE.jpg)) I bet those would be useful as starting images at [NightCafe.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-art-creator-algorithm-website/962081) ---
**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:** [July 29, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/308 "2022-07-29T15:48:58Z")
If anyone cares, a bunch of the world’s smartest scambaiters are having a week of fun together right now. They are actively trying to prevent gullible people from losing money, and in some cases, refunding lost funds. > [@"People's Call Center": anyone watching?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peoples-call-center-anyone-watching/968620): > > Some of the best scambaiting dudes in the world have set up a location where they are meeting for a few days this week to pursue their favorite activity – tormenting the crooks who steal money from innocent victims. These include Pierogi, Trilogy Media (Art & Ashton), Pleasant Green and even Jim Browning. The fake Call Center has about 20 specially prepared desktop computers running virtual OSes, with fake bank accounts and other bait material ready to go. If you follow this genre, you should… You can watch the activity in real-time. Since the scambaiters can’t always reach the victims before too late, watching is sometimes more suspenseful than a horror movie; you don’t know if these poor people will wise up in time or lose their entire life savings. If it comes down to the believability of crooks vs. whitehat hackers, it’s a cops & robbers game, or perhaps a feds vs. moonshiners. Win some, lose some. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/309 "2022-07-29T16:23:48Z")
A new one. The United Nations needs me to help disburse 670K to refugees. (they’re getting cheap). I’m sent a form to fill out(in JPG format) and of course, I can’t figure out how to fill out an image file. Neither can the scammers. I’m told to print it, fill it out and send it back. Since you can’t email a printed form, there’s only one way. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/LhOCXWX.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/LhOCXWX) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/310 "2022-07-29T17:09:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A new one. The United Nations needs me to help disburse 670K to refugees. (they’re getting cheap). I’m sent a form to fill out(in JPG format) and of course, I can’t figure out how to fill out an image file. Neither can the scammers. I’m told to print it, fill it out and send it back. Since you can’t email a printed form, there’s only one way. > [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://imgur.com/LhOCXWX) How is it possible they can be this stupid and still scam people? > Thanks for your kind response, the form has not yet been completed.Your Nationality and photograph and occupation and also your mobile number and date of birth… ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/311 "2022-07-29T17:50:52Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How is it possible they can be this stupid and still scam people? Because they prey on people stupider (or being generous, ignoranter) than they are. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/312 "2022-07-29T18:03:09Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > [@running\_coach](#): > > > > How is it possible they can be this stupid and still scam people? > > Because they prey on people stupider (or being generous, ignoranter) than they are. - The idiots are still demanding I fill out the form they sent. They don’t understand that you can’t fill out an image file (Yeah, I know how) or they don’t know how to explain it. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/313 "2022-07-29T18:06:46Z")
“I’d love to help you, but my whole family are [**Janjaweed**](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janjaweed) and they’d be _horribly_ disappointed in me.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/314 "2022-07-29T18:10:11Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > “I’d love to help you, but my whole family are [**Janjaweed**](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janjaweed) and they’d be _horribly_ disappointed in me.” - Thanks, though I try to not ever let on I know where they are. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/315 "2022-07-29T18:30:51Z")
They finally figured out that they need to tell me to put the personal details [**Mangetout**] “You know, the kind of personal details you never give to a stranger on the internet”[/ **Mangetout**]. However, they said they wanted Photography(they meant photo ID) so they got Photography, a bunch of old beach photos from when I lived in Aptos. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/316 "2022-07-30T13:29:21Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > They finally figured out that they need to tell me to put the personal details [**Mangetout**] “You know, the kind of personal details you never give to a stranger on the internet”[/ **Mangetout**]. However, they said they wanted Photography(they meant photo ID) so they got Photography, a bunch of old beach photos from when I lived in Aptos. - There was a long enough delay after this, I thought it was finished. Nope. They wanted $500 wire transferred to a money mule. Fake did that, this morning they’re whining that it hasn’t arrived. No kidding. So far, roughly 6 hours and 38 emails(both ways) in. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/317 "2022-07-30T15:06:44Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > That seems par for the course. Someone sent Mrs. Cad a scam check. We didn’t fall for it but I contacted > > 1. The police where the scam originated > 2. The FBI since it was across state lines > 3. USPS since it used the US mail system > > Exactly zero of them cared. > Probably should have notified the bank the check was drawn on but I have a feeling that would have just made it 0 out of 4. Yeah, there really aren’t that many viable ways for the average citizen to report scams that are taking place in email or other online conversations, across international borders. I get a lot of people telling me ‘you should report this! Why didn’t you report it?!?!’ Whenever I try to unpick what they mean, it turns out they imagine you can just email the police in another country and hand over some fragments of email conversation with a scammer, and that would result in anything other than wasted time. Just like the fire service doesn’t have an email to write to when your house is on fire, police services generally don’t have much in the way of mailboxes where you can anonymously just forward some email and have them treat it seriously. I mean, if they did, imagine the time and effort that would be wasted to trolls and other false reports. In the instances where I have baited scammers far enough to get them to reveal a bank account they want me to pay money into, I report this to the bank. Pretty much anything else is futile, unless you have existing connections with law enforcement that can be used to turn it into an investigation. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/318 "2022-07-30T15:16:15Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > In the instances where I have baited scammers far enough to get them to reveal a bank account they want me to pay money into, I report this to the bank. Pretty much anything else is futile, unless you have existing connections with law enforcement that can be used to turn it into an investigation. - I’ve gotten a couple of accounts here in the States where I’ve forwarded the entire chain of emails to the bank security department only to be told they only deal with victims’ claims and to stop engaging with scammers. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/319 "2022-07-30T21:00:48Z")
Yeah, ultimately, that’s what anyone in any position of authority is likely to want: for people to recognise scams and reject them. Some banks do seem to welcome third party reports of suspicious activity, but I don’t think that necessarily means they do anything with the information. If some complete stranger reports my own (perfectly legit) account as suspicious, I want my bank to ignore that report, or at least not waste too much time on it. And likewise with police and other authorities - if they set up feed-in points for scambaiters to hand off scammers to them, this would encourage vigilantes to go sticking their noses into organised crime, and it would also be wide open to abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018/320 "2022-07-30T21:12:00Z")
One time (under pressure from some guy in the comments who would not relent), I reported one of the scammers I was baiting to Action Fraud - the UK reporting service for Cyber Crime. I was only able to complete about a quarter of the fields on the form, because I didn’t know any physical addresses, only emails, and when it came to reporting how much I had lost, I could only truthfully answer zero. The case was closed without investigation on the grounds that there was not enough material to work on. I was offered counselling. The main problem is that I was not a victim of crime. There was someone attempting to commit a crime, but they had not succeeded. Now the ‘attempted’ versions of many crimes are still prosecutable, but not generally these, where there is little or no evidence to work on and the scammer is a faint trail of dust, somewhere a long way away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scammer-calls-does-anyone-actually-fall-for-them/945018.md?page=17)