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I know many of us don't even answer the phone unless we recognize a number but we all need to be aware of this scam and pass it on to our relatives, friends and neighbors.
What a good idea to share this, no kudzu. I haven't heard yet of this angle.
The article says basically in a nutshell do not say "yes" to someone who is calling you and you are not fully aware of who the caller is. The scammer can then used your recorded voice against you to make unauthorized credit card charges via telephone.
I'm somewhat familiar with fraudulent phone calls. And sadly, there is so much fraud going on by phone, it's very scary to think about how much money is stolen. Senior citizens are more often targeted and have been a while even before the wide spread usage of the Internet. It's a good thing now that most senior people now use the Internet and stay more informed on such possible variations of phone scams.
Just another reason to ignore phone calls from any number you do not recognize. Let it go to voice mail. If it is important then they will leave a message.
Just another reason to ignore phone calls from any number you do not recognize. Let it go to voice mail. If it is important then they will leave a message.
When I switch to TWC for my phone they inadvertently had me on the private number set up. None our friends would answer the phone. We had to get TWC to fix it. TWC was apologetic and fixed it right away.
Just another reason to ignore phone calls from any number you do not recognize. Let it go to voice mail. If it is important then they will leave a message.
I totally agree, with one big exception. Mrs5150 is applying for Medicare and later SS. Playing phone tag with the SSA can or will be a process that can last months. Leave a message with a caseworker and he/she will return your call in less than 2 business days. Guaranteed.
I didn't get that one but I got a similar one for hearing aids the other day and it really aggravated me. Somehow the sound was artificially adjusted to cut in and out simulating hearing problems for the potential customer on the other end.
And what about, "Someone in your house has ordered (this or that) for back pain"?
I think of so many vulnerable old folks getting taken in by these scams and it really raises my SJW meter. Heh.
My husband's mother was called after his father's death by people pretending to represent the monument company who said there would be an extra charge now for chiseling in the date of death when that had already been paid for.
Fortunately she called a family member to check. Preying on the elderly is depraved but preying on the recently bereaved is plain evil, I think.
When I get calls I don't know like that I always say "who are you and what do you want"...a recording WON'T answer that question.
My OTHER favorite line right away is "WE'RE not interested" and hang up. That alone can signify I'm NOT living alone.
Unfortunately today callers or recordings in say, southern California can read out like a local number in New England, and you MIGHT just think MIGHT be someone you know, especially CELL PHONES, which can read out anywhere the caller has set up the plan at. OR be manipulated to read out local, while the caller is in, say, India, NOTED for scams against Americans.
I also frequently DON'T answer numbers I don't recognize, that are out of my area, and let the phone machine get it. If it is a recording or so, they will disconnect.
I got on of these "can you hear me" calls on my cell# yesterday. I didn't say anything but hung up the call. I googled the phone number and also reported it on the DNC registry (I have both mine and DH as well as our landline registered) there. Had I not seen the news item last week I wouldn't have been aware.
We also have Comcast and about 4 months ago I discovered they have a No more robo calls that you can activate for free. There are instructions there - and I did it, and now when the phone rings more than 2x we know it is an actual call for us to answer. I still check the caller ID, but this has reduced the number of calls dramatically.
If a number does get through, you can add it and if it calls again it will be disabled. This has been the best thing ever for us - no more of those annoying calls. Worth looking into - for anybody who uses Comcast!!!!
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