Stop with the phone scams already.

Well, my elderly parents just received a call from the Department of Justice today..and yesterday...and the day before that...it's actually been for about two weeks, a few times everyday, that the Department of Justice has been so urgently trying to reach them. You would think they would just use certified mail or send someone out to speak with them in person..considering that they have not as yet solicited a response.

So, I looked it up...cuz, when the department of justice is calling, you really don't want to answer the phone...just in case there really is someone of importance on the other side of it. Yet, you are a bit curious as to what you did to garner their attention. It is the latest scam of course...but anyone with elderly parents may want to make them aware of it.

The caller will tell you (in his best English speaking voice) that you have a warrant out for your arrest and if you don't send money to them, they will come and pick you up. I think it is really thoughtful of the Department of justice to forewarn you that you are in trouble and take bribes. It makes life so much easier not having to get that formal notice in the mail and go to court...saves time.

I just received a call from this number today too. They were claiming I had fraudulent activity and that I would be arrested and imprisoned for 4 years, by Oregon law. If they are in Arizona, how can they control anything here. They claimed they were from the Department of Justice. I hope they know that's a federal offense in the U.S. These people are from outside the country. If the Department of Justice wanted to get a hold of me...they would have sent something in the mail first. They also lied about where they are located and what time they close.

Or maybe you have committed a fraudulent offense and are going to serve some jail time as well..

I received a call from this number also. The caller said his name was Capt. John Harris and he was from the Texas State Police. He says there were ‘fraudulent charges and theft charges being filed against me unless I could pay $1200 to keep this from happening.
I told him I had no idea what he was talking about but I was going to contact an attorney and have them to look into this matter. Then he said he would contact me back by the end of the day.

That is just a new (to me) scam I wanted to make people aware of..not that you would fall for that scam..but many elderly people do for some reason..so, maybe it is good to talk with your parents and make sure they know.

The other thing that I am ranting about is the amount of solicitation phone calls they receive. My parents donate to St. Jude quite often. Now St. Jude doesn't think that what they give is enough. They are calling almost every day as well and harassing my parents. They even called this Sunday. And one representative told my mom that she needed to give more...that's right, an elderly person on a fixed income who gives every year and has for most of her life..she needs to ante up more cash..because St. Jude needs it.

That is really my rant.. please stop calling my parents and making the last years of their lives on Earth miserable. Please stop trying to scam, manipulate, strong arm them into paying more than they can for things. They've done their time in the rat race, they've given whenever they can and still do...please just let them enjoy their retirement years in peace.

So that's it...even if you get a call from a local number now, it can actually be from another country. The number can look legit, but once you answer it, you will find out that it is once again, your computer is broken and they are there to help you fix it...

They are making the calls utilizing VOIP and the names of legitimate firms to make it appear the calls are originating from within the US. There is NO "company" or "debt" and you will NOT be arrested. They are harvesting and/or buying consumers' personal identifying information from unscrupulous websites like the one you may have filled out an application with, and you need to do whatever you can to protect yourself

Source for quotes
Thanks for reading my rant. Hopefully it was at least a little helpful for some...and it did make me feel a bit better. Will we ever stop the constant onslaught of solicitation or scam phone calls...I doubt it. But, maybe me sharing this info will keep someone else from getting scammed.

Thanks again, (and sorry for ranting)
blend57

A friend sent me an email scam yesterday of a new type to me. He buys stuff online that comes directly from China at times. Below is the message:

"Hello,
Global International Company has opened a position in your area for the Logistics Manager for a limited number of applicants to apply. The first month this position will be remote, so a jobseeker will be working from home receiving necessary instructions and recommendations in order to become familiar with their duties and responsibilities. Fair payment and promotion after 1 month of trial are guaranted.
As the Logistics Manager you will be responsible for:
- keeping information current in your virtual Control Panel with daily assigned tasks online;
- packing and repacking, ensuring quality inspection and dispatch of orders;
- dealing with receipting of deliveries and checking goods in.
Compensation and perks:
- $2,650 for the first month at the end of the month;
- $3,300/month starting from the second month - the sum total to be divided into 2 biweekly payments;
- Supplementary bonuses according to your performance;
- Full benefits package including full health coverage and paid time off.
In order to acknowledge your interest in the Logistics Manager position, please forward your current mobile number in response to this email and we will get in touch with you ASAP with further details:
- Mobile number:
Best Regards,
Tiffany Novak"

