I keep getting calls that start, “This is an important phone call…” so I know to hang up immediately.
I keep getting spam calls in Chinese. Anyone willing to listen to them and translate? Curiosity is beginning to get the better of me.
On my newer Pixel 3a (love the phone and camera), I have this built in https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en
It’s such a great feature. 99% of the calls that I don’t know just hang up. I can label as spam and it automatically blocks the number. Not sure if there’s applications like it that can be downloaded to other non Google phones but it’s great.
The Chinese calls are a “parcel scam”. The message says there is a package for the person, and when they respond they are told that the parcel is connected to criminal activity and that they will be arrested be deported unless they send money. Huge international operation. They target areas with large Chinese-speaking immigrant populations. Link: https://www.npr.org/2018/05/10/609117134/chinese-robocalls-bombarding-the-u-s-are-part-of-an-international-phone-scam
I don’t have qualifying children but DO know that phone surveys ARE important so do try to participate when they seem legit and not too long or intrusive. We don’t have any children in our home so we don’t qualify for any of those types of surveys. It’s always a judgment call. Sorting through them isn’t fun.
We recently had trouble porting over our new number, so we had a random one for about a month. We didn’t even know what it was. We knew any calls then were not for us. I think we’ve had them all. One of my favs was a few years ago, my younger S was home and texted me half worried “The message said you were in trouble with the IRS and the police are on the way?” I replied “Good thing I’m out of town. Let them take Dad.” 
We’ve had issues with our cards for years. Several years ago, H’s kept getting hacked. But, the weird thing was whoever was doing it was sending crap to us. Just odd, random stuff like blank business cards and stationary and " for Dummies." At one point, by the time we would get the new card in the mail, it already had fraudulent charges on it when we tried to activate it. Citibank advised H to close his 20+ year old account and go elsewhere. They didn’t know what to do.
My worst one was someone charged $19,000 for scaffolding to a company in Canada. I was a bit miffed USAA didn’t flag that one, but it was before smartphones. I’ve also had my card cloned a couple of times. So, I do try to keep track of our credit scores and pull the reports.
The Chinese phone scam
You must be fluent in Chinese before you can be scammed, so if you are not, don’t worry about it.
In addition to the “Package” scam, it could be the “Chinese Ambassy” scam. They are cleaver in the scam and from contacting to the final closing they pass the calls if there is hope, if not they will drop the line. I was able to convince them that I could be the altimate victim and got to the “police officer from Beijing police station” state. But when I gave a wrong answer, they cut me off like a fly.
I appreciate this thread. It helped with easily getting red flags when I got two calls in two days saying that my iCloud has been breached and press one for apple. The phone number was correct from apple. I did not press one but answered both because I was expecting a call for an appliance that was going to be delivered. I finally got my call so, not answering any more random calls.
Not a phone scam, I am getting an email scam. It is to Costco members. Since I am not a Costco member, I have been ignoring and deleting it. Today, I finally opened it wondering why I am on Costco list. It looked legit until I got to the bottom, if you think it is an error to perceive this email, unsubscribe… I reported it phishing. It will be matter of time before next one pops up. I hope I don’t fall for it next time. I might be tempted to unsubscribe.
CostcoClientReward rep-info@bigtime.net
Sat 8/10/2019 8:25 AM
Count me among those on lists that they’re afraid to unsubscribe from. If I don’t know how I got on, I don’t trust getting off.
If it is an email scam and your leery look at the who sent it to you. When you expand on the name its coming from it will look like it’s from Apple or Costco or whomever. Once you expand the name it is obvious it is fake
Don’t click on anything you didn’t ask for.
H just got a Chinese scam call that left a message on voice mail. Weird since we live in a very very low Chinese population. Have no idea what they said other than hello in Chinese.