This one has nothing to do with writing. The intended targets are anyone over 60 or so. Got another call just this morning. Here’s how it went.
Scammer on phone: Hi Grandma.
Me: Are you in jail in Mexico?
Him: What?
Me: Did you break your other leg?
Him: Huh?
Me: Can I wire you money?
Him: You fucking with me? I’m gonna come over there and–
Dog, on command: Frenzied barking
Me: We’re waiting.
You have a unique approach to callers.
Phone solicitation is a boring business, even for scammers. I do my best to brighten up their day.
Love it! My son has a friend whose favorite passion is to play it up with phone scammers. He records it and puts it on Youtube. Some have been hilarious.
I need the emojicons! You have me ROTFL with tears in my eyes. I can SO relate to this. For awhile, I was getting the “something is wrong with your computer” scams at least once, sometimes three and four times a week. Now that I think about it, I haven’t had any in about a month. Those ones have gotten so old! The ones that catch me now are the emails. Twice I’ve almost bitten, but caught myself just in time. NEVER click on a link in an email, even if it’s just asking you to update, no matter how legit you think it is. Type in the URL instead and go directly to the website to sign in. That response will save you a lot of grief. As for the phone call type, I used to rage at them. It changed nothing. They still called. Now, I hang up. They’re just not worth my time. That doesn’t stop them but it doesn’t take up my time anymore, either.
I love hearing from you, Barbara. Even if it is to only sound off at scammers. 🙂
Likewise! Great to hear from you.
That was an inspired conversation you had with a scammer. I’m sure it brightened up his day! I usually hang up or don’t answer when it’s a questionable number. A few times I have asked for their number so I could call them back. Never received even one number!
Sometimes I talk to them about karma—but only the guys with Indian accents. I give an example: at the very same moment that they’re trying to scam me, someone is on the phone with their mothers, doing the exact same thing.
This very thing happened to my mother last summer. The scammer was clever and got my son’s name out of her and then confirmed that it was he who was calling. She smelled a rat and contacted me. My son was busy doctoring in Seattle and not in jail in New Mexico (or wherever the scammer claimed he was). My mother is pretty savvy, but I can see how this could work for a lonely older person who is happy to hear about a grandchild in any manner.
They do this shit for a living, so they’re very good at it. Here’s hoping karma bites them in the ass…(Thinking of renaming my dog Karma.)