The "Windows" Scammers

[raudf]

Or not... there is a "one ring" scam that can cost you money

This be one of the reasons that if I don't recognize a number, I don't answer it. If it doesn't leave a message, I don't call it back, but that is reduced by topic of call vs the number. If it's a "Call Us back at XXX-XXX-XXXX," with no reason, forget it. If it's a "This is your bank calling about blah, blah, please call us back at XXX-XXX-XXXX," it will depend on whether or not the number left in the message is one I know is my bank. Otherwise, sod that. I'm tired of scammers.

Also, I had a 900 block put on my landline.

[Mr Hero]

I've gotten calls from my bank. They have
always identified the name of the bank they are with. Still a good idea to cross reference the phone number with the actual contact info on the website.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I've gotten calls from my bank. They have
always identified the name of the bank they are with. Still a good idea to cross reference the phone number with the actual contact info on the website.

Run a google search on the phone number is a good way to verify if they are a legitimate company or one that's being reported to various consumer websites as scam artists.

Or check with one of those sites, such as:

800 Notes

WhoCallsMe

CallerComplaints.com

You'll be surprised by what you can uncover. If they are constantly calling, file a report with the FCC
File Complaint | FCC.gov

[MadMike]

Bad move - that's impersonating a police officer.

I really doubt that a scammer is going to call the cops on you.

[Argabarga]

Yeah, first thing they're gonna have to do is

1. Admit they called you
2. Admit who they said they were when the called you

And that puts THEM in the wrong.

Total non-risk, even if the letter of the law says otherwise.


Though I do wonder sometimes how the 21st century proliferation of scam artists using automated dialers following in the heels of the 90s' proliferation of cold call telemarketing is just speeding the end of the old land-line system because people are just that tired of what might be 80% or better of their calls being unwanted and/or criminal.

[wolfie]

Of course, there's the possibility of a 3rd party (is the NSA running all phone calls through an automated search for keywords?) hearing the conversation, and THEY might turn you in for impersonating a cop.

[Argabarga]

They've got much more important things to do than worry about someone claiming to be a cop in casual conversation for the expressed purpose of getting a nuisance-maker to leave them alone.

Trust me

Can't name the last person who actually was investigated, let alone prosecuted, let alone jailed for doing that.

It's a risk so infinitesimally small it borders on non-existent. And that's all I'll say before I fratch it.

[protege]

So far, I've received a few...

* The "Windows" scam. I do tech support for a living. My computers are always up to date regarding drivers and antivirus updates. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Plus, I know for a fact, that Micro$haft does *not* call users to inform them of problems.

*The copier scam. Seriously? You don't need my copier's serial number. If that's the first thing you ask for, I automatically know that you're going to try and send me shitty office supplies, and then attempt to bill me for them. As much as I'd love to get a free gift (thank you USPS for that!), I don't want to trash my copier.

*The various "card services" ones. Again, seriously? You don't mention which "credit card account" you're calling about, and I'm supposed to give you my info? Sorry, but fuck that. Last time I checked, my credit card companies do *not* cold-call their customers. If they do call, they always identify themselves and don't sound like a damn robot.

Not only do I do tech support, but I do visit message boards and other places about such scams. Trust me, I'm onto you long before you call me

[HawaiianShirts]

Haven't had the "Windows Error" calls yet, but I've had lots of the "Card Services" calls. I have a persona just for such calls--Lev the Angry Russian Immigrant. I just adopt my best fake Russian accent (which is pretty pathetic, actually), complain about the "stupid Americans" I have to live and work with, and give the scammers just enough information to keep them on the line thinking that, eventually, they'll get what they want from me. Most of them don't last long, though.

"I'm with the TLA"
...the Three Letter Acronym.

Laughed so hard I woke up the baby. (Fortunately, she is now giggling as well, but for other reasons.) I'm definitely going to use that one.

[TheSHAD0W]

I finally got one of them calling me. I kept him on the phone for seven minutes "waiting for the computer to boot up", "the home screen is up but I can't use it yet, it's still loading programs", "yes I pressed the button with 4 boxes on the left and R, nothing happened", "no, there's no button on the bottom left"...

[Jay 2K Winger]

Thanks to folks who told me about the "one ring" scammers, because I think I got hit with a variant of it this past weekend.

I went to the movies, as I usually do on Saturdays, and after leaving the theater, checked my phone to see I'd received a text message. I ignored it pretty straight away, since it wasn't from any number I recognized, and it had a part in the text which was just [XXXXXXXXXX] (as in that was literally what filled some space, square bracket on, bunch of X's, square bracket off) but it also said "Card blocked due to fraud" and included a phone number.

Suspicious, I checked the area code on the number, which was for somewhere in Orlando, FL. A reverse phone lookup didn't return any name. Since my bank card still works, and that's the only card I've used in years, I naturally assumed it was just a scammer, hoping I'd call the number provided so they could... I dunno, run up charges on my phone number or something.

I figured if my card had been blocked, I'd have gotten an email from my bank about it. My bank is diligent about strange behavior on my card. When I made some big clothing purchases before my trip to Mexico, I got a couple of email alerts from the bank about them.

[Mr Hero]

Or they wanted the card number itself.

Someone needs to make a parody of "one ring" scams that somehow involve the One Ring

[pzychobitch]

Or they wanted the card number itself.

Someone needs to make a parody of "one ring" scams that somehow involve the One Ring

One Ring to rule them all...

Anyone else have lord of the rings in mind here?

[dalesys]

Anyone else have lord of the rings in mind here?

Bored of the Rings...
Frito, a Boggie from The Sty...
The Nine Riders on their farting pigs...
Goodgulf the Wizard...

[Shalom]

Bored of the Rings....

And don't forget the parody of Appendix A.

These are the names of the Kings of Twodor: Barbisol the Buck-Toothed, Beltelephon the Senile, Nabisco the Incompetent, Melonhed, Cementrúk, Aileron the Inverted, Analog, Oscarmayer, Rómancandil I, Túrnabout, Anteater I, Saládati, Tarantella, Éarwax I, Carryout, Hormóndocil the Eunuch. Hormóndocil was the first childless King, and was succeeded by his brother, Anteater II the Gluttonous. Nembutal, Cholera, Rómancandil II, Volksicar, Edselcar, Castrati the Unsavoury. He was the second childless King, and was succeeded by his brother’s son, Dilidali. Hormóndocil II, Minnihaha, Telegraf, Tóronto, Telegenic Lumbago, Nembutal II, Calamiti, Underhand, Éarwax II. He and his children perished in the Spotted Plague, and was succeeded by his cousin, Chlorinol. Chloride, Chlorox, Chloroplast the Green, who died mysteriously. Here the line of the Kings was interrupted, with the disappearance of Chloroplast’s son, Æroplane, and the Stewardship of Twodor began, until an heir of Æroplane should return.

These are the names of the Ranger Chieftains in Northern Exile at Ribroast: Æroplane, Ærodróme, Ærodyne, Æroflot, Arglebargle I, Arrowroot I, Arrowfrog, Arglebargle II, Arrowshirt I, Arrolflynn, Ardi-ar-ar, Arminávi, Arlidávison, Arrowhed, Arrowshirt II, Arrowroot II, True King of Twodor and Heir of Barbisol, restored.