ETA: An elderly friend of mine, as I've witnessed multiple times, has the hardest time ending scam phone calls. She couldn't just hang up or interrupt the person to say, "Sorry...." She is learning but it has been frustrating that she cannot be adamant and take control.

originally posted by: Aliensun

A friend sent me an email scam yesterday of a new type to me. He buys stuff online that comes directly from China at times. Below is the message:

ETA: An elderly friend of mine, as I've witnessed multiple times, has the hardest time ending scam phone calls. She couldn't just hang up or interrupt the person to say, "Sorry...." She is learning but it has been frustrating that she cannot be adamant and take control.

My dad will do the same..listen and try to be polite about saying no thank you..but, as we all know..sometimes those solicitors and scammers don't give up. I think somewhere in another thread I read that they have to stay on the phone for a certain period of time in order to get credit for the call.

Which, I understand a person has to make a living and sometimes, you got to take a job that isn't what you would normally take. So, I get that part. Just wish that there was a way to block them that worked. But with today's technology, I doubt that'll ever happen...so, best thing to do is keep your parents aware I think.

Emails is a whole other beast..lol.

Thanks for the heads up on that one.

blend57

The "YES" phone scam is another. They start by saying "Hello? Can you hear me? "....then they get you saying "Yes!"...then they have your voice on record they can use with other info implying its really you.

Banking, purchases, credit etc.. .tell all your friends about this one especially the elderly

a reply to: blend57

Phone scams i love them . For instance tax department ( Australia ).It has come to our attention you under paid on your tax last financial . My answer , f... yes you losers and then terminate the call . Oh and surveys i actually do as they are just such good fun . I answer every question with a question , annoys the crap out of them .

I learned from a young adult age to never answer the phone unless you know the number that is calling. Or are expecting a call from an unknown #. It makes life so much easier. If it is important, they will text me or leave voicemail. I do the same when someone knocks on my door. Because it's either dirty mormons, or a dirty neighbor asking for handouts.

a reply to: mysterioustranger

They start by saying "Hello? Can you hear me? "....then they get you saying "Yes!"...then they have your voice on record they can use with other info implying its really you.

Umm , what world would that work in , i mean really .

Scams are abound everywhere.

I once got an email that appeared to be from one of my customers. It told me that they were on a trip and lost their passports or w/e, and if I could send them money so they can clear up the issue and get back home. I was assured I would be paid back in full when they returned. At first I thought hmm, this is odd but maybe it's true. Then I kept thinking about it, then I gave the customer a call and asked them if they were still home or on a trip. She told me that they were home.. I let her know about the email and how it looked like her legit email.

They are an older couple, but I let her know that her email might've been hacked or spoofed to try and collect money from people on her email list. Most people are oblivious to scams, but I'm such a skeptic that I don't fall for them.


ETA: I've also been called by "microsoft" to fix my computer, but I had already been aware of that scam and I just trolled the guy who called lol.

The FBI does not have the resources and is too busy fighting terrorism to defend elderly people from being scammed. Hiring more FBI agents would be a much better use of treasury money than increasing military spending in my egotistical-I'm-right-eff-you opinion.

a reply to: blend57

Not much would make me hang up faster than someone saying they are from the department of justice.....that's a call I don't entertain.
If the cops, feds, doj etc want you they're not calling.

I guess calls from Africa about winning the lottery are kinda played out.

Anyone else getting the cute girl calls where she accidentally drops her headset, giggles, then leads into the sales pitch?

My mom gets lots of these type sales calls, because she answers her phone every time it rings.

If Trump were able to figure out a way to get rid of all telemarketing calls his presidency would be a HUGE success!

