Calm Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 So my sister has been getting this automated call for like three weeks on her land line. It gives a name that is her first name but last name is only first letter so she is worried it is really for her and there is a typo. Supposedly it is about a debt but she has really listened long enough to figure it out (I asked her to next time find the phone number they tell her to call so I can search for it). Anyway they make it sound real serious by saying hang up if this is not you or if there is someone else listening in the room and that if you say on the line it will mean you will be held accountable for what you hear...which is imo a bunch of crap because they have no way to know if it is someone underage, etc. etc. Any way, she is becoming haunted by the call. She lives alone and is nervous about finances and can be obessive about worrying about little things (a family trait). She gets sick at opening her door to come home thinking the blinking red light on her message machine. I told her I would track down what it is about, but I can't find anything relating to it. Anyone hear of creditors doing something so ineffective? Or a scam that is run this way? Maybe to get you to call the company to correct the info and then it turns out it is a pay line like the newly popular "one ring" scam? (that you call to see who it is and they put you on hold while the money mounts up)
Flexible Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 22 minutes ago, Calm said: So my sister has been getting this automated call for like three weeks on her land line. It gives a name that is her first name but last name is only first letter so she is worried it is really for her and there is a typo. Supposedly it is about a debt but she has really listened long enough to figure it out (I asked her to next time find the phone number they tell her to call so I can search for it). Anyway they make it sound real serious by saying hang up if this is not you or if there is someone else listening in the room and that if you say on the line it will mean you will be held accountable for what you hear...which is imo a bunch of crap because they have no way to know if it is someone underage, etc. etc. Any way, she is becoming haunted by the call. She lives alone and is nervous about finances and can be obessive about worrying about little things (a family trait). She gets sick at opening her door to come home thinking the blinking red light on her message machine. I told her I would track down what it is about, but I can't find anything relating to it. Anyone hear of creditors doing something so ineffective? Or a scam that is run this way? Maybe to get you to call the company to correct the info and then it turns out it is a pay line like the newly popular "one ring" scam? (that you call to see who it is and they put you on hold while the money mounts up) The local FBI office tracks these types of scams. And this IS a scam. Have her call them and report it. They may have some suggestions also. 3
longview Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 next time this happens, turn on the Tabernacle Choir music, say to the caller to please hold while you go to get your financial folder, set the phone down next to the music player, and do something else. Keep him him waiting for as long as possible. that will give him two or three less victims to prey on.
Calm Posted September 7, 2016 Author Posted September 7, 2016 It is a robocall, so no joy unfortunately
Glenn101 Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 Calm, ask her if a number shows up on call I.D. That can be checked. I received a call like that, except it was supposedly from the IRS telling me that I had been audited and that I owed money. I was given a number to call and talked to a real, live fake IRS agent. I informed him that he was scamming me and not to call again. I was able to verify that the number of the robo caller was a cell phone, no less. Have not had any problems since. Hope she can get to the bottom of this. Glenn
ttribe Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 <---------- This Certified Fraud Examiner votes scam, as well.
Calm Posted September 7, 2016 Author Posted September 7, 2016 Thank you all. The fact they used her first name and Last name started with the same letter is just bizarre. I guess they could program a computer to run through looking for names that match and then call using a set piece, but if they go to that much work, why not just used the actual name?
ERayR Posted September 7, 2016 Posted September 7, 2016 14 hours ago, Calm said: So my sister has been getting this automated call for like three weeks on her land line. It gives a name that is her first name but last name is only first letter so she is worried it is really for her and there is a typo. Supposedly it is about a debt but she has really listened long enough to figure it out (I asked her to next time find the phone number they tell her to call so I can search for it). Anyway they make it sound real serious by saying hang up if this is not you or if there is someone else listening in the room and that if you say on the line it will mean you will be held accountable for what you hear...which is imo a bunch of crap because they have no way to know if it is someone underage, etc. etc. Any way, she is becoming haunted by the call. She lives alone and is nervous about finances and can be obessive about worrying about little things (a family trait). She gets sick at opening her door to come home thinking the blinking red light on her message machine. I told her I would track down what it is about, but I can't find anything relating to it. Anyone hear of creditors doing something so ineffective? Or a scam that is run this way? Maybe to get you to call the company to correct the info and then it turns out it is a pay line like the newly popular "one ring" scam? (that you call to see who it is and they put you on hold while the money mounts up) Scam. I generally hang up on automated calls.
Stargazer Posted September 8, 2016 Posted September 8, 2016 So far today, I've gotten two robo-phone calls from the "IRS" claiming that I had four serious tax-law violations that I needed to deal with, or else the "local cops" were going to come arrest me. And I needed to call some phone number to talk to one of their "agents". Scams are abounding! Tell your sister that legitimate collection companies don't call people, they send snail mail to them. I've been in financial difficulty before and owed money to creditors that I couldn't pay at that time, and they ALWAYS started out sending me mail asking for ME to contact THEM. A call out of the blue isn't even legal for a creditor to do. As far as I am aware. 1
Calm Posted September 8, 2016 Author Posted September 8, 2016 Thanks for the info, she keeps saying surely they would have sent something in the mail, but what if I gave them the wrong address? (she had written the wrong address down once on an application or maybe she had moved shortly after it or something that made her worry/obsess like we do in our family though she is the worst in this area). And I tell her if they managed to call your land line, they could easily find your actual current address. No call today from her about it, so that might mean she had a day of peace or is no longer worried about it. Let's hope both.
Tacenda Posted September 8, 2016 Posted September 8, 2016 (edited) On 9/6/2016 at 10:08 PM, Glenn101 said: Quote malfunctions Edited September 8, 2016 by Tacenda
Garden Girl Posted September 9, 2016 Posted September 9, 2016 On 9/6/2016 at 9:08 PM, Glenn101 said: Calm, ask her if a number shows up on call I.D. That can be checked. Glenn I have caller ID and before I answer the phone, I look to see if it is someone I recognize... if not, and it is most likely from long distance, I let it go to the answering machine... rarely do they leave a message... but I have their number and can check it out... Scams!! Love caller ID!! GG 1
Tacenda Posted September 9, 2016 Posted September 9, 2016 Me too Calm, but after receiving one too many calls like Glenn, I discontinued my landline service. The final straw was when I recently played along with them, and the dude started calling me horrible things. It sickened me. I hope they can't track people down on their cell phones too. But thank heavens for caller ID. But these people are able to use what looks like people's cell phone numbers now. 1
Calm Posted September 9, 2016 Author Posted September 9, 2016 3 hours ago, Garden Girl said: I have caller ID and before I answer the phone, I look to see if it is someone I recognize... if not, and it is most likely from long distance, I let it go to the answering machine... rarely do they leave a message... but I have their number and can check it out... Scams!! Love caller ID!! GG I do too. She has a very old phone for her land line and does not have that function. I told her it was either time to get a new phone or save money by going down to just her cell phone. She says she never uses it anyway, lived without it for 6 months due to being in a hotel while they fixed up her place after a flood.
summer22 Posted September 9, 2016 Posted September 9, 2016 Yes, these are worrisome and I always assume automated calls are not real
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