Maybe it is
because I am in my eighth decade; but I receive an average of five to six
robo/unsolicited telephone calls a day.
Many of these calls come in on my caller-id with local Maine numbers and
town names, but if I answer they are recordings or someone from Mumbai or Peggy
from Russia – so now I don’t answer, and let them go to record.
Three times
over the last year a man has identified himself as ‘a law enforcement officer’ and
stated his ‘badge number’. He says I am being investigated and unless I
return his call immediately a warrant will be issued for my arrest.
Another
caller identifies himself as ‘with the IRS’.
He says that a problem has been
found in my tax return and if I do not call back immediately $3,256 will be
deducted from my checking account within the next three days. I have had him three time so far this year.
My weekly
caller is from India; he has a heavy Indian dialect but identifies himself as
calling from Medicare. He also
identifies himself as calling from Microsoft, sometimes he says there is a
problem with my credit card. Often, he
just says ‘hello, hello, is William there?
Back when I
answered the phone, before caller-id, I would receive calls from a young man
that would begin, ‘Grampa, I’m in trouble.’
He evidently stayed in trouble,
because I received his calls about twice a year over three years.
And then
there are the recordings.
These calls
are annoying, and I think they are ridiculously funny; but I can’t help but wonder
how many old people are actually taken in by these scams?
There are
vulnerable older women whose husbands took care of the finances, and now alone
are easy targets; and old men with onset of dementia… Emptying people’s bank accounts is bad
enough, but when it is aimed and the elderly, it is an additional sin.
So now my
answering machine states: Because I have received so many unsolicited
telephone calls, I no longer answer my phone.
Leave your number and name and if you are a legitimate caller, I will
return your call.
the Ol’Buzzard
That's a wise move, letting everything go to voicemail. I never answer my phone either if I don't recognize the phone number. We have the same kind of scams here.
ReplyDeleteI don't answer my phone unless I know who it is either. If it's a real caller they can leave a message. Very few unknown callers do. Sadly, as with email scams and spams, enough do fall for it to keep the jerks in business. As you say, some are vulnerable, some looking for that fantastic deal to brag about, yet others are greedy or desperate enough to believe that millions are waiting for them in another country if only they pay the taxes on it. I hope I have someone (family, bank employee, store checker, anyone wise to the schemes) step in and stop me should I ever start falling for such things.
ReplyDeleteThe S.O. gets a lot of robocalls on his phone. Me, not so much. Not sure why. The spoofing annoys me. The caller iD will show what seems to be a local number but if we make the mistake of answering it turns out to be a robot peddling Medicare Advantage plans. We've just been letting everything go to voice mail for years.
ReplyDeleteMy number used to be for UkrPoshta (post office) I've had it for 4 years and still get the odd call. No one else calls me on my phone. People I know use WhatsApp. The constant useless calls must be really annoying. Good you have voice mail.
ReplyDeleteIt's all over the country--a real epidemic. I thought we were on the "Do Not Call" registry, but when I checked, we were not. I registered, but not sure that will help. I feel threatened by the Hispanic sounding man from "Medicare" - He argues with my husband and then calls back repeatedly in quick succession. Same thing if I leave phone off the hook awhile. I feel like I'm living in a B-grade horror movie. He says he has all my personal information and is in contact with my doctor. CAN'T THE FTC OR FCC DO ANYTHING??
ReplyDeleteAt least you have a person's voice when you answer your phone. I get lots of robocalls on my cell and home phone and when I answer, there is silence and then a click off.
ReplyDeleteThe Scammers are so tenacious. I mostly get John from India whose very concerned about my Car's Insurance. *LOL*
ReplyDelete