Does anybody know how to TROLL A SCAMMER?

[Bensonn]

Before I ditched my landline, I used to get the IRS scammer calls all the time. They would leave messages threatening to send the police to put me "behind the bars" and if I didn't call them back I'd be hauled off to the federal "goat house" and brought before a judge, blah, blah, blah.

There are a lot of folks on YouTube who troll the scammers with hilarious results. It's really funny stuff.

[D. Scott]

Get an Arnold Schwarzwnegger sound board and mess with them. : )

I get numerous calls with numbers I dont recognize, I dont really have the time or patience to mess with them though, even if it would be funny.

[Calvert Hall '62]

Originally Posted by SVTLightning

you can check out 419eater.com and they have some great stories about people getting these scammers back.

Person at the site with the nym "Shiver Metimbers" pulled some absolutely priceless stunts on those crooks. Some lasting for months and which cost the scammers money. Guy's a genius.

[PhureeKeeper]

Originally Posted by K_Chris

Unfortunately some of them are getting smart and using a local area code. Since I just moved and put out applications for certain things, trying to get business done, I kinda have to answer an unfamiliar number if the area code is familiar.

Case in point, where I live a 612 area code isn't uncommon and had someone call me. I answered and it turned out to be my aunt. Another called, turned out to be a manager for a job I put in. Yet another called, this time it was a scammer.

Since I usually answer after work, and love being an *******, I love playing with them. It's hilarious. One told me I had an attractive voice, I said thanks (voice can come off as a womans over the phone). He asked what I thought about his voice, I said it dried me up so thanks I guess. After about 20min of me being a royal douche, he hung up on me. I laughed and went about my day. I LOVE messing with scammers. What you gonna do, call the cops for me harassing you trying to get money off me illegally?

I've been getting calls and they use the same area code PLUS the same first 3 numbers of my phone!

[Middleofariver]

Originally Posted by PhureeKeeper

I've been getting calls and they use the same area code PLUS the same first 3 numbers of my phone!

Yep i just hung up on that one when they wanted to help me get cheaper health insurance.

And then i called the number back and it's like a dummy line..lol

[Cida]

I'm sorry to hear this, since recently there were a bunch of arrests of these scammers (after which my scam calls stopped).

[CraigCreek]

I use several techniques, depending on how much time I want to spend.

I'm good with voices. So once it's clear it's a scammer - there's often a little click before the message begins - I repeat "Hello? Hello?? Hello?? I cain't hear you..." over and over again, sounding like an old country fellow about 115 years old. I finally end with "I cain't hear you....good-byyyyeee", in a fade-away voice.

If I have more time, I use a similar old country-fellow voice, but with great enthusiasm and very poor grammar. I recruit them for a small foreign charity (which really exists; every word I say about it is true) that helps orphans:

"Oh, I've jes' been a-waitin' fer someone to call, so's I kin testy-fy about (name of charity). You know, they hep them pore little orphan cheeldren, way over thar in (name of country), and I jes' know you wont to do the Lord's Work and wont to hep. I got some materi-el about it rite cheer and I kin send it rite to ye, if ye'll jes' tell me whar to mail hit and send me a little sumpin' back for them pore little orphans".

I can testy-fy ad infinitum, rattling it off as fast as I can, all about them pore little orphan cheeldren. But it usually shoos off the caller within 90 seconds.

For a while, scammers would invariably mispronounce my name and start off "Mr. CraigBreek?? How are you today?"

I'd reply, "Not very well", in a die-away voice.

"Would there be a better time to call?"

"No, there won't be a better time...".

"Is there anyone else there I can talk to?"

"No, I'm all by myself, but the ambulance is coming soon..."

If they disturb my day, I figure I might as well have a little fun out of it.