scam phone calls

[KT2000]

I keep getting phone calls where a guy says "this is your nephew." What's up with that? Anyone else get those? (definitely not from my real nephew)

[shenmue]

1. I get a lot of scam calls

But none saying they are from my nephew.

[japple]

2. No, I just get the ones from Heather, Emily, or some other chipper-sounding

fembot that tries to get me to sign up for a hotel package. We stayed a couple nights at a Marriott hotel in Kallispell, MT 2 years ago, and they have been hounding me ever since. It has almost reached the point of harassment. It's as bad as the ones for "account services" who want to try to get you to sign up for a credit card.

Yesterday, I was visiting a friend in a nursing home and one of their residents was trying to get rid of one of those callers. He was hollering "are you a real person or are you a machine?" I felt bad for him and wish I could have told him how to get rid of those annoying calls.

[KT2000]

11. that's the problem

I live in an area known to be a retirement area so I bet some people are being taken in by them.

[DK504]

3. My mother got one of those, but it was a "grandma" call.

Some guy asked my mother, I happened to be over at the time, and said, "Grandma?". Neither of my nephews call her 'grandma', so Mom knew something was going on. She asked which one, but he wouldn't answer her and then asked for money to bail him out of jail.

That was the deal breaker. My nephews wouldn't get a speeding ticket much less get arrested. I took the phone and and informed the little darling we now had his phone number and were calling the FBI. He hung up.

[KT2000]

5. this is what I was thinking

it was. Good advice too - thanks.

[Frustratedlady]

7. A friend got a call from authorities in Mexico saying his grandson was in jail.

He needed to send $2500 to get him out.

My friend got so upset, he nearly had a heart attack. His son was finally able to calm him down, but that was after suffering for hours until he could tell the parents about the call.

Hang up immediately on these calls.

[Siwsan]

4. After a slew of 'Windows Tech' calls, I no longer answer a number I don't recognize.

I figure if it's someone who needs to get in touch, they will leave a message.

[cyclonefence]

6. A friend of mine

got this call a couple of years ago, and sent the guy $2000.

A lawyer friend of mine told me to watch out for calls from the NIH, of all places, telling me I'd qualified for a grant, but I'd need to send some money first--to show good faith? I don't know. I'd really like to know when the NIH started offering grants to regular old people like me. I need funding for my study of flatulence in old men.

[KT2000]

8. LOL! Especially with the cutbacks!!

I've got some stuff to study too - hope they call me!

[mitch96]

9. When I get these calls, I have fun!

I say,, hold on a second, put down the phone and walk away.. I let them wait... and wait... and wait.
They eventually hang up...
Time is money for them... They waste my time? I waste theirs.... works every time...
m

[KT2000]

10. OK - that sounds good

hope it will take me off their list.

[NCjack]

16. Nothing takes you off the list. When you answered the scammer's

call, you verified that your telephone works, you are home at that time of day, and that you answer it. That makes you a candidate for other scams for the life of your telephone number. If you get a robot call that ends with the offer "to be on our Do-Not-Call list, press ...." Don't press anything and hang up. If you press any key, you will get more scam calls.

And, getting a new telephone number may be no improvement for you. It could be the number of a person who gave it up because of scammers.

Use your caller ID and voice message functions to screen select calls.

[central scrutinizer]

12. And the classic

[link:https://m.

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[KT2000]

13. OMG! - that is too funny

and I have to share this. Thanks.

[SeattleVet]

14. Just a twist on the grandma/grandpa scam.

They call and say "Grandpa?" , and many people will say something like, "Johnny?". The scammer then has a name, and becomes 'Johnny', with a sob story.

Too many people fall for this, so it is worth the scammer's time. AARP has been warning about these things for years.

(If I see an unknown number on the CallerID, I usually turn on the scanner by my desk and answer, "North precinct, fraud division. Please clearly state you name and company name for the record", with police calls going on in the background They usually can't hang up fast enough.)

[KT2000]

15. OK - I get it now

thanks!