We get a lot in the UK from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. But quite lately the callers have been giving themselves English names like Nigel or Amanda and you immediately think "yea, you sure are a Nigel with a broad Indian accent".
My friend just lays the phone down and walks away for a few minutes. OK, it ties your phone up for that length of time, but it also ties the caller up for no result.

Just tell them to send the cops over to your house, you will put the coffee on and you have fresh cookies you just baked.

Torture the hell out of them. If the cops come to the door looking for cookies, call the real cops. Tell them someone is impersonating a police officer and trying to steal their cookies and they will be there in five minutes.

a reply to: blend57

lots of that unfortunately.

if it was me i would just say CIA or RCMP.

TinySickTears

Not much would make me hang up faster than someone saying they are from the department of justice.....that's a call I don't entertain.
If the cops, feds, doj etc want you they're not calling.

I know. But I needed to show my parents and was looking it up anyways so thought I would share what I found. Older people get scammed with these things a lot. When the IRS scam was going around, a few people my parents knew fell for it. It was a rant but also meant to make people aware.

hutch622

Phone scams i love them . For instance tax department ( Australia ).It has come to our attention you under paid on your tax last financial . My answer , f... yes you losers and then terminate the call . Oh and surveys i actually do as they are just such good fun . I answer every question with a question , annoys the crap out of them .

Yeah, I normally don't answer. You are a rare person who enjoys phone scams. That is a good thing that you don't let them get you upset. I don't mind them as long as they don't target my parents. As I said, they are older and I don't think they should have to put up with such things. Also, I'm afraid that one day they will end up believing the scammer as they grow older in age.

mysterioustranger

The "YES" phone scam is another. They start by saying "Hello? Can you hear me? "....then they get you saying "Yes!"...then they have your voice on record they can use with other info implying its really you.

Banking, purchases, credit etc.. .tell all your friends about this one especially the elderly

My dad just mentioned this today. He got a call that said "can you hear me?" and he hung up. He said he had already heard about that one. It had been on the news and other social outlets. Thanks for the heads up on that one too.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond and also, for sharing other newer phone/e-mail scams you know about. I guess it is just being diligent and looking them up and keeping aware. The only real protection you have for the moment.

Thanks again,
blend57

Just yesterday, some elderly folks I look after, called panicked that there was a warrant out for their arrest. They got a call from the "IRS". This kind of scam could cause a heart attack in the elderly. I assured them it was just a scam. But, they were really stressed out. I asked if they had gotten any mail from the IRS, and they hadnt. So, I told them not to call back and to ignore the call.

For years now, I haven't answered the phone unless I know the number, but...about a year ago......

There was a number that just kept calling.
For days.
2 - 3 times a day, sometimes 4 or 5, so I finally answer it, just to see who is that persistent.
Turns out, it was "The IRS" [ yeah right ]
I get a warning from a guy with a heavy accent that I hadn't paid my taxes, [ I had already got my return back ] and that I could pay what I owed over the phone, all I had to do was give him my debit card numbers. After telling the guy I knew it was a scam and in great detail where he could stick it, he preceded to tell me they would freeze my accounts, haul me off to jail and generally did his best to intimidate me into giving him my card numbers. I just laughed and told him "Bring it on". He was so mad by the time he hung up, I could barely understand him.

I must be getting bored, because I sometimes answer scam emails with some pretty nasty ideas about their Mother.

a reply to: hutch622

In the world of elderly seniors who havent a clue about smart phones or computers of cable-dishes etc...anything electronic...and think calls like this are real.

Ive seen and heard of some having their identities stolen and banks accts wiped out by this..."Just say YES...and we'll send you your new....whatever...". *

*FYI-I do work in the Police/Emergency Services City Complex...where I learned of it, officially as a warning to pass along...

So I am....Best, MS

a reply to: misskat1

The IRS scam is everywhere. We got one of those calls yesterday from a number in Texas. Fortunately, the machine picked up and we were able to listen to the message all the way through more than once. I did feel a few minutes of panic until I took a deep breath and thought about what the message was actually saying.