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[Hinotori]

I've coached Mom on about every scam I could think of after she fell for the ad clickbait scam "We are from Microsoft. Your computer has illegal content on it. Call us at ___-___-____ or the police will arrest you. They tried to get her to click things on her computer that would let them remote in. Mom isn't good with computers. She also freaks out easily and turned her internet off halfway through her talk with them. They got frustrated and told her they would call back in an hour after she got the internet back up.

She immediately called me all freaked out. I told her it was a scam. I couldn't ascertain if she'd downloaded anything and told her to have my brother check it over since he lives there.

When they called back she told them her daughter knew how to take care of it and who to call. They hung up.

She's been freaked by scam phone calls before left on her answering machine. If she doesn't know a number she doesn't answer anymore and has me check it online.

She's pretty good at calling me for anything out of the ordinary now. My younger brother has her computer set up so he can just remote in and fix things now as well.

He's IT and good at what he does, but doesn't explain things well or simply enough. I'm much better at understanding how to use things and find accurate information so even he asks me to find info he's having trouble with on Google.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Not a day goes by that I don't get hit by at least one telephone scam. I never answer my phone, unless I know who is calling. These phone scams also use local numbers. So you might think it's someone calling from your area code, but it's not.

 

[Hinotori]

You can download apps that will spoof phone numbers. Now granted most have backdoors built in so the scammer who created it can steal Your info off you phone.

With VOIP and computers it isn't hard for anyone to spoof a phone number.

Heck I've had calls that came up as coming from my house.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

They are pretty sophisticated in some cases... my MIL is bad about falling for online scams. She really falls for the one that says - we have detected a virus on your computer – call this number. Gets her every time... she has finally gotten to the point where she doesn’t even use her computer anymore. It’s a good thing.

 

[sumi]

I must confess my mother fell for a scam years ago and they relieved her of quite a large sum of money in the process So of course having succeeded they kept bugging her and she kept giving them money, until two of my aunts physically dragged her down to the Police station for intervention and to get the people reported. The Police couldn't do much, but it helped hammer some sense into my mother and stop her giving them her money.

My mother is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Sadly people like her make this worthwhile for scammers, so as long as they get the odd success, they'll keep at it.

 

[baymule]

I do not answer my phone unless I know the number. For some reason, those numbers never leave a message. Then I block that number, for all the good that does, in a call center full of phones.

In our local paper, there is a column from a very funny guy. My favorite is what he calls Phone Creatures. He loves to jack with them and goes off on long rambling conversations of all the crazy stuff he can come up with, from digging fishing worms with his one legged cousin when he was a boy, to fights breaking out at his Grandpa's funeral. The Phone Creature tries to interrupt, but he just talks over them and keeps talking until they hang up on him.

 

[NH Homesteader]

My DH has a grand time with them too. He gets hung up on a lot lol. I ignore all numbers I don't recognize, I don't have time for that!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I used to be terrible with phone solicitors...once they asked to speak to DH and I told them he couldn't come to the phone because he was standing in the corner waiting for his spanking because he'd been really, really bad and bought something from a phone solicitor, lol.

On a more serious note - after moving mom and dad here and changing their address I started receiving their mail. I can not tell you how many "charities" they were contributing to. I got one letter thanking them for their generous contribution of last year ($500) and could they top it this year. I went back through their bank statements for a couple of years and they could have paid cash for a car with all the money they gave away - to various "charities" that I've never heard of....geeze.

I do support (and make my own) charitable contributions but this was insane. I keep my contributions local and give directly to the local chapters where I KNOW how the money is used and where it goes.

So sad when elderly think they're doing a good thing and they're actually being taken advantage of...

 

[baymule]

My Grandmother was the same way. She sent money to all the TV ministries, including Jimmy Swagert.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Yep, wife is dealing with her Daddy on this right now. He is a good soul.

I despise scammers