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I was on the weekly video chat that I have with my kids, when my smartphone buzzed.

I looked at the number, didn't recognize it, just let it go to voicemail, and kept right on visiting with my kids.

As I have mentioned previously, whenever I receive a call from a number I don't recognize, my new personal rule is that I ALWAYS let it go to voicemail, and NEVER pick up the call.

If the unknown caller doesn't leave a message, I immediately block the number. Might be that one or two of these calls are legit, but this new habit of mine really cuts down on telemarketer calls. In the last six months or so, I have blocked at least fifty telephone numbers for precisely this reason (!).

When I was done visiting with my kids, I saw that the caller had left a message, so I played the message back to see what it was. This is what I heard:

"We regret to inform you that your most recent payment of $17.00 did not process. If this payment is not made immediately, your account will be permanently suspended and further fees and penalties will then be due. To rectify this matter, please call [phone number]."

Yeah, right.

The robo-call didn't mention my name, the caller's name, the name of the institution that (allegedly) failed to process my (alleged) payment, what kind of an "account" they were talking about, why the (alleged) $17.00 payment didn't process in the first place, or anything else besides this strongly-worded threat, spoken by a stern male voice, followed by the phone number they demanded that I call.

LOL - I don't believe I have ever made a $17.00 payment for anything, ever. I wonder how they came up with this weird amount?

This is really is scary stuff.

Whenever I first listen to a message like this one, my first thought nearly always is "OMG. What happened to my payment? What's going to happen to my account?" My second thought, when I have had a moment or two to think about it, always is "effing spammers" - actually, my second thought is usually something less polite.

But it is extremely troubling to see how very easy it is to get taken in by scams like this one.

Be VERY careful, ladies, on who you give out your personal information to. I would advise NEVER to call back any numbers that might be given, but instead (if you are worried) to contact your bank and credit card providers directly to see if there is a problem.

It's a jungle out there, and these loathsome snakes are slithering around everywhere.

Anne

Anne they always make it for a small amount and many people go "oh okay" and call or give information and the next withdrawal can be lots of money because then they have all their info. I am like you, I never answer unknown caller either, and if they dont leave a message I block them too. Best practice in my mind.

Here is another one to be careful of. Phone rings. You answer and a very friendly voice says, Hi is this (your first name). What is your natural response? If you said YES, congratulations you just bit! Often the call then disconnects, because what they are after is a recording of your voice saying Yes. Now they can gets"you" to say yes to anything they want to sign you up for. I accidentally picked up a few weeks ago and am so mad at myself! My usual response is, Who is this? I said yes just that once amd now have to be vigilant checking my credit and accounts to make sure they have not signed me up or anything.
Be careful everyone. Never answer yes to anyone you don't actually identify first, and don't trust caller ID because it's easily altered. Stay safe out there.
I probably block 2-5 calls a day!
Velda

MandysMom wrote:Here is another one to be careful of. Phone rings. You answer and a very friendly voice says, Hi is this (your first name). What is your natural response? If you said YES, congratulations you just bit! Often the call then disconnects, because what they are after is a recording of your voice saying Yes. Now they can gets"you" to say yes to anything they want to sign you up for. I accidentally picked up a few weeks ago and am so mad at myself! My usual response is, Who is this? I said yes just that once amd now have to be vigilant checking my credit and accounts to make sure they have not signed me up or anything.
Be careful everyone. Never answer yes to anyone you don't actually identify first, and don't trust caller ID because it's easily altered. Stay safe out there.
I probably block 2-5 calls a day!
Velda

Velda, I hadn't heard of that "yes" thing - yikes. Something else to be cautious of. I don't seem to have so many spam calls as you do, I probably "only" block 2 or 3 calls per week.

Yes, you are correct about Caller ID easily being altered. The call I describe above "appeared" to be a local number to me on Caller I.D, although I very much doubt that it was. Once in a while, when I am in the mood, and have a bit of time, I will try to track down the actual origin of this "local" call. One time I found out that the "local" call originated in Nigeria!

Another thing that I recently found out is that the information on voter registration rolls can be requested. During the last election, I was very annoyed when I began to receive dozens of texts from multiple different numbers with some version of the message "vote for this, not that". I responded very rudely to a few of these, with some version of "how did you get my @##!! phone number?". I just deleted most of them.

One of these texted me back to say that they got my phone number from my voter registration. Apparently, the information on the voter rolls (thus one's voter registration information) can be requested, at least in my county.

Here is the voter registration roll from California (on the first screen, just check that "I am a U.S. citizen and resident of California", then the second screen will show where the phone number is requested):

https://covr.sos.ca.gov/?step=2

This phone number thing is a TREMENDOUS boon to the scammer/spammer. If true, this puts all of us at real, increasing, risk. A scammer/spammer could easily request voter registration rolls, filter for zip code, thereby identifying more wealthy areas on which to concentrate their efforts.

Thank you for your post, Velda. This just reinforces more than ever my personal rule to never pick up. I'm thinking I need to maybe delete my phone number from my voter registration - if it is allowed (they say they need one's phone number to call in case there is some kind of voting/registration "issue".

What a frightening mess all of this has become.

Anne

I get lots of scam calls. And I know about not saying "yes" but caught myself the other day when I was expecting a call from a business I might not recognize the number. It was a scam caller. I check my back account and credit cards pretty much daily.

I usually use a specific card when I get gas. But another of my cards has a 5% rebate on now so using it. Yesterday I was at the first pump in forever that stopped at $100. I tried to put the card through again and was denied. Jumped in the cab and grabbed my phone and told the text message it was me and legitimate and it told me to do it again. Got to love technology.

I also do not answer numbers from unknown phone numbers and also know not to say Yes.

That being said, during the last few months with Dad in the hospital, rehab and hospice, I received many calls from therapists, doctors, etc. I answered the calls from known area codes here with "can I help you?". That worked well with the caller identifying themselves, although one of two were dead silence and were hung up on.

I also do not answer a phone number that isn't in my contact list thinking that if it is actually for me they will leave a message the other day I got a restricted phone number didn't answer it either actually think I was talking with one of my dd's and she said don't answer it of course I wouldn't but they did leave a message... congratulations you have won the publisher's clearing house for xxxxxxxx amount don't recall the amount but if you want to receive it call this number ya like sure I'm going to .... wonder how you win something you haven't entered???
I couldn't figure out how to block the restricted number though... I rarely get spam calls though occasionally but a lot of the time the phone tells me that it's suspected spam...
sheila

For the umteenth time I received an email saying my Paypal account had been frozen and to call etc. I forward them to Paypal. They just seem to never give up. I found a way to annoy the callers selling car warranties -- I reply in a really happy voice, "Oh good, I have a 1957 Chevy truck and I'm sooooo happy to be able to get a warranty". They usually just hang up on me. How rude!

I got one the other day from the "Mastercard Department." That made me laugh out loud, as if there is really a Mastercard department somewhere. And I loved the couple I got last month that told me if I did not respond, the FBI was going to arrest me, and in fact, they were on their way to find me right then, so I better hurry and click 2 or whatever!! Like the FBI really was following me in my motorhome!!

Got to give them at least a B+ for creativity.